Studio help

My studio Ok, I am now finally able to start putting together my studio in the basement of our house (the basement is an apartment that we rented out before, but now I get to have my studio down there). I need a little help figuring out exactly what I need to do to make it sound better acoustically. One note: I do not want to do major construction to the basement. We may want to rent the basement out again in the future, so we want to leave the current construction the way it is. I know that this situation is not ideal, but it is what I have to work with. I will be using a security camera system to see into the vocal and live rooms from the control room. http://studentweb.stcloudstate.edu/fiaa0301/studio/ I have several cargo blankets that I plan on using for absorption on the walls (I realize it won’t really help low frequencies). I also have some 2” wedge foam ceiling tiles on the way for the vocal room. Should I buy more wedge foam for other areas of the studio for the ceiling? I am also going to make 3 temporary walls out of PVC (about 6’ high and over 6’ long each) and hang cargo blankets over the PVC frame. Also, there is a lot of crap in the pictures, just ignore it. No time to clean when I am trying to get work done! Live Room: Ok, the live room is the living room of the basement apartment. It is rather long and narrow in some spots. I was planning on recording drums in here, probably close to the vocal room and by the window, because this area has the most room. I have heard you want a more live sound for the drums, so I was thinking of buying some plywood and putting it under the drum set. Should I put cargo blankets on the walls in here? Should I put wedge foam on the ceiling? Any other ideas about this room? Vocal Room: The vocal room is a 8’ x 5.5’ closet. I have cargo blankets covering all the walls (although in the pictures, some of them are down because I am running cable ATM). I am putting wedge foam on the ceiling this weekend. I also have the white rug on the floor. Do you think I will need to double up on the cargo blankets? Any other suggestions in here? Control Room: Ok. This room is definitely not ideal. There is a spot in the middle where the ceiling drops 8” (where the track lighting is). I have a cargo blanket up on the left side of the computer, should I do the same on the right? Should I put cargo blankets on the back and front walls? I am moving a couch and bookshelf with books in the control room this weekend as well. I hear that they may help as a poor man’s bass trap if a foot or so off the wall. Should I make bass traps (ala owens corning 703 or 705)? I have been having a hard time finding it in my area so far. What should I have my monitors set at (it has 3 settings for the monitor placement set up, I was thinking maybe ¼)? Any other ideas? Thanks[/url]

Looks like you've got rooms with built in bass traps :) all that paneling will act as bass traps. I'd build free standing gobos (8 x 4) either vertically or horizontally made from MDF covered with 703 and cargo. Use them to break up all the parallel walls in the live room, to block off the kitchen and to tame the highs. Have one side MDF (bright) and the other side 703 (dead) I'd also put some 703 panels (hang the cargo over them) on the walls behind you in the control room as you suggested. cheers john

John Sayers wrote:

Looks like you've got rooms with built in bass traps :) all that paneling will act as bass traps. I'd build free standing gobos (8 x 4) either vertically or horizontally made from MDF covered with 703 and cargo. Use them to break up all the parallel walls in the live room, to block off the kitchen and to tame the highs. Have one side MDF (bright) and the other side 703 (dead) I'd also put some 703 panels (hang the cargo over them) on the walls behind you in the control room as you suggested. cheers john

Thanks for the advice. I have a couple of questions. 1. The ceilings in the downstairs are only 6'8" tall (6' in some spots), so if I was going to build a 8 x 4 gobo, it would have to be horizontal. Would the 4' height be enough to break up the parallel walls? How do you get the gobos to be free standing (what should I use for legs essentially)? 2. Do I need to line the walls in the control room with cargo blankets (I have a cargo blanket on that one wall currenty)? 3. Are the temporary walls I was thinking of made out of a PVC frame and cargo blankets still worth making (especially when I am going to make these gobos)? Maybe just one for the control room for scratch track recording? 4. Should I put anything on the ceiling in the live room? I was planning on buying some thin plywood to put down on the floor in the live room when recording drums. 5. For the 703 panels in the control room, should the be just in the corners of the back of the control room or as much of the back wall as possible? Should I leave the rest of the walls as they are? 6. What should I do about the walls behind the monitors? Man, that's a lot of questions. Sorry, I just want to get this right the first time as much as possible. I really appreciate the help! Aaron

