is wood finish good for studio acoustics?

I don't know, but I'm interested. I think HOW you mount the panels would be very important. As in resonance. You could also set them up to perform some diffusion too. Or maybe you want some helmoltz resonators. Set them up with maybe an inch spacing between pannels with bass traps behind. Might help tame the lows without cutting out too much highs.

I think this can be a big topic with lots of options on how to use wood effectively. Can you post some more details? Like dimensions and positioning of everything and budget etc.

A smooth finish will reflect more high frequencies. A non lacquered finish would be definitely a little deader. I guess it would be fairly noticeable.

Density of wood will surely be the main factor in types of wood response. I think you tend to see higher density woods in studios. Stronger reflections and probably give a better sound than a softer wood, I suspect.

Wood paneling.... in a studio.. probably OK but you have to treat it as any other reflective surface... it needs to be balanced with the non reflecting surfaces...

Wood paneling as a rehearsal space..... be sure it's nailed and glued down good..... if it's loose, it can cause buzzes and rattles that will drive you crazy. 

Either way...pack lots of insulation behind it to damp it and fill the resonating cavities to keep the paneling from vibrating excessively. 

The tree trunk thing is cool.....and besides looking cool, there are NO flat reflective surfaces. The planks are rounded, still appear to have bark which breaks up the reflective surfaces even more and the throw runs on the floor break up that surface..... and I'll bet it has a woodsy aroma to that room as well. 

The bottom pic..... too much wood maybe......since it's all flat and it would appear to be a highly reflective room. 

I like the tree-trunk one. It might contribute some diffusion. But mostly it just looks cool.

There is, however, nothing magical about wood, acoustically-speaking. Use it because it looks good and makes performers feel comfortable. Just be sure to glue and nail (or better, screw) as Herb suggested, to prevent rattles.

no, smoothness of wood would be a factor for reflection.

wood does not 'absorb' sound.

only specially designed baffles, foam, traps, etc, 'absorb' sound.


only MASS reduces sound transmission thru an object.

a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels.

offnote

batsbrew


a MASS of wood (say, 8" thickness) would start to 'STOP' sound, and even then, not as well as 8" of brick or concrete block, or even better, solid concrete panels. 

no, don't agree -  I tested this since my basement's walls are made from almost 2 feet concrete and I have huge echo there, while in my old apartment with wooden panels no echo whatsoever. Wood absorbs sound well unless polished and painted.

I have to challenge your assertion.  I'd be willing to bet the that the difference is what the wood is attached to.  Concrete isn't going anywhere and will be highly reflective.  Wallboard has some flexibility and can absorb some energy from sound waves hitting it.  I doubt the wood finishing contributes much one way or the other.

Yes, wood absorbs sound. So does concrete, as does everything. Just not enough to matter.

It's all about density, and wood's pretty dense, as anyone who's chopped a cord of it can attest. In at least one proper scientific test that I know of, wood floors were compared to concrete floors and found to be almost indistinguishable from one another acoustically.

He said wood. heheh ahhh hehehe "Vibrating planks" Ummm, hehehehe.  Butthead! I think my plank is starting to vibrate!

offnote: "no, don't agree"  

 that's ok... but i stand by my statement. it's relevant ONLY to this topic tho.and wood WILL work as a good reflective surface, provided you have taken care the rest of the room. i have worked on designing hvac for professional grade studios for colleges, and i learned a little bit.

batsbrew

offnote: "no, don't agree"  

 that's ok... but i stand by my statement. it's relevant ONLY to this topic tho.and wood WILL work as a good reflective surface, provided you have taken care the rest of the room. i have worked on designing hvac for professional grade studios for colleges, and i learned a little bit.

This will be my first studio so I'm not gonna argue here, maybe you're right or maybe I misunderstood you. 
Maybe we clarify what it's good for music studio first, a good reflective surface or bad reflective surface  
I thought that bad would be better plus absorbing.

I like wood. The older I get the more I appreciate it.

bitflipper


In at least one proper scientific test that I know of, wood floors were compared to concrete floors and found to be almost indistinguishable from one another acoustically.

So the problem is floors.


Or, did I just make that up?

Does wood have much of a dampening effect?  Recent experience tells me yes.  I have just moved house a few weeks ago and my new music room has wood panelling 1.2m high on 3 walls and hardwood sliding cupboard doors on the 4th wall.  The sound is noticeably less lively and more focused than before.  The wood is the only significant thing that is different from the previous room, which was a similar size, with a similar sized window, similar carpet, same furniture, same gear, etc.

AT

What were the walls in the other room?  ...And the new room?

Both the same: plaster, painted.  Ceilings same too.

Yeh, horse-hair is hard to come by these days! 

Some of you guys have cats. You could just start collecting cat fur and glue that to the walls. Let me know how that works out! Be sure to take some waterfall graphs before and after. I think coughed-up fur-balls might work just as well, if you're having trouble getting enough volume from the couch alone.



EDIT: apologies to offnote. It's Friday night, if you know what I mean. But the thread was really doomed as soon as Beavis & Butthead made their appearance.