Room treatment

[Trumpspade]

This question may have been asked, and forgive me if it has.

BUT, is there a particular approach to treating a room that has a window and slanted ceilings? I have moved into a new home and the only place I have for my studio is on the 3rd level. It is a pretty nice size room, but it has a window and slanted ceilings. What is the best approach to treating a room of the description?

 

[bennychico11]

http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

 

[bpape]

What type of slanted ceilings? Is it tapered from one side to be higher on the other? Is it on both sides? Front to back? How low does the slant start?

Depending on the answers to the above, the plan would be addressed accordingly.

Bryan

 

[Trumpspade]

What type of slanted ceilings? Is it tapered from one side to be higher on the other? Is it on both sides? Front to back? How low does the slant start?

Depending on the answers to the above, the plan would be addressed accordingly.

Bryan

I'll try to explain it as best I can!

The room is apprx 12x12. The ceiling is about 9 feet tall. The width of the ceiling flat is apprx 8 feet wide before it slants and meets the wall. (About 2ft slants on each side). I'll try to upload a sample sketch

 

[WhiteStrat]

What type of slanted ceilings? Is it tapered from one side to be higher on the other? Is it on both sides? Front to back? How low does the slant start?

Depending on the answers to the above, the plan would be addressed accordingly.

Bryan

Pay attention to whatever Bryan comes back with! His advice (and me actually following it!) has improved my recording more than any piece of gear!

(Just saw bpape's post and thought I'd drop in a plug!)

 

[pandamonk]

I'll try to explain it as best I can!

The room is apprx 12x12. The ceiling is about 9 feet tall. The width of the ceiling flat is apprx 8 feet wide before it slants and meets the wall. (About 2ft slants on each side). I'll try to upload a sample sketch

That's probably the worst slant. I'll let Brian advise you.

 

[Trumpspade]

That's probably the worst slant. I'll let Brian advise you.

Gee,

I hope not!

I have a friend who had a studio in his attic and it was Top of the Line. He has since retired to North Carolina and I can't get in touch with him. His ceiling was like mine, but there were no windows. For treatment purposes, he had it nailed! I use to mix in that room and it was PERFECT!
I just have no idea of what route he took. I was 28 back then and didn't pay attn!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's so ironic that I ended up in a setting like his. In my old house, I had a set- up in the basement that was PERFECT. I just didn't have the room when the Family started expanding.

I want so desperately what he had! And this was in the mid 90's

 

[Dani Pace]

Try recording in the room without any treatment, listen carefully to the playback. This should give you a pretty good idea of where you have problems. Reflections, boominess, harsh sounds, whatever, then address each problem until the room sounds the way you want it to. Diffusers, absorbers, traps, clouds, all these work together and need to be tailored to meet your particular needs.

 

[pandamonk]

Gee,

I hope not!

I have a friend who had a studio in his attic and it was Top of the Line. He has since retired to North Carolina and I can't get in touch with him. His ceiling was like mine, but there were no windows. For treatment purposes, he had it nailed! I use to mix in that room and it was PERFECT!
I just have no idea of what route he took. I was 28 back then and didn't pay attn!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's so ironic that I ended up in a setting like his. In my old house, I had a set- up in the basement that was PERFECT. I just didn't have the room when the Family started expanding.

I want so desperately what he had! And this was in the mid 90's

I think, like a concave design, that will direct the sound to a single point.

 

[Trumpspade]

Try recording in the room without any treatment, listen carefully to the playback. This should give you a pretty good idea of where you have problems. Reflections, boominess, harsh sounds, whatever, then address each problem until the room sounds the way you want it to. Diffusers, absorbers, traps, clouds, all these work together and need to be tailored to meet your particular needs.

That sounds like a plan!

Thanks...........

 

[Trumpspade]

I think, like a concave design, that will direct the sound to a single point.

If that is what happens that is great!

Have you had experience working in a room with some type of slanted dimension?

 

[bpape]

Actually, that's the last thing you want it to focus the sound like that.

If the walls are 8' before it starts slanting, you'll want to straddle those corners. On the rest of the slant, you can use diffusion mixed with a small amount of absorbtion.

Put the diffusion up so the ribs are vertical so it scatters front to back in the room.

Bryan

 

[Trumpspade]

Actually, that's the last thing you want it to focus the sound like that.

If the walls are 8' before it starts slanting, you'll want to straddle those corners. On the rest of the slant, you can use diffusion mixed with a small amount of absorbtion.