1. The ceilings in the downstairs are only 6'8" tall (6' in some spots), so if I was going to build a 8 x 4 gobo, it would have to be horizontal. Would the 4' height be enough to break up the parallel walls? How do you get the gobos to be free standing (what should I use for legs essentially)? yeah - well 8 ft would be too tall - :) 4 foot gobos will still break up the parallels. Use a castor system for the wheels as per attached pic. 2. Do I need to line the walls in the control room with cargo blankets (I have a cargo blanket on that one wall currenty)? 3. Are the temporary walls I was thinking of made out of a PVC frame and cargo blankets still worth making (especially when I am going to make these gobos)? Maybe just one for the control room for scratch track recording? Not if you are making gobos. You may wish to make some to put on the walls of the live room if you want it deader. 4. Should I put anything on the ceiling in the live room? I was planning on buying some thin plywood to put down on the floor in the live room when recording drums. Yeah the plywood will help brighten up the drums. I'd leave the ceiling for the moment and see how it turns out - you can always add treatment later if needed. 5. For the 703 panels in the control room, should the be just in the corners of the back of the control room or as much of the back wall as possible? Should I leave the rest of the walls as they are? 6. What should I do about the walls behind the monitors? I'd leave the walls behind the monitors but treat ALL the back wall. cheers john

John Sayers wrote:

I'd also put some 703 panels (hang the cargo over them) on the walls behind you in the control room as you suggested. cheers john

Thanks for all the help John. A couple more quick questions: 1. On the back wall of the control room, so the 703 panels need to be attached to the wall, or does leaning up against the wall work just as well? Should the whole back wall be all 703 or alternating 703 and cargo blankets? Should I hang cargo blankets on the side walls, or just leave them alone? 2. Is there another type of fabric that would be as good or better to drape over the 703 (I might want to save the cargo blankets for the live room walls)? Should I attach the fabric to the back of the MDF or just drape it over (I have heard bad things about the 703 particles getting airborne)? 3. Does the wood paneling still act as a bass trap if there is no insulation between the panelling (as is the case in a couple of areas)? Thanks John for all your help. I really appreciate it! :)

1. On the back wall of the control room, so the 703 panels need to be attached to the wall, or does leaning up against the wall work just as well? Should the whole back wall be all 703 or alternating 703 and cargo blankets? Should I hang cargo blankets on the side walls, or just leave them alone? leaning will still work - it's a matter of geting fid of all those confusing rear reflections you are getting now. You'll hear your definition increase considerably when you add this. 2. Is there another type of fabric that would be as good or better to drape over the 703 (I might want to save the cargo blankets for the live room walls)? Should I attach the fabric to the back of the MDF or just drape it over (I have heard bad things about the 703 particles getting airborne)? sure - any cloth will do - maybe sold old curtains. 3. Does the wood paneling still act as a bass trap if there is no insulation between the panelling (as is the case in a couple of areas)? to a degree but if you lay 703 on the studio side it will help. cheers john

Ok, I am trying to find some 703 in the Twin Cities. No luck so far, but I did find some John Manville insullation that is supposed to be comparable. It comes in 2x4 sheets that are 2" thick (he called it 3 pound). Will this stuff work? He was charging $83 for a pack of 9. Is this high?

Also, I am now planning on putting cargo blankets on the side and back walls of the control room because I have enough of them to do it. Is this a good idea (in addition to the 703 in the corners)? Also, should I move that dresser in the back corner of the control room. I imagine that ir will probably not help with absorption much and may create some unwanted reflections, correct?

The John Manville product is OK. here's a link to a pdf file of their spinglass product. The 3 pound you are refering to is also available in higher densities with better low end absorption. http://www.jm.com/insulation/performanc ... _board.pdf I'd use it behind the cargo blankets. cheers john

I ended up getting this stuff (I got the 2" 3 lb unfaced) I am assuming that this stuff will work, as per the specs, it is a little better than 703. Tried to get Owens Corning stuff in my area, but calling Owens Corning is useless. http://www.jm.com/insulation/building%5 ... shield.pdf

John Sayers wrote:

3. Does the wood paneling still act as a bass trap if there is no insulation between the panelling (as is the case in a couple of areas)? to a degree but if you lay 703 on the studio side it will help.

Would putting the rigid fiberglass on the outside of the wall between the vocal booth and the control room help with bleed at all? Should I put the rigid fiberglass in the corners of the vocal booth and live room as well as the control room? Also, for the gobos for the live room around the drums, how do I attach the fiberglass to the mdf? Do I frame it in? Glue them together? What's the best method?

I am going to try using plexiglass instead of plywood under the drums for reflections. Will this work just as well? Also, does it matter at all what kind of fabric to put over the fiberglass? Will normal cotton fabric work or do I need a drapery type fabric?

Hey John, any idea where I can pick up the steel plate you show in the diagram for the casters? I have looked around, but to no avail. Thanks.

we've always had to get them made up by a local metal workshop - not hard to make if you can weld :) cheers John