Hi guys,

We're moving into the house starting tomorrow and I am back w/ a bit more info and maybe a couple of questions. 

The room I'll work in is pretty small - I don't have the exact dimension but I'd say 11 x 15 maybe - 15 at its max, there's actually a closet taking a few feet off of that. Here is a sketch, nothing too accurate, but it gives you an idea.







Issue no 1 - the door prevents me from installing a bass trap in that corner of the room. (the sketch isn't accurate, the door basically takes the whole space there.

Issue no 2 - this is a a house we rent (at least for now) and I can't do anything too drastic (so I can't just get rid of that closet to gain a few feet or whatever).

Also worth considering - 

The floor isn't wood but a rug. Having had to deal w/ such little rooms in the past, I think that in this case, it's preferable.

I am considering having heavy curtains covering the entire wall where the window is (in front of the desk/behind the monitors), w/ bass traps in each corner. I may use a similar strategy to hide the closet's sliding mirror doors. 

One thing I'm thinking about is building the 4 corner bass traps w/ stands, and just push them in each corner - which would also avoid drill holes in the walls. Would that defeat the purpose?

If I built them as such, one of my options for the odd corner would be to have the bass trap not in the corner but a couple of feet away from it - same distance as the other corner on that side of the room. But then, would it still be of any use?

Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

I should mention - the desk will be the only piece of furniture in the room. I'll also have an amp and a couple of guitars, but nothing acoustic will be recorded in that room - it's strictly dedicated to songwriting/midi recording/mixing. 

I'm almost thinking that some plywood panels covered with cloth fabric might do the trick?

Otherwise one can just cover the walls with drapery material ... using velcro strips glued to the walls by the ceiling...kind of.

You gotta do what you gotta do.... 

Carpet/rug on the floor, bare walls and closet door mirrors.... as a starting point. 

I would hang curtains the entire length of the window wall. Not only as a sound reflection absorber but also to add privacy from the neighbors.  And perhaps some sort of homemade absorption media, even if it's something like a piece of thin plywood wrapped in foam and cloth covered and hang it on the side walls. Decorative in nature allows it to double as art work. 

One thing you don't want to do is end up with a space that is too dead. So it might take some experimenting to get the balance in reflective and absorptive surfaces. 

Since it's not an acoustic recording/tracking room, and will be used for mixing and writing, I would consider ARC if you don't already have it to do the room correction.  But I'm guessing that once you get the room configured a bit you could record there as well. 

these work great:

http://www.audimutesoundp...age)__ASHXL000748.aspx


they are relatively cheap, totally reversible (as far as install goes), they are NOT moving blankets, they were designed specifically for the task.

i use them in my home studio.

I like those Bat :-)  Nice that you can hang and slide them from the looks, tho I imagine it would take some heavy duty wireup.

If you can make standing absorbers, like gobos, you could put that in front of the door.  As I understand it, up to a point the farther you put an bass trap etc. from the wall, the more energy gets absorbed as the attenuated way bounces back from the wall back into the trap.  So that should work.

Right now I've got a sun room (9x7 or so) that I'm starting to use for tracking.  Since it was a kid's bedroom there are blinds and such over the two windowed walls.  It sounds pretty dead, but not suffocated.  There is a single bed since it is a spare bedroom now, and small wardrobe and a bunch of storage junk.  That helps w/ absorption and relfection, tho I need to do something w/ the wall above the bed and the ceiling.

Your room is bigger.  Bass traps sound good (pun intenede), maybe even a shallow shelf unit behind the board for dispersale (and w/ books more absorption).  And handy for storage to boot.  Do the bass traps first and then start fine tuning.  Also, there will probably be other people in there at times.  Don't overlook how a chair(s) etc. will affect the room tone.

@

Thank you guys -  Bat, those things look amazing. I'll see if I can squeeze them in the budget for the next phase.

Herb - ARC is on the list, but as a very last step though, after I'll have done everything I can w/ the room itself.

For recording audio, I have access to the room next door (my wife's office), a closet just outside the room and the guests bathroom nearby - or the hall itself. But the only thing I see myself tracking there are guitars or maybe a rough vocal track. We have access to better studios w/ better mics and gear for vocals or anything that requires it.

Hi Rain,

I used some of these acoustic foam panels in my room.  They are awesome and not expensive:
http://www.nextacoustics.com/gearwedge-studio-acoustic-foam/

Rimshot

If this is a 'rental' home, I certainly would not want to mark the walls? and if you want it done cheap?.... 

At Amazon you can get Clothes Racks for as little as $12 each by Withmor (although these may not be as sturdy as more expensive ones $20+ each.)  The $12 rack is height (66") and width (41") adjustable.  Racks generally have wheels so you can move them into position anywhere you like in the room. Moveable racks have their benefits; can also double up for as a vocal and amp booth (such as that encave area in your room) so when you need it just move the racks into place or get more racks. 

The Blankets that Bat's suggested are good but they're really small. I would instead get grey 'wool' blankets $16.35 (each) made by Rothco (Amazon) and fold each one (doubled folded over) the clothes rack.  Additionally, you might also want to sandwich insul-wool bats in between.  The clothes racks don't have to be butted up together, so you can limit the amount of racks you need, use for only the critical areas of the room. You have an ARC. 


For bass traps: you may have to make those yourself. Heavy wooden base and flexible corrugated sheets for the columns (6ft height). Covered with insul wool bats and finished (covered) with grey blankets. 

Not much you can do for the ceiling if the house is a rental. Oh well. However, if you want to do it the crazily insane and radical way and if ceiling height is adequately high enough?, then get a 10x10 Gazebo ($150) LOL dress it up with those gray blankets and columns. You'll be the life of the Toga Party 


Post Edited: To clearly explain the height/width of the rack 

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AT


I like those Bat :-)  Nice that you can hang and slide them from the looks, tho I imagine it would take some heavy duty wireup.

@ 

actually, they mount straight to the wall, using this:






simple knob and wall screw set...


you overlap the blankets, they come already with metal grommets, it looks pretty pro when you are done.


http://www.youtube.com/wa...dded&v=pCOYjqOGVyc