Manage early reflections
Treat selected reflective surfaces around a recording area, guided by listening tests and room measurements.
Recording studios / APPLICATION GUIDE
Give every recording a more considered room.
A recording space needs a deliberate balance of absorption and liveliness. Retractable acoustic curtains let you change the exposed surface area around a performance or microphone position.
LAYOUT STUDY / 01PLAN VIEW · NOT TO SCALE
Illustrative placement study. Curtain coverage, cavity and access are designed for your actual room.
THE ROOM & THE REQUIREMENT
Reflections & variable acoustics.
Hard walls and glazing return sound into the room. Those reflections can colour a recording, while a permanently treated room may feel too dry for a different session. The curtain layout should follow the listening and recording positions, not simply cover every available surface.
Change the room between sessions
Open or close sections of drapery to vary the amount of absorptive surface exposed.
Create a consistent backdrop
Use a visually quiet fabric for filmed sessions, with separate light control where the brief requires it.
PLACEMENT & SPECIFICATION
Make the detail
fit the room.
Consider perimeter track at identified reflective walls, with sections that can stack clear when a more live room is wanted.
Performance boundaryCurtains alone will not isolate a studio from neighbours, traffic or building vibration. Low-frequency room modes and sound isolation need their own design.
Review the test evidence ↗What to establish
- Recording positions
- Mark microphones, instruments and loudspeakers on the plan before choosing curtain coverage.
- Frequency response
- Compare octave-band absorption at the intended fullness and cavity; assess bass treatment separately.
- Track and stack space
- Allow for cloth weight, supports and the space occupied by the open curtain.
Confirm the selected material’s certificates, care requirements and the final track and fixing design for your installation.
FABRIC STARTING POINTS
Build your shortlist.
Compare these ranges against the room brief. A suggested range is not a verified performance prediction for your room or selected lining.
Wool Serge 800A heavier acoustic range with published configurations to compare.
Acoustic MoltonA wide acoustic and masking fabric for perimeter treatment.
Wool Serge 565An alternative wool serge weight for a project-specific comparison.
acousticJ&C JOEL · WS022
Wool Serge 800
Heavy wool serge for acoustic applications, black-box stages and masking equipment.
800 g/m²150 cm wideIFR
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acousticJ&C JOEL · MOL030
Acoustic Molton
Molton, also called Calmuc, combining visual masking with sound absorption.
500 g/m²300 cm wideNDFR
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acousticJ&C JOEL · WS090
Wool Serge 565
Wool serge for acoustic curtains, stage masking and venue perimeter drapes.
565 g/m²150 cm wideIFR
Order curtains YOUR PROJECT BRIEF
Bring the room
into the conversation.
Room dimensions, microphone and speaker positions, existing treatment, and whether you need a variable live/dead recording area.
Discuss your project ↗Can I tune the room just by changing the heading?
The heading shapes the folds, but it is not an acoustic rating. Specify the fabric, fullness, coverage and cavity together; verify the room response after installation.
Evidence & further reading
Published fabric tests & mounting conditions ↗Calculation methods & assumptions ↗Manufacturer data packs & certificates ↗J&C Joel: acoustic drapery principles ↗Application guidance by Studio Curtains. Product properties and test results are sourced separately on each fabric page.
KEEP EXPLORING
Related environments.
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Studios & production
Podcast & broadcast rooms
Podcast and broadcast rooms often combine hard desks, glazing, cameras and several microphones. Acoustic curtains can form a flexible absorptive backdrop around the conversation area.
Speech reflections & camera backgroundsView guide →
03 / 15
Studios & production
Film & TV studios
Film and television spaces need repeatable lighting, clear working routes and backgrounds that suit the shot. Drapery can provide window light control, perimeter masking and selected acoustic treatment.
Light spill & set maskingView guide →
04 / 15
Studios & production
Photography studios
Photography studios benefit from the ability to switch between daylight and controlled lighting. Made-to-measure curtains can cover glazed areas, screen storage and change the visible background.
Daylight control & flexible backgroundsView guide →