Absorption and diffusion panels placement and quantity

[AlexRoudos]

As i'm soon to move to a new apartment where i'll have my dedicated studio room, i'd like to have the best possible acoustic treatment as well. I'm not going to ask which products are the best for that. For the moment i'm only interested on the placement and quantity of the absorption and diffusion panels.

From what i've read so far, acoustic treatment is applied(for the best results) on the front wall from the mixing position, on the ceiling exactly on top of the mixing position again, on the rear and side walls and of course on the corners using bass traps.

One thing i'll probably do for sure is placing bass traps in all 4 corners from floor to ceiling. I don't know if it's the right thing to do, so i'd appreciate your comments on that too.

So, my question is what is really needed(absorption or diffusion or both?) for the front wall and ceiling(in regards to the mixing position) for the side walls exactly where the monitors are placed, for the side walls further in the room and for the rear wall. And what would be the coverage percentage for the number of the panels in comparison to the wall's surface that they are applied to. I know that this is quite generic, but i'm hoping that there's maybe some general rule of thumb about this. In any case, the room dimensions will be at least 13' W x 16' L x 8' H.

Thank you all in advance.

Looking forward to your thoughts and expertise.

Greetz,
Alex.

[Glenn Kuras]

Alex,

As a company we always ask people to send a layout with pictures to get a better understanding of there room. Yes all rooms need bass trapping in corners, yes you should cover the early reflections in the room and yes if the room is big enough diffusion can be used. But all rooms are different (size being one and set up being another) so acoustics are not always set up the same way.

Just to help you out though here is a little room set up to give you some ideas. Even with this though, if you contacted us I still would want layouts and pictures to give you the best advise.

BTW:

I'm not going to ask which products are the best for that. For the moment i'm only interested on the placement and quantity of the absorption and diffusion panels.

Not all acoustic products are the same.

[AlexRoudos]

Hi Glenn and thank you for your reply.

I totally agree with everything you say. The only reason for my post is to be able to clarify what i should use in what place when the time comes.

I have read a lot about acoustics and their relative products and i believe i understand how they work. What confuses me still is what combination is the most suitable for me in order to eliminate as much as possible the sound of the room itself.

Btw, if i understood you right, diffusion is needed only when the room is big? And what would be the minimum size of this room then?

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by AlexRoudos

Hi Glenn and thank you for your reply.

I totally agree with everything you say. The only reason for my post is to be able to clarify what i should use in what place when the time comes.

I have read a lot about acoustics and their relative products and i believe i understand how they work. What confuses me still is what combination is the most suitable for me in order to eliminate as much as possible the sound of the room itself.

Btw, if i understood you right, diffusion is needed only when the room is big? And what would be the minimum size of this room then?

Can you list a layout of your room?

Diffusion is best at 5 or more feet from the listening position or the source. I am talking about diffusion that is good down to 500 to 700 Hz. In your case at 16' (if you set up right) the above layout could work for you.

Glenn

[AlexRoudos]

I can't list any layout yet because i'm still viewing a lot of apartments. This will take a while as i want to find the best one for my overall needs(besides the studio there will be a home theater room as well )

My mixing/sitting position will be at least 6' from the side walls, 3.5' from the front wall and at least 12' from the rear wall. On the other hand, the monitors will be at least 3' away from their side walls. And here's where i get lost. Do i need diffusion around the mixing position or only in the rear wall and further back to the side walls as shown to your layout?

Thank you again for your help. Much appreciated.

Alex.

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by AlexRoudos

I can't list any layout yet because i'm still viewing a lot of apartments. This will take a while as i want to find the best one for my overall needs(besides the studio there will be a home theater room as well )

My mixing/sitting position will be at least 6' from the side walls, 3.5' from the front wall and at least 12' from the rear wall. On the other hand, the monitors will be at least 3' away from their side walls. And here's where i get lost. Do i need diffusion around the mixing position or only in the rear wall and further back to the side walls as shown to your layout?

Thank you again for your help. Much appreciated.

Alex.

In the early reflections, which would be in the front of the room I would go with absorption and in the back I would use diffusion. For the front wall you want absorption also.

Glenn

PS happy apartment hunting!!!!!!!

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by AlexRoudos

what is really needed(absorption or diffusion or both?) for the front wall and ceiling(in regards to the mixing position) for the side walls exactly where the monitors are placed, for the side walls further in the room and for the rear wall. And what would be the coverage percentage for the number of the panels in comparison to the wall's surface that they are applied to.

It depends on too many factors, not the least of which is how much $$$ you're willing to invest, to answer that in a forum post. If your intent is to buy bass traps and diffusors etc, the company you buy from should be able to put together a specific plan based on your budget. In the mean time, pretty much everything you need to know is on the RealTraps site:

RealTraps - Home

You're welcome to follow up with specific questions about anything you see on the web site here.

--Ethan