If you're a voice actor, you know how important clear sound is.  

And if your home studio sounds echoey or noisy, the solution might be simple: acoustic treatment. 

Acoustic treatment boosts recording quality, controlling how sound blankets a room — making it just as vital as voice-over microphones and software when capturing audio. When it comes to acoustic treatment in home studios, you can find foam panels and diffusers for a DIY solution to record studio-quality sound. 

Learn why and how to use acoustic treatment so you can record your best (and clearest) audio erotica yet. 

What is acoustic treatment?  

Acoustic treatment is the process of treating to improve the acoustic quality of the space, or how things sound. These treatments usually involve adding elements to a room to absorb and diffuse all the sounds you don’t want to hear during recording. They stop reverberation in its tracks and minimize outside noises and buzzing. 

Every room has its own acoustic signature, which is how noises sound in the space. The room’s size, shape, and contents affect that signature. But poor acoustics and spaces without intentional design often result in less-than-ideal sound, especially in DIY home studios that aren’t actually built for recording audio. When you acoustically treat your home studio — or whatever space you record in — you set yourself up for higher-quality audios without any weird background noise. 

Acoustic treatment versus soundproofing 

Soundproofing is about blocking sound from entering or leaving a space, which is essential if you're recording in a noisy environment or want to avoid disturbing others. It hides sounds from traffic, loud neighbors, or any other interruptions that could reduce your recording quality. It can also keep other people from hearing what you’re doing in the soundproofed room — a huge plus if you’re creating audio erotica and don’t necessarily want your roommate to hear the dirty parts.

Acoustic treatment, on the other hand, optimizes sound within a room. It manages how sound behaves in a space, helping you produce clear recordings free from unwanted echoes, reverberations, and distortions. This directly boosts the quality of your audio to make the final product smooth and distraction-free. 

Why are acoustic treatments essential? 

Knowing how to voice act and write interesting audio stories is one thing. But if your audio doesn’t sound good, listeners won’t be able to understand it. And there’s no point if they don’t know what you’re saying.

That’s where wall and ceiling acoustic treatments come in. 

During recording sessions, the microphone captures the sound that’s coming directly from your voice. But it also picks up the sound of your voice reflecting off walls and objects. These reflections can impact the quality of the recorded audio — potentially making it worse. Acoustic treatment helps minimize these room sounds so only your words (and sound effects) appear in your recording. That way, you have more control over the final sound and avoid potentially distracting noises.

Acoustic treatment also helps you make better mixes in post-production. The sound from studio monitors can reflect off surfaces, muddling what you hear and creating mixes that don’t sound great in other settings. Using acoustic treatment to control these reflections ensures a more accurate and consistent listening environment — and a better final product.

How to know if your home studio needs acoustic treatment 

If you know what to look for, it's easy to figure out whether or not your home studio needs acoustic treatment. Here are a few key things to consider: 

Reverberation and echo 

Prolonged echoes or reverberations in your recordings could indicate poor acoustic quality. To assess this, clap your hands and listen for a short, ripple-like echo. This echo, called flutter echo, can muddy your recordings and prevent clear sound. It’s also something acoustic treatment can fix. 

Frequency response of the room 

Frequency response refers to the range of frequencies your microphone can pick up and your speaker, from super low notes to super high notes. When you play an audio track with multiple frequencies — like one with low bass drums and high singing — you usually want all of those frequencies to be at the same level. This is also known as a flat, or near-flat, frequency response. 

To assess your set-up, pay attention to how different frequencies sound in various parts of your room. If bass frequencies are overly pronounced in certain areas or higher ones are inconsistent as you move around, your room's acoustics might be hindering the quality of your recordings.  

Noise control 

Listen for external noises and consider how they affect your recording environment. If you can hear traffic, HVAC systems, or other ambient noises, acoustic treatment can isolate and control the sound within your studio so you can maintain clarity in your voice acting.

How to remove reverb in a room: 5 acoustic treatments

Removing reverb is the primary focus of acoustic treatment. It helps ensure recordings capture your authentic sound without unwanted sound reflections and external noises. To remove reverb from your live room, vocal booth, or home studio, try these DIY acoustic treatments and tools: 

1. Bass traps 

Bass traps are flat panels that absorb sound. They’re especially effective in small rooms with problematic bass frequencies. But they manage the entire frequency spectrum, absorbing all frequencies to soften noise and make your whole recording more clear. Place them in the corners of the room to avoid distorted sound. 

2. Acoustic foam 

Acoustic foam is lightweight and absorbs high and medium frequencies. It's available in various thicknesses, and it’s an affordable and customizable way to muffle unwanted sounds. 

Acoustic foam's effectiveness increases with its size. Four-inch foam is effective down to middle C on the piano, so it’s a good place to start, but thicker foam will work better for low notes. Add an air gap between the foam and the wall when you install it for even better low-frequency absorption. 

3. Acoustic panels 

While bass traps take care of lower frequencies, the best sound reflective panels absorb sound from mid to high-range frequencies. They’re typically made from dense materials like fiberglass or mineral wool. The thicker the acoustic panel, the lower the frequency it can absorb.  

Place these panels on flat wall surfaces to minimize the standing waves and echoes that happen when sound reflects off the opposite walls. You can learn how to make acoustic panels yourself or browse products from retailers like Auralex or Primacoustic. 

If you don't want to or can't hang acoustic panels, mount them on stands or use thick, heavy acoustic blankets instead. 

4. Textiles and soft furnishings

Use carpets and wall and window coverings to reduce and absorb reverb. Area rugs, drapes, and lined window curtains all work well, and you can also try tapestries and wall hangings to do the same thing. Get creative with it — these furnishings look cuter than acoustic paneling, though they’re not quite as effective.

5. Diffusers 

Best in larger spaces, acoustic diffusers scatter sound waves in different directions, reducing the focal points of reflections. This helps preserve the ambiance without making your room sound lifeless. Like panels, you mount them on the wall, but diffusers are usually made of wood and have smaller elements that face different directions to scatter the sound.

Join Quinn's creator community 

The best acoustic panels and other sound equipment can make your audios clearer. Give your best erotic work a platform and become a Quinn creator. 

The Quinn platform, an audio erotica app created by women for the world, is an excellent way to reach a diverse audience of people interested in auralism. Quinn's ethical erotic content encompasses all shapes and sizes of fantasies, kinks, and fetishes, and new voice actors are always welcome. 

To post your audio erotica or browse thousands of narrated sex stories, playlists, and guided masturbation sessions, download the Quinn app for iOS or Android.