Final advice on my diy bass traps!

[JulianFernandez]

Hi guys!

Hopefully I´ll have my order by the end of month...
The density of the panels is 50kg/m3 and they measure 0,96x1,20 mts.

[IMG][img=http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/4463/roomz.th.jpg][/IMG]

My question is if I need all my traps to be 4" wide... I was thinking about 4" at the corners and 2" in the walls... What do you think? (btw, the walls are plaster).

Thanks so much!

btw, I know I should put my desk where my drums are... (I´ll probably change that after treating the room)...

[jhbrandt]

Julian,

Is this your only room? Yes, your desk should go where you have your kit located... however, there's a huge difference between a mix/control room acoustics and drum room acoustics.

I understand that you have to use what you've got... putting 4" rigid fiberglass in the corners does not create a bass trap... maybe attenuates some bass frequencies - but you need to calculate and find your problem modal frequencies and go from there.

For instance; If you wanted to 'trap' say 120 Hz by using rigid fiberglass, you would probably need to use 3 - 4 panels in each corner. 2 panels going from floor to ceiling on each of the joining walls and 2 more panels from floor to ceiling on a radius pointing out from the corners.

In other words, you will need alot of space and alot of rigid fiberglass. - Also, traps like that usually suck out more than you want, especially at low mid frequencies.

You would be better off building a few Helmholtz type resonators with fiberglass damping. You can tune them for your problem resonances. The more damping you use - the more bandwidth they will have. Small, efficient, and effective. Cheap and fairly easy to build.

I hope this helps.
John

[Glenn Kuras]

John I understand where you are coming from but:

Small rooms have problems throughout all the frequency range so trying to target certain areas really is not going to work (totally different in a larger room). If you are worried about over absorbing to much high end then I would use FRK on the fronts to reflect some of that back into the room (kind of like our GIK 244 and monster bass trap). After you have straddled most of the corners you can then test the room to see the problem areas and build a tuned trap to help. To be honest though, most rooms we have done have been pretty much there with out the tuned bass traps.

[JulianFernandez]

Thanks guys!

John... That´s my only room. I´m a fulltime musician, so all I want is a decent room to record my own music...

I´ve never heard of H Resonartors for such a small room, but I´m not close to the idea... Everything that I read about recording in small rooms refers to using as bass traps as possible...

I just don´t know if I can use 2" traps in the walls and 4" on the corners or if I should go with 4" all around... (the wool is 50kg/m3 if that makes any difference)

[Glenn Kuras]

I just don´t know if I can use 2" traps in the walls and 4" on the corners or if I should go with 4" all around... (the wool is 50kg/m3 if that makes any difference)

It is not a bad idea to use 4" panels for everything (a bit more low end control), just remember not to use any kind of FRK (facing) on the early reflection ones.

[TheEqualizer]

Originally Posted by JulianFernandez

Thanks guys!

John... That´s my only room. I´m a fulltime musician, so all I want is a decent room to record my own music...

I´ve never heard of H Resonartors for such a small room, but I´m not close to the idea... Everything that I read about recording in small rooms refers to using as bass traps as possible...

I just don´t know if I can use 2" traps in the walls and 4" on the corners or if I should go with 4" all around... (the wool is 50kg/m3 if that makes any difference)

I'd listen to John.

[JulianFernandez]

Originally Posted by TheEqualizer

I'd listen to John.

I´m not saying I won´t... I just don´t have the tools to measure my room...
I was almost convinced that bass traps was I needed...

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by JulianFernandez

I´m not saying I won´t... I just don´t have the tools to measure my room...
I was almost convinced that bass traps was I needed...

Bass trapping is needed and in smaller rooms (as I said above) broad band is generally a better way to go. You can always add tuned things later if need be.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by JulianFernandez

Hopefully I´ll have my order by the end of month... The density of the panels is 50kg/m3 and they measure 0,96x1,20 mts.

What traps are you getting? Or is this raw material? Regardless, corner bass traps need to be as thick as possible. Absorbers on the walls and ceiling reflection points can be two inches thick, though four inches is better there too.

--Ethan

[JulianFernandez]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

What traps are you getting? Or is this raw material? Regardless, corner bass traps need to be as thick as possible. Absorbers on the walls and ceiling reflection points can be two inches thick, though four inches is better there too.

--Ethan

It´s just the wool that I ordered... I´m planning to do the traps myself...

[PaulP]

Originally Posted by JulianFernandez

I´m not saying I won´t... I just don´t have the tools to measure my room...

If you have an omni microphone you have the tools. You just have to grab
a free copy of Room EQ Wizard and you're set.

Paul P

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by PaulP

If you have an omni microphone you have the tools. You just have to grab
a free copy of Room EQ Wizard and you're set.

Paul P

+1

[a zombie]

Originally Posted by PaulP

If you have an omni microphone you have the tools. You just have to grab
a free copy of Room EQ Wizard and you're set.

Paul P

And its for mac? YAY!

[DanDan]

Julian, as John have your listening position where the drums are currently. Positions are very important. Please don't take this wrong, but at the level of understanding you currently show, attempts at understanding measurements will be a nightmare. Don't go there. Read the room setup stuff at GIK and RealTraps. It's accurate and simple.
Just one point, if you are treating parallel walls to stop flutter, treat just one side. If you have a long stretch to treat, a chequerboard pattern is good. The same could be said of the largest surfaces, the ceiling and floor.
DD

[JulianFernandez]

Thanks guys!

No offense taken, DanDan... I just want a better room than my current. Drums sound pretty bad right now, and I just wanna add some bass traps to deal with it.

I´ll build some 2" and 4" traps and post the report (with pics!) here!

[DanDan]

Drums sound bad.? Lots of jokes spring to mind.:-)
I play drums myself.
Bass is usually welcome, I would have my back in corners, drums facing out to get that Bass Bin effect. You could try that in one of your corners, with a Bass Trap behind.
I have noticed repeatedly that a low plaster ceiling creates a horrible drum sound.
Especially if the floor is also hard. I suggest a decent cloud over the drums, hard wood, or a sheet of plywood underneath. And earplugs.....
DD