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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: BlindGuyEars on March 26, 2012, 12:47:44 PM
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Hi folks.
My listening room/studio is a converted carpeted basement bedroom. It measures:
10' wide, by 17' deep, by 7' high. At least it isn't a square. :)
So far, I've placed seven fabric-covered fiberglass pannels around the primary mix position... two on the side walls, a couple above, and one on the wall behind the monitors. Pannels were from Forward Acoustics, and I recommend them highly.
That has cut down on the echoing and higher frequency reflections a lot... huge improvement in imaging, localization, accuracy ...
(rant on)
If some of you have invested tons in gear but not treated your room yet, you're not hearing probably 50% of what your speakers can do! I ignored all those acoustic treatment recommendations for years, and was stupid about it. I have since seen, well, heard the light. :)
(rant off)
But, I still have a large peak, maybe +10dB around 45-60HZ, about halfway back in the room. The peak doesn't bother me so much, but guess where the trough is? Right where I sit to mix. The low end nulls out right there!
So, I need to break up that 50HZ bump somehow.
The guys from Forward Acoustics say my room is too small for big bass traps and keep brushing me off/are not interested in my business.
Does anybody know how to calculate how much absorptive material I need to handle a peak at around 50HZ? Can you recommend some products to do this? I'm not expecting a miracle, but I do need to improve the low end. The only reason I get anything back from clients has to do with getting the low end right, so I can't ignore this any longer.
Buying something pre-made would be great. I'm blind, and am not much of a DIY person.
Thanks for reading and for any suggestions!
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http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/24/page/1
lots of info on Ethan's forum^^ regarding many of your questions.
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Get rid of, or treat your corners with glass, excelsior, or foam.
Here's a few ideas:
http://www.cascadeaudio.com/commercial_residential/bass_sound_absorbers.htm
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you can always make DIY tube traps and set them in the corners.
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Halfway back is about the worst place to sit.
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The guys from Forward Acoustics say my room is too small for big bass traps and keep brushing me off/are not interested in my business.
Total BS from them. I'd argue the opposite, the smaller the room the more bass trapping can generally help.
Does anybody know how to calculate how much absorptive material I need to handle a peak at around 50HZ?
A lot. You'll benefit from much as you can live with. In practical terms, you cannot get too much bass traping in a small room (in contrast, you can get too much mid and high absorbancy in proportion to the bass). Just as important is where you place it.
Can you recommend some products to do this? I'm not expecting a miracle, but I do need to improve the low end.
Good commercial traps that work that low get costly, and anything that works will be big and bulky. Anything you use will work best placed in or near corners. One thing that works well and anyone can do without DIY expertice is stacking big rolls of fiberglass insulation from floor to ceiling in the corners, and more along the walls or along floor wall intersections. Leave the fiberglass batting compressed and rolled in the plastic packaging and just stack the rolls up. If it needs to look nicer, throw some fabric or tapestries over them. I tried it during a house remodel when I had rolls of fiberglass laying around for a week or so and it worked well.
The only reason I get anything back from clients has to do with getting the low end right, so I can't ignore this any longer.
I struggle with my own mixes primarily in the bass. In the listening position only (not elsewhere in the room) you may also benefit from room correction in combination with the trapping. If you only need two channel, there are some softwares which help make the measuremets and apply corrective eq to the bass range which might help tame peaks and get a smoother response, but that won't do anything for nulling cancellations which only traping or moving your listening position are likely to address.
For good, basic, no-nonsense info check out Ethan Winer's forum (Real Traps owner) which Jimna suggested.