Pics...HELP PLEASE!!! setting up and treating live recording studio in basement

lumberintoad

New member
Hi, I'm very new to this forum, but I was searching through it and I saw that many people were able to gather good advice from people who appear to know what they're talking about. I've been in this rock band for a few years now and we are looking at recording another album this summer. I've got my mixing and mastering environment set up in a separate room with 4 auralex max-wall panels for sound treatment. But now I'm needing some advice as to how I should set up the basement to maximize acoustic performance for a live recording situation...

NOTE: we have NO VOCALS for original material therefore just need to find the best setup for the two amps and drums to be recorded simultaneously if at all possible.

1. Are the drums best positioned in a corner like so? (I'm looking at ATS fiberglass absorption panels for the walls behind the drummer and maybe a shield to help isolate the sound...would this produce good results...need tips and pointers PLEASE!)

2. I placed the guitar and bass amps about 3ft. from the wall, with heavy clothing racks and sleeping bags behind them to minimize initial reflections i think?! (Are the amps too close for recording simultaneously, please help with coordinating proper acoustical placement of amps and any fiberglass panels/acoustical products i might need to purchase)

3. What effect does the metal exercise equipment have on the sound of the recording? (I'd like to move it out but it's taken a lot of time to clear out the side we've set up in as it is, and that stuff isn't easy to move).

4. Across the room from the amps I've placed two book shelves with randomly aligned books for hopeful diffusion purposes...will this help at all or is there better placement for things like this? (any recommendations for DIY diffusion panels or things of that sort)

5. Is there any cheap treatment I need to think about adding to the ceiling or is it OK as it is?

6. Also does that punching bag filled with sand act as a bass trap in any way if I placed it in a corner? (I've got it where the wall begins to slant out about 30 degrees, but I don't know if this is enough of an angle for bass frequencies to buildup or not.)

Sound equipment used for recording:

-Mackie ONYX-1640 mixer w/Firewire Card
-Mac PowerBook G4 w/home made isolation box (roll down front panel)
-Shure PG 6-Piece Drum Microphone Package
-3 Shure SM57's
-1 Shure SM58
-1 Shure Beta 87A Supercardioid Condenser
-1 RODE NTK Tube Microphone (however it's in my mixing/mastering room)

Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks a lot

















 
do searchces on 703 and treat the room.

stuff in the room winds up acting as diffusion to varying degrees, but it's not the main problem.

I say get the amps where they are comfortable to play and treat the room with absorbtion (that's the 703) to take care of reflections.
 
Keep the drums out of the corner. More out in the room gives a nicer larger sound IMO.

Use a 4-6" thick cloud over the drum position.

For the rest of a small live room, I like to use a series of small absorbant panels spread throughout the space. None in any one area - just a few scattered about for some minor echo control.

In the control room, you didn't mention any broadband bass control. I'd seriously consider adding some or you'll have all kinds of issues getting bass levels correct and good translations to other environments.

Good luck.

Bryan
 
Thanks for your advice

Hey thanks a lot for your input, i will try some of these things out...

The 4 auralex MAX-wall panels in my studio have fairly extended bass absorption... .81 at 125Hz, but i don't have the best monitors (M-Audio BX8 or somethin like that)...any recomendations on some good monitors?

Also do you mean put absorption materials over the drumset when you say "drum cloud"?

And if I move the drums away from the corner, where is the best positions for the guitar amp and bass amp (and if they each require different conditions i.e. against the wall or not)?

Thanks for your help once again, I know these topics have sort of been covered I just don't know how to apply it to my situation...
 
has anyone ever used this parquet stuff before to create either acoustic reflection panels or just to tile over concrete?

I've got some scrap laying around and I was thinking about buying a little more...

http://www.ifloor.com/kw_2-2529/har...ng|582232266&gclid=COOM54e_u4oCFQM-IgodwXRDOw

Also, if I decided to tile my floor with hardwood/this stuff, would it help create more professional acoustics in the live room (because I know most professional studios have wood flooring from what I've seen)?

I've done research but I have no first hand experience with this type of thing...any help is GREATLY appreciated!
 
anybody?

especially concerned with drum placement and amp placement...and if gobos are placed around the drum set once it's moved away from the wall for a bigger sound, would that completely defeat the purpose since it creates a small wall of its own?

thanks
 
I think that with a space like that, you might really want to go for as much absorbtion as possible. My feeling is that you're not going to get a "big drum sound" in a cramped area like that.

My above-the-garage studio has a fairly short ceiling, so my decision was to absorb what I could and add ambiance with reverb plug ins. If I had a huge space, then I would work more on a decent live and ambient room.
 
ok, that's what i'll do then...so then leaving the drums in the corner isn't a big deal i'm geussing?

as long as i get some of those 703 absorption panels

thanks
 
Having the drums in the corner will accentuate the room modal issues even more. Move them out.

Normally, in a shorter room, you want a hard floor and soft ceiling - especially for the drums. I'd hang maybe 4" of materail parallel to the ceiling with a 2-4" air gap behind it.

You'll want to do some corner absorbtion to get the bottom end under control but you don't want to kill the room too much. Spread some absorbtion throughout the space but don't kill the whole thing by any means.

Bryan
 
ok, i will move them out then...

is there a problem with putting the amps in that area instead so I can put the drums in their spot (i.e. will the amps experience/create issues in the corner)?

and also, should I look into those auralex Gramma amp risers to get them off the floor or is putting them on carpet good enough?

any recommendations for homemade drum shield/gobo designs would be appreciated as our drummer is on a tight budget at the moment...

thanks for your input
 
if you are micing amps with a sm57 up in the grill or something, it isn;t going to make much or a diference where you put them, i don't think, they are not going to be picking up muchint he way of reflections. you might want to pull combo amps away from the walls a bit and prop them up on a chair or something so you aren't picking up the really close reflections from the floor.

Daav
 
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