Where to place Reflective & Absorptive materials??

[Jake1]

OK i'm new to this...i have a very small room like 10 x 11 with 8 ft ceilings...i'm planning to treat my room without buying expensive brand name materials.. I've watched a ton of videos and what not and i'm still not sure about some things....so i have a few questions here....are bass traps meant to be absorptive or reflective??? and @ what positions to you put absorbers??? and what positions to you put reflectors????

 

[Jeff_D]

Bass traps are absorbers. Specifically they absorb low frequencies well. You want bass traps in the room corners and more absorption at the first reflection points. This article lays it out pretty well (no pun intended). If you want to keep it on the cheap, Roxul Safe rockwool is a lot less expensive than the rigid fiberglass by Owen Corning, Knaff etc.
Ethan also has some videos on youtube. Search "Ethan Winer"

 

[buzzard bass]

Good question, I'm keeping my eye on this. To quote Johnny Rotten I'm a lazy sod so I bought some ATS Acoustics broadband panels, the 2'x4' panels were only 48 bucks or so each. Got 2 of those and 2 of the 2x2 panels, all burgundy, they match the curtains..

I'm thinking the 2x4 jobs could go in the front corners, are they okay flat on the wall in the corner, or is straddling the corner betters. Also would the 2 smaller panels be better behind the mixing desk, or on the side wall? Many thanks.

 

[Jake1]

thanks Jeff... & once i get my absorbers up, my reflectors (studio foam) can just go where ever?

 

[Jeff_D]

Well, foam is ALSO an absorber. Foam is a fine mid and high absorber. Problem is, you really need the whole range.. What most people refer to as "bass traps" are really broadband absorbers- that is, they absorb well across the whole audible range. Basically, where foam leaves off, rigid fiberglass keeps absorbing... If it was me, I'd sell every piece of foam you have and invest in more of the good stuff. Probably not what you want to hear, but thats my 2c.

 

[Jake1]

what did u mean by the good stuff?
O another Q......i heard u should cover your bass trap with thin material and i also heard thick material....what would you use to cover yours?

 

[Jeff_D]

rigid fiberglass like Owens Corning OC703 or rockwool like Roxul Safe would be the good stuff. Anything made of foam /= not the good stuff.

Yeah, you'll want to cover your traps. Fiberglass and rockwool fibers can become airborne and be a nuisance. The common response is, if you can breathe through the fabric, that it will be relatively 'acoustically transparent'; i.e. it won't adversely affect the benefits of the material behind it. Muslin is pretty thin and cheap. I used duck cloth on some of my stuff, which is like a canvas. You'll have to hit up the local fabric store and see what they have. Fabric is sold by the yard (that is, a yard in length), but some fabrics are wider than others, so consider that while you're planning and shopping. OC703 and Roxul safe comes in 2' x 4' panels.

 

[Sky Blue Lou]

+1 on duckcloth. It's near $10/yard though. Gets a bit pricey if you have a lot of panels. Felt is good too - about $3/yard for the cheaper grade. My room project is taking about 19 yards of duck and 12 of felt.


lou

 

[Jake1]

wow thanks guys....ok...lets say i got rid of all my foam...covered my walls with packing blankets.....built bass traps for all of my corners...put like 2 decent sized traps on all 4 walls...a bass trap for each wall - ceiling connection....DOES THIS SOUND DECENT??