Acoustic treatment: The cheap route?

[|Thanatos]

I'm in the process of treating my quite horrible concrete bedroom so I can actually mix with my monitors and not just with my headphones. So far I've built couple of bass traps but I'm going to need some treatment on the mid- and high spectrum as well.

I was considering of buying something from the cheaper scale, like these here:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_takustik_san30_noppenschaumstoff.htm

Does anyone have any experience of these or similar products? Would I be throwing my money down the well or are these a good bang for the buck?

 

[RedDog]

They'll do for early reflections, but concrete sounds like modal hell to me. build some OC703 panels and trap some of those low frequencies. If you build it by hand, they'll be a lot cheaper.

 

[JonWormwood]

Rock wool is half the price of 703.

 

[Sloan]

i think the broadband absorption properties of 703 is what makes it preferable...

 

[vespiz]

Yuck, foam.

Paroc COS5 (denser for panels) or eXtra (fluffier for superchunks etc.)! Toimii.

 

[RedDog]

Rock wool is half the price of 703.

But the smell?

eXtra (fluffier for superchunks etc.)! Toimii.

Hot tip!

 

[vespiz]

Also, we don't have OC products in Finland (afaik).

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Roxul Safe N Sound. Just as good as OC703 and cheaper

 

[RevoltStudios]

Just got a bunch of the 2X4 panels from Acoustimac and love them. Way more useful than foam and took less area of coverage for results too.

 

[|Thanatos]

I've already built some 130x60x10 cm panels from rock wool. Don't know the exact wool it is, as it was surplus from a construction site given to me by a friend of mine, but it does feel quite dense. Have to keep an eye out for the Paroc COS5.

What is exactly wrong with the foam solutions ie. is making the panels by hand from wool really that much better solution?

 

[vespiz]

I've already built some 130x60x10 cm panels from rock wool. Don't know the exact wool it is, as it was surplus from a construction site given to me by a friend of mine, but it does feel quite dense. Have to keep an eye out for the Paroc COS5.

What is exactly wrong with the foam solutions ie. is making the panels by hand from wool really that much better solution?

More bang for the buck.

Don't have Roxul nor Acoustimac here as well..

 

[SethTheGreat]

Also, we don't have OC products in Finland (afaik).

Look for companies who specialize in materials for HVAC systems or who specialize in insulation and fireproofing, etc...

You should be able to find something comparable to OC703/Rockwool/Mineral Wool, though being from Texas, I could be wrong

I've already built some 130x60x10 cm panels from rock wool. Don't know the exact wool it is, as it was surplus from a construction site given to me by a friend of mine, but it does feel quite dense. Have to keep an eye out for the Paroc COS5.

What is exactly wrong with the foam solutions ie. is making the panels by hand from wool really that much better solution?

You'll probably find that you can treat your room completely if you make the stuff diy as opposed to maybe 20% of your room by buying premade (on the same budget).

So far I've built couple of bass traps but I'm going to need some treatment on the mid- and high spectrum as well.

Also, keep in mind that these materials are good for broadband absorption. They aren't only good for bass traps.

 

[vespiz]

Look for companies who specialize in materials for HVAC systems or who specialize in insulation and fireproofing, etc...

You should be able to find something comparable to OC703/Rockwool/Mineral Wool, though being from Texas, I could be wrong

Yes we do (Paroc, Rockwool, Isover) but since most of the stuff on the net about building traps mention OC products almost exclusively, I thought I'd point that out..

Thanatos: More bass/broadband traps! And I mean more. No, more than that. The high-end sorts itself out "on the side".. Thicker superchunks in the corners made with fluffier wool. Also remember that a basic room has 12 corners.

Do you have a cloud above the mix position? If not, why not?