Some budgeting/pre-build questions for a small home studio

[snowblinded]

So just to give a quick overview of where I am in this process, I have been building/improving a small bedroom recording studio for about three years now, and I've reached the point where I really can't put off investing in some bare bones acoustic treatment (which, like most amateur producers, means I probably should have been doing this years ago), but like so many other people jumping into this section of the recording world, I've found acoustics to be a difficult discipline to really wrap my head around.

I feel like it is important to mention at this point that I am in the planning and budgeting stage of this process, because a lot of the introductory material specifically relates to using REW data to fine tune the placement of preexisting traps/panels, and my basic preference is to develop a clear budget of how much I intend to spend (ideally 350-450 dollars including the sound level meter and a measurement mic {assuming my CAD M179 doesn't work}, though if turns out i need $500-600 then that's not the end of the world), that way I don't end up in a situation where I'm suddenly throwing a whole bunch of money that I don't have into a problem that I didn't realize was going to be an issue when I started.

Anyway, with all that out of the way, my basic objectives are to build 4-6 wall panels with Corning 703 in a steel frame, to find some kind of solution to my corner trap problem, and then use REW, an Extech 407730, and a either a special acoustic measurement mic like the PreSonus PRM1 or my CAD M179 mic if that is good enough (it apparently has a pretty flat response ) to fine tune where I place everything. There are, however, two major problems that I am having problems finding solutions for on my own: 1) Issues relating to the unique and rather horrific layout of my music/production room, and 2) The problems with getting workable corner traps for said room.

So, in regards to issue no. 1, as I said, my current production environment is anything but ideal, and at some point within the next year or two I would like to move somewhere where I can have a dedicated music production room that has been acoustically treated from the ground up, but for now I am stuck trying to make the most of what I have. I feel like it is important to say that because I would prefer to invest in acoustic solutions that I can continue to use in the future rather than dropping money on "hot fixes" that won't be applicable once I move somewhere that doesn't have slanted walls or heating duct notches in the walls. It's also important to mention that right now there are a ton of amps/cabs/guitars/basses/keyboards/furniture/etc in my music room which make the larger style of corner traps almost impossible from the waist down.

So here is a Sweet Home 3D model I did of my room with accurate measurements but no equipment. I tried to pick a workable angle to make everything visible but obviously I can go back and take another screenshot if anyone wants to see things from a different POV (or even just upload the project file). I also have a few pictures of the room itself on my hard drive, but I don't want this thread to be more cluttered than neccessary so I'll just include an image of what I consider the biggest problem area: the sloped walls.

So I'm assuming I'm gonna have to throw a few of those 703 panel frames like the ones Glenn Fricker builds in this video up on that angled wall (which measures 42" by 140") by either trimming 3-4 panels height-wise from 48" down to 42" and arranging them vertically along the wall, or else keeping the original 48" height and laying two of them lengthwise across the entire sloped section, but I'm not sure which is better. There is also the problem of mounting the things, because every video I've seen on YouTube on building those panels recommends monkey hooks, but I don't think that those things are gonna hold at that angle and I'm not even sure if there are any studs to drill into, so I have no clue how I'm going to get the panels to stay up.

That brings me to the problem of the corner traps. So I'm assuming that I will need some kind of corner bass trap on both the walls where the sloped section meets the opposite corner (the area in that photo I posted), but this gets me into the questions I've had with corner traps. You see, all of the tutorials I've watched for building corner traps have them extending roughly 20 inches in either direction from the "corner point", and with all the crap I have in my room right now I just don't have the space for that. However, I came up with a design that would take a series of cross sections from a single sheet of 703 and turn them into a corner trap with 6" sides, which would be much more managable given my space limitations. You can see a diagram of what I mean here. The problem is I don't know if corner traps in that size range will even be large enough to make a difference. The other option would be to take those standard "panel traps" made from the two layers of 703 and just cut them so that they are angled kind of like the B in this image and then use those, but this brings me back to the problem of being able to reuse the panels I build when I move somewhere where I can set up a dedicated production room.

Finally, there is the problem of whether 703 is even a good material for corner traps. There seems to be a ton of conflicting information here and I can't seem to find anything conclusive. Some people say that corner traps should be made from rockwool while other people claim that fiberglass-based solutions work fine, and can't figure out which is right, but all of the rockwool corner traps I've seen that use are way too large for my current environment.

I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this long post, and any guidance you can offer me would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I know you guys wanted me to upload my images directly onto the forum in case there are any future readers who stumble upon it, but as far as I can tell you can only upload one attachment per post so I only could upload the bass trap diagram.:

[Gregwor]

Welcome!

Here's how you should make your bass traps:

Superchunk vs Panels.jpg

Basically, you won't go wrong by putting bass traps across the entire length of your corners (don't forget ceiling and floor corners as well!).

As for material, the image above is how it is typically done. I've read about great results using a batt of 703 and then stuffing the cavity behind it with fiberglass or rockwool. For an easy build, cutting triangles makes the most sense though.

Lastly, in terms of size, the bigger the better. The wider it is means the depth to the 90 degree wall corner will be deeper which means it will affect lower frequencies. Also, you said you can't go all the way to the floor because of amps and such, but the floor is a tri-corner which are the most effective spots to put bass traps. Having said that, if I were you, I would do everything possible to get big bass traps in those tri-corners!

Greg

[snowblinded]

Thank you very much for the advice. The triangle cut pattern you posted definitely makes more sense than my idea.

[Microphoneglobe]

thanks for sharing great knowledge. really appreciated

[DanDan]

IMO there is no need for Sound Level Meters any longer. studiosixdigital and faberacoustical have iOS apps which are well up to the best SLMs. The UMIK-1 and others come with Cal files which create a very accurate SLM and much more when paired with REW.

In my experience the big 32" wide StudioTips SuperChunks have worked remarkably well. Conversely 24" wide ones have been very disappointing. I suspect that 24" wide straddling traps may outperform a MiniChunk. Take a good look at studiotips.com These things have been tested. Somebody posted recently showing several products with better absorption than the classic 703.