Best accoustics in rehersal room

[JahooRoisym]

Hi everyone,

I recently got access to a new rehersal room (gig room, or how do you call it?) in a nice and tall basement. It is in a rather raw state, and there is a lot of work ahead of me and my band members.

I have two questions for people who know their stuff in acoustics:
1. What best to put on the floor? Right now we have raw concrete (cement) on the floor. I am thinking floor-covering or carpenting or perhaps linoleum (PVC) and carpets on top of that. What would you advise? We are semi-tight on budget, but I think I would rather invest more in the ceiling and wall acoustic pannels, bass traps.
2. There is a rather curious ceiling shape (see the second picture below). I'm considering to build a drywall suspeneded ceiling, fill the void over it with insulation fiber and than put acoustic foam panels - like the ones here
rjelectronics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/004_foam_pieces.jpg
onto it. Now the question is - what shape should the suspended ceilng be for best acoustic outcome? Normal (flat), waved, rounded in the corners, a shape of V, or maby upside-down V? Should I build the ceilng at all, or better to just apply the panels the the ceilng that is allready there (please note the hight of the room).

My aim is to create the best possible environment for rehersal and creativity - I do not want to kill the reverb to zero. I also don't want to isolate the sound, since I don't have to worry too much about noise getting outside.
There also might be ocasional recordings done in this room.


Pics
down to earth view:



ceiling shape view (you can see the two and a half floor beams):

 

[Dogbreath]

As to the floor, I'd leave it concrete with some decent sized throw rugs and treat the ceiling with maybe put some gobo's and an acoustic cloud above the drums.

Then I'd do super chunks in the wall corners from floor to ceiling with spot gobo treatment on the walls.
After that, I'd just see how it pans out.

 

[JahooRoisym]

Thanks for the reply Dogbreath!
Thats more or less the feedback I have been given by most people - "take small steps and see how you feel it".

One qustion tho - why would throw rugs be better than a carpet on the whole floor?

 

[Capt Hair]

Welcome to the boards!

Carpet isn't that thick and is just going to be absorbing the high end. You'll essentially have about 1/6 of your total surface area with something that is only effecting the high end of the spectrum..you want balance across the spectrum. Once you have your bass traps up, clouds, and absorbers on the wall, you will have taken a lot of the high end out of the room. Having carpet would only further take from the high end. The idea behind the rugs is to just cut down on some, but not all of the reflections "the echo/ambience", by having them placed below the drum set, the amps, and speakers, you'll cut down on those immediate reflections of the sounds being produced.

 

[RAMI]

One qustion tho - why would throw rugs be better than a carpet on the whole floor?

General rule: You want a reflective floor and an absorbing ceiling and walls. Cement and hard-wood floors are great. Carpet is not a good idea.

 

[EvelynArado]

one thing that will make a big difference for drums is if you can put put some sort of rubber / insulation / wood between the concrete floor and the drums. just carpets wont do much. i recently did this to my room and it makes a big difference.

also its easy to make some baffles out of a wooden frame + insulation inside - wrapped over with some linen. the look good and you can move them around to find where they make the most difference (and also easily reposition them to create effects / track dry vocals, etc.).

 

[RAMI]

one thing that will make a big difference for drums is if you can put put some sort of rubber / insulation / wood between the concrete floor and the drums. just carpets wont do much..

Why? If anything, you want to put a cloud OVER the drums....not under. . Your post is puzzling, to say the least.