Desk As Basstrap (Desk Made of OC703)

morebutter · 10th December 2008

My desk (3/4 inch plywood, about 2 by 4 feet) is in front of my nearfileds and sub.

It resonates with bass especially midbass.

I am thinking of replacing the desk with a slab of 2 inch thick OC703 with a cover over it (on legs).

From an acoustical standpoint, do you have any opinions pro or con of putting this type of bass absorber between the listener and the monitors?

morebutter · 11th December 2008

Any opinions would be appreciated.

audiovisceral · 11th December 2008

sounds neurotic and unrealistic to me. are desk vibrations really your biggest problem? buy some isopods/mopads. or get a desk that doesn't vibrate.

how could that possibly work? oc703 is soft and irritating to touch and breathe. fine for a corner trap, but that makes no sense for a desk.

morebutter · 12th December 2008

Actually desk vibrations/resonance is a problem as I do bass heavy dance music. I used to have a really thick desk and even that I had issues with.

Thing about the desk is--while there are other acoustical issues in my room (which I am also dealing with), the desk is only a couple feet from my ears, so it is what my ears pick up on the most.

The OC703 would of course be sealed in plastic and also covered with burlap so it would be safe. I actually have a bass trap that I was thinking of using that is almost the same size as my desk so it would work well.

Bobbaganouche · 12th December 2008

audiovisceral is completely right here, mopads/recoil stabilizers for the nearfields to help decouple them from whichever surface they reside on. if you are monitoring at a high enough SPL to get a significant vibration out of the desk, perhaps the desk is not very sturdy or has poor joints. a 3/4" sheet of ply certainly has a resonant frequency, but it takes some serious pressure to get it moving. how are the seems/joints between the main 3/4" surface and the other parts of the desk (ie: legs)? are there other items sitting on the desk causing the vibrations? bottom line... decouple the speakers from their respective surfaces and remove loose items from the desk if your monitoring level is so high. i hate to bring the world of car audio into this... but consider the methods of how they prevent a trunk from rattling.

**jayfrigo** · 21st December 2008

I've built integral treatment into my current mastering console. I think design of custom studio furniture (desk, racks etc.) is important and should be part of the whole-room acoustical plan. First, consider proper placement, and then calculate the size and proper angles to prevent problem reflections at the listening position. Leave the bottom of the console open for bass to travel on through (i.e. not solid down to the floor), and you can then consider adding panels or trapping to certain parts.

On my console, the whole surface facing the speakers is a rectangular cut out and a Guilford 701 faced panel of Owens-Corning 703 is inserted. I have a small center section that is essentially empty below the work surface, and that is filled with some fuzz in the back half. It's a small trap, but a trap nonetheless. In the end, it essentially is a typical trap of a 703 mouth (part of the whole rear panel), an airspace (a circuit board for the meters and a few cables occupy some of that front space), and the back half-filled with fuzz. The space is there, so why waste it? However, the functionality of the console comes first in my mind. Within reasonable ergonomic constraints, you do what you can to make it work for you acoustically as well. I would advise not to go crazy and attempt to make an entire 703 console, however.

MichaelMackie · 23rd December 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by morebutter

My desk (3/4 inch plywood, about 2 by 4 feet) is in front of my nearfileds and sub.

It resonates with bass especially midbass.

I am thinking of replacing the desk with a slab of 2 inch thick OC703 with a cover over it (on legs).

From an acoustical standpoint, do you have any opinions pro or con of putting this type of bass absorber between the listener and the monitors?

This sounds pretty silly to be honest.

K. Osborne · 2nd April 2009

I just...I can't imagine the computer monitors sitting atop this fiberglass...setting one NS10 up on it and the entire desk folding down the middle. Youtube worthy.

But seriously, I'm +1 for the MoPads or better yet, the Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers. Or...a new desk. Made of wood.

morebutter · 3rd April 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayfrigo

On my console, the whole surface facing the speakers is a rectangular cut out and a Guilford 701 faced panel of Owens-Corning 703 is inserted. I have a small center section that is essentially empty below the work surface, and that is filled with some fuzz in the back half. It's a small trap, but a trap nonetheless. In the end, it essentially is a typical trap of a 703 mouth (part of the whole rear panel), an airspace (a circuit board for the meters and a few cables occupy some of that front space), and the back half-filled with fuzz. The space is there, so why waste it? However, the functionality of the console comes first in my mind. Within reasonable ergonomic constraints, you do what you can to make it work for you acoustically as well. I would advise not to go crazy and attempt to make an entire 703 console, however.

