D
DarknessRecords
New member
What accoustic foam do u recomend?
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
..........none
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sjjohnston
New member
Hearos....
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bdenton
New member
DarknessRecords, you are setting your self up for a lot of abuse from self-appointed "experts" who will proclaim that foam is not even suitable for wiping your ass.
But funny thing...every month Sound on Sound magazine, a highly respected recording journal, does a Studio SOS column where they provide assistance to studio owners who are having various problems. And while I'm sure the various vendors provide the products gratis for mention in the magazine, the SOS folks use quite a bit of Auralex foam.
The studio owners are generally pleased with the results, and the testing by the SOS folks show marked improvements. And JFTR, Sound on Sound is generally lauded for the impartiality of their equipment reviews.
I am by no means an acoustics expert, in fact I know very little about the subject. When I needed help with some acoustics problems I hired some professionals.
But I can read test results, and determine how well various products perform.
Is foam absolutely the best product for handling acoustics problems? No, there are products that do a better job.
Would I use foam if I were building a multi-million dollar professional studio? I might use a tiny amount in non-critical areas, but by-and-large I would use higher performance products and architectural techniques to either avoid acoustics issues in the first place and to deal with the inevitable anomalies that crop up.
Would I use foam if I were building a low-budget studio in my basement? Quite probably I would, as, despite some negatives, it can provide acceptable performance at low cost.
You really need to do some research regarding the various sound control options along with their effectiveness and cost. Determine the best product for your needs and budget.
And to answer your original question, should you decide that foam is the most appropriate product for your needs, I would probably go with Auralex. The test results I have seen on Auralex foam show it to be superior to other foams, and in some cases it will perform almost as well as more expensive products...
But funny thing...every month Sound on Sound magazine, a highly respected recording journal, does a Studio SOS column where they provide assistance to studio owners who are having various problems. And while I'm sure the various vendors provide the products gratis for mention in the magazine, the SOS folks use quite a bit of Auralex foam.
The studio owners are generally pleased with the results, and the testing by the SOS folks show marked improvements. And JFTR, Sound on Sound is generally lauded for the impartiality of their equipment reviews.
I am by no means an acoustics expert, in fact I know very little about the subject. When I needed help with some acoustics problems I hired some professionals.
But I can read test results, and determine how well various products perform.
Is foam absolutely the best product for handling acoustics problems? No, there are products that do a better job.
Would I use foam if I were building a multi-million dollar professional studio? I might use a tiny amount in non-critical areas, but by-and-large I would use higher performance products and architectural techniques to either avoid acoustics issues in the first place and to deal with the inevitable anomalies that crop up.
Would I use foam if I were building a low-budget studio in my basement? Quite probably I would, as, despite some negatives, it can provide acceptable performance at low cost.
You really need to do some research regarding the various sound control options along with their effectiveness and cost. Determine the best product for your needs and budget.
And to answer your original question, should you decide that foam is the most appropriate product for your needs, I would probably go with Auralex. The test results I have seen on Auralex foam show it to be superior to other foams, and in some cases it will perform almost as well as more expensive products...
Steenamaroo
...
for what??
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Why then do you endlessly seem to argue in favor of foam in every thread that pops up if you know very little about the subject of acoustics?
Are you just trying to ease your own conscience about using foam...or just wanting to play devil's advocate in favor of it for the sake of initiating a debate...?
JimmyS1969
MOODerator
Why then do you endlessly seem to argue in favor of foam in every thread that pops up if you know very little about the subject of acoustics?
Are you just trying to ease your own conscience about using foam...or just wanting to play devil's advocate in favor of it for the sake of initiating a debate...?
Yeah, no doubt. What's up with that?
witzendoz
Senior Member
If you are going to use any, use only acoustic foam (not the stuff found in mattresses) and thick acoustic foam, over 2" thick. The only foam in my studio is a little around the drum area to tame a little too much cymbal splash as it was just what was needed in that case.
Personally you are much better off making your own absorbers to tackle the problem frequencies in the room. There are a billion threads on this forum talking about this.
Alan.
Personally you are much better off making your own absorbers to tackle the problem frequencies in the room. There are a billion threads on this forum talking about this.
Alan.
Jeff_D
New member
No, he's not. He's asking a good (although kind of vague and misguided question), that will ultimately yield him some favorable results if he's smart enough to listen to his fellow forum members who've done their research and who speak from experience.
No one here rags on people for asking about foam. People get 'abused' when the insist that foam is some great product despite evidence that there are more effective solutions.
