What Panel Thickness Is Needed for a Recording Studio?

Why Recording Studios Require Specialist Acoustic Treatment

A recording studio is the most acoustically demanding space in commercial construction. Unlike a cafe or hospital where the goal is managing noise within acceptable limits, a recording studio must achieve near-perfect acoustic neutrality inside the recording room and near-perfect isolation from the outside world — often simultaneously. The two objectives require very different acoustic solutions, and both depend heavily on panel thickness and placement.

Getting this right requires specialist acoustic design. Working with experienced acoustic consultants who understand studio acoustics — not just commercial noise compliance — is the most important decision a studio builder can make.

Understanding the Two Problems: Isolation vs Treatment

Recording studio acoustics involves two fundamentally different challenges:

• Acoustic isolation (soundproofing): Preventing sound from entering or leaving the studio — keeping the outside world out and the studio noise in. This is a structural problem requiring mass, decoupling, and airtight construction
• Acoustic treatment: Controlling the sound behaviour inside the studio room — managing reflections, reducing reverberation, and flattening the frequency response to allow accurate monitoring. This is where panel thickness becomes critical

Panels hanging on walls handle treatment. Treatment panels alone cannot solve isolation problems — that requires structural construction. Many studio builds fail because the builder focuses on one and neglects the other.

What Panel Thickness Does Each Frequency Require?

Sound absorption is frequency-dependent, and panel thickness determines which frequencies a panel can absorb effectively:

• 50mm panels: Effective for high frequencies (above 2kHz) and upper mid-range (1 to 2kHz). Suitable for controlling flutter echo and high-frequency reflections in a tracking room or vocal booth
• 100mm panels: Extends absorption down to around 500Hz. A practical all-rounder for mid-frequency control in smaller studios and control rooms
• 150mm panels: Provides meaningful absorption down to around 250Hz — the lower-mid range where many problem resonances occur in small rooms
• 300mm panels and corner bass traps: Required to address frequencies below 200Hz. Bass traps positioned in room corners — where low-frequency pressure is highest — must be at least 300mm thick to have a measurable effect on bass buildup

This is why professional recording studios look so different from a treated boardroom — the panel depth in a control room is driven by physics, not aesthetics.

Studio Acoustic Treatment in Practice

A well-treated professional recording studio typically combines all thickness ranges:

• 300mm corner bass traps floor-to-ceiling at all four vertical corners of the control room
• 100 to 150mm broadband absorber panels at first reflection points on side walls and ceiling
• 50mm diffuser or absorber panels on the rear wall to manage reflection without creating a dead room
• Purpose-built HVAC silencers and acoustic doors to maintain isolation while allowing ventilation

For studio projects in Sydney, our team provides room acoustic modelling and panel specification through our Sydney soundproofing services. In Melbourne, our Melbourne soundproofing team works with studio designers and builders to achieve professional acoustic performance. Studios in Newcastle and the Hunter region are supported by our Newcastle soundproofing team.

What Isolation Is Needed Between a Studio and Its Neighbours?

A recording studio operating in a commercial or residential building must also meet NCC isolation requirements, and in many cases will need performance well above the NCC minimum. A studio recording live drums generates peak sound levels of 110 dB(A) or higher. Transmitting that to an adjacent tenancy at even 60 dB(A) would create a significant noise complaint.

Professional studios typically target STC 65 to 80 between the studio and adjacent spaces — far above the NCC minimum of STC 50 for residential buildings. This requires room-within-a-room construction with decoupled floating floor, walls, and ceiling, plus airtight acoustic doors and specialised HVAC silencing. The Acoustica Projects team provides full acoustic design for professional and semi-professional studio builds across Australia.