Ok get out your reading glasses, and a beer.

Carpwftx · Post by **Carpwftx** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:01 pm

Hello from Texas USA
First let me just say I have learned or should I say UNLEARNED more about acoustics in the last 48 hours than I have my whole life. I also learned so much from the SAE site that im overflowing with new knowledge about mic placement! I cant wait to put some of this new knowledge to work. Of course I do have a few questions, so let me get the red tape out of the way,
1. Eric
2. Wichita Falls TX USA
3. I track at a studio which im NOW completly sure is the worst acousticly desinged studio in the world........(enter sarcasium here) thanks for all the info GUYS!!!!
4. My questions are not about the tracking studio but my bedroom control room where I mix-down the recordings from the above studio.
5. My Room- 12.5' Length 10' Width 8' ceilings/ Popcorn spray-on acoustics with Hardwood floors
6.Budget- lets say 100-200 US dollars

Ok Im not good at ataching pictures and files but I hope you have the picture from the SAE site atached. If not it is under the Studio design section and its the plan for the BEDROOM STUDIO. Thats basicly my room with just a few changes..........probably significant.
For starters my room is wider. I have a good 1-2 foot space between my moniters and side walls.
on the opposite wall from the "window with curtins" I have a closet with sliding doors. The closet starts 1 foot from the front studio wall and stops right at the back of the studio chair. Yes one of my moniters sits right next to it. In the diagram SAE has slat resinators on that section of wall. I cant do that to my closet and probably couldnt build one if I could.

Here is something I read from the SAE site refering to studio construction
"Important thing to remember are:
Stereo room symmetry around your speakers.
Glass windows or doors for communication.
Low-mid frequency absorption from 150 -550Hz.
High frequency absorption.
Absorption across the rear of the control room wall.
Whatever low frequency absorption you can fit in the space"

Question #1
"Whatever low frequency absorption you can fit in the space". With that being said couldnt I just put acoustic hagers in that closet? If so would the closet door render that trick usless? Any other ideas, I can do anything with the closet aside from boarding it up permanetly.
Question #2
Why deos this design not have any absorbing material behind the monitors on the front wall? I can treat my front wall anyway I need too. Any Ideas?
Question #3 in the design plan it has "High absorbers" on the rear wall. Deos that mean High frequency or High as in Feet and inches?
Question #4
Should I get a floor area rug? The design didnt make a refernce to that. remember Im not tracking in this room, just mixing, just me and my computer.
Question #5 (this is the kind of question that will give you an idea of just how bad my acoustic tecniques are at the tracking studio.)
I have 2 bookcases on my back wall. They are 5 1/2' tall X 2' wide and 1 foot deep. They have 5 removable/adjstable shelves in each. They are identical and made of cheep partical board. Could I pack insulation into the cavities and cover with some matieral or even seal them permantly for some sort of Texas style absorber? Im pretty sure they act as a difusser when they are full of CD's and stuff, but back wall absorption seems to be a prority in the plans. Any other ideas on how to DIY with stuff around the house?
Finnaly Id just like to thank everyone for this forum. If I knew then what I know now..............boy oh boy!
By the way, the Home Depot and Loew's Home improvment stores in my town have no idea what ROCKWOOL is.

len-morgan · Post by **len-morgan** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:26 pm

Caprwftx,

Welcome to the Texas Caucus of the forum! I'm in Big Spring myself. From what you wrote, I'm not sure you identified any REAL problems with your current room - only differences between your room and theory and current best practices.

Are you having a problem? Have you tried mixing in the room, burning a CD, and then listening to it in various other places? Car, boom box, "regular" stereo system, etc.

Considering your limited budget, we should probably concentrate on treating the verified problems first (if you have any) and then see where we go from there.

I know what you mean about HD and Lowes and the "What's Rockwool" problem. If you can ever get a response from Roxul (the mfgr), that let's you know of a dealer you can buy from here, please let me know. I've three emails asking for the name/location of a dealer all unanswered.

len

Carpwftx · Post by **Carpwftx** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:26 am

Hello BIG SPRING!
I really have not done or even started a project in this new room. I just moved here. I was just checking out that bedroom design and saw how it applied to me and thought Id do my best to duplicate it.
I have noticed a drop in the lows (but Ive never had good low responce) and an increase in the Hi's on previously recorded projects since I moved here. I figured it was probably the floors Ive never had hardwoods before. I went out and baught some curtins like the picture and now it sounds a little wierd out of that side, almost "out of phase" or something. I guess since the wall and closet next to me is untreated? I think if I get the answers to the questions above I will have a good place to start and can check the results after that. Right now the room is basicly just a live box. Im not totaly limited on budget, but since regular insulation is all that is availible to me I doubt Id spend over 200 bucks in absorbtion material?

Post by **kendale** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:52 pm

Aloha,

Any chance you could post some pics of your room?

Aloha

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:53 am

San Antonio, TX -- Pamrod
830-372-1500
830-372-4233
pamrod@spi-co.com

Houston, TX -- Extol of Texas
713-673-6200
713-673-6600
houstonextol@spi-co.com

Dallas, TX
214-956-7781
214-352-1309
dallas@spi-co.com

Houston, TX -- CSI
713-861-3121
713-861-7976
houstoncsi@spi-co.com

Houston, TX
713-957-2730
713-957-2843
houston@spi-co.com

Corpus Christi, TX
361-299-2221
361-299-2085
corpuschristi@spi-co.com

Austin, TX
512-326-3772
512-326-3557
austin@spi-co.com

Ft. Worth, TX
817-831-4501
817-831-7104
ftworth@spi-co.com

These are all the Texas locations of SPI, who carry different types of acoustically acceptable insulations; not sure which is closest to you guys, but be sure and call first; different branches have different company names and offer different products, even changes from one time to the next. Any 2.5 to 4 PCF "wool" product will work, 3 PCF is ideal for exposed, cloth covered absorbers. Don't buy ANYTHING with the word "foam" or "styrene" or "EPS", you want stuff like "rockwool", mineral wool, thermafiber, SAFB, slag wool, etc... Steve

Hope one of these helps, I've only dealt with the Portland Oregon branch.

len-morgan · Post by **len-morgan** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:54 am

Boy, I think 4 1/2 hours is the closest one to me (Ft Worth) but carpfwtx should only be a couple of hours away. There are downsides to living out in the boonies.

len