Need some quick improvised acoustics tips for drum tracking!

[Lowberg]

Hey guys! I'm going to be tracking drums for my band's demo next weekend, and unfortunately I've been away at school and haven't had the opportunity to get my room treated.

I am going to be home for Easter break this weekend so I've got TWO DAYS, to try and get my basement sounding a little better for drums (by now you guys are probably like, uh oh good luck with that)


But luckily/and also unluckily, I have a few things working for me.

1. My basement is unfinished so the ceiling is higher than normal basement ceilings, and there isn't any boxy rooms as its all wide open.

2. I have alot of open space to work with. The basement is fuckin' HUGE so If I position the kit in the center of the basement I will have a good 25 feet of space on each side of the drum set and at least 40 feet infront/back (just estimating)

3. I have a ton of junk that could be used for crappy diffusion/absorption


My main concern right now is the concrete floors and the ceiling creating bad reflections in the overheads. I'm going to pick up some plywood to place underneath the drums and over some carpet (as suggested in Oz's guide)

But I'm a bit stumped on what I'm going to do up top in the short amount of time I have.

Here's a photo just for reference of the ceiling height I'm working with now (drums wont be positioned there, and florescence lights will go)

Also I was wondering, do you think I'm going to have problems with the parallel walls creating standing waves even though one pair is pretty spread out and the other is very very spread out?

Would Some makeshift gobos help tighten up the sound?

I would really appreciate any ideas!
Cheap and dirty! It doesn't have to look nice!

 

[TheSlanderer]

I think NOT placing the drum kit in the center would be the best thing to do, maybe have a wall in the drummers back, a meter away from him.
And of course place the drum-kit asymmetrical in the room.
Those two would help a lot more than any acoustic treatment with the given time frame.

As for treatment, a blanket or two hanging where you hear the most reflections would do the trick. You don't want a totally dead room.
For the ceiling if you do get any reflections that you don't want, one or two of these (http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass...tc/158213-shaman-s-absorber-build-thread.html) would do the trick, you can make them pretty fast once you get the materials.

 

[~BURNY~]

Clap your hands while walking in the room. Find the spot where there's less shitty reflexions/slapback/wierdness... That's where you're going to put the kit.

 

[BLUElightCory]

Don't worry about putting wood under the kit, it will sound almost exactly the same as putting the kit on concrete. The reflective floor can be a good thing, that is why so many studios invest in wood or treated concrete floors (coupled with an absorptive or diffusive ceiling). If you don't like the reflection from the floor, just put a rug under the kit.

Since the ceiling isn't smooth, it might actually work out well for recording, as the piping/supports/ductwork will help break up reflections.

I'd recommend putting absorptive materials on the walls closest to the kit and POSSIBLY on the ceiling if you do end up getting bad reflections. Overall though, it looks like you've got a decent place to record some drum tracks.