sound dampening?

[Nathan1984]

So I have heard from some people that if you don't have sound dampening material that you can use quilts to kill off some of the reflections in a small room. Any comments on this. I am wanting to do some drum recordings in my little home studio, but don't have dampening material, if this would help, I would throw up a few quilts if it is true.

 

[Armistice]

Quilts, furniture, fat people... anything that can potentially absorb sound. A lot depends upon the room and what you're trying to record though... it's obviously easier to kill off reflections from quiet sound sources than loud ones, like drums. Blankets also help. Experiment. Be aware of where your microphones and what they are too... ie. if you're using a cardioid pattern condenser, it rejects sound from the rear, so actually putting your quilts behind the mic, which may seem logical, may not have the effect you want, whereas putting them behind the kit perhaps will have an effect in stopping reflections going to the back wall and into the front of the mic where all the sensitivity is....

 

[Nathan1984]

Thanks man, very helpful information. That is much easier for a guy on a budget to do than to go spend 1000+ dollars on soundproofing, that and I rent my house, so I don't think my landlord would like that I glued soundtraps to the walls lol.

 

[RAMI]

That is much easier for a guy on a budget to do than to go spend 1000+ dollars on soundproofing, .

Just to set things straight. Sound treatment doesn't have to cost anywhere 1000+ dollars. For less than $100 bucks you can buy material more suited for sound treatment. Nothing wrong with using whatever you can, like Armistice says, but don't be under the impression that you have to spend a lot of money to properly treat a room.

Sound treatment and sound proofing are 2 completely different things. In your case, we're talking about treatment.

 

[Bobbsy]

The most useful things I have are a wooden free standing screen that I got from a garage sale for $3 (one of those hinged things with 3 sections) and a couple of things I built for myself out of PVC pipe and joints like you can get at any DIY store. Standing those up as required and hanging quilts or mover's blankets from them lets you place them as required then tuck the frames under a bed when not in use (well, the pipe ones--my wife likes the wooden screen so much that it stands in our living room when I'm not using it!).

Extensive properly designed acoustic treatment with absorbers tuned to specific problem frequencies can cost tons--but you can still improve things a fair bit cheaply and easily. It might not be perfect but it's a darn sight better than four parallel plaster walls!

 

[junior general]

Hey, new here from Australia, although its an old thread but hope so, get the response. I just want to confirm what sort of quilt cover should I use that it absorb the sound!

 

[Bobbsy]

Hey, new here from Australia, although its an old thread but hope so, get the response. I just want to confirm what sort of quilt cover should I use that it absorb the sound!

The cover doesn't matter much (though something soft and rough is better than shiny linen). The important bit is just being thick and soft.

A bit like me I guess.

It doesn't have to be all quilts. Thick curtains help, over-stuffed couches, even a book shelf full of unevenly sized volumes. Really, anything to absorb or break up sound reflections (i.e. echos).

Do have a read of the acoustic treatment FAQs though. There are some relatively cheap and easy absorbers you can build for controlling bass.

 

[ecc83]

"We" have been talking abut materials to kill midband reflections which "colour" the sound.
The other usual treatment is bass trapping. Can I mention again that you can buy roof insulation in bags and leave it therein and pile it in out of the way places?

When/if the time comes the bags can be made up into trap frames but will (so I understand) work fine as they are.

Dave.