Real Traps "Mini Traps installation at The Library Studio

Here's what 20 mini Traps look like unpacked, ready to go up.

Rob Lewis my studio builder (L) and house engineer Tom (r) get two up.

"Drum corner" starting to take shape!

Drum corner in all it's glory!

Side view of 'drum corner' - see those accoustic pannels or 'gobos' by the window? They are on wheels and 4 of will go behind and allong side a drum kit.

Moody art shot "powercut' of space opposite drum corner showing stairwell cover & three more Mini Traps.

Moody art shot number 2 "Where the hell is that electrician" showing view across room to B room mix area (Genelec 1031's in protective rubbish bags) and view into vocal / overdub booth.

View left looking into vocal / overdub booth.

View looking back towards door in vocal booth / overdub area. (there are TWO Mini Traps on the ceiling)

So,

The whole point of these Mini Traps is to combat the "bare walled office sound" I was getting in this room. I sound proofed the space to prevent the sound escaping and organized non parallel walls where I could but up to this date hadn't done anything about its 'internal' acoustics. OK I've been recording rock drums for 20 years now, and I WAS able to make them sound good in there, but the fact of the matter was, the close reflection sound was KILLING ME! If you clapped your hands in the room it sounded VERY loud. A month ago on a trip to the legendary Abbey Rd Studio 2 (documented here on Gearslutz) I noted that a hand clap in there sounded remarkably QUIET and almost no 'decay' was audible..I thought that both odd and 'interesting' for such a LARGE room. In one of my favorite drum rooms (The "Barn" at Stanbridge Farm UK) I loved the fact that mic's set up on a kit in a large room sounded 'close' EVEN when very compressed - there was no 'hearing the walls' - this is my goal with my drum room. I dont want 'variable acoustics' I dont want control room acoustics, i just want a great kit sound, where I cant 'hear the walls' on the close mic's & overheads. I also want to be able to do 3 mic drum recording and have it withstand HEAVY compression and not - reveal 'the walls'.

I know that if I put mic's the other side of the room and compress them, I can make any place this size sound like an "aircraft hangar with a cannon being fired in it" (all well and good and handy on some productions) but I need TIGHT drums for modern rock productions.

Anyhow, after putting up the Mini Traps a hand clap in the room now sounds - quiet (and bright) and I can't "hear the walls" - I can't wait to try it! Just from the clap it sounds reminiscent of an expensively built 'tight & bright" 70's recording space.... so far so good!

The first clients to use the space are a retro '80's' style act and they require a tight 'disco' sound - perfect guinea pigs!

We like the "Barberella" look it has given the place too!

I will keep you 'posted'!

[StuartMac]

Jules, if you don't mind me asking.....how much?

[Jax]

... prepare to be FLOORED!



I predict the mintraps will outshine your expectations (as they did for me).

[zimv20]

Originally posted by StuartMac
Jules, if you don't mind me asking.....how much?

http://www.realtraps.com/prices.asp

[BevvyB]

Jules, i could have come round with some clingfilm and sticky tape and have had the whole thing done for under a tenner

Re cost,

For the UK / Europe I got them from Sonic Distribution http://www.sonic-distribution.com and was able to 'negotiate' down from the list price for a bulk buy. Ask for James.

[kevinc]

Those are really great looking Jules.


I went the DIY route myself and they definately don`t look anywhere near as cool as those do.

I bet they don`t work as good either

What are those things made out of anyway?

Is it just 703 or is there something else going on there ?

Dunno what they are made of. But I get the impresion there is a 'membrane' effect going on that aids bass trapping as well as mid & HF damping..

[cally]

how often do you need to wash them to get the sound out

Cally - its insane in the membrane!

[ModernMusic]

Is there an option for the fabric covering, or is it a solid on the face? The white looks pretty slick if you have color on the walls, but my walls are white, and the additional white would give it kind of a 2001 space oddity look.....

I was thinking a paisley....

[cajonezzz]

We got 16 of the black Minitraps in our room. They look cool. I don''t think it would be a problem to add some fabric to the front as long as it wasn't two thick or reflective.


These things seriously work BTW. I really love having a few monted on stands to create little vocal spaces and such.

I'm probably going to order 8 more for the B room. We're building our own 705 2 inch covered panels that will be removeable for the Live rooms as well (16)

Great product. Instant gratification.

I'm looking forward to Jules report on his experience with them in his drum room.

[Drumsound]

I haven't even installed mine yet and they are making a difference. I got four to start with and they are just leaning on the corners of the room.

[RichT]

Originally posted by Drumsound
I haven't even installed mine yet and they are making a difference. I got four to start with and they are just leaning on the corners of the room.

e

Thought this post was gonna start like:

I haven't even taken mine out of the box in the garage and they're making a difference! I can hear it all the way down the hall...

