Hi i was wondering if speaker box carpet would be bad acoustically to put on the walls of a recording booth and playback room ? I would still put bass traps and foam on top of it but i think it would look nice behind it. I see it used alot on portable isobooth's and it looks nice but just want to make sure. Any help and info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Speaker box carpet ???????
- Thread starter jadsan
- Start date
RecordingMaster
A Sarcastic Statement
I've never worked with a carpeted isobooth, but everything you read strongly recommends not using carpet. The reason being is it sucks the life out of all the high end. Just paint the wall black if you're only doing it for looks and already have foam and bass traps. Plus, it'll help reduce the dust accumulation in a small space that possibly won't have proper ventilation, making the air easier and cleaner to breath for the artist and improving his/her comfort and performance.
Well, I tend to disagree. First off, you're not trying to capture "room ambiance" in a small booth. Which is the key here. I think it depends on the size of the booth though. In large pro studios, the booths are large as well, usually large enough for various ensembles or drums, and are treated as such, with BALANCED absorption. However, small booths are usually designated as vocal or voiceover spaces, and are typically treated with absorption on all surfaces to prevent comb filtering, as the boundaries are usually within 1-2' of the mic. This means a completely dead space. Which is entirely ok, as electronic reverb/Fx are added either to the headphone mix or to the recording, so it doesn't matter if the room is dead. In regards to the carpet,...well, so what if it absorbs HF...you're not trying to record the reflections...only the direct sound, and close proximity boundaries create comb filtering...ie...the "boxy" sound, so you need to ABSORB it. HOWEVER...personally, if you want to use the carpet...use it over 2" of rigid fiberglass..which in a booth...ABSORBS HF too!! And that's good. ..in a booth. And mid/LF simply go through the carpet into the fiberglass...which now becomes an aesthetic choice.
But frankly, to my way of thinking, to be truly effective in a small booth..I'd go for the beef and simply line the whole damn thing with 4" thick rigid fiberglass covered with fabric and be done with it. But again, this all depends on the size of your booth. In comparison, pro-studio "booths" are usually larger than most Home studio "live rooms", and with regards to the carpet thing in them...well...yea...it sucks the HF out of the ambiance, so they balance it with bass traps and Hi and Mid reflections/dispersion. Some even use diffusors...but I won't delve into the "school of thought" thing here...at least other than my OWN.
And btw, ask a studio designer how he "tests" a live room. You might be surprised. Same with a booth. But here's a tip. They DON'T..because they CAN'T. It's all about experience, the owners ears/approval, and the engineer's talent at extracting the best recording he can, with a given room and the talent he's recording. But here's the catch. Then along come's the "mix" engineer..and then the producer..and then the Mastering engineer...and now it becomes a whole new product.
Bottom line for a small booth? Absorb EVERYTHING, because you do NOT want comb filtering. And then use your ears and end result proclivities. You are the only one that decides if it works..or doesn't. After all..recording is as much "art" as it is "science". In that respect, think of it this way. A famous blues singer's first recording was made in a barn. Board and batten walls and hay bale absorption...I still listen to it once a week. Goddamn does it sound good.
Which means...it's the talent...not the recording and it's ALL in the ear of the beholder anyway. At least in my book. So, try recording a vocalist in your booth..first with NO carpet..and then simply temporarily hang some indoor/outdoor carpet on all four walls..and record the vocalist again. YOU be the judge. But about the "playback" room? If you mean the Control room, then do NOT use it in there. The control room is a whole nuther animal. and a completely different discussion. However, RecordingMasters comment is correct in that respect. Or a large live room too.Well, so much for my own non expert .02 ramblings. Oh, did I mention "opinion"? Ok...carry on.