Fat Wombat Recordings - Studio Diary

[Enchilada]

Hi guys,

I started a thread a while ago on homerecording.com although if I'm honest, I don't find that forum overly helpful these days...

Thought I would post what's been (very slowly) happening with my studio build. I had posted a thread with my bass trap build here but I think I'll keep it all in one thread now.

[Enchilada]

Here's my PC (Phenon II CPU, 3GB RAM, M-Audio Delta 1010 2 x 500GB HDD) with a few bits of gear which are all connected via MIDI (old Akai synth module and Akai XR-20 and Akai MPC-2000). The turntable is a Technics SL-1200 Mk II, mixer is a Vestax PMC-06 Pro A. Monitors are Samson Resolv. I use the little Berry mixer for sampling into the MPC and Bass DI through a little red Korg thing. Not pictured is my Berry Multicom compressor and presonus bluetube preamp. I've also been using a Presunus Firepod.

[Enchilada]

Here's a pic of one of the four ceiling to floor bass traps I've installed

[Enchilada]

Now for what I got up to over the weekend, once the glue has dried I'll paint it and mount it on the ceiling to help when recording drums with X/Y overheads . I'm hoping it won't fall off the ceiling and kill the drummer though as it is quite heavy.

How it all began...


Progress...


More progress...


One finished skyline diffuser

[Enchilada]

Out of interest, does anyone think this air conditioner will affect the acoustics in the room? If so, what should I do about it? The unit is busted and I can't remove/replace/repair it as I'm renting and the landlord won't allow it :(

[SRS]

That diffuser looks nice. I built 8 of them about the same size and yes, they are heavy. I would use the diffusion on a back wall and do absorption (a cloud) over the drum kit. A lot of work cutting and gluing all those pieces of wood huh!

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by SRS

That diffuser looks nice. I built 8 of them about the same size and yes, they are heavy. I would use the diffusion on a back wall and do absorption (a cloud) over the drum kit. A lot of work cutting and gluing all those pieces of wood huh!

Actually it wasn't too bad because the guys at Bunnings cut the wood for free aside from the 48mm pieces as their machine couldn't handle cutting that small. Still, 76 pieces was a fair amount of work and I would have hated to do the lot! Oddly enough, it was kind of relaxing to sit down and glue it all together.

I was originally going to go with a cloud although I decided to go with diffusion. You're making me question my decision now though. The whole thing cost me about $70 to build, 14m of timber is quite a lot for a diffuser that's only 540mm x 840mm. Why do you suggest only diffusing the back wall? Is diffusion only needed on one wall? I'm using this room for tracking only, not mixing I'm still learning about studio building and acoustics.

Thanks,

Ench

[Enchilada]

Because of paranoia that I would one day kill a drummer, I've decided to pop the diffuser on the back wall. Here's some pics, plus some pics of a few more absorbers I've put up.




My wife tells me I really need to tidy these up...

[erikdrink]

Interesting!

[SRS]

From all I have learned... and I am not an expert in the field, but feel pretty knowledgeable. Using a smaller size diffuser on any wall or ceiling will not provide you with a great deal of acoustic advantage, especially in a smaller room. Bass trapping is king, then first reflection points with absorption, then if you have a drum kit, a cloud is invaluable. A proper cloud will take a 9 foot ceiling and make it "appear" acoustically to be much higher. I have a 4x6 foot cloud over my kit and it is with 4 inches of OC 703. I have 8 skyline diffusers on one wall and 4 QRD type on another wall. With very thick OC 703 bass traps from floor to ceiling in all 4 main corners. But open space on much of the other walls to not deaden the room too much. Diffusion is a tricky animal, in that the results of it are not nearly as immediately apparent as absorption is. It's a very different principle. I think I'd be safe to say that that diffuser will not really make an appreciable difference in the acoustics of your room. You'll need more coverage (more diffusers). So, if you had a pleasurable time building that one, I would venture onward and build a good amount more of them. Then you will begin to hear the diffuse advantages.

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by SRS

From all I have learned... and I am not an expert in the field, but feel pretty knowledgeable. Using a smaller size diffuser on any wall or ceiling will not provide you with a great deal of acoustic advantage, especially in a smaller room. Bass trapping is king, then first reflection points with absorption, then if you have a drum kit, a cloud is invaluable. A proper cloud will take a 9 foot ceiling and make it "appear" acoustically to be much higher. I have a 4x6 foot cloud over my kit and it is with 4 inches of OC 703. I have 8 skyline diffusers on one wall and 4 QRD type on another wall. With very thick OC 703 bass traps from floor to ceiling in all 4 main corners. But open space on much of the other walls to not deaden the room too much. Diffusion is a tricky animal, in that the results of it are not nearly as immediately apparent as absorption is. It's a very different principle. I think I'd be safe to say that that diffuser will not really make an appreciable difference in the acoustics of your room. You'll need more coverage (more diffusers). So, if you had a pleasurable time building that one, I would venture onward and build a good amount more of them. Then you will begin to hear the diffuse advantages.

I think that diffuser looks a lot smaller in the photo than in person. It's approximately 2x4 feet. In this room, I've been setting up the drum kit close to the wall I've put the diffuser as it is kind of an early reflection point. I have noticed a difference in the overheads, the sound appears to be more controlled although I like the live sound a whole lot more than the deadness of using an absorber or the slightly boxy sound from the bare wall. I've positioned my overheads in so that the diffuser is positioned at the reflection point of the snare. I did enjoy making this diffuser and I plan to build two QRD type diffusers of the same size to put either side of this one along with a larger QRD type diffuser which will go underneath it to make a total diffusion surface area of 4 x 12 feet.

As far as bass trapping goes, my floor to ceiling traps are in all four wall joins and are 2 feet wide x 6 inches thick which has made the most instantly noticeable difference. The absorbers I've placed on the walls seem to have helped removed flutter echo from the room. Aside from the cloud, your room sounds to be similarly treated to mine. A cloud is definitely on my to-do list though.

[SRS]

Yes, it indeed sounds like you've done well with your treatment. Remember that an equal airgap can effectively increase your trapping. Like a 6 inch airgap between the trap and the wall can increase the trapping effect substantially. Just food for thought. And it will not create over absorption in the room. I like a more live room too.


SRS

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by SRS

Yes, it indeed sounds like you've done well with your treatment. Remember that an equal airgap can effectively increase your trapping. Like a 6 inch airgap between the trap and the wall can increase the trapping effect substantially. Just food for thought. And it will not create over absorption in the room. I like a more live room too.


SRS

Will keep that in mind

[abechap024]

Thanks for sharing! I had a little laugh to myself when you were talking about opting to not hang your diffusers from the ceiling. I came to the same conclusion after I built mine. Those suckers are HEAVY. With those spikes too! Ouch!

And PS I noticed sound difference right away when I put mine around my room. From my limited understanding, because those diffuser work in 3 dimensions, it helps no matter where you put them. Maybe ceiling is a little more optimal for sound but not optimal for staying alive...

Cheers

[Enchilada]

Originally Posted by abechap024

Maybe ceiling is a little more optimal for sound but not optimal for staying alive...

Ha! I know right, it had to be at least 40Kg