[Home Studio DIY 02 : Room Acoustics] Finding a room that I can use as a music studio

  After three years of living in a goshiwon (a type of small, single-room housing in Korea)

and five and a half years in a boarding house,

I finally decided to move out and find a place 

 

where I could seriously focus on making music.

 

 In early July of 2021, I began my search for a suitable room to rent.

 

 My top priority was, of course, finding a space conducive to music production,

ideally one where I could easily implement acoustic treatment (like setting up bass traps).

 

 This meant I needed a room with a simple layout and ample space.

However, as a perpetually broke musician, I had to make some compromises:

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1. Sacrifice convenience in transportation  
   I was willing to live further from the city center to get more space for my money.
   
   
2. Consider older buildings 
   As long as the building was in decent condition, I was open to living in an older building to save on rent.
   
   
3. Prioritize room size 
   The room had to be at least 3 pyeong (approximately 10 square meters).
   Little did I know back then that this was still woefully inadequate for proper acoustic treatment.
   
   
4. Secure landlord's consent 
   I needed to find a landlord who was okay with me using the space for music production.

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 Luckily, I found a place in Mapo District that met all my criteria (in an old building, of course).

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I set the move-in date for September.

 

 Back then, I naively thought that strategically placing bass traps in the corners,

adding some diffusers to tame the high frequencies, and running Sonarworks (acoustic correction software)

would magically transform the room into a sonic paradise.

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But as we all know, well-laid plans often go awry.

 

While I'll delve into the details of my failures later, here are the key takeaways:

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• Even 10 square meters is too small 
   You'll inevitably encounter problematic room modes (resonances) that are difficult to control.
   If you're on a tight budget, this is a reality you'll have to accept.
   Don't try to completely eliminate them; focus on mitigating their impact. It's better for your sanity.
  
  
• Sonarworks is not a magic bullet 
   Don't rely on it to fix all your acoustic problems.
  
  
• Go all out with bass traps
   Don't skimp on bass traps. Stuff the room with them! 
   Otherwise, you'll end up wasting money and battling unruly low frequencies.
  
  
• Check the electrical grounding
   This is unrelated to room acoustics, but crucial nonetheless.
   If you're a musician moving into an older building, bring a multi-tester 
   to check the electrical grounding before you sign the lease. 
  
   Trust me on this. If you care about your audio equipment, memorize this advice.
   It will save you a lot of heartache.

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That's all for today's update.

Check out my room before all the work. Yeah, the HS8 speaker setup wasn't ideal.