SOUND INSULATION QUESTION!!!

[mee]

Hello

I have to go to work soon so I can't get into details..BUT

I bought acoustic egg shell foam for my studio (not only do I create music inside of this room, but I also record in it as well. No live instruments because I'm a digital producer using midi as my main way to create instrumentals and sound, but my speakers, my mic EVERYTHING in order to create and record is in this room)

The foam is 2 feet by 8 feet (24inches by 96 inches)...so it covers all my studio except the bottom half...(Sorry I can't give you measurements on my studio cause I can't find them anywhere as my bf built the room. But it's a decent size considering that I can do it all in there and have around 3-4 people i there with me. But there are no room for a hardcore drum set)

Its built in my living room and has 2 doors that also help block the sound.

I bought 7 rolls of the foam because that's all they had...my buddy says its actually better to not cover the ENTIRE recording room area with foam because that will in turn give me "dead" sound..But wouldn't have block MORE sound?

I don't understand why he also has his recording booth only half done. And he has wood on his flooring as well...

I wish I could just pay someone $1000/song to record me but unfortunately that's not realistic at this time..so I gotta take my goals into my own hands..

I disagree with only doing half way all around the room..I think I should do EVERY SINGLE inch of dry wall...

what do you say?

Cheerz

Mee

[Jack Pettit]

You are about to commit acoustic mistake #1

This is a long story that I'm going to make very short.
To get the long version you will need to invest in a book on studio construction.

The BIG problems with the acoustic treatment of rooms are in the lower frequencies.
If you put up foam sheets it will absorb only the high frequencies and leave the bass booming.
It will not make for a good sounding room, I know, I've done it.

[Sigma]

buy bass traps and a difusser

make and hang acoustic panels of 703 rigid fiberglass..

be done

[tINY]

This will not insulate the sound from the rest of the structure.

For that, you need to hang another layer of drywall (maybe with some green glue in-between). And this may make your bass problems worse....




-tINY

[Sigma]

Originally Posted by tINY

This will not insulate the sound from the rest of the structure.

For that, you need to hang another layer of drywall (maybe with some green glue in-between). And this may make your bass problems worse....




-tINY

oops yer right there were 2 issues in there..

unless your going to float seperate walls and panel with 2 diffent types and thicnesses of drywall with a lead or high compression viny layer sandwiched in between ya ain't gonna stop much and even with that i have never been to ANY commercial studio when the mains were crancked where ya didn't hear low bottom thump thru the walls

[mee]

you know....

I REALLY wish I knew what you were talking about...

can you re-explain in a different way so I can understand?....


faaack

Are you saying that the acoustic egg shell isn't enough to absord the sound so I have to do more...

what about in regards to it only covering half the set up all around...are you saying that I'm right by saying I need to cover the entire area...

what are you saying?

try again pleeese...

[Almy]

I think the point you need to understand is that there are different materials that absorb different frequencies. In your case you have a lot of material that will absorb higher frequencies, and nothing for the lower frequencies. And it's the lower frequencies that tend to be more problematic.

I could be wrong, I know only enough to be dangerous.

[mee]

ok...great so I understand..

what material do I buy for the lower frequencies???

cheers

[bass man]

For lower freq you can use fiber glass /rock wool / mineral wool or similar 2" or 4" tick at least and put it on the right place . Corners are for sure good place to start .People call this kind of absorbers "Bass traps" or "broadband absorbers" and they absorb low and low mid freq too which is as important as high freq if not more important.
Do a little bit of searching here , search for "bass traps","absorbers" ,"room treatment" etc ....
Good luck with your project

[Sui_City]

Sorry, before this discussion carries on, we need to clarify one thing:

Mee,

Are you talking about stopping sound from going outside?

or

Are you talking about treating the sound of the room inside?

These are 2 very different problems that require very different solutions.

[mee]

hey Sue

I want to record vocals and I don't want outside noise and dead air noise to be picked up by the mic...

I just want to make sure my recording environment is as sound proof as possible for recording vocals

[Sui_City]

The foam is not going to help you with that.

You need to look at the construction of your place, and learn a little about (Mass-Spring-Mass) MSM.

Foam will deaden frequencies inside the room to a point, but will do very little to stop noise leaving the room or coming into the room.

The only way to protect your vocal booth/control room from external noise is to use the proper construction techniques.

What is your environment like? Industrial area? apartment block? Trains nearby? In a flight path?

oh, and the name is Sui not Sue.

[oktagon]

There are 2 important facts considering soud and they are:

The sound and soundlevel in the room/building and outside them.

If you are inside,there are conditions about absorbtion,frequencies,dB,etc,and most of the absorbtion-products have a more or less ability tot reflect or to absorb sound.So you can make a choise bij material (s) and m2.There are formules for it.

And being outside the room or building:
The problem of transported sound and specially the lower frequencies need mass of the material and ther is a formula :Insulation in dB= 20 log mass ( in kg).Higher frequencies need lighter constructions

If f.i. you produce about 80 db at a level of 500- 10000 Hz,you have to reduce that,depending on disturbence an wishes to 50 dB or lower to 35 db in a very quiet surrounding at night.

Perhaps the topicholder can do something with this answer!

[mee]

ohhh ok...

so much great info..thanks everyone...

I am sorry...my question apparently is VERY VERY WRONG...

I just wanted to stop the "ECHO" ....

sound absorption....

so before the egg shell foam when I sang, I listened back and all my vocals sounded as though I was singing into a tin can...now WITH the foam it sounds less like a tin can and much better over all...

my question is...hahaa..wow..

Do I keep the room the way it is and have the foam covering only half all around (which means the other half is just dry wall)....or do I cover EVERY SINGLE INCH in that room with the egg shell foam in order to STOP the "tin" like sound into my recordings...

the construction has already been taken care of in regards to blocking sound from outside etc...(my bf is very confused that I didn't clear up my question with him first before I posted on here because he made the studio--he's a carpenter etc)

sorry about the confusion...


Cheerz

Gina

[Almy]

Hmm, I think you've come around full circle back to your original confusion. Although maybe I'm misreading it now. You don't want to use foam for acoustic treatment/absorption.

You might want to read up on threads concerning Owens Corning 703 and other brand equivalents. Again I might be misunderstanding your recent clarification but if I'm not then you're back at misunderstanding what foam does.

[Jack Pettit]

Go to Amazon.com
search books "recording studio construction"