Temporary Recording Room treatment

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Alexbt

Alexbt

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Hi there,

I don't know if this is the best place to ask, but it seems close.

If one is to track multiple things (guitars, vocals, drums) in a smallish room (maybe about 20' wide by 10', with maybe 8' removable tiled ceilings?), what are some recommended treatment options?

Homemade solutions are welcome. :)
 
Well if you want to make them temporary, You could make some gobos. These are basicly free standing walls. You could build a frame made of wood and fill it with rockwool. Then cover the surface with a thin material. Try making two of these, about the size of a door, and have them hinged to each other, and have them standing in an L shape to support each other.

Hope this helps

- Idgeit
 
i built mine out of plywood, cover one side of that with insulation and rap the entire thing in carpet.
use bookshelf holders for feet

and if you get mad you can hit the things hard as hell and not hurt yourselfe
 
For the complete story see my Acoustics FAQ here:
Click to expand...
HEY, it didn't tell me "what part of" the "edge effect" is or is not part of the absorption coeffiecient. ;)
BTW, isn't that something were not supposed to know, even as consumers. After all, ASTM specs it, but were not allowed to read WHY? :mad: Unless you BUY the "standard", and even then, what the f.....? I don't get it. Thats like the government telling me gasoline is made to ASTMx standard, and guarantees not to burn a valve, but I can't find out why unless I buy the law. FUCK. :rolleyes:
The next product I buy that lists an ISO or ASTM standard in the specifications, I think I'm going to tell the salesman........PROVE IT. :rolleyes: ;)
 
giraffe said:
i built mine out of plywood, cover one side of that with insulation and rap the entire thing in carpet.
use bookshelf holders for feet
Click to expand...

Dose the carpet actually work for absorbing sounds?
if say, it had rockwool, then covered in carpet?

- Idgeit
 
any cheep soft carpet will do it's just so the surface is as non uniform, and non reflictive as possible (really bumpy and soft)

i'm not sure what rockwool is actually...
the thing about insulation is that you can buy acoustically rated building insulation.
 
I guess one question to ask is, how temporary are we talking? Are you looking to do this once and never again, or is it a room that will be used for recording but you don't want any extraneous gobos/foam/walls in the room?
The reason I ask is because if your intent is to record in the room often then your walls can be a bit more heavy and robust. For example I built some walls that hang from the ceiling and I use a pulley system move them out of the way when I want an open room or just want to move them. Since they are part of room itself I was able to build something that is more robust with glass and fuller/heavier insulation.
I also built some gobos like what was described above, but I put mine on wheels and used a 1x10 across the top which creates a kind of bar top so people can use it to set small items.

Hope this helps :)
 
Rick,

> it didn't tell me "what part of" the "edge effect" is or is not part of the absorption coeffiecient. <

In fact, it explains all of that perfectly well in the sidebar The numbers game. It's not my problem if a couple of guys who don't know any better disagree. :D

> I can't find out why unless I buy the law. <

If you want to read the law for free you can go to a law library. I assume there's a library somewhere that has the ASTM specs. And if you really care you can buy the C423 spec sheet. It's not expensive!

--Ethan
 
Basically, the it is a basement room we use to practice in. I suppose it could use sound proofing anyways, but I don't know how permanent it's going to be anyways. What would be best is if there is some kind of material we can cover the walls with to improve the sound. (There's a small window in there too that I am concerned about.)

Also, what about the ceiling and floor? I already mentioned the drop ceiling, and it has a tiled floor--the industrial kind used in schools and whatnot.
 
Maybe just reading Ethan's articles is best.

Here is the super-condensed version.

there are three things that you may need to be concerned about.

1. Isolation. Can you hear outside noises on your recordings? Cars, birds, the kids playing hoops next door? if so you need isolation. Isolation is accomplished with seals and mass. Ideally two, and only two, layers of mass isolated from each other with a cushioned air gap between.

2. Absorbtion. Does your recordings sound echoey or muddy with excessive bass rumble? That means that you need to add absorbtion. The best homemade absorbtion is done by buying a bale of semi-rigid insulation (Owens Corning 707 or equivalent) with a density of about 3-6 pounds per cubic foot. The panels are then covered in fabric (to keep the irritating fibers off of people) and hung against the wall, ideally with a small air gap between the panel and wall. Use thicker (3 or more inches) panels in the corners to cut bass, thinner panels on the walls to cut highs and mids and reduce 'slap echoes' that occur between parellel surfaces.

3. Cross-bleed. Are the drums showing up on the guitar track and guitar on the vocals and so forth? That is what the gobos are for. Gobo is short for 'go between'. The best homemade gobos have features of both isolation and absorbtion. They are usually a wooden frame with plywood on one side (or in the middle) and then semi-rigid insulation filling the frame one one or both sides. The whole is then covered with fabric so that the itchy fibers don't easily get on people.
 
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