Room setup

kayDUB

So I got some studio monitors (Thanks Brent - don't forget the cables ? ) and am looking at doing some basic treatment to improve the room - we haven't had a room acoustics thread in a while ?.
Now before I continue I must say that yes, I know my room is far from ideal (too small and pretty square), but I'd like to get some pointers on what will in fact be worthwhile to do and what will be a waste of time. I realize it will be FAR from perfect.

Here is my first basic idea, its not to scale and I hope it makes sense:

What would you do? What is a waste or what would you add?

I have 2 options for making the "traps":

1) Glasswool (Isover product) http://www.isover.com/Our-solutions/Insulation-materials/Mineral-wool

47kg/cubic m density (50mm thick) @ R1244 for 15 sheets of 1200 by 600mm
64kg/cubic m density (50mm think) @ R1050 for 10 sheets of 1200 by 600mm

They also have lower densities and thicknesses of 25/75/100mm, not sure which is best?

2) Acoustisorb (Isotherm product) http://www.isotherm.co.za/acoustisorb/product-specifications

40kg/cubic m density (30mm thick) @ R870 for a 1200 x 10m roll
20kg/cubic m density (50mm thick) @ R714 for a 1200 x 10m roll

What would you go for - is density or thickness more important? or both? The acoustisorb is cheaper and there seems to be more info available on it - I could always double up the 30mm thickness to make it 60mm?
I'm probably going to make pine frames and cover in speaker cloth - standard DIY it seems. :-[

I'll mainly be recording bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and possibly vocals, but I can place things like amps in the next door living room (its bigger) so the room will mainly be for listening to takes and light mixing. Oh and also adding synth/string type stuff.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the info overload ?

AlanRatcliffe

The only real meaningful specs are sound absorption coefficients and neither company has the on their site (they might supply on request). Then what you need to look for are the flattest (or rather most even slope) across as wide a frequency range as possible. Generally with glasswool or rockwool, the thicker and denser the better though.

The big thing with a small room is don't overdo the broad frequency absorption - there's not much you can do about the low bass in a small room, and if you use too much panel trapping you skew the room response horribly to the low end. So best results will usually come from triangular corner traps and then just put panel traps to cover your "mirror" points from the monitors and on the walls right behind them to catch the short reflections from the tweeters. If you can work some kind of diffusion from the entire rear surface (the cupboard) you're styling.

That space next to the cupboard is a worry - I'd probably extend the cupboard to fill the entire back wall and corner trap there too.

kayDUB

Thanks Alan. I'll see if they can give me the absorption coefficients.
Ok, so you suggesting drop the corner panels, leave the triangle ceiling traps and first "contact" points and treat the cupboard.

I'd love to extend the cupboard, but the problem is that's where the door is ?

AlanRatcliffe

kayDUB wrote: Ok, so you suggesting drop the corner panels, leave the triangle ceiling traps and first "contact" points and treat the cupboard.

- Triangular traps in all the corners you can (or tube traps can be handy if you want to trap a corner, but need to be able to move it sometimes for access).
- panels at all the first contact points
- Diffusion is best off the surface behind your listening point (the cupboards) for a kind of LEDE design, but now I think more about it, most diffusors mean adding a fair amount of weight, so best done on a wall. Some absorption panels are probably your best bet

I'd love to extend the cupboard, but the problem is that's where the door is ?

Build your room right and why would you want to leave? ? You could fit a second door there too, level with the cupboard doors.

BTW, I'm waiting for a response from Foamrite Acoustics with prices on their foam panels. Should be a fair bit cheaper than the Auralex products. I'll let you know.

kayDUB

Fantastic, thanks!
I think a second door won't get past the wife ?

AlanRatcliffe

kayDUB wrote: I think a second door won't get past the wife ?

Do it right and the wife won't get past the second door. ?

kayDUB

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
kayDUB wrote: I think a second door won't get past the wife ?
Do it right and the wife won't get past the second door. ?

Hehe! Classic!