John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hello friends,


I've been recording & mixing music for a while now. Of course, like many other beginners, I shit on room acoustics in the beginning....

Now I want to take my quality to the next level and I have 2 options that I URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP with.


I was going to build myself 3 DIY absorbers as attached in the pictures and don't know which room to choose.

(Of course, more absorbers come to the walls and ceiling).


The absorbers would be filled with rock wool Termarock 50 and a thickness of 80-100 mm.

This is what it looks like:[Imgur](https://imgur.com/jfWAoTc)


Room 1:

I would get rid of the fat closet and put the absorbers there.Opposite on the walls and on the ceiling, of course too.Here the ceiling is also higher than in the basement, which I think is an advantage.

Pictures:[Imgur](https://imgur.com/Y3UZ3bM)[Imgur](https://imgur.com/4GXSX33)

Room 2 /basement:

Here I have more space. I would build the absorbers directly in front of the window and also on the ceiling and along the walls more absorbers.Here I have the disadvantage that the ceiling is much lower I guess between 2.00 and 2.20m.

[Imgur](https://imgur.com/SkpRv6M)[Imgur](https://imgur.com/zXD8UJR)

Additional info:

- I own a Rode NT1-A. My interface is a Focusrite Scarlett Solo. My monitors are Eris Presonus 3.5.It is mainly Rap/Trap music recorded. <-- Only Vocals.

Please help me decide on the right room.Any other advice is welcome.

Thank you in advance <3

Ps: Please keep in mind that money-wise I can't afford more.These are the only 2 options I have ..

If somebody is curious:
My Current mix (recorded in my bedroom room 1):
I covered NBA Youngboys make no sense in german
https://sndup.net/8y9j - with all effects on
https://sndup.net/725z - without beat
https://sndup.net/2rqt - without effects (awwwfulll horribleee daaamn)

if you don't use the heater, then the basement. long room, better ratios from the appearance. and you won't have to get rid of the tv and other furniture to make the upstairs room work. also likely better isolation in the basement.

if you do need the heater in the basement - i'd make a "chimney" of plywood so the heat is pass up and above where you're mixing desk is to avoid having the heat cause acoustic issues and of course safer for your equipment. then treat front, side reflection, and ceiling cloud as necessary, and also the back wall. on door, back wall, and sides in back, to avoid slap echoes.

probably a total of 12 absorbers - 100mm thick x 600mm wide x 1200mm tall. stand off from walls and ceiling - 100mm

3 front, 4 side, 2 ceiling, 3 back

Oh my god, thank you, I really appreciate your answer

I decided to take the basement as you recommended, and no, I will not use the heater.

I still have some
Questions regarding the panels:

You said 100 m thick, so I would take the termarock 50 with a thickness of 50/60 mm and stack 2 of them for the 100 mm thickness, is that right?

How many square meters will be needed then?

Let's say I take 3 large panels, as shown in the pictures, and make them 9 panels of the size you recommend, then it would be

3x panels with the size 1.90 m x 0.8 m

And 9 panels with the size 1,2 m x 0,6 m

Adding them up makes about 11.08 square meters, so I need to buy a total of 12 square meters of rock wool, right?

Sorry for the stupid questions, but rock wool is very expensive and I don't want to buy too much or too little of it.

good questions, and on low budgets, every expense needs to be justified. yes about 12m2 seems right. curtain material can be useful for covering as most times its flame re-tard-ent treated (check) and breathable (and less expensive than dedicated acoustic fabrics).