When to use slot resonators, bass traps, etc…?

Hi guys, Thought this would be an interesting one, and could quickly answer questions that newbies like my self are asking. (If not, I don’t mind it being deleted :wink: ) The general topic being that we all know we need these things, but when and where to use them…? Is it a case of building your room, listening to it, see what frequencies need reinforcing/dampening, then building the appropriate traps? I also assume these can ruin a room if done incorrectly, as well as making it sound better? Any comments welcome Thanks! (not sure if this should live here or in construction, so please move if needs be)

AlexHoward, If you are new at all of this stuff and your room is small then I would stick with broadband. Not that tuned traps are super cool, but I read so many times that guys have: 1)Tested the room wrong and built a tune trap wrong 2)Use a mode calculator, built a tuned trap only find out that the calculation was not correct. 3)Just guessed and built it completely wrong. There is no reason why you can not start with OC products or mineral wool, build or buy some bass traps and put them into the corner. If the room is still not the way you want it then start to look into tuned trapping. But I bet you (if the room is small) you can get 90% of the way there with just the broad band approach The other option (which if you want only tuned trapping) is to hire a person to do it for you. If they mess up then it is on there head and not "out of your pocket". That is where guys like John come in. Glenn

Hi Glenn (myfipie) Thanks for the reply, Good point, Broadband is the best option to begin with, But do you always need it…? I don’t want this discussion to be about me and my build; more a general place to go for people with similar queries. However here is my plan, as I understand right angle corners need traps, as they will create standing waves… correct? do you always need bass traps at to the rear of the control room?

"But do you always need it…? " For a room the size you have, YES. BTW (the construction/designer guys can chime in on this) I would not slant the back wall..

However here is my plan, as I understand right angle corners need traps, as they will create standing waves… correct? do you always need bass traps at to the rear of the control room?

YES :D [/quote]

Hi, Excellent! The rear wall is slated due to the shape of the rear garden, see: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9833 And… http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9861 Anyway, as I mentioned earlier I don’t really want this post to be about me, So any tips, rules, do’s / don’ts that any of you guys think would be relevant would be much appreciated Cheers!

AlexHoward wrote:

Hi, Excellent! The rear wall is slated due to the shape of the rear garden, see: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9833 And… http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9861 Anyway, as I mentioned earlier I don’t really want this post to be about me, So any tips, rules, do’s / don’ts that any of you guys think would be relevant would be much appreciated Cheers!

I miss read you back wall.. :D I thought it was one long slant.. :wink: But I would still treat that back wall. Glenn

Apologies, where you talking about the control room..?

AlexHoward wrote:

However here is my plan, as I understand right angle corners need traps, as they will create standing waves… correct? do you always need bass traps at to the rear of the control room?

the angled wall in the back of the CR is a bass trap. also, you'll build bass traps overhead, the front corners, and the entire back wall should be trapping. same for the live room, vox booth, etc. corners don't create standing waves. corners are where all room modes terminate eventually so trapping there make that location very effective.

Nice One, Cheers Glenn.

I take it's there's no kind of guide that can be given then..? Is it all to do with the room you have, and therefore too specific?

start with broadband absorption and treatments, then add point solutions once you have it all built and tested.

hello I´m almost new to the forum, I´ve made some post but I haven´t had any answer, maybe I´m not clear enough, sorry l´m form Argentina, I.speak spanish. So posting is not easy for my. I,ve read this toppic I.d like to know about room sizes. What size is small for a control room? What,`s medium,....what´st big, and what´s optimun. And the same Qs for a recodrding room? Thanks!!

Hi Soguale, I don't think there's an easy answer for this, or indeeed my post... It depends on what you're recording. In Rod's book: "Home Recording Studio, Build it like the Pros" He puts rooms in to these dimensions: Large Room: greater than 5,000 cubic feet Medium Room: greater than 2,000 c.f less than 5,000 c.f Small Room: less than 2,000 c.f

AlexHoward wrote:

Hi Soguale, I don't think there's an easy answer for this, or indeeed my post... It depends on what you're recording. In Rod's book: "Home Recording Studio, Build it like the Pros" He puts rooms in to these dimensions: Large Room: greater than 5,000 cubic feet Medium Room: greater than 2,000 c.f less than 5,000 c.f Small Room: less than 2,000 c.f

Thanks ! Are you familiar with meter cms? Any way a can convert that, but I want to to ask about my rooms wich dimensions are in meters? any problem with that? Thanks again!!

Hi, You could use any conversion website..... for example, 2 second google search: http://www.onlineconversion.com/length_common.htm however: 5000 c.f = 1524 m3 2000 c.f = 609.6 m3 (remember these are cubed volumes)

5000 c.f is not = 1524 m3 2000 c.f is not = 609.6 m3 Alex, you cannot use a length conversion to convert volumes. Cheers, Jean

Going over the conversion 1m^3=36 ft^3 2 000 ft^3=56m^3 5 000 ft^3=140m^3 Dimensionally: Andre

Thanks, Andre, always there when you're needed most! :D Cheers, Jean

:lol: :oops: my mistake! just a quick response, as i was a bit frustrated that it to be handed on a plate... nice one Big8, cheers Andre! here's the correct one! :wink: http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm