Doing DIY room treatment, have a couple questions

[Insomniaclown]

I have recently moved into a place that has my dream space, kinda. I now have a basement! However, when I played ye ole guitar through my amp, I noticed a ridiculous amount of reverberation and reflections going on, which will be no help when it comes time to mix. So, I searched out a DIY room treatment, but I need a little clarification.

The treatment calls for 3-4 panels for high freq absorption, and 3-4 panels for mid freq absorption. These panels are placed in an alternating fashion behind the speakers, and to the sides of the listening position.

The suggested high freq absorption material is Owens Corning 703 wrapped in burlap. The plans call for a frame to be built around the 703 panels. Is 703 rigid enough to be mounted without a frame?

The mid freq absorber consists of 4" mineral wool built into a frame and wrapped in burlap.

There was a design for a bass trap, but I didn't much care for it. Basically a garbage can filled with mineral wool. I think I am going to use a couple more of the mineral wool panels, and use the air gap method. Workable?

When it comes to spacing, should I leave any spacing between the panels? Or should they be flush with each other.

Aside from the above, I plan to throw a rug down under the mixing position, and either hang a heavy blanket from the ceiling above the mixing position, or possibly use another couple of 703 panels. Depending on how this all sounds together, I may or may not hang a blanket behind the mixing position as well to further cut down on reflections.

The big question, am I on the right track?

For other low enders out there, I priced the 703 panels at around $1.75 per square foot, and the mineral wool panels are about the same. At a local store in Vancouver, Auralex foam is $6.00 per square foot. DIY baby!

[Heartfelt]

One simple plan I have seen recently is 1x2 frame on the backside flush with the sides of the wool or glass. Using the long side of the wood, you can space it 2" from the wall. Glue that to the insulation, layer more and glue again (lightly glue). Face the front edge with sheet rock corners (aluminum or tin... not sure). Cover the whole thing in burlap. Much less effort than many exert in making them and the sides being totally open help the absorption.

just .02
Rob

[drbam]

Check out the gearslutz studio construction and acoustics forum. Everything you could possibly want to know and then some! Lots of photos for DIY projects and industry experts offering free advise on every aspect of studio design, treatment, traps and so on.

[Insomniaclown]

Whoops! Sorry about this. I always forget that there is almost a forum for everything on GS. My first instinct is to post in low end.

Thanks the advice Heartfelt. I will look into modifying the plans to incorporate it.

[biggator6]

Readytraps makes pre-made bags that you can zip the 703/705 into and hang it on the wall. That's probably a little more than DIY, but couldn't be any easier.

Oh, and depending on where you live - rockwool is probably cheaper than 703. As long as it's the same density (pcf) - it'll behave the same.

[Crash]

Originally Posted by biggator6

Readytraps makes pre-made bags that you can zip the 703/705 into and hang it on the wall. That's probably a little more than DIY, but couldn't be any easier.

Oh, and depending on where you live - rockwool is probably cheaper than 703. As long as it's the same density (pcf) - it'll behave the same.

These are cool too, and the way I went:

Chameleon™ Acoustic Frames : Ready Acoustics!, Hear - Sound - Better

[jrkaiser]

A 1x2 frame will cost you $2 to build and take less than 10 minutes when you get on a roll...

Studio Acoustics Project - How Do I Treat This Room - a set on Flickr

These panels need to be mounted 4" off the wall to be effective.

[aclarson]

When I built mine, I built some with a frame using drywall corner bead and rivets, worked quite nice. But, the rest that I built I just wrapped the mineral wool in poly batting and then in burlap. They are quite rigid without a frame, I have them hanging all over the room and none of them sag at all. I hang them by actually running the wire through the trap from the back and wrap it around the front and go back through again and tie the wire to a hook screw. Works great, and with no frame you get the maximum effect since more material is exposed.

I'd use a frame with any gobos or regularly moved ones, but for the wall and ceiling hanging ones it's unnecessary, I think, they still look great the way I did it.

Edit: here's the plans mine were based off of:
Steven P. Helm: DIY Bass Traps

[MSR74]

Check this website as well.

johnlsayers.com