floor to ceiling corner traps, is it better?

[joshj]

Hey guys,
Thanks for answering my previous question. My room is tiny (9x11x8) and instead of building 2x4 bass traps I was thinking of just getting the 703 in 2x8 sheets and covering them with cloth and standing them up in the corners. Effectively "taking out" the corners. If I did this then there would be not be any openings to the air gaps in the corners, so...

1. Do I still need 4" thick 703 or will 2" work?

2. Would the membrane/film side still face the room or face the wall?

3. Is the 703 even rigid enough to stand by itself (all 8 feet of it) or would I have to build a frame anyway?

Thanks guys!

[joshj]

Anybody? I'm ready to buy the stuff I'd just like to know what route I should take. Thanks.

[Ethan Winer]

Josh,

> Do I still need 4" thick 703 or will 2" work? <

You're best choice for bass trapping is four inches thick.

> Would the membrane/film side still face the room or face the wall? <

Depends on what you want to do at mid and high frequencies. For most rooms having the paper side facing the room is best.

> Is the 703 even rigid enough to stand by itself (all 8 feet of it) or would I have to build a frame anyway? <

You have to attach it somehow because it won't stand up by itself. But that doesn't mean you need a full enclosing frame either.

--Ethan

[joshj]

Thank you Ethan. I knew about the film side and the 4" thickness if I was building a smaller trap, I just wasn't sure if it was still applicable if it was an "air tight" length from floor to ceiling. Would there be more benefit having that entire length covered and essentially giving the room four more "small walls"? Or would a 4' trap straddling the corner be just as good.

[Innovations]

your corner bass traps do not have to go floor to ceiling in order to be sufficiently effective, and thus you do not have to give up all that much floor space. If you look at the examples on Ethan's site you will see that they almost never go floor to ceiling.