redoing my studio - trying to find foam!

S

spinrecordings

New member
I'm redoing my studio, I have some studio foam but I want the ceiling and the walls lined with studio foam.

Anyone know of any good sites to find some? This stuff is EXPENSIVE! Sheesh! so far I'm looking at spending atleast $500 :(

The room is 20.5 ft long, 9.5ft wide, and 8ft high.

Any suggestions? I want it to look just as good as it sounds.. right now it sounds good but looks bad :(
 
Spin... The sound is what counts. If your happy with it, don't add acoustic treatments for the look.

Cheers
Kevin.
 
i have said it before, and i will say it again, you get what you pay for in this area. be sure that the stuff is up to fire code. auralex, by far, is the most durable foam i have seen on the market. there is nothing quite as irretating as tiny foam partictles in your eyes during the vocal performance of a lifetime. as far as expense, dont just treat all the walls thinking that is going to solve all your problems. a little (good) foam well placed is going to be much more efficient than totally covering your walls with cheap stuff.



lynn
www.therecordinghouse.com
 
In response to foreverain 4 - what he says about fire codes is absolutely right.

Many foams -designed for seat cushions/packing- have incredible flame spread rates and smoke generation. Foam that is going to be placed on walls or ceilings should be designed and rated for that type of application.

Yes it is more expensive but it is the fire retardancy that adds to the cost but also to yours and others safety.

I have been a career Firefighter for 28 years and can attest to what foams made out of polyurethane can do if ignited -

Bite the bullet and buy the right stuff! Foam on walls should have a Class 1 flame spread rating.

Good luck.
Brad
 
Just try running a strip where wall meets ceiling all the way around and then some bass traps in at the top of all trihedral corners going in 3 directions. Give up on covering the whole room, that sounds like ass. Try the checkerboard effect where no opposite walls are the same. Blank space on one is treated on opposite. Get 4 2x2 diffusors above the drum or recording space and you will probably be in the ballpark.
Check out the prorec.com article how he did his, might work for you.
 
Bloomington said:
I have been a career Firefighter for 28 years and can attest to what foams made out of polyurethane can do if ignited -
Click to expand...

Hey Bloomington, your probably the best person to ask this since your an experienced fire fighter.

I'm looking on foambymail.com and they have a message that reads:

ALL acoustical products (charcoal & colors) meet a Class B, California 117 flame retardant specifications. Generally, this means if you were to briefly expose our foam to a flame, the foam will self-extinguish.
Click to expand...

Now I AM going with auralex... but in one instance I am going to purchase two cubes from foambymail because its way cheaper and aurlaex doesnt sell just TWO cubes for $40.oo ;)

Please let me know your thoughts as to if the foam sounds safe.

Thanks!
 
See www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

One problem you'll have is that the foam will only absorb mids and highs, so you will have a dead room with crappy bass and it will suck bad. Even 50% coverage is way too much.

And ditto the burning foam problem. The chemicals it gives off when it does burn are horribly nasty.
 
A couple things.

First of all I've NEVER seen a room where you need or want the whole ceiling and all the walls covered with foam - except maybe a vocal booth but then I'd use something else.

Second, some of the products mentioned are , well I'll stop short of calling them junk but not by much - sorry - especially the foam-by-mail. Of the others, how many have published specs? If not, how do you know what it will do to your room? How much of what you'll need?

IF you MUST use foam, stick with Auralex or another known quantity that publishes their specs. OR, use rigid fiberglass or acoustical cotton. Just throwing up some foam without analyzing what the room needs may actually make it worse.

If you're really looking to save money AND do a good job, look into some OC 703 or equivalent. Cut your own cubes, make your own panels, etc. Can cover with musling you're ready to go. LOTS more effective per square foot and inch of thickness - especially in the bottom end. I'll guarantee you that 4" of 703 straddling a corner will absolutely smoke any foam - even the Auralex LENRD for a broadband bass absorber for a WHOLE lot less money. Think about $25 -$30 for a 2'x4'x4" thick bass absorber including the fiberglass, the covering material and the wood frame.

Bryan
 
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bpape said:
A couple things.

First of all I've NEVER seen a room where you need or want the whole ceiling and all the walls covered with foam
Bryan
Click to expand...


It's frequently recommended that you completely cover a low ceiling with absorbtion and leave the floor reflective. It's better to make the ceiling disappear than have the nasty early reflections from it.
 
MAYBE the whole ceiling but I'd still do it in a mix of different materials and maybe some diffusion. Maybe some thicker material - partially FRK faced toward the sides, lighter density 2" or so at the reflection points, diffusion overhead, etc.

I understand about the hard floor/soft ceiling approach and agree. I'm just saying that to do basically all of the room's surfaces in thin foam that does almost nothing below 1kHz is not something I'd ever recommend - much less doing the same thing on all the walls.

Talk about boomy bottom end and totally dead lifeless highs.
 
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