Bass traps from control room into "live room"???

[Nate74]

In a week I will be recording a full band in my home studio for the first time in a very long time. In the past few years I’ve done some acoustic projects and the guitar and vocal parts for two of my previous band’s CDs, but as for recording the whole project (drums, bass, guitars, vox) it’s been a while.

My home studio is really just a bedroom that I’ve made into my control room with bass traps, some foam and all my recording goodies. There are 5 2’x4’ 4” thick traps, and two the same size that are only 2” thick.

I plan on tracking the drums in my living room and using an adjacent bedroom for guitar amp isolation. The singer/guitarist will be in the control room and the bassist and the drummer will be in the tracking (living room).

The bass traps have done wonders for my mixing and since they’re all fairly easy to take down I’m wondering if there would be an advantage in moving them into the living room where we’ll be recording the drums?

Since we’ll only be doing 4 mics on the drums (Kick, Snare and 2 OH) I know the sound of the room will be important.

The living room/tracking room is about 20’ x 12’ with 8’ ceilings and is carpeted. It currently has a couch, a leather chair and a TV on desk. It also has three doorways, one normal size and two that are about 4’ wide.

Is it worth it to bring the bass traps out of the control room and put them in the living room for recording the drums? If so where would you all suggest they go? Is there any other home-made approach you would suggest? I’ve read here about putting mattresses on end and so forth…

Thanks in advance guys!

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by Nate74

Is it worth it to bring the bass traps out of the control room and put them in the living room for recording the drums?

Sure. Put them in corners, and / or around the drums between the drums and the walls and between the microphones and the walls.

--Ethan

[Nate74]

Thanks Ethan.

Would you suggest anything else, like a mattress or heavy blankets over "T" stands?