Drop Ceiling Question in Control Room

[jsteiger]

Hello all you Slutz,

I have a acoustic treatment question that maybe Ethan or Glenn could chime in on. Before I start, I have searched this forum and others without finding an answer so If I missed some info, sorry for starting another "treatment" thread. You can read for many days if you search "bass trap"!!!

I am relocating my basement control room to the other end of my basement. Long story but, finished living areas are not meant to be under ground level with the water(sump pump) implications and all. We had small amounts of water in that end of the basement on 3 different occasions. Only a 1/2" or so but...Nothing was ruined except for the carpet and a dismantling of the gear. My old control room has since been turned into storage so I am claiming the old "family room" area for my new control room. Dryer end of the basement. We haven't had water in about 5 or 6 years since I had a plumber buddy dig a 3rd sump pit in what used to be my vocal iso booth. Bad memories. Watch out for your sump pump floats! One of the times, the rubber flapper on the back-flow valve came off inside the outlet pipe just perfectly enough to completly block the flow so...you can guess what we found in the morning.

OK. Enough moaning.

I currently have a 2'x2' drop ceiling in the new space. The tile face is rather a hard-uneven yet reflective surface. I have no insulation above the drop ceiling. It was not intended to become a control room 15 years ago when I finished it. It would be rather impossible to put 6" or even 3.5" bats up there. Not much access with some mechanicals and what-not. I've been told that the Depot has some cheap "fluffy" faced ceiling tiles that would more absorbent for HF. I am going to change all of the tiles. Hopefully that will take care of the RFZ above the mix position. The ceiling is level, by the way.

Ah, finally a question...Do you think it would be a waste of time and $$ to line the back of the tiles with 2" 703 or 2" 705? I am going to build corner traps. Also 4" 703 traps at side RFZ spots (4" from wall) and 2pc 4'x7'-6" x 6"-8" thick 705 panels that will be behind me on rolling stands. I need access to a closet and bathroom that is at the rear of the mix position. Yah, yah 38% rule...I'm following that.

Don't know if the extra above the tiles will really help anything?

Thanks to all, Jeff

[Glenn Kuras]

Above the new tiles you are putting in just use fluffy fiberglass.. You can use 703 but the fluffy stuff is fine for up there and will save you some cash.

Jeff didn't you send me pictures of this room or am I going crazy?

Glenn

[jsteiger]

Originally Posted by myfipie

Above the new tiles you are putting in just use fluffy fiberglass.. You can use 703 but the fluffy stuff is fine for up there and will save you some cash.

Jeff didn't you send me pictures of this room or am I going crazy?

Glenn

Hey Glenn,

Yeh, from our conversation, I'd say if you are not crazy yet, you've got a helluva start! Seriously, those were my pics. Just covering all my bases. It will be very un-fun/difficult to jam the fluffy bats up there but, if that is the best thing, that's what I'll do.

Any news with the calculations of the new bass trap idea???

Thanks, Jeff

[crna59]

I dropped down about 4 inches from my joists and hung triple layer of drywall/green glue on Kinetics Noise Control hangers and 16ga. channel.
Just a suggestion.

Regards,
Bruce

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by vin-gear

Hey Glenn,

Yeh, from our conversation, I'd say if you are not crazy yet, you've got a helluva start! Seriously, those were my pics. Just covering all my bases. It will be very un-fun/difficult to jam the fluffy bats up there but, if that is the best thing, that's what I'll do.

Any news with the calculations of the new bass trap idea???

Thanks, Jeff

Don't get me wrong you can use 703 or 705 up there and it will work well.

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by crna59

I dropped down about 4 inches from my joists and hung triple layer of drywall/green glue on Kinetics Noise Control hangers and 16ga. channel.
Just a suggestion.

Regards,
Bruce

I think you are confusing sound isolation (sound proofing) and absorption for room acoustics. Jeff is not trying to iso, but treating the room to sound good inside.

Glenn

[jsteiger]

Originally Posted by myfipie

I think you are confusing sound isolation (sound proofing) and absorption for room acoustics. Jeff is not trying to iso, but treating the room to sound good inside.

Glenn

Yes you are right Glenn,

I just want to absorb and make her sound good.

