Noobee needs help with Acoustical Treatment...Please

[Jakester]

Hy...New to this site and anxious to learn the correct way. I have been in recording for approx. 30 years, but have never had the oppurtunity to have a room treated properly. I am now setup in a "bedroom studio" and I need lots of help. No matter how much reading I do, Im just not comprehending the info I have been getting. I ran the room dimensions (14"3" L X 11'9" W X 7'11" H) on the Mode Calc and came up with a ratio (HWL) of approx. 1 : 1.48 : 1.79 and a volume of 1331. From my reading, I guess this is kinda small for a "good" room. I have all my recording equipment and my guitars, amps, ect. in the same room as I do mostly preamp/modeler/DI recording at this time. Eventually i will do something with my garage, but at that time this will be the control room. So for right now this is the all-in-one room. I did a very detailed layout in Autocad , but cant seem to get it into a TIF or BITMAP format that is readable for anybody willing to help. I have approx. 20 pics of the room that are around 180KB each. I wont go into what type of recording equipment I am using since this particular forum is for acoustic treatment. I though I was going to get some help from another Pro Audio forum but I guess they thought I was too stupid since I dont understand all the stuff about bass traps, wall treatments, ect. Im just interested in mainly getting the room somewhat corrected so my mixdown and mastering will be more accurate. I will send pics of the room if anybody is willing to help me out. Thanks in advance cause I know everybody is busy doing their own thing. But I have to start somewhere. Sincerely, Jake Barron in Florida

P.S You can email me at: jakebarronNOSPAM@tampabay.rr.com if that would be better for you. Im easy like that. At least thats what the wife says . Remove the NOSPAM.....

[barefoot]

Hi Jake,

Welcome to the forum!

And your room dimensions certainly aren't the worst we seen!

First of all, what is your budget? And are you able (allowed ) to build inside this room - things like extra walls and such?

As far as pictures, you can only upload jpg and gif files. They need to be smaller than 150 KB and no wider than 700 pixels. Have you tried the Print Screen key? This copies the screen image, and then you can paste it into Paint or some other graphics program.

You might also try to PM cadesignr . I'm pretty sure he has uploaded Autocad pics.

Thomas

[Jakester]

I have a graphic program and I am able to shrink the pics. Ill give it some effort later on tonight. Also, I emailed Caddesigner (??) as how to bring in the CAD drawing. This shows my whole layout. And between that and the pictures, everyone will have an accurate pic of the room....Thanks alot...Ill be back Jake Barron in Florida

[Ethan Winer]

Jake,

> I ran the room dimensions (14"3" L X 11'9" W X 7'11" H) on the Mode Calc and came up with ... <

Mode calculators are mainly useful when you're designing a new room. Unless you can move the walls, it's moot for your application.

> I have approx. 20 pics of the room <

That's not really necessary. We all know what a 14x12x8 room looks like!

> Im just interested in mainly getting the room somewhat corrected so my mixdown and mastering will be more accurate. <

There's a ton of great info in the existing posts on this site. It sounds like you've already seen my Acoustics FAQ so I won't bother to link it again. The one sentence summary: You need broadband absorption on the walls and across the corners, and make sure your loudspeakers are oriented so they face the long way into the room.

--Ethan

[Jakester]

Thanks Ethan....I think you are in my old stomping ground..Connecticut ?
I reside in Florida now I think the first thing I need to do is move my mixer bench away from the wall a bit since my Monitors have a bass port and they are almost touching the wall. Since I dont have a full wall in the back on the opposite end of the room (see pics on my other post please) should I put some kind of treatment on the wall directly behind the monitors ? This would probably be the place for me to start if these things are necessary. If you could throw me a link as to where I can buy this treatment, or how to construct what is need I would appreciate it. I am pretty good with blueprints and carpentry...so maybe thats the way to go. Dont have a ton of cash at this time so I will try to peice-meal the project. Thanks again, Jake Barron

[Ethan Winer]

Jake,

> Connecticut ? <

Yep, in New Milford, not far from the New York state line.

> should I put some kind of treatment on the wall directly behind the monitors ? <

What all rooms need most is corner treatment to absorb low frequencies. Unless your loudspeakers are facing the front wall, there's little need to treat that wall.

> If you could throw me a link as to where I can buy this treatment, or how to construct what is need I would appreciate it. <

My signature below shows a great place to buy treatment, and my Acoustics FAQ has a lot of DIY information. The FAQ is second in the list on my Articles page:

www.ethanwiner.com/articles.html

--Ethan

[barefoot]

Jake, Jon,

I'm moving your posts over hear and removing that other thread.

Jake,

Try to keep your individual topics contained in one thread, otherwise people may get confused as to what pics, comments, etc., you're referring to.

