Use These Lightweight DIY Sound Panels to Treat Your Set

Any experienced filmmaker will tell you that recording high-quality sound is more important than recording high-quality video. (Not convinced? Watch this.) So, if you made a point of investing in some really good equipment, like a shotgun microphone and/or an external recorder, you're well on your way to being able to produce decent audio. However, one thing that many new filmmakers, and even some more experienced ones, tend to skip over is sound treating the room in which you're recording.

In this video, Armando Ferreira shows you how to do so using some sound panels that you can make on your own using easily accessible materials from any hardware store. (And they also double as a light reflector!) Check it out below:

The material Ferreira uses in the video is called Insulfoam, which you can get from any hardware store for around $22 for a 2"x4'x8' board. Once you cut your board to your desired dimensions, you can purchase some acoustic foam sound panels to help cut down on reverb. This is the one thing on this build's materials list that is going to cost you some real money, so be aware of how much this stuff costs before you settle on your panels' dimensions. (It's usually about $50-$60 per square foot.) From there, the final steps are to just coat one side of your foam board with spray adhesive to attach the acoustic foam and then line the exposed edges of the foam board with gaff tape to avoid flaking or chipping.

Since Insulfoam is made of polystyrene, the board itself is lightweight and easy to move around and position (but probably not so easy to transport). So, you can set up your scene, interview, or whatever else you're recording audio for and arrange your new DIY sound panels with ease. If you want to make sound panels that are more permanent, check out this tutorial that uses rockwool insulation rather than Insulfoam and acoustic panels.

Have you ever made DIY sound panels? What materials did you use? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Armando Ferreira