Do I Really Need Acoustic Treatment?
You don't need acoustic treatment to start if you record close to a dynamic mic and mix on headphones. You do need it once you mix on studio monitors or record with a mic farther from the source.
Can skip it for now
Cardioid dynamic mic close to the source, a soft-furnished room, mixing on headphones.
Need it
Mixing on studio monitors, miking from a distance, a room with hard bare surfaces.
Why close miking lets you skip it
Close miking keeps the room out of the recording. Shure's recording techniques guide says sound level drops 6 dB each time distance doubles, so the closer source drowns out reflections. A cardioid mic also picks up about a third as much room sound as an omni.
Dynamic mics help too: Shure's home recording guide says they "don't pick up a lot of background noise," which suits homes that are "rarely quiet." More on that tradeoff in condenser vs dynamic microphone.
Why mixing on monitors needs it
Monitors put the room into everything you hear. Neumann says low frequency buildup in a home studio "makes it very hard to judge the mix balance," and that for mixing "we want a room which adds no sound of its own."
When you're ready, start with the home studio acoustic treatment guide, see what panels can and can't fix in do acoustic panels work, or compare a vocal booth if you only record voice.
Related questions
Do I need acoustic treatment to record vocals?
Not if you sing close to a cardioid mic in a room full of soft furnishings. Shure recommends picking the room with the most soft things in it and putting a pillow or duvet behind the mic.
Do I need acoustic treatment if I mix on headphones?
No, headphones bypass the room. beyerdynamic notes the trade-off: the stereo image often feels exaggerated, so check mixes on speakers too.
What's the first thing to treat if I do need it?
Bass traps in the corners. Auralex says low frequency buildup in corners makes bass trapping especially important in smaller rooms.
More answers: Home recording FAQ