Have you seen those studio pictures lately where people cover an entire wall with wood slats?

Sometimes it’s just on the back wall, and sometimes the entire front wall behind the speakers is covered.

Usually there are gaps between the individual slats, so it’s probably fair to think that there’s absorption behind the slats.

But is this really a good idea? Surely all that reflective surface has to cause some unwanted reflections..?

Well, yes and no. 

As always, it depends.

If done right, adding wood slats on top of absorption can be a great way to reduce the risk of the room sounding “dead”.

And since it’s so easy to run that risk in your typical small home studio, it’s actually a great tool for us DIY folks.

If done right.