i need help with the acoustical layout of possibly the crappiest room ever.

[sameal]

alright, you read it right.


i got possibly the worst room ever to record in. but its what i got and its what im gonna have to use for awhile so im trying to make the most out of it. its got stuff stored in it, and limited space, gaping holes, no lights you name it.

anyways there's two huge gaping holes in the room, that im thinking of putting devices in. they have to fully remove, as this is the main walking path.

i got some wood to make frames for them, but should i use rock wool for the filler or some other type? these two spots im trying to reduce the noise from the other rooms coming into my recording room, becuase one is a staircase leading to the upstairs and the other has washing machines and a.c. units and the like.


im thinking the rock wool d.i.y. traps ive seen on here in the corners of the room.


i might need some rearranging of the room too. any advice will be considered.

beside the obvious, move out and get another room, which isnt an option at this time in my life.

[Ethan Winer]

I don't see any specific questions, and a floor plan type layout drawing would help to suggest a layout. Generally:

Openings are not always bad, and can even be good because it's one less place to get reflections from. But if your washing machine rattles very time the bass plays a G note, that's a problem.

These two articles talk about room layout for smaller one-room studios:

How to set up a room
Maximum Studio, Minimum Stress

--Ethan

[sameal]

ill try and get a floor plan layout done.


my question is, where and what to put up. i dont have the ears for what im trying to do unfortunately. i know when i record im getting more room noise in my mix then i want, and im not sure im going to be able to overcome that or not.

the washer's and a.c. unit are getting picked up for sure, and are basicly in constant operation. i wanna get rid of as much as possible.


i basicly had the idea to build a wood frame the size of the opening, fill it with some sort of material to block noise on the washer/ac side, and do its thing acousticly for the room on the other, while still being light and manageable.

kinda a long shot.


so far im thinking bass traps in the room corners. thats all i can come up with for now.

ill check out these articules and see what i can gather.

[Ethan Winer]

Acoustic isolation is a different issue, and unfortunately it's difficult to achieve on a budget and with simple construction. One key is mass, so a thick rigid barrier is better than hanging a curtain etc.

My articles and videos should help you with layout ideas and treatment.

--Ethan

[sameal]

i just got done with the layout in sketchup. wow what a pain in the ass. on a mac anyways.


thar she id.



well half of it anyways. this program sucks.

[sameal]

lets see what ****ed up crap image i get this time.




yay! that looks like the good one.

[Glenn Kuras]

I would place the mix spot facing the bottem wall and put the players behind you.
The following will give you a guide to placing acoustics.

GIK Acoustics: Room Setup

[sameal]

excellent.


im already in position at the bottom wall however im facing the wrong direction. when i set it up, i thought it would work best functionality wise to do so, because the ins/outs are on the back of the mixer, and they could just plug right in. the only problem was they couldnt hear the mix and themselves less i turned the monitors around toward them, and then not only was i not hearing it well, but i had to flip my monitors back and forth.

so turning around solves that problem but creates the patch in problem. which some long cable runs or a stage box or two could easily solve.


looks like its rearrangeing time. again.


so the d.i.y wood frame rock wool traps in the corners is a good idea, it seems, from the articules and the diagram on gik.

[sameal]

i also forgot to mention on the left wall, theres two spots marked out in the wall, those are windows.

and that blue area is cabinets. which unfortunately i cant use.

[Glenn Kuras]

so the d.i.y wood frame rock wool traps in the corners is a good idea, it seems, from the articules and the diagram on gik.

Sure that should work well.

[sameal]

looks like i got some work ahead of me.


i havent been on this thread long, but i tell you its been indispensible so far the information ive been lucky enough to pick off all you dudes.

thanks!



ill probably have some more questions soon, after i get this done.