Affordable Acoustic Treatment tips! (room info and pictures attached)

[moneycat12]

Hey

I am starting phase 2 of the planning stage of my home studio project. I realize that acoustics and room treatment are important. Below is a full description of my room, scope and budget. Any tips or constructive comments are welcome.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not interested in people telling me I need to replace the carpet, knock out a wall or re-do the ceiling. I'm looking for affordable tips and suggestions to get the most out of this room.

I will be using the basement of my suburban family home as my studio space. The room is roughly 14.5" x 16" with a 7" ceiling. This is going to the main room where most of the tracking and mixing will take place. As you can see, it is carpeted and drywalled. I don't know what to call this type of ceiling, but you get the picture.

I apologize for the messiness of the room, this is currently my jam space so it tends to be a bit cluttered. It is important to note that if I go through with my plan, I will have complete creative control over the room. Some things will have to stay like some furniture and some other nick nacks, but for the most part the room is mine to strip.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9192.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9193.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9194.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9195.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9196.jpg

I also want to briefly talk about the storage room connected to the main room. As you can see, it houses my furnace (which is a tad noisy in the winder months), so I doubt you guys will suggest I use it for much tracking, but if you're interested. This room is 8 feet x 12 feet with a 7 foot roof. It also has a small cold room attached. Last summer when my old punk band recorded with a usb mic, we did vocals in this room. We put sleeping bags over all the walls to create a small little vocal booth. I don't know if you guys suggest me doing this in the future, but it seemed to work not bad before.

As for creative control. My father has used this room as his wine making room for a few years. As you can see, he's currently renovating by adding a sink and such. This may add to my inability to use this room.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9200.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9199.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...2/IMG_9198.jpg

There you go, a full room description. All comments, tips, suggestions welcome. If you want more info, I can edit this post at any time.

Thank you!

[brandondrury]

PLEASE NOTE: I am not interested in people telling me I need to replace the carpet, knock out a wall or re-do the ceiling. I'm looking for affordable tips and suggestions to get the most out of this room.

While we feel your pain, just keep in mind that acoustics has it's laws. We understand that you've got your own law (a budget....who doesn't???) but it goes like this:

If you are trying to make a car really fast, you aren't going to take a person seriously if they say "take out the ash tray". Yeah, it weighs 1lb and maybe every pound counts. However, it's impact is so small it's barely worth doing.

With acoustics, the big stuff (new engine, increased aerodynamics, take out the air conditioner, etc) is where it's at. So even if you are low on cash, be careful discouraging the people who are giving you the right advice. It breeds bad advice.

----

With that said, there are 2 areas I would focus on. I'd want as much bass trapping as I could stand and I'd want enough broadband absorption (especially in the low mids). The bass trap question is always tricky as it can be expensive, but there are many home made solutions that do pretty good. The broadband absorption is as simple as wrapping Rockwool or Owens Corning 703 in fabric and hanging it on the walls.

Brandon

[String7th]

Avoid the hype about foam. Avoid Foambymail.com. Foam Wedges look really cool if designed right but if your budget is low, there are cheaper alternatives that do much more.
$200 at a insulation warehouse will do ten times more than that a $200 box of Auralex.

[moneycat12]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

If you are trying to make a car really fast, you aren't going to take a person seriously if they say "take out the ash tray". Yeah, it weighs 1lb and maybe every pound counts. However, it's impact is so small it's barely worth doing

That makes sense. But I was mainly looking for affordable upgrades, as well at glaring problems. Like, would it be better if the room was practically bare? Would it make any difference to hang blankets on the wall? Should the drum kit be in the middle of the room when tracking?

I'm really not sure what kind of advice I'm even looking for. Just any tips or suggestions you can think of to make this room as good as possible.

[String7th]

I have the luxury of 2 separate rooms for my control and tracking rooms. But if you don't, it's not the end of the world. I would suggest concentrate on creating a good mixing envioronment first, then sqeeze a drum kit behind you.

A good mixing room is like Brandon said, corner broadband absorbers. Look in the phone book and online for local insulation warehouses for Oc703 or mineral wool boards. It won't be at Home Depot or Lowes. You'll have to make the call and have a van or truck to move it. I got enough Rockwool mineral fiber board to cover 3 corners for $120. I wraped the 2x4 foot panels with thin fabric from Joann Fabric's clearance colors and stacked them in the corners to cover floor to 8-foot celing. Worked out well with 4 foot long boards I got extra boards so I can cover my first reflections.

Read this:
Good stuff here

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by String7th

Avoid the hype about foam. Avoid Foambymail.com. Foam Wedges look really cool if designed right but if your budget is low, there are cheaper alternatives that do much more.
$200 at a insulation warehouse will do ten times more than that a $200 box of Auralex.

Been there, done that, fool me once...etc, etc, etc.

+1 String7th

[moneycat12]

Originally Posted by String7th

I have the luxury of 2 separate rooms for my control and tracking rooms. But if you don't, it's not the end of the world. I would suggest concentrate on creating a good mixing envioronment first, then sqeeze a drum kit behind you.

A good mixing room is like Brandon said, corner broadband absorbers. Look in the phone book and online for local insulation warehouses for Oc703 or mineral wool boards. It won't be at Home Depot or Lowes. You'll have to make the call and have a van or truck to move it. I got enough Rockwool mineral fiber board to cover 3 corners for $120. I wraped the 2x4 foot panels with thin fabric from Joann Fabric's clearance colors and stacked them in the corners to cover floor to 8-foot celing. Worked out well with 4 foot long boards I got extra boards so I can cover my first reflections.

Read this:
Good stuff here

So you only put the mineral boards in the corners? I talked to a guy at my favorite local music store about this and he didn't really mention corners, he described that I should just hang 3-4 on each wall kind of spread out.

So you think just corners works?

[String7th]

Originally Posted by moneycat12

I talked to a guy at my favorite local music store about this and he didn't really mention corners, he described that I should just hang 3-4 on each wall kind of spread out.

This guy doesn't sound like he knows what he's talking about. Corners and first reflections are where you should start. "kinda spread out" is very much an over-simplification. Like saying, "put stuff on the engine to make it go faster"

Unfortunately, unless you plan to buy a "learn to play guitar" starter kit from these guys, they're not much help. Sometimes you run in to a recording guy, but this guy sounds like he was moved from stocking shelves because of afternoon rush.
No offense if he's your buddy.

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by moneycat12

So you only put the mineral boards in the corners? I talked to a guy at my favorite local music store about this and he didn't really mention corners, he described that I should just hang 3-4 on each wall kind of spread out.

So you think just corners works?

What String7th said. You got to get the corners covered first.

The coverage on the walls is to reduce first reflections, but you're biggest problem will be the low frequencies that build and do nasty things in the corners of your room.

I'm sorry but the dudes at the favorite local music store aren't trained in the art and science of acoustic treatment. Most local music stores sell the broadband foam to put on the walls.

You can make your own bass traps for the corners (DIY instructions are all over the Internet) or purchase them from GIK Acoustics, ATS Acoustics, or Real Traps.

[brandondrury]

I want to make sure that the corners treatments aren't over emphasized in this thread. Corner are where many modes are their worst, but in a purely theoretical sense you'd still get tons of comb filtering in a room with no corners (a room that is 15' wide and infinitely long).

So definitely treat the corners, but don't stop there. Bass trap the shit out of everything!

Brandon