Soundproof Your Studio

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In this episode I go over the main soundproof wall details most people miss when designing and building their soundproof walls. 

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop  

In this video I go over the best place to buy soundproof doors in North America, New Zealand/Australia and the UK/Europe.

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

If you’ve ever felt confused by electrical terms like “grounding” or “isolated ground,” trust me, you’re not alone! When I first started learning about how to properly wire my own home studio, I had no clue what it all meant, and I’m a studio designer! Let’s break it down together in the simplest way possible.

Imagine you’re plugging in your gear, ready to record, and suddenly you hear a hum or buzz in your monitors. What’s causing that? Chances are, it’s an issue with your studio’s electrical grounding. Grounding is like giving the electrical system in your studio a path to safely return to the earth—this keeps both you and your gear safe from electrical faults, and it helps eliminate noise in your audio.

But here’s where things get tricky—just like I was confused when I first learned about it, you might wonder: Can’t I just plug my gear in and call it a day? Why all this talk about grounding? Well, not all grounding is created equal, and how you set it up can make a big difference in the sound of your recordings.

When I first learned about star grounding, I didn’t get it. I had one outlet for all my audio gear, and I thought, “Isn’t that enough?” Turns out, not exactly.

In a normal electrical setup, all your equipment shares the same ground as everything else in your house—lights, HVAC, appliances. This can cause ground loops, which are electrical problems that lead to noise and hum in your audio. To avoid this, star grounding is a way to isolate the ground for your audio equipment.

Here’s the basic idea:

 • Star grounding creates a dedicated, isolated path for the ground of your audio gear, keeping it separate from other systems like lighting or HVAC. This minimizes electrical noise and interference in your recordings.

Star Grounding Diagram - 

In my studio, I had a 4-gang outlet where all my audio gear and computer were plugged in, and it was connected directly to its own circuit breaker. That’s not a bad start—everything shared one ground, and I didn’t hear any hum.

But here’s what I learned: if your ground wire goes straight to the same ground that all your lights, air conditioning, and everything else use, there’s still a chance that noise could sneak into your audio signal. So even though I didn’t have any problems, there was still room to improve. And this is where star grounding comes in.

Think of star grounding like a bicycle wheel. At the center (the hub) is your main ground point, and all the ground wires from your audio equipment are the spokes connecting to it. This central hub (called the ground bus) is isolated from other systems in the house until it all ties back to the main electrical panel. Here’s how you can do it:

 1. Use Isolated Ground Outlets: For your studio gear, use special outlets called isolated ground receptacles. These are designed to keep the ground for your audio equipment separate from everything else.

 2. Run a Separate Ground Wire: Instead of using the regular ground wire inside the Romex (your standard electrical wire), run a separate jacketed ground wire directly from the isolated ground outlets back to a dedicated ground bus. This ground bus collects all the grounds from your studio gear and then ties back to the main electrical panel’s ground.

 3. Connect the Ground Bus to the Main Panel: At some point, everything needs to connect to the main panel’s ground. This is to comply with electrical codes (for safety) and to ensure that the system is properly grounded.

When I first learned about star grounding, I thought, “Why can’t I just have a separate earth ground for my studio?” That seemed like the best way to keep the ground isolated, right? But here’s the thing: you can’t have multiple earth grounds because it creates multiple paths for electricity to flow, which can lead to the very hum and noise you’re trying to avoid. This is called a ground loop.

By connecting everything back to the main panel, you make sure that all grounds in your house are at the same electrical potential—meaning, there’s no voltage difference between them that could cause hums, interference, or worse, safety issues.

 • Step 1: Install isolated ground outlets for all your audio equipment. These outlets help keep the ground for your audio gear separate.

 • Step 2: Run a separate ground wire from these outlets to a dedicated ground bus. This bus can either be in the panel or a separate location.

 • Step 3: Connect the ground bus back to the main panel’s ground bar. This ensures safety and keeps everything at the same ground potential.

Now, if you’re like me and have a dedicated outlet that’s working fine, you might not need to rush into setting up a star grounding system right away. If you’re not experiencing noise or hum issues, it might be enough. But if you’re building a studio from scratch, upgrading your electrical system, or want to future-proof your setup, star grounding is one of the best ways to eliminate noise and hum before they even have a chance to start.

If you’re overwhelmed by all this talk about grounding and wiring, don’t worry—you don’t need to be an electrical expert to improve your home studio’s sound quality. Star grounding is just one tool in your arsenal, but it can make a huge difference in keeping your recordings clean and noise-free. Whether you choose to implement it now or later, just remember: the key is keeping your audio equipment’s ground separate from everything else.

