Help picking a room?

  • Thread starter Thread starter superelixir
  • Start date Start date
I am trying to create a reflection-free zone for the listening position, but also to deaden the room and tighten the bass in general, for tracking loud guitar cabs and vocals. The listening position will be around 9' or 10' from the back wall.

I'll definitely look into getting more bass traps, and maybe diffusers. I like the idea of fixing reflection problems without deadening the room, but diffusers seem to be less cost effective than panels (at least in terms of area per $)...

A cost effective solution often times is to do a combination of the two by using slats in a diffusive pattern in front of absorbents, like this: GIK Acoustics Scatter Plate
 
I am trying to create a reflection-free zone for the listening position, but also to deaden the room and tighten the bass in general, for tracking loud guitar cabs and vocals. The listening position will be around 9' or 10' from the back wall.

I'll definitely look into getting more bass traps, and maybe diffusers. I like the idea of fixing reflection problems without deadening the room, but diffusers seem to be less cost effective than panels (at least in terms of area per $)...
+1 Very good...

The different devices DO different things acoustically, so you can't really compare them like apples to apples. The trapping you MUST have. The diffusion will add comfort and audible cues for the brain to relate to the environment. A rear wall diffusor will terminate the ISD (Initial Signal Delay) gap for RFZ spec. Slats and other diffraction will aide in preserving the mid and upper frequency energy in the room. You need that too. But take it a step at a time.
1. Trapping
2. reflection points. (Don't forget the ceiling)
3. Diffusion to retain energy.

Cheers,
John
 
I'm almost done treating my room (I have monster bass traps in all the corners, as well as 8 2" fiberglass panels with large air gaps forming a reflection free zone, and 2 more panels elsewhere), and the bass seems to have disappeared. I know I'm probably just not accustomed to hearing the room like this, but my guitar amplifiers sound COMPLETELY different--one that used to sound thick and beefy now sounds bright and fizzy--so my question is... Is it possible to OVER treat the lower frequencies? Should I look into getting measurement equipment to make sure the room is balanced?

It almost sounds like a chunk was taken out of my amps between 100 and 300 Hz...
 
I'm almost done treating my room (I have monster bass traps in all the corners, as well as 8 2" fiberglass panels with large air gaps forming a reflection free zone, and 2 more panels elsewhere), and the bass seems to have disappeared. I know I'm probably just not accustomed to hearing the room like this, but my guitar amplifiers sound COMPLETELY different--one that used to sound thick and beefy now sounds bright and fizzy--so my question is... Is it possible to OVER treat the lower frequencies? Should I look into getting measurement equipment to make sure the room is balanced?

It almost sounds like a chunk was taken out of my amps between 100 and 300 Hz...

You've most likely been listening to room resonances. You can't over-do bass trapping. Many large professional studios don't have enough bass trapping.
Try moving the speaker cabinet to find the best place in the room for recording. Of course, you need to get the sound you are looking for and want, but it may be that the amp was not making that LF in the first place - or at least not that much and the room was over-amplifying it.
Work with it, my friend.
Cheers,
John
 
...but it may be that the amp was not making that LF in the first place -

note to self..file under

Lesson #1 When rooms lie to you...








:p
 
It almost sounds like a chunk was taken out of my amps between 100 and 300 Hz...

If you have some recordings of your amp..or anything for that matter, that were made prior to treatment..play them back now. See lesson 1.:D
 
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