Room Treatment Suggestions (Pic Included)

[ghetto3jon]

hello! i've made a lot of improvements to my gear, and learned a lot about technique, but i'm still not completely happy with the sounds i'm getting from my studio. i'm starting to think i should work on the room itself. i've read articles over at ethan winer's site, but my room is such an odd shape, i'm just confused about where i should start.

here is a pics of the "main room":
http://www.thebrotherkite.com/stuff/studio1.jpg

the floor is bare plywood, and i have some heavy oriental carpeting to kill floor-to-ceiling standing waves...but other than that, i don't really have any treatment at all. as you can see, the ceiling slopes down to the knees on the left and right.

does anyone have any suggestions about treatment types or location? (oh, and this is the "low end theory" forum, i'm hoping to do this on-the-cheap...within reason!). my control room is another issue, i won't get into that right now! thanks!

[Glenn Kuras]

The picture if very hard to get a over all layout of the room. Can you post a sketch of the room?

Glenn

[ghetto3jon]

hi glenn, thanks for the response.

i made this little diagram (the camera indicates the POV of that first picture):
http://www.thebrotherkite.com/stuff/studio_diagram.jpg

thanks!

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by ghetto3jon

i've read articles over at ethan winer's site, but my room is such an odd shape, i'm just confused about where i should start.

All of the info in my Acoustics FAQ is valid for your room too. Bass traps in as many corners as you can manage, absorption above where you record drums, etc. Also, your control room seems very small, so you'll want to line the entire rear cavity corner with as much fiberglass or mineral wool as possible.

--Ethan

[ghetto3jon]

ok, thanks ethan! i'll do my best.

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

All of the info in my Acoustics FAQ is valid for your room too. Bass traps in as many corners as you can manage, absorption above where you record drums, etc. Also, your control room seems very small, so you'll want to line the entire rear cavity corner with as much fiberglass or mineral wool as possible.

--Ethan

ghetto3jon,

Thanks for taking the time to post the second drawing. Yep everything Ethan is telling you is pretty much the way to go. You may want to record the drums with as much ceiling space as possible, but I am sure you knew that one.

Glenn

[ghetto3jon]

thanks guys, i really appreciate it.

do you think i should leave the plywood floor 75%-80% covered in oriental carpeting like it is (the ceiling is sheetrock)? i noticed the carpeting killed some hand-clapping standing waves, but i've also read some people say if you've got a wooded floor, you should leave it uncovered.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by ghetto3jon

do you think i should leave the plywood floor 75%-80% covered in oriental carpeting like it is (the ceiling is sheetrock)?

See the sidebar "Hard floor, soft ceiling" in my FAQ I linked above.

--Ethan

[mikey]

Acoustic Panels by ATS Acoustics

[megl]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

See the sidebar "Hard floor, soft ceiling" in my FAQ I linked above.

--Ethan

On the subject of hard floor, soft ceiling: is the recipe for the ceiling: the more the better?

/megl

[jwl]

Not necessarily, megl.

Generally you will want absorption above the mix position and where the microphones are, especially for drum overheads or recording acoustic instruments.

But if you do the entire ceiling it can be *too* dead in the room.

Start off with clouds in those places, and go from there. If the room is still too live, add more absorption until it sounds the way you want it to.

[megl]

Originally Posted by jwl

Not necessarily, megl.

Generally you will want absorption above the mix position and where the microphones are, especially for drum overheads or recording acoustic instruments.

But if you do the entire ceiling it can be *too* dead in the room.

Start off with clouds in those places, and go from there. If the room is still too live, add more absorption until it sounds the way you want it to.

Sorry - I didn't explain myself properly ... I meant what you are saying here - only in certain positions ... but how much? Above drum set for example - is it better to have 8" than 4" ... and is fiberglass the best? I hear about certain materials being used for 'acoustic ceilings'

/megl

[jwl]

in general, including on ceilings, thicker absorbers will give you absorption to lower frequencies. This effect is enhanced if you space the absorber out from the wall a bit; a spacing equal to the thickness of the panel is a good rule of thumb, ie, 4" panel 4" below ceiling, 8" panel 8" below ceiling, etc etc.

Surprisingly, a 2" panel 2" from the ceiling performs almost as well as a 4" panel flush with the ceiling, despite it having half the mass.

Rigid fiberglass, rockwool, acoustic cotton all work well. Use what you have on hand, whatever you are using for your bass traps/broadband absorbers is fine. If you have bass trapping in all corners you can get away with 2" panels spaced 2" from the wall.

[megl]

Originally Posted by jwl

in general, including on ceilings, thicker absorbers will give you absorption to lower frequencies. This effect is enhanced if you space the absorber out from the wall a bit; a spacing equal to the thickness of the panel is a good rule of thumb, ie, 4" panel 4" below ceiling, 8" panel 8" below ceiling, etc etc.

Surprisingly, a 2" panel 2" from the ceiling performs almost as well as a 4" panel flush with the ceiling, despite it having half the mass.

Rigid fiberglass, rockwool, acoustic cotton all work well. Use what you have on hand, whatever you are using for your bass traps/broadband absorbers is fine. If you have bass trapping in all corners you can get away with 2" panels spaced 2" from the wall.

jwl, thanks for your reply! I think I will hang a 2" cloud over the drums

/megl