And if you’re ever unsure about how to set this up safely, hiring a qualified electrician who understands studio-grade electrical systems is always a good move.

Further Reading and Resources:

Coming from little to no understanding of electricity I had to learn everything about studio electrical from the ground up. The following resources are great for getting different perspectives on this and furthering your own research and understanding of studio electrical systems. 

Power and Grounding for Audio and Video Systems A White Paper for the Real World – International Version Jim Brown Audio Systems Group, Inc. http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/SurgeXPowerGround.pdf

Philip Richard Newell. Recording Studio Design. New York ; London, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. (affiliate link) - https://amzn.to/4b7zyxd

Gervais, Rod. Home Recording Studio: Build It Like The Pros. 2nd Edition, Course Technology Cengage Learning, 2011. (affiliate link) - https://amzn.to/48ONVF6

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

I’ve been exploring topics beyond soundproofing and room acoustics lately, and this week I’m diving into lighting designs for your home studio. Below, I’ll share a few ways to light your studio like the pros, helping you achieve that dream studio look.

I’m a big fan of the Pretty Good Home model of home building, and if you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out their book Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes (affiliate link). It’s been a great resource for my own designs, offering clean, renewable, and efficient strategies that apply to home studios as well.

One key aspect of the Pretty Good House method is following a few specific lighting rules:

Rule 1: Light What You Want to See

You could install lots of downlights to brighten the entire room, but that’s not ideal. In a home recording studio, you want to focus on the essentials—your desk, instruments, and gear. Plan your lighting to effectively illuminate the areas you use the most.

Rule 2: Avoid Glare

This rule is all about ensuring you don’t see the light bulbs directly. Using shades, narrow beam angles, and focusing the light helps guide it away from your eyes. While it can be tricky in practice, it’s a worthy goal to pursue.

Rule 3: Make Change Easier

Flexibility is key. Having just one switch to control all your lights isn’t ideal. In a home studio, you’ll want work lighting and mood lighting. The goal is to create layers of lighting options that give you control over the room’s ambiance.

This one’s easy: LED lights. They’re the best choice today, especially if you value energy efficiency. You can opt for other lighting, but nothing beats LEDs in terms of longevity and control.

My personal favorite is the Philips Hue LED system, which I use in all my designs. Yes, they’re more expensive, but you get what you pay for. I’ve tried cheaper color-changing lights in my studio, and they flickered and died within a year.

Philips Hue also comes with a sleek smartphone app that lets you control multiple lighting setups from your phone. Plus, these lights dim at the bulb level rather than through a switch, which helps reduce interference in your studio—a properly wired studio helps too, but that’s a lesson for another day.

A) Use Philips Hue Slim Downlights in Your Acoustic Clouds

These are perfect for easy installation in an acoustic panel hanging from the ceiling. I like to use them in clouds to avoid cutting large holes in the ceiling. Instead, I run a small wire down to the acoustic panel, leaving only a tiny hole for the wire.

B) Use Philips Hue Light Strips for Backlighting

Philips Hue light strips are great for adding backlighting to the edges of your acoustic clouds, desks, computer monitors, or acoustic wall treatments. The possibilities are endless, and it’s a fantastic way to enhance the vibe and ambiance of your studio.

C) Opt for Track Lighting Over Downlighting

Track lighting helps with Rule 1: Light What You Want to See. Two carefully placed track lights can focus light exactly where it’s needed, illuminating key areas of your studio.

D) Keep Each Set of Lights on Its Own Switch

While dimmers aren’t ideal, having separate switches for different lighting systems is a must. I usually place downlights on one switch, strip lights on another, and track lighting on a third. This way, you can easily control each type of lighting and fine-tune everything through your smartphone app.

The biggest takeaway for studio lighting is to stay creative and trust your artistic instincts to set the vibe and mood for your workspace. Don’t skimp on lighting—stick to LED systems and embrace color-changing lights. While I’m partial to Philips Hue, there are other great high-end brands out there as well.

Works Cited:
Kolbert, Dan, et al. Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes. Newtown, CT, The Taunton Press, 2022.

