Resonant panel or slot absorber??
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Resonant panel or slot absorber??
When would I want to use a resonant panel, and when would I want to use a slot absorber? To my little mind, seems like there's a lot of overlap there in controlling low mids.
Thanks,
-lee-
Thanks,
-lee-
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Panel absorbers are traditionally used for Low frequency absorption whereas slots are more Low-mid orientated. It's not feasible to get slots below around 150Hz (i.e. without taking up a lot of depth and space)
For mine panel absorbers are competing with hangers for low end reduction where they take up less space than Hangers. Unfortunately you usually want low end absorption in a rear of a control room where the reflective nature of the panels becomes a problem.
cheers
john
For mine panel absorbers are competing with hangers for low end reduction where they take up less space than Hangers. Unfortunately you usually want low end absorption in a rear of a control room where the reflective nature of the panels becomes a problem.
cheers
john
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I was just reading parts in Everest's Master Handbook the other day, and he mentioned that you could mount 703 in front of a panel absorber without noticeably affecting the panel absorber - this sounds like maybe you could use the 703 trick to get away from the reflections, and still keep things relatively compact for low mid absorption. Comments??? Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
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Sen, what I got (sort of between the lines) from the Everest info was that the FRAMES could touch, but the 703 itself was "stood off" by enough so as not to affect the resonance of the panel absorber itself. As with almost everything in acoustics, there are several ways to skin this cat, and as always, YMMV... Steve
Soooo, when a Musician dies, do they hear the white noise at the end of the tunnel??!? Hmmmm...
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Yeah, as I've mentioned elsewhere, placing material close to the slot openings raises and broadens the resonance peak.
Just a general note on slot absorbers versus panel absorbers: Slot absorbers are much more efficient (absorption per unit area). Panel absorbers are very inefficient because the inertia of the panel must be overcome before any absorption can take place. The only inertial impedance in a slot resonator is the small mass of air that resides in the slots. The fact that slot resonators must be very large in order reach low frequencies is evidence of their higher efficiency. In acoustics, efficiency is almost always gained at the expense of increased volume.
Similarly, the greater the ratio of slot area to slat area in a resonator, the greater the efficiency. The tradeoff is, of course, extra volume. Resonators with high slot to slat ratios must be deeper in order to reach a given target frequency.
Thomas
Just a general note on slot absorbers versus panel absorbers: Slot absorbers are much more efficient (absorption per unit area). Panel absorbers are very inefficient because the inertia of the panel must be overcome before any absorption can take place. The only inertial impedance in a slot resonator is the small mass of air that resides in the slots. The fact that slot resonators must be very large in order reach low frequencies is evidence of their higher efficiency. In acoustics, efficiency is almost always gained at the expense of increased volume.
Similarly, the greater the ratio of slot area to slat area in a resonator, the greater the efficiency. The tradeoff is, of course, extra volume. Resonators with high slot to slat ratios must be deeper in order to reach a given target frequency.
Thomas
Thomas Barefoot
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when I started out in recording in the mid 60's all the studios had what I call original BBC acoustics usually made up with panels of fibreglass (The old stuff) and slots/perforated holes and panel absorbers. Near the late 60's and into the 70's the bands started wanting to record with their stage rigs!! you usually only had one recording space so suddenly we were confronted with a live band producing 130 spl !! so much for isolation between instruments.In acoustics, efficiency is almost always gained at the expense of increased volume.
That's when the new acoustics started in the US, led by Tom Hidley, where whole walls and ceiling spaces were taken up with deep traps and up to 1/3 of the floor space became acoustic traps.
We've moved back from that position now as the studios were toooo dead and booths are now built to achieve the isolation but Thomas is right - to achieve the isolation/absorption in those days you needed space.
cheers
john
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John,
Following your reasoning, and now with the heavy proliferation of pods, DI, virtual instruments, sub bass synths, 5.1, etc., it seems that the emphasis of studio acoustics has shifted away from the live rooms and much more towards the control room. Would you say this is a correct assessment?
Thomas
Following your reasoning, and now with the heavy proliferation of pods, DI, virtual instruments, sub bass synths, 5.1, etc., it seems that the emphasis of studio acoustics has shifted away from the live rooms and much more towards the control room. Would you say this is a correct assessment?
Thomas
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well the control room has always had attention in pro studios - it's the proliforation of smaller semi-pro studios everywhere. Intitially the emphasis was on gear but that's settling down now and people are turning their attention to the acoustics of their spaces especially the control room, and as you say, most of the recording actually happens there.studio acoustics has shifted away from the live rooms and much more towards the control room
To exemplify what I was referring to -I watched Paradise studios going up in Sydney in 1979 - designed by Hidley. Whilst the compression ceiling in the control room came down to around 7'6" the cavity above went up to 12' and was totally filled with hangers, the rear wall was 4' deep and full of hangers. Music Farm was similar - (we were building at the same time).
I agree Eric, spill is coming back into fashion :) I was talking with a bass player the other day who reckoned his bass used to resonate with the kick drum when he stood next to the kit and his bass sounded fuller with his amp spilling into the drums.but I find that the new trend is going back to recording as a full band again in the same space.
cheers
john
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