Padding under speakers..

[Bonemeister]

Originally Posted by ofutch

im not much of a DIY veteran! so i'm gonna go with speaker stands i think! thanks for the input guys

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Hi Guys..... thought I would take a minute to chime in regarding isolation pads, Recoil Stabilizers and other innovative solutions. .

Resonance versus stability
Foam pads or other isolation methods will eliminate resonance. But this has the down side of allowing the motor (ie loudspeaker) to float and wobble around. To 'assume' that if you do not hear the resonance, you do no have a problem (as posted above) is misguided. Energy, whether audible or not, when redirected will have an effect on how your loudspeakers will work. The Recoil Stabilizers eliminate the resonance while providing a stable platform for the loudspeaker. So instead of losing transient response via coupling into the shelf, meter bridge or speaker stand, the energy is directed forward to the listening position.

Stabilizing devices
I like several of the ideas mentioned in this post. Salt bags, concrete blocks... these should both work. They have mass and will ensure the energy from the loudspeaker is not lost via vibration. The expensive part in building the Recoil is cutting the steel. This is done with a laser to make them look nice. For home enthusiasts on a budget, a bag of salt is perfectly fine. For others, particularly those in commercial studios, this simply does not present a positive picture for the client, even though it may work fine.

Consistency
The single most important aspect here is providing a consistent platform for the loudspeakers so that when you go from one studio to another, you have the same starting point. Engineers that use Recoils usually bring them along wherever they go. This eliminates unknowns such as how the shelf will resonate, what may get lost, and then only heard when brought back to home base. This can be a hassle for some, devastating for others. Ultimately, you want your recordings to translate properly from one room to another. Proper acoustic treatment and eliminating unknowns will do more for you than anything else. That is other than writing a hit single!

Have Fun!

Peter
President
Primacoustic and the inventor of the Recoil Stabilizer ™

[RTR]

Originally Posted by 7161

dont waste your money, use 2 bags of cooking salt, works great

+1000..I have a few squares of foam under mine..My mixes don't need $200.00 RIP OFF sponges..that is the least of your worries, spend the money else ware

[OceanMan]

the padding under speakers are indeed a rip off. DIY or spend money on much more useful room mod's

[Fhl]

I needed to rais my tweeters so I used a pair of free mouse pads (foam type) and cut a leca block on top of it, then another mouse pad.

Here's what a leca block in bad resolution looks like.
http://lecaworld.com/images/blok_110.gif

It did remove alot of bass resonance, and of course it's purpose for raising the tweeter.

Fred

[joeq]

bubble wrap
you probably have some already lying around

I have my speakers balanced on "cones" (actually brass acorns from the hardware store), the cones are on small wooden speaker stands, the stands are on the bubble wrap and it all sits on the table surface

I have experimented with various combinations and there seem to be some trade-offs involved between decoupling and coupling

maybe that's why nobody sells a bungee cord system that hangs your speaker from the ceiling or supports it in a ring like a vocal mic.

[NAM]

I have 54lb floor standing mains (jbl l880's) on a hard wood floor for my home theater setup. I have a subdude for the subwoofer and the speakers are crossed over at 80hz. Is isolating or decoupling necessary for my mains? If so, what do I need to use to resolve the issue without a tradeoff?