Hey darkness, look at rockwool or rigid fiberglass for acoustic treatments. There's lots of threads here. Since this is a recording forum, can we assume that you're ultimately setting up your room for listening/mixing? This is a pretty good video YouTube - How to Set Up and Treat a Listening Room , this one too YouTube - The Ultimate Home Studio (ethan is still a member here, although I don't know how often he visits).
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Travst
New member
Great videos, very informative!
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sjjohnston
New member
No he's not. For one thing, I don't see anything in either of the two posts above yours that remotely qualifies as "abuse."
He's setting himself up not to be taken entirely seriously, by starting four separate threads - in rapid succession, over a period of five minutes - the entire content of which is:
Please help mi out with vst's
Whats the best mic u can recomend for vocals?
Which company makes the best monitors?
What accoustic foam do u recomend?
B
bdenton
New member
Miroslav and jimmys69...
First, there is not a speck of foam in my studio, in fact, it doesn't even have walls yet, it's just an empty basement. I just bought my house last July, lost my job two days before I closed on it, and didn't get back to work until March. Kinda puts a crimp in one's studio construction budget.
Go back and re-read my post on this thread...I very plainly state that acoustic foam is generally not the best product available for sound control.
However, in various posts I have pointed out that both acoustic foam and egg cartons can be better than nothing at all (although I don't recommend egg cartons due to the flammability factor).
I'm lucky...I have tools, a nice workspace, and decent carpentry skills. I will probably end up with some DIY rockwool panels to make my limited budget go a little farther.
But a lot of people don't have tools or a workspace or necessary skills or much of a budget, and in many cases they will be better served by installing acoustic foam than they would be if they used no room treatment at all.
There is a lot of knee-jerk reaction against acoustic foam around here, and as is typical with internet boards, I imagine a lot of it comes from people who really don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
I stated, "I am by no means an acoustics expert, in fact I know very little about the subject."
That's not quite accurate. I've been hanging around studios since I was 17, some small commercial studios, mostly basement or garage project studios. I also spent 11 years on the air in a wide variety of radio studios. Some of them had cheesy paneling over wooden studs, some had the walls covered in the old white acoustic tiles with the holes in them. And I've worked in studios and control rooms that were professionally designed and constructed, including one where all of the walls were covered with foam. And I have been doing a lot of reading on sound control over the last five years, especially in the last year now that I have the opportunity to build a studio exactly like I want (limited only by budget, of course).
Is a vintage U87 a better mic than an SM57? In most cases, yes, but that doesn't mean that a lot or great records weren't cut on the lowly SM57.
Are there room treatments better than acoustic foam? In most cases, yes, but that doesn't mean that acoustic foam is worthless...
First, there is not a speck of foam in my studio, in fact, it doesn't even have walls yet, it's just an empty basement. I just bought my house last July, lost my job two days before I closed on it, and didn't get back to work until March. Kinda puts a crimp in one's studio construction budget.
Go back and re-read my post on this thread...I very plainly state that acoustic foam is generally not the best product available for sound control.
However, in various posts I have pointed out that both acoustic foam and egg cartons can be better than nothing at all (although I don't recommend egg cartons due to the flammability factor).
I'm lucky...I have tools, a nice workspace, and decent carpentry skills. I will probably end up with some DIY rockwool panels to make my limited budget go a little farther.
But a lot of people don't have tools or a workspace or necessary skills or much of a budget, and in many cases they will be better served by installing acoustic foam than they would be if they used no room treatment at all.
There is a lot of knee-jerk reaction against acoustic foam around here, and as is typical with internet boards, I imagine a lot of it comes from people who really don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
I stated, "I am by no means an acoustics expert, in fact I know very little about the subject."
That's not quite accurate. I've been hanging around studios since I was 17, some small commercial studios, mostly basement or garage project studios. I also spent 11 years on the air in a wide variety of radio studios. Some of them had cheesy paneling over wooden studs, some had the walls covered in the old white acoustic tiles with the holes in them. And I've worked in studios and control rooms that were professionally designed and constructed, including one where all of the walls were covered with foam. And I have been doing a lot of reading on sound control over the last five years, especially in the last year now that I have the opportunity to build a studio exactly like I want (limited only by budget, of course).
Is a vintage U87 a better mic than an SM57? In most cases, yes, but that doesn't mean that a lot or great records weren't cut on the lowly SM57.
Are there room treatments better than acoustic foam? In most cases, yes, but that doesn't mean that acoustic foam is worthless...
