How Far Apart Should Acoustic Panels Be?
Updated
There's no required spacing for acoustic panels: they can butt edge to edge or sit several feet apart, because where each panel hangs matters a lot more than the gap next to it. Cover the first reflection points first (the mirror trick in where to place acoustic panels finds them), then let the gaps land wherever they land.
Gaps do help a little. A spaced-out panel absorbs on its exposed edges as well as its face. In an Auralex test report (opens in a new tab), Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories notes that spaced absorbers give higher absorption than the same material joined into one patch. So set the gap by the job each panel is doing:
- Reflection points: if the spot you marked is wider than one panel, butt panels together to cover it.
- General echo: spread panels out evenly around the room, as Primacoustic advises (opens in a new tab) for rooms with several sound sources.
- Bass: put thick panels in the corners, where low frequencies pile up, before you fill gaps on the flat walls.
Total panel area matters more than spacing. How many acoustic panels you need works it out from wall area or reverb time.
Watch out: With soundproofing, the rule flips. A barrier like mass loaded vinyl has to cover the whole wall with sealed edges. Any gap leaks sound, as the soundproof panels guide explains.
There are more answers on hanging panels in the soundproof panels FAQ.