Equipment Mats—Noise Solutions for a Recording Studio!

Not everyone who can sing—should sing. For example, I probably shouldn’t quit my day-job anytime soon in purist of a recording deal, especially considering I can’t even carry a tune while I hum! But that doesn’t mean there aren’t many talented musicians among us. If you happen to be one of them, then we definitely urge you to pursue and to fulfill your talents. And the first step to reaching your musical potential is finding a place where you can practice and produce your music. Whether you’re singing, playing guitar, or banging on the drum all day—a home recording studio is probably something you’ve seriously considered. But maybe you don’t know how to put that dream into action; well, we recommend that you start from the ground up! Rubber equipment mats don’t only work as protective flooring, they are in fact wonderfully versatile. You see, heavy-duty rubber is made of densely compacted material, which makes it the perfect material for a shock-absorbing mat. This kind of rubber flooring has a multitude of applications, from use in construction zones to home and commercial gyms, and nearly everything in-between. These anti-vibration rubber mats are perfectly suited to fit seamlessly into a recording studio—both functionally as well as aesthetically.

• Dampening Sound – In the Air

First and foremost, all sound is vibration. And nearly anything can be a source of vibration—movement, speech, instruments, radio, even something that isn’t intended to make sound such as falling equipment. But in order for this vibration to become sound it needs to be heard, and in order to be heard it needs to travel through molecules, into our ears, and into our eardrums. Vibrations can travel best through solids—odd, right? This is because the molecules are densely packaged and behave in a sort of domino effect when vibration hits them.

That’s why, often, you’ll feel noise as well as hear it through a wall. Heavy-duty rubber is dense, even when it’s made in thin mats and rolls—it’s still a tightly compacted molecular structure. So it would seem counter intuitive that it could have noise dampening capabilities. However, the sound waves, once they pass through the equipment mats have been greatly reduced. And now, what may or may not be left of them still have to travel through a wall, through the air, into someone’s ear, and into their eardrum on the other side of the space. The noise is effectively lessened. Offered as protective flooring (which is available in lighter weight rolls) some heavy-duty rubber products can easily be adhered to the wall, successfully creating sound-dampening walls!

• Dampening Vibration—On the Ground

Now, just because you managed to reduce the sound that is reverberating from the walls—doesn’t mean you’ve taken care of all possible disturbances to your neighbors. Sound, isn’t always heard, often times its felt. You all know what I am talking about! A car drives by with its bass blaring, making our teeth and the glass on the window rattle. A shock-absorbing mat is made with this specific issue in mind. Made thicker, these anti-vibration rubber mats are often utilized in gyms under heavy and noisy treadmill machines and other exercise equipment. They’re also used in homes and laundromats, where they are strategically placed under washers and driers to dull the roar of their operating sounds. It’s a similar concept with music studios: the vibrations coming out of musical equipment, such as speakers, or any number of instruments (bass, guitar, drums, etc.), is creating what would others might consider a disturbance. A number of well-placed equipment mats can lessen these vibrations and hopefully keep your neighbors being neighborly.

There are a number of secondary benefits to utilizing heavy-duty rubber inside of your recording studio. Apart from vibration absorption, some of these mats are just plain comfortable to stand on. Rubber is elastic and supple, and that’s definitely something you’ll notice during a long recording session—especially if you’re standing or walking around. A shock-absorbing mat can also protect any expensive equipment in the event that it is accidently dropped. And as we touched on briefly, protective flooring can be very aesthetically pleasing, giving your studio a touch of personal and professional flair. With a variety of choices available—in different shapes, sizes, and colors, there’s something for everyone. Let us know if you have any questions! Product specialists are available between 6 am and 5 pm PST, Monday through Friday, at 1.866.378.5679.