There is no need to isolate in this situation. My studio room which is still usable, has angled double walls with 1/2" and 5/8" DW plus an angled ceiling of the same, joists and walls are stuffed and there is a 12"x12" "squishy" tile on 1x2 firring for ceiling. Perfect...no...but pretty darn good.

I looked at the ceiling grid and the main grids are running parallel with the joists. I think if I remove all the tiles and small grid pieces, I will have enough access to stuff the joists with the fluffy stuff. Should I load the corners up there where the wall meets the joists or is it not neccessary because I'm not going to have a DW surface on the bottom of the joists?

Jeff

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by vin-gear

Yes you are right Glenn,

I just want to absorb and make her sound good.

There is no need to isolate in this situation. My studio room which is still usable, has angled double walls with 1/2" and 5/8" DW plus an angled ceiling of the same, joists and walls are stuffed and there is a 12"x12" "squishy" tile on 1x2 firring for ceiling. Perfect...no...but pretty darn good.

I looked at the ceiling grid and the main grids are running parallel with the joists. I think if I remove all the tiles and small grid pieces, I will have enough access to stuff the joists with the fluffy stuff. Should I load the corners up there where the wall meets the joists or is it not neccessary because I'm not going to have a DW surface on the bottom of the joists?

Jeff

What is DW surface?

Glenn

[jsteiger]

Originally Posted by myfipie

What is DW surface?

Glenn

Sorry, It's my abreviation for drywall. I own a custom hardwood stair manufacturing company. That's how I "earn enough $ to keep up with a gear habit". Get tired of typing out "drywall" on our CAD drawings so it became DW.

Jeff

[crna59]

Originally Posted by myfipie

I think you are confusing sound isolation (sound proofing) and absorption for room acoustics. Jeff is not trying to iso, but treating the room to sound good inside.

Glenn

Well at least it would solve the problem of getting it to sound good. You can mount reflective, absorbtive or diffusion panels on it. You can tune it the way you want.

Regards,
Bruce

[jsteiger]

Originally Posted by crna59

Well at least it would solve the problem of getting it to sound good. You can mount reflective, absorbtive or diffusion panels on it. You can tune it the way you want.

Regards,
Bruce

Yes, you are correct Bruce. Not to cut corners but, we spent all of last spring and summer with a major remodel upstairs. All trim and doors removed. All pine/carpenter built stairs removed and replaced with cool stairs. Drywall patch and repair in nearly every room. Bla...bla...If I tried to start more of a major project downstairs, I might as well find a new place to live!

Just trying to get the best out of what I have to work with, ya know.

Jeff

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by vin-gear

Sorry, It's my abreviation for drywall. I own a custom hardwood stair manufacturing company. That's how I "earn enough $ to keep up with a gear habit". Get tired of typing out "drywall" on our CAD drawings so it became DW.

Jeff

OHHHHH now I understand, but don't understand what you are trying to do.. Sorry I have a bit of a head cold today so maybe the little brain cells are not working right. It you can give me a call and let me see if I can figure out what you are talking about.

Glenn

[Ethan Winer]

Jeff,

Ah, finally a question

Ah, finally!

Do you think it would be a waste of time and $$ to line the back of the tiles with 2" 703 or 2" 705?

No, that would be a good idea. Fluffy fiberglass works well too, as Glenn said, but it's best if it's at least 8 inches thick. Otherwise 703 or 705 is better.

There are really two issues here:

1. Bass trapping. Even if you can't or don't want to treat the entire ceiling above the tiles, you should run thick fluffy fiberglass up there around the perimeter, to at least add bass trapping in the wall ceiling corners. The more corner area you can treat the better.

2. Mid/high frequency absorption above the mix position. For that you should replace the tiles you have with 703 wrapped with fabric. You'll have to cut them in half and also trim them a bit to be just under 2 by 2 to fit in the grid. But that's a higher quality absorption than the type of ceiling tiles you have now.

--Ethan

PS: Jeff, it looks like you-know-who never showed up.

[jsteiger]

Thanks Ethan!!! thumbsup

You confirmed my thoughts and added some great tips as well!

Sometimes, it seams the more reading and reserch you do, the more you get messed up. My little brain cells don't work sometimes either Glenn...and I don't have a cold!!

Thanks for the time and tips. I greatly appreciate everyone's input!

Jeff