Super Cheap Bedroom Acoustic Solutions

[DJ2ARON]

Alright, I am looking to spend about $100-150 to acoustically enhance my bedroom. I am 16 so I have to record and sleep in here.

I pretty much do Hip-Hop/R&B songs so I only record vocals and the instrumentals are made on software.

My monitors are on my desk and when I'm sitting at it they are at just about the suggested distance away.

Right now my closet is my vocal booth and I have some blankets hung in there as well as it being half full of cushions from old sofas. This area sounds really nice to me so I'm mainly worried about my control room/sleeping area.

In the diagram attached you can see the dimensions of the room as well as doors, windows, and furniture (some of it is not quite the right scale but it is pretty close).

I'm thinking right now about getting a package of Rockboard (48 sq ft), and doing a setup similar to this

I would put the bass traps in the opposite end of the room, but otherwise it would be just about the same.

If anyone has any better ideas of where to put the enhancements, better enhancements (for the price range), or where to move my furniture Please let me know

[Contortionist]

Hi there,

I recently under went some DIY acoustic treatment in my project studio using R2.5 insulation batts. A bag of 8 batts will set you back about $25-$35

I'll post some photos when I can but the basic design is a frame made of timber and a large piece of fabric that gets stapled over the whole thing. I recomment in addition to the bass traps on the back wall, you also treat the first reflection points as the sound bounces off the side wall back to your ears and causes lack of clarity. You can make these out of the R2.5 batts as described above. I also suspended one of these from the roof using rope and hooks that stops the reverberation from the ceiling as well. It'd also be a good idea to treat the wall behind your monitors and isolate the monitors themself from the desk.

Auralex MoPAD | Sweetwater.com

These are pretty good for the job but I've just used Impact-a-mat from under timber floors.

I hope this has been some help.

Tobias.

[P.P.T.]

A closet full of cloths will work as a bit of a bass trap.
That would be a better use than as a vocal booth.

What do you need a vocal booth for anyway?
You would probably get a better recording in the bedroom.

[DJ2ARON]

Originally Posted by P.P.T.

What do you need a vocal booth for anyway?
You would probably get a better recording in the bedroom.

I use it so I don't get background noises (computer fan, family), and it works very well for that. It also sounds very nice in there. I have been to a couple actual studios in my area and it sounds almost as good with it's blankets and cushions as their booths with custom insulation and stuff. Also it is about half a bass trap anyways since literally half of it is full of cushions.

Originally Posted by Contortionist

I recently under went some DIY acoustic treatment in my project studio using R2.5 insulation batts. A bag of 8 batts will set you back about $25-$35

I'll post some photos when I can but the basic design is a frame made of timber and a large piece of fabric that gets stapled over the whole thing. I recomment in addition to the bass traps on the back wall, you also treat the first reflection points as the sound bounces off the side wall back to your ears and causes lack of clarity. You can make these out of the R2.5 batts as described above. I also suspended one of these from the roof using rope and hooks that stops the reverberation from the ceiling as well. It'd also be a good idea to treat the wall behind your monitors and isolate the monitors themself from the desk.

Thanks for all the info, but I'm wondering if the "R2.5 Insulation" is better than the Rockboard I was planning on getting. It seems kind of fluffy so it might not be anywhere near the density of 6lb per cubic foot of the Rockboard. Also I don't know about your insulation, but the Rockboard is rigid so all I need is to wrap it in cloth and it doesn't need a wood frame. Also now I'm thinking about just laying a board of the Rockboard on my desk to both insulate the monitors as well as remove reflections from the desk.

[fireonthealtar]

Well i like the idea of a vocal booth just because I like to capture a completley dry vocal, and a closet can work. However your layout shows your closet is only 2 feet deep thats nowhere big enough to be a booth. Are you able to get in there and close the door?

[DJ2ARON]

Originally Posted by fireonthealtar

Well i like the idea of a vocal booth just because I like to capture a completley dry vocal, and a closet can work. However your layout shows your closet is only 2 feet deep thats nowhere big enough to be a booth. Are you able to get in there and close the door?

Yeah, I kind of figure that I can add reverb but can't remove it.

It's a bit small, but I can fit in there with about 2" space on each side of my shoulders. When I'm recording I don't usually move around much so it works for me.

[fireonthealtar]

Originally Posted by DJ2ARON

Yeah, I kind of figure that I can add reverb but can't remove it.

It's a bit small, but I can fit in there with about 2" space on each side of my shoulders. When I'm recording I don't usually move around much so it works for me.

If it works for you keep doing it! But go ahead with your treatment plan. Alot of people use the rockwool but what Contortionist said about the batts could be useful too just because of the different density. My opinion anyway.

[mindundermatter]

No. No. And........no. It's late. Don't listen to me.

I would put the bass traps in the opposite end of the room, but otherwise it would be just about the same.

You also need bass traps in the corners of the side of the room by your monitors. There will be more buildup there than anywhere. Also, simply opening up the closet door can or even your room door can act as a very effective bass trap.

it sounds almost as good with it's blankets and cushions as their booths with custom insulation and stuff.

I seriously doubt it.

now I'm thinking about just laying a board of the Rockboard on my desk to both insulate the monitors as well as remove reflections from the desk.

You don't need Mopads or whatever that crap is you're buying to do this. Save yourself some money and set your monitors on a stack of books. You need to get them up to ear level anyway.

[DJ2ARON]

Originally Posted by mindundermatter

You also need bass traps in the corners of the side of the room by your monitors. There will be more buildup there than anywhere. Also, simply opening up the closet door can or even your room door can act as a very effective bass trap.

How do I put the bass traps in the front corners when there are doors on both sides? I might be able to put triangles in the top corners like this. Or maybe on the corner between the ceiling and wall, or the floor/wall corner. I'm just kind of brainstorming and writing it down here.

[mindundermatter]

Sure. Go for it. Or just make the traps removable and put them in front of the doors and move them out of the way when you're not using them.