How to Remove Echo/Reverb from Room Cheaply

Summary

When you're using a mic in your room—whether it's for singing, gaming, or an online meeting—it's frustrating when your voice sounds echoey or full of reverb. That hollow, distant sound can ruin the clarity and professionalism of your audio.

So, what can you do to remove echo from your room before recording? And if you've already recorded something that sounds echoey, is there any way to fix it? Let's get right into it.

General Steps to Reduce Echo/Reverb in a Room

Reduce Echo/Reverb from Empty Room

Remove Echo in a Room with High Ceilings

Eliminate Echo in a Room with Hardwood Floors

Delete Echo/Reverb in a Room for Recording

Reduce Echo/Reverb in an Office

Strip Echo/Reverb in a Church Hall

Post-Processing: Remove Echo and Reverb Online

What Causes Echo and Reverb in a Room?

Before that, we need to know what causes echo and reverb in a room. Echo and reverb are caused by sound waves bouncing off hard surfaces, such as walls, floors, ceilings, and windows, and reflecting back to the listener.

• More specifically, echo is a distinct repetition of a sound, usually heard when sound bounces off a surface and returns after a delay (more than 50 milliseconds.)
• While reverberation is a blurred tail of sound caused by many fast, tiny reflections, creating a prolonged sound decay (less than 50ms apart).

So, what elements in your room are key causes of the echo and reverb?

• Hard surfaces: Materials like glass, concrete, tile, and hardwood floors reflect sound instead of absorbing it.
• Large spaces: Bigger rooms allow sound waves to travel farther, creating a prolonged echo.
• High ceilings: Increase the distance sound waves travel, amplifying reverb.
• Lack of soft materials: Empty rooms with sparse furniture lack soft materials like rugs and curtains to absorb sound.
• Parallel walls: Sound bounces back and forth between parallel walls.

General Steps to Reduce Echo/Reverb in a Room

Now that we understand the causes of echo/reverb in a room, we can figure out the fixes specifically:

1. Add Absorptive Materials

• Use thick curtains, carpets, rugs, fabric wall hangings, and soft furniture to absorb indoor echo and help block outside noise.
• Install acoustic panels, foam tiles, or bass traps to restrain the sound bouncing off between walls.

2. Break up Reflective Surfaces

• Add bookshelves, plants, or irregular-shaped furniture to scatter reflections.
• Use diffusers to break up sound waves and reduce echo.

3. Treat Large Reflective Surfaces

• Treat ceilings with acoustic clouds or hanging baffles.
• Apply wall panels at the first reflection points where sound hits walls after leaving a speaker or mouth.

4. Seal Gaps and Windows

• Add weatherstripping, door seals, or curtains over windows to reduce bouncing and leakage.

5. Position Microphone and Speakers Carefully (for Recording)

• You can reduce background noise from audio using directional mics and isolation shields.
• Avoid placing them too close to walls or corners.

How to Reduce Echo/Reverb from Empty Room

• Add Rugs and Carpets: Cover as much floor space as possible with thick, plush rugs. Use rug pads for extra absorption.
• Install Curtains or Drapes: Use heavy, floor-to-ceiling curtains on windows and even walls.
• Use Acoustic Panels: Foam, fabric, or polyester acoustic panels can be mounted on walls and ceilings to absorb sound.
• Add Furniture: Sofas, chairs, and bookshelves break up sound waves and absorb noise.
• Place Plants: Large, leafy plants act as natural sound diffusers.

How to Remove Echo in a Room with High Ceilings

• Hang Acoustic Baffles: Suspend sound-absorbing panels or baffles from the ceiling to reduce sound travel.
• Use Tall Furniture: Bookshelves, cabinets, or tall plants can help break up sound waves.
• Install Area Rugs: Cover the floor with thick rugs, especially in the center of the room.
• Add Wall Treatments: Use fabric wall hangings, tapestries, or acoustic panels to absorb sound.

