DIY Sound insulation

[Ermz]

I was wondering if any of you guys could give me tips on where to start, when building some ameteur home-studio bass traps. It'd be great if I could get a list of materials and how to put them together and such, and where to place the traps for greatest effect etc.

Also, it'd be great if I could get some suggestions on what materials are the best for high frequency absorption ie. do I have to pay insane amounts for the insulating foam they sell at music stores etc.?

Finally, what's the best way to build diffusion boards, and where to place them for maximum effect? (I've heard to put them in LoS with speakers).

Keep in mind I live in a rented home and can't butcher the walls and such

Feedback appreciated.

 

[egan.]

Here is a killer article on the subject from the guy who owns Realtraps:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/basstrap.html

 

[Matt Smith]

Haha, beat me to it. Ethan's definitely the best resource.
Definitely don't buy foam. Owens Corning 703 rigid fiberglass works better and is cheaper (though you'll need to cover it).

 

[Canis]

Hm, I hope you don't mind, Moonlapse, if I ask something semi-related in your thread

I'm planning to get a proper tube amp some time this year and sure enough, it's going to get loud. What I'm wondering is, how do I go about making some sort of an isolation box for it...? I considered getting a hotplate or something, but at 300$ I don't think it's worth it, because my dad is a bit of an amateur carpenter and has all sorts of machines I could use.

Now, neighbours are not the problem, I live in a detached house which is rather old (at least the foundations) and my "hobby room" is on the ground floor, where the walls are still the same as they were since forever, which means 60cm (2 ft) of stone. Massive, but I could still use an iso-box, if only to protect my hearing and loved ones

One thing that bugs me is the size of the box. I'm probably going to get a vertical 2x12 cab, but I wan't to have enough spare space to acommodate a 4x12, just in case. Now, the most obvious solution would be to make a box out of plywood just big enough to hold the cab and one or two close mikes. however, since I'm not that familiar with acoustics, I wonder if perhaps a bigger box would be needed to get that nice, full, tight sound. Is that so?

I intend to further insulate the inside of the box with foam (small scraps of which I can get for free from someone I know), but I'd still like to know what's best... Dead environment, such as a completely muffled box just big enough for a cab, or one that's bigger and less isolated? Damn, my ignorance shows...

 

[Matt Smith]

One thing I'm reading a lot of that I wish I'd seen right away is that supposedly it's better to go with a broadband approach from the start instead of just trying to treat the lows or the highs. So I'm about to build a bunch of broadband absorbers similar to these:

http://www.pmerecords.com/broadband.cfm

That might be a good place to start...

 

[Matt Smith]

I've never been able to get a good sound in any kind of isolation box like that. It just sounds, well, boxy. I think Andy said the same thing once but I may be wrong.

 

[Ermz]

Wow, traps that handle the whole spectrum... now that's worth reading up on. Thanks.

 

[Canis]

I've never been able to get a good sound in any kind of isolation box like that. It just sounds, well, boxy. I think Andy said the same thing once but I may be wrong.

Hmm, too bad. Well, anyone else has experience with that...?

Matt: what do you suggest as an alternative? Unfortunately I have no separate room I could isolate and use for this stuff...

 

[Hi Gain]

Check this site :- http://forum.studiotips.com and go to discussion.
It has great info, but very D.I.Y
Hope this may help

 

[Hi Gain]

Forgot this!!!
http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php
Has room layout plans and treatment

 

[Canis]

Thanks man... that could be useful...