JimmyS1969
MOODerator
Ok, I'll put my opinion in a simple form. For the price of foam, you can build yourself panels that are proven to outperform foam in every way. Why would you say that foam is a good idea to someone who does not have that information yet. Yes I use foam in limited instances, but I would never defend it by saying that people give it a bad rep and you should go with it. And to even suggest that egg cartons are better than nothing, is an expression (IMO) that you have not a clue.
Jeff_D
New member
I'm not trying to abuse you here or anything, but it sounds like you're implying that making acoustic treatment from rockwool or rigid fiberglass is several orders of magnitude more costly than buying foam. I think for about ~$200 bucks (the cost of a mid-level Auralex kit) you could get a case of 4" rockwool, a couple yards of fabric, a handful of 1x4s for frames, a box of screws a cheap cordless drill screw driver, a hand saw and probably even a cheap staplegun. Of course, that will require a good bit more effort than going to the store and ordering foam, but if cost is the only consideration, I think better results can be achieved in the same price range.
I won't say foam is worthless; it has well documented acoustic properties. It does certain things, and thats fine. The thing is, that you can do SO much better in the same price range with a little bit of research and a little bit of elbow grease.
M
moresound
Loud Sun Studios
Jeff_D
New member
haha, yeah, that^
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
So then...what is your point, exactly?
You're all over the place.
You're really not "for foam"... but then you chastise anyone that likes to speak out against it.
You know that there are better products than foam, and that people can even build their own broad-band panels inexpensively... but you appear to always come out on the side of foam.
You're all over this BBS, popping up almost always when there is a "foam" thread...just to give warning to newbs about all the people who will argue against foam.
It is just rather peculiar how much you indirectly argue "for foam".
What's that all about?
Just so you don't think I'm against foam out of hand...I actually have some high-end Illbruck Sonex (now Pinta Acoustics, Inc) cloth covered acoustic foam panels on a couple of walls for a specific reason...but there are also other treatments too.
Thing is...if they get a "green light" on foam...most newbs will buy the cheapest foam crap, plaster the shit all over everything and be amazed at how it sounds, mainly 'cuz the high-end goes totally dead, and they think that's good....
...or some go the opposite, el-cheapo extreme, and they'll hang maybe just four 2'x2' squares in some silly decorative fashion in the middle of their bare sheet-rock walls *(one square per wall) and think they've done good by applying "acoustic treatment".
For newbs...it's best if they buy or build a few broadband panels which will truly be "better than nothing" instead of starting out with foam. Some foam can always be added "as needed" afterwords for spot control of flutter echo and high-end ringing.
Re-tox_stl
New member
Who's got the popcorn?!?
Might as well give my two cents while I'm here..
I would not go as far to say that foam is better than nothing, because in 99% of rooms (unless your walls are constructed of roxul and fibreglass) bass is 99% of the problem. And if you knock off all the highs (with foam).. Bass will be 100% of your problemo. And that is no buen senior.
Drew.
Might as well give my two cents while I'm here..
I would not go as far to say that foam is better than nothing, because in 99% of rooms (unless your walls are constructed of roxul and fibreglass) bass is 99% of the problem. And if you knock off all the highs (with foam).. Bass will be 100% of your problemo. And that is no buen senior.
Drew.
suprstar
It aint ez being green
Here we go again.... A very common problem for home/amatuer studios is 'boxy' muddy sound, which is basically an over-abundance of low frequencies. What does foam do? It captures HIGH frequencies. So, in a place where you have too many lows, you're removing highs. End result is a room with an even WORSE low:high freq response ratio - it makes your problem even worse. OC-703/705, rockwool, etc. trap lows 100x better than auralex and will flatten the freq response of your room. Start with that, it's cheaper than auralex anyway, so I never understand what the debate is all about. It's physics, not speculation and myth. Sure, pro studios have some foam. They also have 10x the better stuff.
H
hungovermorning
Dr. Caveman.
Absolutely agreed. Here's what I'll say from experience, and it applies to absolutely everything in recording: Buy cheap, buy twice. I bought the foam, was left with a boxy sounding room that had the worst 100-500 hz hump you've ever heard. I then found someone to sell me three crates of 703, read up on my acoustics, assembled panels, and hung them accordingly. For the last 3 years I've just set up and went. Sure I'd like fun things like diffusors or some denim corner traps, (or a higher ceiling!) but the OC703 will always be a part of this equation and I should have bought it (instead of foam, blankets, and literally any other "cheaper" option for acoustic treatment) because I would have actually saved a ton of money and time going with the good stuff in the beginning.