Thanks!:)

Thomas

[barefoot]

Posted by Jakester Fri Jan 30, 2004 5:38 pm Post subject: Pics and Layout from Noobee Jake......Help Please Again
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OK...I hope I uploaded all this OK. I thought I remember reading something about JPG being no wider than 800 so I made them 750 to be safe, but I couldnt find where I had read that again. If this is bad, please just delete and tell me how to repost it correctly. Thanks

[Jake, I shrunk these to 600. It's earier to read the thread. Thomas]

#1 I am not looking to have a perfect room
#2 My wife will divorce me if I start putting in double wall, ect.
#3 My budget would probably require me to peice-meal this project. In
other words, I will have to do a little at a time and maybe start with
the worst areas that would give the most improvement.

If there is not enough info, please email me and I will supply
more pics or what ever anyone needs. I cant upload more than what is shown at one time. There is a 150KB upload limit I think...

Room size is 14'3" L x 11'9" W X 7'11" H

Outside wall where window is located is 8" hollow cement block with 1/2" airspace and 1/2" sheetrock. All other walls are 2" X 4" construction with no insulation and covered with 1/2" sheetrock.

[barefoot]

Posted by Jon Best: Sat Jan 31, 2004 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Pics and Layout from Noobee Jake......Help Please Again
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I always thought it'd be a good idea, when you have doors along your back wall like that, to cut the doors into open frames, and fill the middle hole with 703. Then put some absorption inside the closet, wherever you can fit it. That way, you have a sort-of cavity bass trap in the closet, and a soft hole in the other door, where low end will basically leave into the rest of the house and not come back. Of course, you have to figure out if that's ok with the rest of the house....

Otherwise, 2' wide 703 across the front corners and possibly the ceiling/wall corners as well. Then get a mirror and a friend- you sit in your regular mixing position, and have the friend slide the mirror along the walls and ceiling. Anywhere you can see one of your speakers in the mirror, hang some more 703 a few inches off the wall/ceiling. If you want to really tighten up the bottom, put up some of Ethan's panel traps around as well- start with behind the 703 in the corners, and make sure the 703 is floating off the traps and not resting on them. You don't get any mileage from making sure the absorbent is sealed into the corner, or anything, so what I've done in the past is just hang it from the ceiling so it's floating a couple inches off.
_________________
Jon Best

[Jakester]

OK...Thanks for the help so far. I have been reading Ethans whole article and have been getting a better understanding of how this works. I was thinking you guys would say there was "no hope" for this room. LOL..The first thing I am going to do is get the mixer console a bit more symetrical on the wall and go from there. Unfortunatly at this time I dont have a ton of cash to buy the bass traps (which I would really like to do) so I might end up making them. Im just now looking for a local source for the 703 and that will be my first step. Meanwhile, I will keep on reading the posts in here and try to learn a bit more. It rough being a "noobee". I sure do appreciate all the help you guys have been giving me so far. Thank You all....Jake Barron

[Jakester]

Almost forgot, the doors are off the rear closet at this time. They were a pain in the butt and rattled when I played my bass Jake Barron

[Jakester]

OK...I read Ethans whole article and started to get an understanding (just a little) of what needs to be done. So I need to put in some low bass traps in the corners along the ceiling and in the corners to begin with. When I clap my hands in the room, there is definetly an audible ring which I have never noticed till reading this article. Should I be putting in mid-bass and high-bass traps, or do they have nothing to do with this. Here I go again probably asking stupid questions.Im also going to get my mixer and monitors more symetrical on the front wall. They are probably off 16" or so, and I would like to start off on the right foot if possible. I will also check out the reflection points from the monitors to the walls using a mirror if that is needed. What type of traps or absorbers would I need on these areas on the walls where I can see the reflection of the monitors. Am I going about this in the correct manner so far ?? Im sorry for asking so many question. I want to do this correctly the first time and not waste money or time doing the treatment improperly., Thanks so much for all the help so far. And thanks Ethan for a great article and insight into the problems associated with acoutical treatments and trying to get all this corrected. Jake Barron

[Ethan Winer]

Jake,

> When I clap my hands in the room, there is definetly an audible ring ... Should I be putting in mid-bass and high-bass traps <

No, bass traps are only for low frequencies. You need mid/high frequency absorber panels to tame echoes and ringing.

> What type of traps or absorbers would I need on these areas on the walls where I can see the reflection <

Mid/high frequency absorber panels made of rigid fiberglass.

--Ethan

[Jakester]

Ethan...Thanks so much for the help. Now I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do to at least get started. I will attempt to build my own absorbers since I am fairly competent with blueprints and woodworking.
OK...I saw some nice plans for some fairly easy bass traps on your site. Can you steer me to the mid and high frequency "do it yourself" stuff. Thanks again. Time to get to work I guess. Jake Barron

[Ethan Winer]

Jake,

> Can you steer me to the mid and high frequency "do it yourself" stuff. <

Everything I know - well, almost everything I know! - is in my Acoustics FAQ linked earlier in this thread.

--Ethan