Bass Traps

[MaxC]

Has it been your experience that the Auralex Lenrd type bass traps work better or a Mondo trap by realtraps type of absorber. Any other designs?

[Glenn Kuras]

Because you are newer to gearslutz, I just want you to know that I do manufacture acoustic panels with 8 and 4 pound mineral wool that is comparable to what Ethan uses in his product. So just understand that before you read my thoughts.

From all the data I have ever seen rigid fiberglass and mineral wool product based bass traps work better over acoustic foam on the low end. There are other designs out there and a good place to check out is RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc. for them.

Glenn

[MaxC]

Well the reason I ask is that i have already built 6' by 2' traps using 4" mineral fiber insulation and they are placed in each corner of the room i mix in. But it appears I am still having some low end issues because I don't get any low end out of my monitors unless I back away from them 6 to 8 feet and I just don't have the space to do that. Any suggestions?

[rimskidog]

Foam doesn't even come close to products from Glenn or Ethan. Invest your money wisely and you won't have to invest twice.

[johnwayne]

Originally Posted by rimskidog

Foam doesn't even come close to products from Glenn or Ethan. Invest your money wisely and you won't have to invest twice.

Agreed. Bass traps really can tune the room to the low end while consequently eliminating modal ringing.

[Kamikaze Kyle]

If you are bass trapping a corner I would recommend that instead of using a panel of rock wool or 703 hung across the corner buy a package of 703 and cut the 2’by4’ pieces at the diagonal so that you have 2 triangles that fit into your corner. Then stack the pieces from the ground up to the ceiling (you will need more then one package of 703 to reach the ceiling from the floor). Then use a light openfabric to cover the outside. This will yield great results for bass trapping corners, if you are trapping a wall behind your mix position just had more mineral wool or insulation to what you have so that its about 8 or 10 inches thick.

Peace,
Kyle

[Bluzzi]

I am planning to do just that soon. But you'll get 4 equal triangle pieces out of a 2' by 4'. Use 4inch thick, it comes out the same price and you cut less.

I don't know if it will make a difference but I'll be leaving a gap of about 2 inches between these pieces and the corners.

I'll also be hanging some 4" pieces on the front wall behaind the monitors and if budget permits some from the ceiling above the mixing board.

But overall from the info I've absorbed over the years the corner treatment will yield the best results.

By the way the reason you are not getting bass in one position and getting it in another is that you have a "nodes" creating this cancelation and boost.

I have the same thing in my room. Step back and I get 50hz or lower boost. It may be that the mix position is more accurate in both our cases.

If you can, have the room analyzed with a spectrum analyzer. Move the mike around to see where the dips and boosts are. This is what I am planning to do by end of summer and before I treat the room.

Keep us in touch with what you did and its effects on the acoustics.

jim

[Jeff Juliano]

Ready Acoustics Home

Best product out there... Hands down. It improved my mix room 200%.

Jeff Juliano

www.myspace.com/jeffjuliano

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by MaxC

Well the reason I ask is that i have already built 6' by 2' traps using 4" mineral fiber insulation and they are placed in each corner of the room i mix in. But it appears I am still having some low end issues because I don't get any low end out of my monitors unless I back away from them 6 to 8 feet and I just don't have the space to do that. Any suggestions?

Yep I have a few ideas for you.

1) Make sure you are sitting 38% of the room length from the front wall and that your monitors are not up again the wall. Make sure you are facing the short wall in your room. You want to fire the monitors down the long wall.
2) Put some panels that are 4" to 6" spaced off the wall the thickness of the panel, on the back wall. This will help with standing waves coming off the back wall.

How did you build the traps? What is the size of your room.

Glenn

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by nandoanalog

Well.... 4" of mineral wool won`t do much to the low frequencies. I would use at least 8". But if your room is very small, don`t hope the situation to ge solved completely. You can`t cheat phisics.

BTW, foam does next to nothing when it comes to bass absorption. Mineral wool is yoour best bet.

Hey if you have the money then YES go 8", but from all the lab data I have seen 4" straddling a corner does VERY well on the low end.

Glenn

[Glenn Kuras]

"I don't know if it will make a difference but I'll be leaving a gap of about 2 inches between these pieces and the corners."

It won't hurt anything, but at the same time it really is not going to help that much more. You are better off to stuff that area with more wool or even fluffy fiberglass.

Glenn

[MaxC]

[quote=myfipie;1402631]Yep I have a few ideas for you.

1) Make sure you are sitting 38% of the room length from the front wall and that your monitors are not up again the wall. Make sure you are facing the short wall in your room. You want to fire the monitors down the long wall.
2) Put some panels that are 4" to 6" spaced off the wall the thickness of the panel, on the back wall. This will help with standing waves coming off the back wall.

How did you build the traps? What is the size of your room.



The room is 9x22. I am facing the short wall. I can't block off the back wall that is how u enter the room. 38% would be what? about 8 feet? I don't think I have space to pull my stuff back that far. I'm thinking of dividing the room into 2 (somewhat) equal parts and putting a hardwood floor in the control room. Will I be better or worse off? I built the traps using 703 housed in a 1x6 frame wraped in a canvas like material.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by MaxC

Well the reason I ask is that i have already built 6' by 2' traps using 4" mineral fiber insulation and they are placed in each corner of the room i mix in. But it appears I am still having some low end issues because I don't get any low end out of my monitors unless I back away from them 6 to 8 feet and I just don't have the space to do that. Any suggestions?

How many traps did you build? In my experience all rooms need as much bass trapping as possible. You'll never get perfectly flat - it's just not gonna happen - so you keep adding traps until the response and ringing are at least acceptable.

Also, if you want to see how a MondoTrap compares to an Auralex LENRD, that information is posted clearly on the Product Data page of our web site:

RealTraps - Product Test Data

--Ethan

[Glenn Kuras]

"The room is 9x22. I am facing the short wall. I can't block off the back wall that is how u enter the room. 38% would be what? about 8 feet? "

8.36 but who is counting! I am not in your room but I bet you some of the problem is coming off the fact the back wall needs panels and you are to close to the front wall.

"I'm thinking of dividing the room into 2 (somewhat) equal parts and putting a hardwood floor in the control room."

Don't do it!! The bigger the room the better off you it will be. Just add more traps to what you have. You may want to also put a trap behind each speaker on the wall. That may help with you are so close to it.


Glenn