How to treat my bedroom control room

[Str1ker]

Hey.

this is my room: http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4900/myroomwe7.jpg

I already emailed this to Glenn at GIK Acoustics, who answered very fast. I also wanted some other meanings about how to treat this room to become a nice control room.
I think basstraps will do a good job, but what about the reflexions, because the room has a lot of reflections. When I clap there are flutter echoes for example. Another problem is, that i cant place a basstrap in the right corner in the back of the room, because of the bed standig there. Is it possible to mount a basstrap half way up on the wall?



Thanks
Aljoscha from Cologne

[el cochino]

You can put bass traps anywhere in the room, but AFAIK they're most efficient in corners. I have 10 Mini Traps in my room that's about the same size (only 1m higher) and it made a huge difference. Why don't you just hang them in the wall/ceiling corners?

I'm sure Ethan from Real Traps will see this thread and give you better advice than me.

[Str1ker]

thanks so far!

[Ethan Winer]

Aljoscha,

> I also wanted some other meanings about how to treat this room to become a nice control room. <

This is a deep subject, and a complete answer requires far more than will fit into a single reply here. The short version is:

* Broadband (not tuned) bass traps straddling as many corners as you can manage, including the wall-ceiling corners.

* Mid/high frequency absorption at the first reflection points on the side walls and ceiling.

* Some additional amount of mid/high absorption and/or diffusion on any large areas of bare parallel surfaces, such as opposing walls or the ceiling if the floor is reflective.

For the complete story see my Acoustics FAQ.

There's a lot of additional non-sales technical information on my company's site, linked under my name below. In particular, see the Articles and Videos pages in the Acoustics Info section.

--Ethan

[SL_]

Hi Ethan.
I jus want to say a BIG THANK YOU for your FAQ.I had a quick look on it and was just amazed by the amount of information provided there and surprisingly easy way it is written.
so...THANK YOU VERY MUCH Ethan!!!
I will definetly read it all thorugh later,as I'm at work right now.
Gotta go,see ya.
Cheers

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by el cochino

You can put bass traps anywhere in the room, but AFAIK they're most efficient in corners. I have 10 Mini Traps in my room that's about the same size (only 1m higher) and it made a huge difference. Why don't you just hang them in the wall/ceiling corners?

I'm sure Ethan from Real Traps will see this thread and give you better advice than me.

I would agree, you can also place panels in any corner, ceiling to wall or floor to wall corners also will work. As far as other panels for the reflections those should be in the first reflections and any place that seems to give you a flutter problem. For more info take a read at our FAQ (link on sig)..

Glenn

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by SL_

I jus want to say a BIG THANK YOU for your FAQ.

You're welcome!

--Ethan

[Str1ker]

is carpet for the floor ok?

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by Str1ker

is carpet for the floor ok?

Carpet really is not a good thing to have. It will only absorb high end in the room. You are better off to have a hard floor and treat the ceiling.

Glenn

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Str1ker

is carpet for the floor ok?

That too is addressed in my FAQ, linked above. The quote below is the relevant section.

--Ethan

SIDEBAR: HARD FLOOR, SOFT CEILING

The following is from an exchange that took place in the rec.audio.pro newsgroup in May, 2003:

Bill Ruys asked: Why it is recommended to have bare (un-carpeted) floors in the studio? One web site I visited mentioned that a bare floor was a prerequisite for the room design with diffusors and absorbers on the ceiling, but didn't say why. I'm trying to understand the principal, rather than following blindly.

Paul Stamler: Carpet typically absorbs high frequencies and some midrange, but does nothing for bass and lower midrange. Using carpet as an acoustic treatment, in most rooms, results in a room that is dull and boomy. Most of the time you need a thicker absorber such as 4-inch or, better, 6-inch fiberglass, or acoustic tile, and you can't walk around on either of those. Hence the general recommendation that you avoid carpet on the floor and use broadband absorbers elsewhere.

Lee Liebner: the human ear is accustomed to determining spatial references from reflections off of side walls and floor, and a low ceiling would only confuse the brain with more early reflections it doesn't need. Everywhere you go, the floor is always the same distance away from you, so it's a reference that your brain can always relate to.

John Noll: Reasons for having wood floors: they look good, equipment can be rolled easily, spills can be cleaned up easily, provide a bright sound if needed, sound can be deadened with area rugs.

Ethan Winer: In a studio room, versus a control room, a reflective floor is a great way to get a nice sense of ambience when recording acoustic instruments. Notice I said reflective, not wood, since linoleum and other materials are less expensive than wood yet sound the same. When you record an acoustic guitar or clarinet or whatever, slight reflections off the floor give the illusion of "being right there in the room" on the recording. It's more difficult to use a ceiling for ambience - especially in a typical home studio with low ceilings - because the mikes are too close to the ceiling when miking from above. And that proximity creates comb filtering which can yield a hollow sound. So with a hard floor surface you can get ambience, and with full absorption on the ceiling you can put the mike above the instrument, very close to the ceiling, without getting comb filtering.

Dave Wallingford: I've always preferred wood floors for a few reasons: 1) It's easier to move stuff around, 2) You can always get area rugs if you need them, And the main reason: 3) Pianos sound like crap on carpet.

[Str1ker]

In a studio room, versus a control room, a reflective floor is a great way to get a nice sense of ambience when recording acoustic instruments

as i understand it right, it is ok to use non reflective floor (carpet) in the control room?

but it is recommended to use reflective floor in the recording room? Is the cheapest linoleum ok?

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Str1ker

as i understand it right, it is ok to use non reflective floor (carpet) in the control room?

Sure.

> Is the cheapest linoleum ok? <

Yes, there's no real difference between any reflective floor material. Wood, linoleum, stained bare cement - they all sound about the same.

--Ethan

[Dopamine]

Ethan, please clarify: is carpet a no-no for bedroom control rooms? How about home vocal booths?

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Dopamine

Ethan, please clarify: is carpet a no-no for bedroom control rooms? How about home vocal booths?

Not at all. A small room does well with carpet. As I always say, small room ambience is usually bad ambience. So in a bedroom, the deader the better. However, in a 25 by 35 foot live room a reflective floor is a beautiful thing.

--Ethan

[barney956]

Originally Posted by Ethan Winer

Not at all. A small room does well with carpet. As I always say, small room ambience is usually bad ambience. So in a bedroom, the deader the better. However, in a 25 by 35 foot live room a reflective floor is a beautiful thing.

--Ethan

Ethan!!Just read your posts and knew I recognised you from somewhere, used your work as part of my Audio Degree!!Great work and enjoyed reading your ideas and utilising them myself within my own research!!Keep up the great work!! thumbsup