Acoustic Treatment that does not damage the walls???

[sebthepleb33]

Hi everyone

Im just really starting home recording and am gradually expanding my half-room studio in the attic (the other half of the room is my mum's "yoga space").
I was looking for advice on acoustic treatment for the room which is relatively small and has several sloping walls.
My drums are stuck in the corner of the room and i have to play with industrial headphones on because the noise is very harsh and make the drums sound pretty ugly.
The only problem is that my mum doesn't want anything (like acoustic panels) screwed into the walls. Does anyone know an alternative acoustic treatment solution that won't leave permanent damge on the walls?
Any advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Seb

[brandondrury]

It depends on what you are wanting to do.

For a crude, budget type of thing, a mic stand with a boom shaped to form a "T" with a blanket on the wall goes a long way for reducing reflections in the mids and highs. 5-10 of these could probably tame a room more than you'd want.

Bass traps are a little bit different. I built Helmholtz Resonators in boxes based on designs from the The Master Handbook Of Acoustics.

Brandon

[Renegade Studios]

Just a quick chime on the subject. Ive used quite a of foam panels in my studio alternating between 2in pyramids and 4 inch wedges... I didnt glue them up I used a staple gun to attach them to the walls.

When I took them down to paint all I had to deal with was the tiny holes that the staples put on the wall... Once again it only address the high frequencies so additional bass traps will be needed...

[TonyB]

Brandon's idea on blankets is good. I use the moving blankets (can get 'em cheap, especially at U-haul) as porti-baffles as well. I went to Lowe's and got 3 of the rolling clothing hangers (an adjustable horizontal bar on wheels). I can adjust ithem from 3 feet high to 6 feet high and roll them where I need them.

Another idea is, and assuming you may be using the foam, is to glue it to plywood and hang the plywood on the wall with a picture frame hangar/nail as if it (them) was a picture frame.

[sebthepleb33]

Yeah the microphone stand isea is pretty good but i really dont have enough space... and nailing in picture frame hooks would damage the walls so i found these things made by Auralex called Temp-tabs. They are like velcro tabs that apparently dont stain the walls. They would also mean i could experiment with where i put the panels.
Thanks for all your advice/feedback

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by sebthepleb33

Yeah the microphone stand isea is pretty good but i really dont have enough space... and nailing in picture frame hooks would damage the walls so i found these things made by Auralex called Temp-tabs. They are like velcro tabs that apparently dont stain the walls. They would also mean i could experiment with where i put the panels.
Thanks for all your advice/feedback

I tried those temp-tabs, but they didn't work for me. Foam kept coming off the wall and the temp-tabs still pulled paint off the walls.

Maybe it'll work for you. My wall was relatively newly painted though.

At home depot or lowes they sell 2ft x4ft sheets of 2 inch foam sheets, You can build a drum trap box from about 4 pc. three sides and a optional 1/2 piece on the top, You can even make a half top . That is to not interfere with your drumming.

you can even line it with some 2 ft x 4 ft pieces of studio foam. It will look pretty Cool and be real light in weight. It will hold some sound back but not like a real sound room. For what you need it will work just fine.
The sheets are even coated with a real thin liner of plastic sheet. It is out by the 'Celetex" company,
You may see it going on houses when people are putting up siding. That is only 1/2 but you want the 2 inch.

[garageband]

Dude, screw away. Tell Mom you'll spackle and repaint when you leave.
And then do it.

[brandondrury]

I built Helmholtz Resonanators for Alton Everest's Master Handbook of Acoustics so that I could take them with me when I get a real facility.

Brandon

Hi. You can give up playing drums and start playing guitar with head phones, you can sell your drums and get a set of roylands that you can play with head phones.

How about taking your bottom heads off and putting studio foam padding in it. it will knock the sound down a lot. and the sound won't travel.

Get a clothes line and put a line across the front and hang up heavy blankets if you get the picture a bit.

If you go back to double padding your drums i am sure your mum will like the sound at 1/4 the volume.Underneath your drum set really pad it up and FACE your drums the other way towards the outside wall.Why face it towards your mums room and have the sound travel that way.

Retune your drum heads a tab loose it will lower the sound a bit more. ,GET DRUM HEAD PADS . they go on top of the drums . you won't hear anything of drum sounds only the tapping. great for practice. just practice loud when your mum goes to the store. get it together if it is the loud drum sound you want or learning more technics when mum is home. playing is playing and learning and advancing is good too. different sound levels. practice when mum is using her room to give her the respect. Drums have always been problems for neighbors and in the house.try learning bass guitar or get a guitar to add on to your musical talents.