Just how important are the room and acoustics?

[xtjdx]

Well, I've been recording for about two years now. I work with pretty decent equipment, nothing top of the line or even close to it, and get pretty good results. My usual recording room consists of a) the band's practice space or b) my bedroom (which has no acoustic foam, just a few bookcases and a dresser). So, I have to ask, is an acoustically tuned room with foam, etc. really as necessary as it is hyped to be? Most of the people on this site who claim to have put so much money into their recording setup room-wise and equipment-wise churn out some of the worst recordings I have ever heard, and 99% of the time the ones I do just for fun are way better. I'm not trying to be the "mine is the best always" guy, but when it comes down to it is all that money/know how able to replace experience/a decent ear?
Just my 1 1/4 cents.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Ignition.]

Well, there is no doubt that a room can make ALL the difference in a recording. I found this out just the other night.

Try this project and tell me rooms don't make a difference.

Use one Microphone and one track.

Record:

2 acoustic guitars
1 vocalist
1 set of bongos

Record it in your living room, and get the perfect recording.

It was my first time doing something like that the other night, and maybe that is why it took me 5 hours to get it right, but it took me 5 hours. The mic never moved. Only the players...and the room made SUCH A DIFFERENCE.

Now try the same thing in a large bathroom and tell me the room does not make a difference.

Don't get me wrong though...knowledge is key!

 

[chessrock]

I think you have to put it in context of what you're trying to achieve.

Are you trying to set the world on fire with amazing sonic quality and spacious 3-dimensionality ... or are you just trying to record some decent / good demos?

It's kinda' silly to get all carried away with this stuff if it's the latter. There is such a thing as good enough.

If, however, you're really taking this stuff seriously, then accoustics mean a heck of a lot ... and it has more to do with the types and amount of options available to you. It doesn't have anything to do with foam. Get the foam idea out of your head. You really need to do more research on this stuff to get an understanding of what accoustic treatment really entails.

Limiting yourself strictly to close-mic'ing sources with tight cardiod mics (because your accoustics aren't so hot) will only give you a certain amount of options. It's nice to be able to enjoy some of the benefits of backing the mic off and getting more air ... or the spaciousness afforded by stereo mic'ing ... or the natural feel and lack of off-axis coloration you get with using wider-pattern mics, etc.

Once you start digging the sound of your room more ... it kind of opens up a lot of other possibilities that you otherwise wouldn't consider because you're always working around the limitations of your accoustic conditions. Maybe you'd like to try using omni's for drum overheads, sometime, if only you liked your room accoustics more. Maybe you'd like to back a singer off the mic a ways to reduce proximity effect, if only your room didn't suck.

That kind of thing. You get the idea. Better accoustics = more mic'ing options.

 

[Massive Master]

I think acoustic treatment in the listening area / control room is ultra-important... Almost anything can be worked around *IF* you can hear it properly in the control room.

Setting up mics in a less-than-wonderful room isn't as difficult if you can accurately hear the less-than-wonderful room well in the control room.

On the flipside, treating the live room very well (which is a good idea) doesn't help as much if the control room sounds poor - as your "good room" will only sound as good as the "bad room" lets you hear it.

 

[xtjdx]

I do one-room recordings. All the time. Would you like to hear one I'm working on?

 

[Dani Pace]

To me a room with good (if not great) acouctics is vital. A room that sounds bad will produce bad recordings. As far as sound proofing goes I find it is more important to keep sound out than to keep it in, I've been amazed at the amount of outside noise that mics will pick up. I've found there are three primary needs for good recordings, #1 a good place to record, #2 good equipment, and #3 good musicians, the rest is up to you.