Put the diffusion up so the ribs are vertical so it scatters front to back in the room.

Bryan

Straddling the corners with what? I'm not sure of that terminology (Sorry!!!) I think I understand what you are saying about the slants. How about a type of window treatment? I've seen various options, just don't know the success rate. I don't have $250.00 to waste!

Thanks for your help!

I'm working on a Project starting April 1st and I just want to be as prepared as I can.

 

[pandamonk]

If that is what happens that is great!

Have you had experience working in a room with some type of slanted dimension?

My old bedroom was like that. So yeah, but i didn't know much back then, and was only interested in getting my band recorded, not about quality.

It's not a great thing. It causes more problems than a standard rectangular room(which isn't great either).

 

[pandamonk]

Straddling the corners with what? I'm not sure of that terminology (Sorry!!!) I think I understand what you are saying about the slants. How about a type of window treatment? I've seen various options, just don't know the success rate. I don't have $250.00 to waste!

Thanks for your help!

I'm working on a Project starting April 1st and I just want to be as prepared as I can.

Yeah just get up on the corners and staddle them like a horse

I'm kidding.

Get some broadband bass traps and place them across the corner. Either buy them, from a company like realtraps, or make your own with a frame and rigid fiberglass, all wrapped in fabric.

What do you want to treat the window for? Windows are quite nasty acoustically, but might not need loads of treatment. Where is the window? On a slant, or just on the wall?

 

[Trumpspade]

Yeah just get up on the corners and staddle them like a horse

I'm kidding.

Get some broadband bass traps and place them across the corner. Either buy them, from a company like realtraps, or make your own with a frame and rigid fiberglass, all wrapped in fabric.

What do you want to treat the window for? Windows are quite nasty acoustically, but might not need loads of treatment. Where is the window? On a slant, or just on the wall?

Just on the wall...........

 

[Trumpspade]

Pardon my lack of knowledge again, but I gathered from watching some of the videos that the more Bass traps, the better. Is that a fair statement?

 

[pandamonk]

Pardon my lack of knowledge again, but I gathered from watching some of the videos that the more Bass traps, the better. Is that a fair statement?

Certainly is.

For bass traps, i mean hang them like this:

It's best to keep symmetry, so i'd either have another(bent) reflective surface, on the side opposite the window, like this:

or place absorption panels to block the window, and across from these panels. This won't increase isolation, if that's what you are hoping, just reduce affect a window has on acoustics.

 

[Trumpspade]

Certainly is.

For bass traps, i mean hang them like this:

It's best to keep symmetry, so i'd either have another(bent) reflective surface, on the side opposite the window, like this:

or place absorption panels to block the window, and across from these panels. This won't increase isolation, if that's what you are hoping, just reduce affect a window has on acoustics.

I understand the positioning and most importantly the IMPORTANCE of bass traps.
Opposite the window is a door. I'm not sure what approach I may need to take. Also, now that I think of it, there is an A/C vent for cental air on the wall as well. (It gets very hot up there in the summer) What affect would that have? (It is apprx 6 inches wide and about a foot long adjacent the window wall)
Don't I need to place some foam or another type of material for the mids and highs on the Flat surfaces? (Wall and ceiling)

 

[pandamonk]

I understand the positioning and most importantly the IMPORTANCE of bass traps.
Opposite the window is a door. I'm not sure what approach I may need to take. Also, now that I think of it, there is an A/C vent for cental air on the wall as well. (It gets very hot up there in the summer) What affect would that have? (It is apprx 6 inches wide and about a foot long adjacent the window wall)
Don't I need to place some foam or another type of material for the mids and highs on the Flat surfaces? (Wall and ceiling)

The A/C shouldn't be a problem acoustically, i don't think, although if you require isolation it may be.

You can still hang absorption panels on a door...

Broadband bass traps, the ones suggested most, absorb mid and high as well. I suggest you keep the mid and high absorption to a minimum, or you will have a dead room at these frequencies, and the bass will still boom.

I'd suggest, minimum treating 4 corners with broadband bass traps, treating the back wall, the side wall and ceiling first reflections, and behind the monitors.

If you add more mid-high absorption(maybe for the slant and/or along the walls/ceilings) then i'd add more bass traps in the corners, although you don't want too much absorption. In certain areas, the back wall/slant, diffusion may be a better idea to keep some liveliness although still helping the problems.