quickie question on acoustics for my tracking/mixing room

[professorlamp]

most of the topics i've read on acoustics are either for a seperate tracking or mixing room, but to save a couple of hundred pounds I'd rather just treat one room for mixing and hopefully tracking aswell

I'll be moving soon into a bigger house where I've kindly been given a rectangular shaped room (couldn't measure it as it was filled with a bugger load of bin bags of stuff ((bereavement))

It's definitely big enough to accomodate a live band at a squeeze, so is definitely big enough for multitracking and coincendentally has laminate block wood flooring (not sure how well this is going to translate for mixes?)

So the real question is;

Is there a way I can effectively treat this room for both tracking and mixing or am I going to have to sell my soul and buy even more treatment just for my bedroom to be used for mixing in?



*the majority of the bass traps will be DIY and following instructions from some of the tutorials on here

 

[vespiz]

Is there a way I can effectively treat this room for both tracking and mixing or am I going to have to sell my soul and buy even more treatment just for my bedroom to be used for mixing in?

Probably, if the room is big enough. But from experience I can say that it's really annoying recording a full drumset while you're in there (closed headphones!!). But it would be better to leave it as one big room rather than try and separate it into two smaller ones that will sound worse.

Treat the corners, treat the ceiling and make sure your mixing position is in a symmetrical position. Leave the flooring as is, if needed you can put down a carpet.

A thick cloud (6"+?) above the mixing position would be nice, everywhere else on the ceiling you could probably get away with 2-4".

Superchunks in the corners would be great, but thick panels will do.

In the mix position, the wall treatment should be symmetrical, but behind it (the "live area") you could try and make an alternate pattern of treatment-bare wall-treatment. Except the back wall facing the mix position is where I'd but some heavy treatment.

Hmm.. reading these I guess this would put emphasis on the mixing position. But then again, it's not a big enough room for a really live sound.

Feel free to correct me if I'm way off here folks!

 

[professorlamp]

Yer, I plan on superchunking 3 out of the 4 corners with some rockwool probably at 30kg-45kg/m3?
Then bass trapping the mirror points and also eventually getting round to a cloud, I can't see the highs being too much of a problem so I'm just going to buy a small starter pack from either auralex or universal acoustics. I don't want it to sound too dead though

cheers for your help too

 

[vespiz]

Apparently, covering the superchunks with a thin cardboard (postcard-thickness) will help to make 'em more "live" and also boost the low-end response (though still being debated). Just touching the insulation and then cover the thing with fabric.

I'd skip the starter packs and just buy some wood and a few packs of insulation and DIY, but that's just me..

And remember that there are 12 corners in a room.

 

[Nebulous]

When we're talking about "small rooms" as found in most residential buildings, I think the acoustic principles that apply to a control room can just as easily be applied to the live room, so this could work for you.
As always, being a "small" room, the drums may not come out perfect, unless you are looking for a very dry sound.

The point I'd make is that whether it's a control or live room, a small room will always have issues with low frequency standing waves and flutter echo, neither of which you want for either purpose, so treat these across both sides of the room equally.

I'd say that starting with Superchunks, then treating "control side" first reflection points, then adding clouds to both sides of the room is a good starting point on a budget. Then work from there to see how much more treatment is required for your desired sound.

This is actually very similar to what I intend to do in about a years time, though I doubt I will record drums for any purpose other than rough songwriting demos of my own.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Live End Dead End design.

Diffusion behind you, loads of bass and broadband absorption in front of you (behind your desk and to your sides)

 

[professorlamp]

you guys are zee best

How would I do the high frequencies DIY?
I'm assuming I'd use thinner density rockwool?

 

[vespiz]

Thinner yes, but denser wool. 2" panels are fine for first reflection points.