Acoustic Treatment Help ?

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Tony
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Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Tony »

Hello everyone,

In few weeks i will make an acoustic treatment of my home studio. Because there is too much reverb in my room. In fact, the room is 10m2 and it contains only my desktop, a chair, and my monitorings.

My knowledge on acoustic treatment are really really really poor. So, that's the reason why i'm asking you some help to make the right choice.

Lenght : 4,09 m
Width : 2,67 m
Height : 2,51 m

A friend suggested me, this one (a kit) : https://www.thomann.de/gb/auralex_acous ... ject_2.htm

Any advice will be welcome guys.

Thanks in advance !

English is not my first language, so, sorry if my english is not perfect !
English is not my first language. So, sorry if i don't speak perfectly.
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Lost to the Void
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Lost to the Void »

Don't bother with auralex foam. Foam treatment is not worth the money. You would be better off sticking money to your walls than using foam bass traps, they do absolutely nothing.
For low end you want tuned resonators and standard bass traps. Try GIK.

Here is a very basic guide.

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Tony
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Tony »

So what you are saying is that, panels are better than foam ?
English is not my first language. So, sorry if i don't speak perfectly.
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Lost to the Void
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Lost to the Void »

Tony wrote:So what you are saying is that, panels are better than foam ?
Anything is better than foam.
The only thing foam is good for is diffusers.
It does nothing to mid or low band worth talking about.
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Mattias
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Mattias »

Yeah always look away from foam. Very handy pic Steve found there, should be stickied. Best basic-setup guide I've seen
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Tony
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Tony »

Ok guys ... I contacted GIK and submitted my Acoustic Advice Form.

Let's see what they propose to me.

Also, what about https://www.thomann.de/gb/eq_acoustics_ ... l_grey.htm this one ?

EQ Acoustic seems to be a good alternative. Nope ?

I'm really scared about the shipping costs of GIK.
English is not my first language. So, sorry if i don't speak perfectly.
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Lost to the Void »

EQ acoustic are great, I know the guys who run the company, I used a lot of their stuff, the floor joist isolators, barrier matting, all sorts of gear via the acoustic technician who did my mastering room. They sent me some of their tuned membrane trap panels, after consultation, as I needed to fine tune my room after it was built, and they work really well.
these things https://www.thomann.de/gb/eq_acoustics_ ... atural.htm
They also do tuned membrane corner traps that are supposed to be really good too.
Their website is here, though if you are not uk then thomann is cheaper for their stuff.
http://www.eqacoustics.com/
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by yentz »

How is it with attics?
we just moved flats and i got a music space finally. it is beautiful but quite small and directly under the roof. so the walls to the sides are maybe 40 cm from the floor before they start tilting.
just ordered a test mic and started reading into it but the more i read the less i feel i know. there is literally no bass where i am sitting (phase cancllation?) but lots everywhere else. hope there is a way to minimize the problem.
will post a photo or cheapo 3d mondel once i am back online and not just on my mobile to surf the web.

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by WOLF! »

First you have to find the best place in the untreated room (by measuring).
Experiment with your monitor placement and DO read the manual of your monitors as they often contain placement tips and guides.
I suggest you use REW for the measurements as it is common used and free.
After you'd find the best starting position you're ready to start acoustic treatment.
The basic quide that mister Void posted is a good starting point.

If you know shit about acoustic treatment it's handy to hire a acoustic engineer or at least know someone (trustworthy) who can help you.
The internet is full of bad information about acoustic treatment (I often see foam filled home studio's)... .

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

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WOLF! wrote:The internet is full of bad information about acoustic treatment (I often see foam filled home studio's)... .
Most of the threads on Gearsluts have posts of people saying completely different things.
Unfortunately hireing someone to do the trick is getting into areas of price where you really have to be sure that you want to do such an investment.
When making music as a hobby plus living in a hired space where you might move out within the next years it is really hard to go for it (except having not money isn't an issue in your life).

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Mattias »

yentz wrote: Most of the threads on Gearsluts have posts of people saying completely different things.
Not entirely correct. I'd have to say that on Gearsluts they're quite consistent with their info regarding acoustics treatment, the trick is to look beyond the
mass and focus on those that evidently can back their claims up (the pro acoustic companies).
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Lost to the Void »

Ethan Winer of realtraps is on gearslutz. He knows his shit.

