How to treat ~square room with protruding closet for vocals?

[gingerbeets]

Hi everyone, I am trying to treat my friend's nearly square (I know, bad start) room for recording vocals. I've read up on DIY acoustic treatments for vocals, and I think I have a decent idea of what I want to do. 4" OC703 panels covered with muslin, grommeted and hanging, surrounding the singer in one corner, 4" from the wall, probably another couple above for a cloud suspended 4" from the ceiling, and superchunk bass traps using pink insulation in the corners, and carpet underneath. I am not sure how big I can make the corner traps. What size is big enough when using pink insulation? I'll also possibly add a couple more OC703 panels on the opposite walls. Where should I place those? I might as well add a couple panels at the first reflection point of the monitors for mixing, right?

My main question is, how does having a protruding closet in one corner affect the sound and treatment strategy? Should I do bass traps in both corners created by the closet? Also, there is a radiator only 8 inches from one of the room's corners. Should I just put a smaller section of superchunk bass trap to fit it behind the radiator, and bump the size back up to normal above the radiator? Also, do you think I need to add superchunks to the wall-ceiling and wall-floor corners? This is getting pretty complicated haha.

I am useless at SketchUp, but I drew a sketch of the room with the dimensions.

Also, I have an EV RE20 cardioid mic, which is supposedly decent for recording in less than ideal rooms. Not sure if that helps at all. This project means a lot to me because I am doing it to help my best friend, who recently became schizophrenic and is unable to go to a professional studio, record the raps he has been working on very hard.

Thanks! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Let me know if I should post any more details.

[Gregwor]

I think I have a decent idea of what I want to do. 4" OC703 panels covered with muslin, grommeted and hanging, surrounding the singer in one corner, 4" from the wall, probably another couple above for a cloud suspended 4" from the ceiling, and superchunk bass traps using pink insulation in the corners, and carpet underneath.

OC703 is great for most acoustic treatment needs. You don't need to surround your vocalist with it though. You would benefit from having it on the ceiling, yes. Super chunks in as many corners as you can as your room is small. Carpet should not be used unless your room is way way too bright sounding. Carpet would dampen crucial vocal clarity frequencies which is the opposite of what you want.

What size is big enough when using pink insulation?

The bigger the better. It basically comes down to what you can fit in your room. 3 feet wide or so is pretty standard.

I'll also possibly add a couple more OC703 panels on the opposite walls.

Sure. You definitely should try to eliminate flutter, so opposing walls should have some sort of treatment on them. Be careful though as the bed in there, plus a bunch of OC703 on the ceiling and walls will make a pretty lifeless sounding room. You could go with the 50% coverage practice and ensure that your room doesn't become too dead.

Where should I place those?

If you don't place wood frames around the 703, you could benefit from the edge diffraction effect and place them in more of a checkered pattern. Basically, as I said above, try to have no parallel walls that are untreated.

I might as well add a couple panels at the first reflection point of the monitors for mixing, right?

So you're mixing in this room as well? That changes everything. What is more important to you, a good sounding vocal tracking room or a good sounding mixing room? You can't have both.

My main question is, how does having a protruding closet in one corner affect the sound and treatment strategy?

It affects the sound, for sure, but the treatment strategy remains the same.

Should I do bass traps in both corners created by the closet?

Probably. Depending on the door placement and whether the doors are open, in theory the modes will still terminate in the corners.

Also, there is a radiator only 8 inches from one of the room's corners. Should I just put a smaller section of superchunk bass trap to fit it behind the radiator, and bump the size back up to normal above the radiator?

It would be great to treat that corner, but I'd probably refrain from it personally as I would not want to risk a fire from your cloth or wood in the bass trap.

Also, do you think I need to add superchunks to the wall-ceiling and wall-floor corners? This is getting pretty complicated haha.

Yes, if you can afford the space, do it.

I am useless at SketchUp, but I drew a sketch of the room with the dimensions.

Since you're just building basic treatment, you can probably get away without drawing your space in a 3D program. It would be different if you were building very specific treatment devices or other in depth construction.

Also, I have an EV RE20 cardioid mic, which is supposedly decent for recording in less than ideal rooms.

The polar pattern of that mic is basically cardiod, so yes, the captured sound won't be affected as much as a microphone that is omni-directional. The beautiful thing about the RE20 is it's Variable-D design. Typically, in order to eliminate the proximity effect that is characteristic of cardiod microphones, you have to use omni-directional microphones. The RE20 can retain it's near-cardio pattern while still avoiding the effects of proximity in other microphones! I personally love mine

This project means a lot to me because I am doing it to help my best friend, who recently became schizophrenic and is unable to go to a professional studio, record the raps he has been working on very hard.

This is an admirable feat. I would highly suggest reading this book:
www.roletech.net/books/HandbookAcoustics.pdf

With it, you will obtain the knowledge required to properly treat your friends space.

Greg

[gingerbeets]

Thanks for the detailed reply! Very helpful info.

The tracking is more important than the mixing. I'll probably outsource that to a professional after getting a rough cut, rather than have to treat another room (and get good at mixing haha).

I don't plan to use wooden frames for the OC703, so the edge diffraction should help. By checkered pattern do you mean put one panel higher/lower than the next one? And then do the opposite pattern on the parallel wall?

Would it make sense to superchunk the top half of the corner above the radiator, leaving a reasonable amount of space in between?

The closet has a solid folding door. Should I leave it open or closed? Also, i just realized I can't put superchunks in the corner to the left of the closet door, because there is only 8 inches of space there. Same with to the right of the main door, only 4 inches there. I guess I will just hang OC703 across those corners.

That is good to know about the RE20. Very cool.

I'd like to avoid having to cut the OC703 up as much as possible. I assume 2'x4' panels will be OK for most of it? Or should I make smaller squares for the ceiling cloud and checker them?

Thanks again!

[Gregwor]

By checkered pattern do you mean put one panel higher/lower than the next one? And then do the opposite pattern on the parallel wall?

Correct.

Would it make sense to superchunk the top half of the corner above the radiator, leaving a reasonable amount of space in between?

If that's safe, then yes. I cannot tell you whether that is safe or not.

The closet has a solid folding door. Should I leave it open or closed?

If you put insulation in there, take the doors right off of it.

I'd like to avoid having to cut the OC703 up as much as possible. I assume 2'x4' panels will be OK for most of it? Or should I make smaller squares for the ceiling cloud and checker them?

2ft x 2ft squares would be an option.

Greg