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

When it comes to running a studio, one area that often gets overlooked is power. But clean, reliable power is essential for avoiding ground loops, electrical noise, and keeping your gear safe from surges or voltage fluctuations. In this article, we’re going to break down the various power protection options available for studios and help you understand how to set up a system that keeps your equipment and your sound clean. This topic came up in a recent conversation with a client of mine who was wondering about star grounding, transformers, power conditioners, UPS units, and balanced power systems. Before we break down all your options I want to first mention the importance of wiring your studio correctly to begin with before even considering power conditioners or UPS units. 

Before choosing the right power equipment, following best practices for studio wiring is crucial for avoiding noise and ground loops. Here are some key tips:

Star Grounding: Do You Need It?

Star grounding is a method where all the ground connections for your studio are routed to a single point, or "star." This helps avoid ground loops, which can cause hum and other interference in audio systems. While star grounding is a good practice for reducing noise, it’s not always practical in smaller home studios—especially if you are not wiring your studio from scratch with an electrician involved.

Best Practice Tip: If you're building a studio where you can easily run wiring through the walls and have a talented electrician who understands the concept of star grounding then it is a great solution. However, if you do not want to spend the extra money for star grounding or don't have the ability to rewire your entire studio than star grounding is not a good option. 

There are several ways to protect your studio’s power, each with its own pros and cons. Let’s walk through the most common options.

The SolaHD 23-23-210-8 provides voltage regulation, surge protection, and power conditioning, which helps protect your equipment from unstable power and electrical noise like electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio-frequency interference (RFI). While it improves overall power quality and can reduce noise, it doesn’t specifically address ground loops unless you’re using an isolation transformer designed for that purpose. This system is great if you are wiring your studio from the ground up because it will protect multiple outlets in different rooms without the need to buy multiple individual power conditioners. 

Recommendation: The SolaHD is great if you want to regulate voltage and protect against surges and noise, but if your primary concern is ground loops, you might need to look into grounding solutions or use an isolation transformer. 

Power conditioners, such as the Furman M-8x2, are a more familiar solution for many studio owners. These units filter the power coming into your gear, smoothing out surges and spikes while also providing noise filtering. While not nearly as robust as the other models on my list, the Furman M-8x2 ensures that your gear receives consistent voltage and power surge protection, which can help protect your home studio gear and provide some cleaning up of the power at the same time. 

Recommendation: If you notice your power fluctuating or you live in an area prone to brownouts or surges, a voltage regulator/power conditioner combo is a great solution. Keep in mind, though, that these protect only what’s plugged into them directly, not the entire room.

The Furman F1500 UPS is a great example of a unit that combines power conditioning with a UPS. A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) ensures that your sensitive gear—like computers, DAWs, and audio interfaces—stay powered during short-term outages, giving you time to save work and shut down safely. This unit also provides surge protection and power conditioning. 

Recommendation: This unit might be one of the best options for home studios where you notice the power going out frequently. For example, my studio has many outages per year. This unit would be a great addition so that I don't lose work or suffer any damages to my gear due to surges when the power comes back on. 

Balanced power systems, like the EquiTech Model 1.5R and the Furman P-2400 AR, offer a high end solution for reducing noise and interference. Balanced power delivers equal voltage on both the hot and neutral wires, which dramatically reduces electrical noise and hum. The EquiTech Model unit can power up to 12 outlets, while the Furman offers 14. These are both high end and expensive units. The EquiTech Model 1.5R costs $2,990 while the Furman P-2400 AR costs $993.43. 

Recommendation: If you want a top of the line solution that gives you peace of mind, these two options are your best bet. Some people swear by balanced power, but you are paying for higher quality gear. These units are geared toward high-end, professional environments where electrical interference and power purity are crucial, such as high-end recording studios, broadcast facilities, or other mission-critical applications requiring the best possible power conditioning. 

He was wondering how these various options compare. Here’s what I told him:

Every studio has different needs, but in general, asking your electrician about installing a star grounded set up if you are building a new studio is the best option. If you can't do a star grounded system still follow my basic electrical install tips. Then use the SolaHD 23-23-210-8 for extra conditioning and surge protection on your audio circuit. This will be a more cost effective way to ensure protection if you have multiple rooms or multiple outlets that you want to protect. If you do all those things you probably won't need an expensive power conditioner for your studio. I like the term don't fix a problem you don't have. In this case power conditioners may not be needed and are quite costly. 

If you don't have the luxury of wiring your studio then a power conditioner is a great option. Honestly, the Furman 8x2 is a tried and true piece of gear that will work for all home studios. The UPS is great as well, but you don't have to buy a UPS built into your power conditioner, but it is a nice streamlined approach. If you opt for the higher end balanced conditioners they are a great option if you have the budget, but might not be necessary for your average home studio. 