How to Eliminate Echo in a Room with Hardwood Floors

• Lay Down Rugs: Use thick, plush rugs with padding underneath to absorb sound.
• Add Furniture: Upholstered furniture like sofas, beanbags, armchairs, and ottomans help absorb sound.
• Install Curtains: Heavy drapes on windows and walls can reduce reflections.
• Use Soundproofing Mats: Place mats under furniture or rugs for additional sound absorption.

How to Delete Echo/Reverb in a Room for Recording

• Set Up a Recording Booth: Use a portable soundproof booth or create one with blankets and foam panels.
• Install Bass Traps: Place in corners to absorb low-frequency sound waves.
• Use a Reflection Filter: Attach to your microphone to block sound reflections.
• Cover Reflective Surfaces: Use foam panels, blankets, or rugs on walls, floors, and ceilings.

How to Reduce Echo/Reverb in an Office

• Add Carpets or Rugs: Cover hard floors with rugs to absorb sound.
• Install Ceiling Tiles: Acoustic tiles can reduce reverb in open spaces.
• Use Partitions: Fabric-covered dividers like cubicle walls or felt desk dividers can block and absorb sound.
• Place Fabric Chairs: Use fabric chairs instead of plastic or leather, which can cause an unsettling noise.
• Add Plants: Strategically place plants to diffuse sound waves and add a natural touch.

How to Strip Echo/Reverb in a Church Hall

• Install Acoustic Panels: Place on walls and ceilings to absorb sound.
• Use Heavy Curtains: Cover windows and large open spaces with heavy drapes.
• Add Pew Cushions: Soft seating can reduce sound reflections.
• Hang Banners or Tapestries: Use fabric decorations to absorb sound and add aesthetic appeal.
• Hang Baffles: Use baffles suspended vertically to absorb and scatter reflections.
• Add Carpeting: Place carpet runners in aisles and near the stage/podium.

Share the article with your friends in need!

Remove Echo and Reverb Online Easily and Thoroughly

If it's too late to fix your space, and you already have a recording with echo or reverb, you can try to salvage the audio with post-processing.

• Use de-reverb plugins like iZotope RX De-Reverb, Acon Digital DeVerberate, or Adobe Podcast Enhance to reduce room sound.
• Cut low-mids (200-500Hz) where muddiness builds up and reduce high frequencies that emphasize room reflections.
• Apply a gate or expander to reduce the tail or the reverb between phrases, but it should be treated lightly to avoid choppy audio.
• AI-based enhancers like EaseUS Echo/Reverb Remover can save the trouble and clean up the background noise in seconds.

EaseUS Echo Remover easily cleans up unwanted echo and background noise from your audio and video using a powerful AI algorithm. With support for files up to 60 minutes long and 1 GB in size, you can upload local files or paste a YouTube link to remove echo directly from the video.

Beyond echo removal, the tool also lets you:

• Extract vocals and instruments from songs or videos
• Make acapella out of songs
• Separate lead and background vocals
• Detect the key of a song
• Adjust pitch, speed, and volume of audio

How to remove echo and reverb in a room online?

Step 1. Go to EaseUS Echo Remover and locate the feature tab.

EaseUS Online Vocal Remover100% music and voice separation

Powered by Advanced AI

Step 2. Choose your audio/video file or paste the YouTube link.

Step 3. Let the AI analyze the file. Preview the recording without echo/reverb.

Step 4. Tap "Export," choose the output format, and channel to download.

Wrapping up

This post explains what causes echo and reverb in a room, and what you can do before your recording gets ruined. To prevent echo, add area rugs, hang heavy drapes, install acoustic panels, or use fabric-covered furniture to absorb reflections.

But if your audio is already filled with echo or reverb, you can rely on EaseUS Echo Remover, powered by AI, to clean it up thoroughly and restore clarity.

EaseUS Online Vocal Remover100% music and voice separation

Powered by Advanced AI