Doing a proper job is difficult. You need to take multiple readings at as many points as possible. Waterfall charts are really necessary to give the time picture as waves can add up, especially low end as it takes longer for the cycle to complete.
It really is best to talk to a treatment supplier for advice.

In the new mastering room I decided to go all the way and get the whole thing designed by an acoustic technician, then once we had the specs and plans I got a builder to build it, I had a loft as a blank slate, and I worked as the builders assistant to help cut labour costs.
Best thing I ever did, but, expensive. I'll be staying in this place for a long time as we own it so its a good investment, and since I did it the business is flourishing.

Now obviously not everyone can do that. Speak to a manufacturer, they can advise you on how to take measurements and when you have the readings and room dimensions they can tell you what you need and where to put it based on your budget.

If you are in a hire space then it just means you are limited to panels for treatment. But that still means you can use gobo stands, wall hanging and ceiling hanging.
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by remykruyer »

I've treated my new studio with GIK acoustics stuff and it sounds very very good. With treatment it sounds like there i a hidden subwoofer somewhere in the room ;) If you want to save money with treating your room, i would advise to skip the wall behind your monitors. It is more important to treat the wall facing your monitors and your side walls.

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by borg »

Hopefully in November, we'll have a new roof over our heads, en the next step will be a studio. The room I just dismantled was the floating box type, but really small. it was clear from the start the studio would have to move upstairs, so I didn't invest too much in acoustics. It was ok-ish, and isolation was more than decent. I could play quite loud at night with my girlfriend sleeping 2 meters away from the studio. This book was a good read:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-S ... 143545717X

For the new studio, I'm having it designed by a pro, who does on site measurement for final tuning. I'll build it myself. I'm fortunate to have a carpenter as colleague, a wood shop at work with the best tools and a father who has built two houses in his life.
The design will set me back a grand, but it's a lifetime investment. A mate of mine goes to Liverpool ten times a year to see some football and drink himself into oblivion. That's the design, decent monitors, and acoustic treatment spent on footie and booze. Priorities... He earns twice as much as me though.

Another good place for learning about acoustics/studio design is this board: http://www.johnlsayers.com
I was thinking to let this guy do a design, but decided to go local, especially with the measurements in mind.
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Lost to the Void »

remykruyer wrote:It is more important to treat the wall facing your monitors and your side walls.
Not for low end it isn`t. Bass has long wavelengths, behind is just as important as facing.
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

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remykruyer wrote:I've treated my new studio with GIK acoustics stuff and it sounds very very good. With treatment it sounds like there i a hidden subwoofer somewhere in the room ;) If you want to save money with treating your room, i would advise to skip the wall behind your monitors. It is more important to treat the wall facing your monitors and your side walls.
I had a look on their website but there are so many products.
Did they help you with the treatment and if so do you mind if I ask how much you spent?

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by Mattias »

You can write /call them and show them your measurements, room prints and all that and they suggest things for you
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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by yentz »

cool.

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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by msl »

Roll your own, save money. GIK are nice but pricy, or look around online for a local small manufacturer.


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Re: Acoustic Treatment Help ?

Post by remykruyer »

yentz wrote:
remykruyer wrote:I've treated my new studio with GIK acoustics stuff and it sounds very very good. With treatment it sounds like there i a hidden subwoofer somewhere in the room ;) If you want to save money with treating your room, i would advise to skip the wall behind your monitors. It is more important to treat the wall facing your monitors and your side walls.
I had a look on their website but there are so many products.
Did they help you with the treatment and if so do you mind if I ask how much you spent?
Yeah like Mattias said you can send the size of your room with a picture and they will help you with what to place where. My budget was €1500, i've got 4 monster basstraps, 4 224 panels and 2 alpha panels. 2 monster basstraps are on my ceiling, 2 on the back of the wall. The 224 panels are left and right of my listening position and the alpha panels are in the corner for early reflections. Just contact them and see what they can do, the advice is free of charge.


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