If you're working on designing a studio and want professional help reach out! I’m always happy to help. 

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop 

In today’s home recording studio world, high-quality audio transmission over Cat5/Cat6 has become a game changer. From real-time audio processing to networked systems that allow for future scalability, audio over IP (AoIP) solutions offer a flexible, affordable way to streamline your workflow. In this guide, we’ll explore the best systems for home studios, what hardware and software you’ll need, and a price breakdown for each option.

***I am using affiliate links below***

Why It’s Great for Home Studios:

Hardware Needed:

Software Needed:

Estimated Price: $1,680 - $3,000 for a basic setup.

Best For: Small to large home studios that require real-time recording and monitoring with the ability to expand over time.

Why It’s Great for Home Studios:

Hardware Needed:

Software Needed:

 Estimated Price: $1,745 - $2,450 for a basic setup.

Best For: Small to medium-sized home studio setups that are budget-conscious but need reliable audio performance.

Why It’s Great for Home Studios:

Hardware Needed:

Software Needed:

Estimated Price: $1,280 - $4,079+ for a basic setup, depending on the hardware and plugins used.

Best For: Home studios that already use Waves plugins and need real-time processing for recording and mixing.

For home studio setups using Waves SoundGrid, a DiGiGrid MGB or another SoundGrid-compatible interface is essential to convert your audio into the network. However, the Waves Proton Server is optional. While not required for the system to function, it provides the power needed for real-time Waves plugin processing, making it a great addition for those working in live sound or heavy plugin environments.

Why It’s Great for Home Studios:

Hardware Needed:

Software Needed:

Estimated Price: $3,000 - $4,000 for a basic setup.

Best For: Advanced home studios or content creators who want to integrate audio, video, and control into a single networked solution.

When deciding which system to use in your home recording studio, it's important to consider both your current needs and future scalability.

No matter your choice, investing in audio over Cat5/Cat6 systems will ensure that your home recording studio is equipped for today’s demands while staying flexible for future expansions.

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

Since building my home recording studio, I’ve learned a lot—especially about what really matters in the long run. One thing I often see first-time studio builders overlook is focusing solely on soundproofing and acoustics, while missing the bigger picture: how you’ll use the room and how to set up your audio lines for the best workflow.

The truth is, you’ll eventually care more about how efficiently your studio runs and how comfortable it feels than about perfect acoustics or obsessing over specific soundproofing materials.

Yes, soundproofing and acoustics are important. But the point of this article is to encourage you to think bigger and design like a pro. Consider how you want to use your studio and what audio setup best supports your needs.

A single room can’t be perfect for everything. If your primary goal is mixing, your design approach will be vastly different from someone using their room for band rehearsals. Sure, your room can have multiple purposes, but it should be optimized for what you’ll use it for 80% of the time.

With this focus, everything else—soundproofing, acoustics, lighting, audio wall boxes, cable runs, electrical, and HVAC—will fall into place more easily. Trying to build a room for mixing, rehearsing, live recording, and Dolby Atmos all at once is overcomplicating things.

If you’re lucky enough to build multiple rooms, you can dive into the more complex world of designing spaces for specific purposes, much like traditional studios where the live room and control room serve very different functions.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in designing soundproof walls that you overlook how you’ll actually wire your studio. From my experience, there are three main ways to manage your cabling:

A) Using a Snake or Individual XLR Cables

This is often the simplest and most cost-effective solution. Running a snake or individual XLR cables to the back of your room lets you easily connect instruments like drums and guitars to your interface by your desk.

While this is my current setup, it does have drawbacks—namely, the constant challenge of tripping over cables. Careful cable management is required to keep things organized, but the upside is easy access for repairs and re-routing.

B) Snake in the Wall with Custom Wall Boxes

If you want a cleaner, more professional look or are working with multiple rooms, consider running a snake through the walls to a custom wall plate. Companies like Redco make it easy to connect your XLR cables directly into the wall near your instruments, making for a clean and efficient setup.

This approach is more complex and expensive but ideal for higher-end studios or anyone prioritizing a polished aesthetic. You can even add a patch bay to easily route different audio signals to your interface—a great option if you want to reconfigure your channels depending on the session.

For more advanced setups, check out Redco or ProAudioLA, and take a look at SoundTools’ audio-over-Cat5 system for an innovative option.