Amazing!

[iflyinmymind]

Those mini traps look great!

Ethan Winer, the designer, originally published an article in Electronic Musician June '95, thats now on his personal website www.ethanwiner.com. It details his original design of bass traps using 703 & 705 frk.

He moderates an acoustics forum to answer questions about the old designs and new products.

He stated that it is not 703 or 705 in the mini-traps, but he has a acoustic material specially made just for his company.

In his orginal article he built the traps into the walls, Then to sell he made the first real traps from 6' to 7'6" (portable) but obiously real heavy! Now he has the minitraps, which I am sure are great!!!!!

Personally I have no $$$$, from buying a Lawson,and vintech!!!

I made I hybrid desgin that I have almost completed.

I made low abosorbers to hang that are 2'x 4' like the mini traps , so they dont weigh a ton, but follow the original plans detailed on his personal website. He states on the forum that for the mid frequencies you can just hang the pieces of 703 or 705.

I made 12 low end abosorbers which are 4" deep and the front is 1/4" ply and Mr. Winer states that if you are not building them in the walls, that the back has to be 2-3 times thicker than the 1/4" vibrating front panel. So I put 3/4"ply on the back. The insides are a sealed air cavity w/ the 703 1" frk on rails allowing it to vibrate freely within.

The 703 comes in boxes of 12 so two boxes is 24. I can double up on some pieces to make 2" thick, have enough for the deep bass absorbers, and some left over to just hang. All for about 350.00 $ american $

I am going to be done soon, it is just a pain trying to get the 703!!

Ethan Winer is my hero for being so gracious, as to publish a cost effective way to treat a studio, a bargain prices.

Its people like him and all of the helpful members here at geraslutz that make
recording a little more affordable for us poor musician types...Now I just wish I new about these bass traps a long time ago, and had bought a tascam trs8 instead of the 3 grand I spend on a mac and a motu 2408 when it first came out!!!!

__________
Todd Seibel
_________
Albert Einstein slept on avg. of 11 hours every night! So lets all go to sleep and get less dumber...

[xl-sander]

HOW BAD DO U THINK ARE AURALEX ROOMINATOR PACKAGES, OR THE PRIMACOUSTIC LONDON ETC COMPARED TO THESE REAL TRAPS?? IS THE DIFFRENCE HUGE???
THX FOR REPLY

I have no idea.

[xl-sander]

i dont know either... all i assume is:

auralex is the cheapest of all and doesnt look that good...but still gotta hear it


primacoustic seem the best to me if you compare price and functunality with real traps(i could be wrong tho) and the offer solutions for complete roms...

real traps should have the best quality but they are just expensive...and i dont know if its worth to spend that more compared to primacoustic...anyone knows...hook us up and let us know...thx

[kevinc]

Hey XL I`d suggest making them yourself.

I made a ton of absorbers out of 703 type insulation (the kind that Auralex sells. It`s a little different I think)
and some wood and a fabric cover.

They`re really easy to make and they`re a lot better than Auralex foam stuff.

[Ethan Winer]

Sander,

> HOW BAD DO U THINK ARE AURALEX ROOMINATOR PACKAGES, OR THE PRIMACOUSTIC LONDON ETC COMPARED TO THESE REAL TRAPS?? IS THE DIFFRENCE HUGE??? <

I hope nobody minds me chiming in.

MiniTraps are much more effective than typical foam treatments like those you mentioned. They absorb more and to a lower frequency, which is the real issue. For general mid/high echo and ambience reduction almost any thin absorbing material is acceptable. Where MiniTraps shine is at the low end. This is the most important, yet difficult, range to control and absorb.

MiniTraps also have an intentional curve of absorption versus frequency. When corner mounted their absorption is greatest at the low end, then levels off above a few hundred Hz. This lets you put enough of them in the room to solve the bass problems, but without killing all the mids and highs as foam and plain fiberglass do.

--Ethan

[zakco]

I have no experience with Auralex, but I did get taken by primacoustics marketing. Big Mistake.

About a year ago I spent a fair chunk of change on one of their "studio in a box" type kits.

While their thinner panels are useful for HF damping, the "bass traps" (which are large foam wedges) are utterly useless in the LF for which they are intended. Big waste of time and money. At least in my experience. What you end up with is a room that is tonally out of balance. All of the HF damping makes the room sound tight if you were to clap your hands but bass tones from instruments and even voices will still ring and have a longer decay. Making the reverb response of the room very bass heavy. Not to mention the fact that any room modes below 250 hz will still be problematic.

Since then, I had some custom 8 ft membrane panel absorbers built ala Ethan's designs and put in the rear corners of the control room. these were measurably effective but I still need more.

I am about to order 8 mini traps to complement these and finish the control room. Can't wait......

-Z-