Help Me Treat My Room

[Blues Boy]

I will be tracking acoustic guitar and vocals in this room. I will also be mixing in this room.

My ceiling is sloped. 8ft on the high side and 7 ft on the low.

The room itself is 9 1/2 by 12 but there is a closet that juts out of one corner 4'3" x 2'2". There is also a window.

Treatment needed?


Sorry for the fuzzy pics.



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[pdalmolin]

First off, the little dog on the couch is a major contributor to good tone. Keep the dog. Then I would try to make the room as flat as possible since it's small. In my studio I made bass traps out of Owens Corning 703 rigid fiberglass 24" X 48" fiberglass panels. They come 2" thick and you should double them to 4".
You can see how to build these on this YouTube tutorial:

YouTube - How to make a Bass Trap Acoustic Panel (Tutorial)

Also go check out Real Studio Drums and click on the "You Tube" how it's done. In the background you will see how these panels are situated. They are the blue panels. Also I've used an auralex like product that I found, only much cheaper and just as good. Don't use the glue they provide. It's gives up after a few weeks. Use good ol' "Liquid Nails" that's in a tube to be used in a caulking gun.

Sound Proofing Foam Products, Acoustic Foams, Acoustical Products, Bass Absorbers, Blocks

The foam bass corner traps are excellent. Also get the 2" thick wedge foam (24" X 24" sheets) and sort of checker board it as needed. You can't really see my ceiling but, that's what I did there. Look at my studio in the video and see where I've placed those corner traps just over the blue panels, and in the corners. I also used some 12" X 12" sheets. This has really worked out well for me. If you order the foam, they'll send it in a smashed compressed ball. Don't freak. Just unpack and wait 24 hours, it'll all shape up to it's original form. You can contact me through the realstudiodrums.com website if you have any questions. I'd be glad to share.

[MetalDave]

You might want to go here and take a look Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms
You should also Isolate that Dell and get some of these

or at least put your monitors on some foam rubber. Also the guitars hanging on the walls look pretty cool but they are going to affect the sound of the room by ringing when sound is projected throught he room. For better sound, put them in cases and store them in another room while you are recording and/or mastering. It looks like a pretty good room to start with. You might just want to try a huge curtain over the window if you want to avoid spending a bunch of cash on acoustic treatment. It is hard to say what properties your room has at this point without hearing what a room recording sounds like first. You may want to post a recording of you playing your acoustic with a mic positioned accross the room just as an experiment as to see what the room sounds like. I have been recording for about 28 years and have spent around $100.00 for each year. Just on acoustic treatment, and I am cheap!

[Blues Boy]

Thanks guys!

MetalDave, do you just want a dry recording of the acoustic? Should I max out gain to pick it up from a distance?

Pdalmolin, your room sounds great. Would I need as much treatment? I will not be tracking any drums.

[Blues Boy]

Pdalmolin, "Riley" thanks you. He tries to get in the recordings all the time!

[Blues Boy]

MetalDave, Here is the acoustic from a couple feet away.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by pdalmolin

Sound Proofing Foam Products, Acoustic Foams, Acoustical Products, Bass Absorbers, Blocks

Just to be clear, Foam By Mail is not as good as Auralex, regardless of what they claim. I actually measured their corner foam, and it's clear they lied. It was less than half as good as Auralex. Proof below, from my company's web site Data page.

--Ethan

[pdalmolin]

Wow...y'learn something every day. Even tho I'm satisfied with my room, LISTEN TO ETHAN! he's an authority on this subject. Just the fact that he chimed in on this is an honor. Since you're not tracking drums you probably won't need as much as I have and since that's the case...given Ethans report, you should go with auralex. They have prescribed kits for different size rooms. Thanks, Ethan for setting me straight on that. Now when other guys tell me that it's the same stuff I can quote your findings.
Blues boy, contact me when you've had it with loops and drum machines. Your first track will be on the house...free. I see in the photo you have/use a metronome. BRAVO! So many cats can't groove because they can't keep REAL time.

[Blues Boy]

Originally Posted by pdalmolin

Wow...y'learn something every day. Even tho I'm satisfied with my room, LISTEN TO ETHAN! he's an authority on this subject. Just the fact that he chimed in on this is an honor. Since you're not tracking drums you probably won't need as much as I have and since that's the case...given Ethans report, you should go with auralex. They have prescribed kits for different size rooms. Thanks, Ethan for setting me straight on that. Now when other guys tell me that it's the same stuff I can quote your findings.
Blues boy, contact me when you've had it with loops and drum machines. Your first track will be on the house...free. I see in the photo you have/use a metronome. BRAVO! So many cats can't groove because they can't keep REAL time.

Thanks Pdalmolin, that is a very generous offer.

It is indeed an honor to have Ethan stop by. I enjoyed one of your Youtube videos earlier today.

[Ethan Winer]

Thanks guys. Speaking of videos, here's my latest:

How to program analog synthesizers

It's 20 minutes long, and NOT a music video.

--Ethan