C) Ethernet System with Specialty Interfaces

The most advanced and versatile option is to run audio over ethernet using shielded cables and specialty interfaces. This system allows for flexibility, especially in larger homes or studios with multiple rooms.

For instance, I’m working with a client who will run ethernet from his studio to different rooms in his house, allowing him to record from any room while controlling everything from his main mixing desk in the garage. It’s a powerful, but highly technical, solution.

The most important takeaway here is to think holistically about your studio design. Don’t leave critical infrastructure like audio cabling until the last minute—it should be integrated with your electrical system from the start. Plus, you’ll need to consider electromagnetic interference (EMI) between audio and electrical lines.

I recommend beginning your research on audio networks alongside your soundproofing and acoustic plans. This way, you’ll end up with a home recording studio that truly meets your needs.

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

When I first soundproofed my own studio, I chose the I-B1 clips from the Soundproofing Company. They were affordable, easy to install, and provided decent sound isolation. However, after years of working with various soundproofing products and testing different methods, I've changed my perspective. Today, I want to share why I've come to prefer Hush Frame Rafts, and why I believe they're a superior choice for home studio soundproofing.

The primary reason I now favor Hush Frame Rafts is the improved sound isolation they offer due to their silicone decoupling feature. Unlike the I-B1 clips, which are entirely metal, Hush Frame Rafts and their competitors, like RISC-1 clips, use rubber or silicone to decouple the clip from the studs or joists. This added layer of decoupling significantly reduces sound transmission, making these products more effective for serious soundproofing needs.

That said, I-B1 clips are still a viable option if you're working within a tighter budget. They do provide good sound isolation and are certainly better than nothing, but if you're aiming for the highest level of soundproofing, I now recommend opting for clips with rubber or silicone components.

Another key reason I've switched to Hush Frame Rafts is their low-profile design. In home studios, every inch of ceiling height counts, and even gaining a fraction of an inch can make a big difference in the feel of the room. Hush Frame Rafts, paired with 1x3 furring, only add about 1" of extra space to your wall or ceiling system. This is a significant advantage over other options like the RISC-1 clips, which, while offering similar isolation benefits, don’t provide the same low-profile benefit.

One of the underrated advantages of Hush Frame Rafts is their compatibility with wood furring strips. Most contractors are more comfortable working with wood, especially when attaching wood to wood, and this makes the installation process smoother. Since soundproofing can be overwhelming for many builders, anything that simplifies the job is a huge plus. Using wood furring instead of metal also makes sourcing materials easier, which is another win for both the builder and the client.

Feedback from experienced contractors is invaluable, and my contractor in Nashville, Henry Thompson, had nothing but praise for Hush Frame Rafts. He noted how much more elastic and decoupled the system felt compared to the I-B1 clips, which he believes contributes to better sound isolation. When a seasoned professional like Henry gives a product the thumbs up, it reinforces my confidence in recommending it.

Another aspect of Hush Frame that I appreciate is the quality of their instruction manuals. Designing complex home studio builds requires precise information, and Hush Frame provides detailed manuals that cover multiple options and diagrams for different load capacities. This level of detail allows me to easily design varying wall and ceiling types for my clients, ensuring that each build meets the specific needs of the space. Other manufacturers simply don’t offer the same depth of information, which is another reason Hush Frame stands out.

In the past, I’ve written about my preference for I-B1 clips, but my experience over time has led me to change my mind. Hush Frame Rafts offer better sound isolation through rubber or silicone decoupling, a low-profile design that maximizes ceiling height, and ease of use with wood furring. Combined with positive feedback from contractors and comprehensive instruction manuals, these factors make Hush Frame Rafts my top recommendation for home recording studio design. If you’re serious about soundproofing, I believe they’re worth the investment.

FREE Acoustic Treatment Guide: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/acoustic

When designing a home studio, many people focus on the height of the room, thinking that higher ceilings will automatically lead to better acoustics. However, recent research highlights that the length-to-width ratio (l/w) is actually more critical for achieving balanced sound, especially in small rectangular rooms.

FREE Soundproofing Workshop: https://www.soundproofyourstudio.com/workshop

It is simple enough to say okay let's build a double wall and decouple our ceiling with hat channels and acoustic clips, but what about soundproofing around pipes, ductwork or beams? They make what seems like a simple design, suddenly become difficult to visualize.

In this video lesson I will be showing three of my client's studio designs where we had beams, existing ductwork and structural posts to work around. I will go over my solutions for each situation and teach you what you can do if you are in a similar situation.