Bass Trap Depth

[nate_dennis]

As I've been reading and learning about the roll of bass traps and how they work I've come to understand that building a bass trap into a fram with an air pocket behind it is far superior to just hanging sheets of 703 on the wall or across a corner. I know that most people like to use 2" thick fiberglass with a 4" air pocket behind it (bringing the whole trap to 6" thick.) WOuld using 1" 703 with a 2" air pocket behind it work? I know 2" would be better, but with my living conditions changing often and being small and cramped. It seems like losing a foot of space would be tough. Not to mention the cost difference between 1" and 2". So I guess my question is . . . . . would a trap made of 1" FG and a 2" air pocket provide sufficient bass trapping abilities? Thanks for all the help.

 

[TheDove]

Sorry no answers but thought by adding to the thread it might help generate one - I would like to know this too !

Cheers !

 

[Ethan Winer]

would a trap made of 1" FG and a 2" air pocket provide sufficient bass trapping abilities?

No, you need rigid fiberglass that's at least three inches thick. If you straddle that across a corner you'll have a bass trap that works to below 100 Hz.

--Ethan

 

[nate_dennis]

So would you say that a wooden frame would be required? Or could I just wrap some 703 in a burlap or something similar and straddle the corners and use other types of sound treatment for the walls?Thanks a lot Ethan I really appreciate all you do in this area.

 

[Ethan Winer]

How you mount the fiberglass is irrelevant. The important thing is to get enough of it in the corners.

--Ethan

 

[Todzilla]

The resonant panel approach is different in many ways from the thick wad of OC 703 in the corners.

Both are valuable. I do both in my studio. But the wad in the corner is more of a broadband absorber that will go down to low bass notes. The resonant panels are not broadband, they're more focused solely on the low end.

 

[Dr. Varney]

And would it be okay to chamfer the corners of the board to make it fit flush into the corner? I mean - are we blocking the corner off as in 'losing the corner' all the way from ceiling to floor, or just in a region, around about ear height?

Do you think thick sheet polystyrene is any use? I have loads of that...

Dr. V

 

[Weasel9992]

Do you think thick sheet polystyrene is any use? I have loads of that...

Nope. Wrong density, wrong gas flow properties. Oh, and +1 on Ethan's point that bass traps need to be at least 3" of 48kg/m3 density material.

Frank