Interesting. Thanks for the description.

morebutter · 3rd April 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by K. Osborne

I just...I can't imagine the computer monitors sitting atop this fiberglass...setting one NS10 up on it and the entire desk folding down the middle. Youtube worthy.

But seriously, I'm +1 for the MoPads or better yet, the Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers. Or...a new desk. Made of wood.

I should clarify, I was not planning on putting my monitors on the fiberglass. Just qwerty keyboard and mouse and other light things.

Really what I'm curious about is the use of full range aborbers directly in between the listener and the monitors and whether this makes sense from an acoustic perspective. Jayfrigo's example is a good one--using 703 on the back of a desk facing the speakers. This seems to work for him which makes me think it is an option.

Smithcok · 4th April 2009

Quick side note to consider:

Be aware of where your gear is in relationship to pieces of 703. Its one darn good insulator (go figure). Wrapping part/all of a rack/desk that contains gear in insulation could spell some heat-related problems/damage to your gear.

Nothing to be paranoid about, just be aware of the placements.

10th December 2008	#1
morebutter Gear addict Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Northeast Corridor Posts: 463 Thread Starter	Desk As Basstrap (Desk Made of OC703) My desk (3/4 inch plywood, about 2 by 4 feet) is in front of my nearfileds and sub. It resonates with bass especially midbass. I am thinking of replacing the desk with a slab of 2 inch thick OC703 with a cover over it (on legs). From an acoustical standpoint, do you have any opinions pro or con of putting this type of bass absorber between the listener and the monitors?

12th December 2008	#5
Bobbaganouche Gear nut Joined: Jun 2008 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 111	audiovisceral is completely right here, mopads/recoil stabilizers for the nearfields to help decouple them from whichever surface they reside on. if you are monitoring at a high enough SPL to get a significant vibration out of the desk, perhaps the desk is not very sturdy or has poor joints. a 3/4" sheet of ply certainly has a resonant frequency, but it takes some serious pressure to get it moving. how are the seems/joints between the main 3/4" surface and the other parts of the desk (ie: legs)? are there other items sitting on the desk causing the vibrations? bottom line... decouple the speakers from their respective surfaces and remove loose items from the desk if your monitoring level is so high. i hate to bring the world of car audio into this... but consider the methods of how they prevent a trunk from rattling. __________________ "if you were a G.I. Joe, your name would be Patchbay." Is Chris Lago serious?

21st December 2008	#6
jayfrigo Moderator Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,389	I've built integral treatment into my current mastering console. I think design of custom studio furniture (desk, racks etc.) is important and should be part of the whole-room acoustical plan. First, consider proper placement, and then calculate the size and proper angles to prevent problem reflections at the listening position. Leave the bottom of the console open for bass to travel on through (i.e. not solid down to the floor), and you can then consider adding panels or trapping to certain parts. On my console, the whole surface facing the speakers is a rectangular cut out and a Guilford 701 faced panel of Owens-Corning 703 is inserted. I have a small center section that is essentially empty below the work surface, and that is filled with some fuzz in the back half. It's a small trap, but a trap nonetheless. In the end, it essentially is a typical trap of a 703 mouth (part of the whole rear panel), an airspace (a circuit board for the meters and a few cables occupy some of that front space), and the back half-filled with fuzz. The space is there, so why waste it? However, the functionality of the console comes first in my mind. Within reasonable ergonomic constraints, you do what you can to make it work for you acoustically as well. I would advise not to go crazy and attempt to make an entire 703 console, however. __________________ Jay Frigoletto Mastersuite www.promastering.com www.studiometronome.com

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11th December 2008	#2
morebutter Gear addict Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Northeast Corridor Posts: 463 Thread Starter	Any opinions would be appreciated.

11th December 2008	#3
audiovisceral Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,546	sounds neurotic and unrealistic to me. are desk vibrations really your biggest problem? buy some isopods/mopads. or get a desk that doesn't vibrate. how could that possibly work? oc703 is soft and irritating to touch and breathe. fine for a corner trap, but that makes no sense for a desk.

2nd April 2009	#8
K. Osborne Gear maniac Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 186 4 Reviews written	I just...I can't imagine the computer monitors sitting atop this fiberglass...setting one NS10 up on it and the entire desk folding down the middle. Youtube worthy. But seriously, I'm +1 for the MoPads or better yet, the Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers. Or...a new desk. Made of wood.

4th April 2009	#11
Smithcok Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,112	Quick side note to consider: Be aware of where your gear is in relationship to pieces of 703. Its one darn good insulator (go figure). Wrapping part/all of a rack/desk that contains gear in insulation could spell some heat-related problems/damage to your gear. Nothing to be paranoid about, just be aware of the placements.