Drum Isolation

[sowpunk]

Hey guys!

I am setting up a studio at home. I am pretty much on a budget but this part I am about to discuss isn't something I need right away so I can save for a while.

I wish to record drums using:

1x Shure BETA 52 - Kick
4x Shure SM-57 - Snare/Toms
2x Overheads (undecided)
1x Behringer B-2 - Hi-Hat

I am aware some of those mic's aren't too special lol. But the problem I have now is acoustics.

I was thinking of buying about 4 peices of plywood about as high as the drum kit and covering them in carpet. Then using wood stands to have them at a 90 degree angle surrounding most of the drums.

Is this a good idea? Anything better I could do? How much am I looking at?

Cheers guys!

 

[pandamonk]

Carpet = bad

Do a search for rigid fiberglass

and check out this, and this

 

[sowpunk]

Cheers mate

Looks like I've got alot of reading to do

EDIT:
Ah ok so Rigid Fibreglass is the stuff used in insulation?

 

[sowpunk]

Anyone know where you can get Rigid Fibreglass in Australia?

Google won't help me

 

[Willybomb]

Yeah, I got some from Gay and Co in Ballarat - or, more correctly, from the Plastermasta (sp?) next door which I think is part of that particular business. They hadn't heard of the stuff before, but I found it in their trade catelog and they ordered it in for me from sydney. About $135 for 13 square meters I think it was.

But, the people who make it are:
http://www.insulco.com.au
http://www.insulco.com.au/professional/files/commercial/AcousticData.pdf

HTH,
Willy.

 

[sowpunk]

Thanks mate!

Not too expensive either! Only like 400$ AUD for 60m squared of the stuff

 

[Mattof79]

So, will the actual design help for a recording.. ie 4 walls at 90 degrees?
And will the space sound ok?

 

[MCreel]

That design can't hurt.

It worked for Mike Portnoy on the Liquid Tension album. There's a picture inside the jacket of him recording behind such a set-up. And his had foam on it, not fiberglass or insulation of some sort.

So, yes, it should help. Especially in a bedroom where it will cut down wall reflections that would otherwise bleed into the mic.

I say give it a shot. This would fall under the "experimentation" and learning part that others mentioned.

One word of advice: don't use any materials that are so heavy that moving these things around or storing them is a pain. It will only discourage you from using them, and if they work well they won't be a very handy/mobile option. Plus you'll probably spend more than you would like making them.

Use light materials, and as little of it as possible. Look at my "art on panels" thread for some pics of a possible design. Those things are so light I can grab the tops and lift them all the way out to the side.