Should I hang clouds in a room with tall ceilings?

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

Post Reply
User avatar
Brett Siler
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2518
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Evansville, IN
Contact:

Should I hang clouds in a room with tall ceilings?

Post by Brett Siler » Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:27 pm

I just moved into a new spot and it is beautiful. Hard wood floors, brick walls, wood ceiling. The natural reverb in there is great. Its the first place I've had with tall ceilings. I'm pretty excited! So my question is, with a place that has tall ceilings (it's about 12-15ft tall) do I need/would you recommend I hang bass traps could in the ceiling? I have plenty of bass traps. My only mild concern is I don't want to kill the natural reverb of the room but I definitely want to control the bass. I'll definitely be trapping the corners of the room and behind the mixing board and back wall of the control room.
I'll write the actual dimensions of the room here in a minute, just wanted to get the general question out there.
EDIT: added dimentions of the room
Live room 13ft Tall and 18ft wide, thne it gets more narrow to 14ft wide
Control Room 11ft tall by 14ft wide
It its not separated so its actually one room that is 60 long. So it's basically one large narrow hall.
Here's some pics of the place. (Forgive the mess I just moved in).
Image
Image
Last edited by Brett Siler on Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
JWL
deaf.
Posts: 1870
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Maine
Contact:

Post by JWL » Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:40 pm

If that was my room I'd use a cloud above the mix position for sure. That won't kill the reverb, but it will kill early reflections which will help.

User avatar
Brett Siler
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2518
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Evansville, IN
Contact:

Post by Brett Siler » Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:26 pm

Thanks for the reply and noted! I'll definitely hang some in the mix position. Would you recommend the same in the live room?
ps I added the dimentions to the og post.

User avatar
JWL
deaf.
Posts: 1870
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Maine
Contact:

Post by JWL » Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:42 pm

Yeah, I'd create a few spots with clouds. Probably a cloud directly above where the drum kit (usually) goes is a good place.

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3820
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:29 am

I'd agree about putting a cloud or 2 in the live room. My room is 30 x 30ish with a 15 foot ceiling in one half and about 10 in the other. We did a 4 x 8 cloud in one corner of the lower ceiling area. It gives you more flexibility. If you want dry, tight drums put them under the cloud and baffle around them. If you need more room on them you bring up the room mics. If you're cutting a live vocal with the band put them under the cloud and build a gobo booth.

User avatar
JWL
deaf.
Posts: 1870
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Maine
Contact:

Post by JWL » Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:42 pm

Yes, this.

User avatar
Snarl 12/8
cryogenically thawing
Posts: 3510
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:01 pm
Location: Right Cheer
Contact:

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:17 pm

Carl Keil

Almost forgot: Please steal my drum tracks. and more.

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10139
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Post by vvv » Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:17 pm

Also, we can tell you'll need some gobos around the young man in pic # 2. :twisted:
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

User avatar
Brett Siler
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2518
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Evansville, IN
Contact:

Post by Brett Siler » Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:05 pm

Ok cool so clouds it is! Now I gotta figure where the drums sound best...
I found an old door in the trash the other day, that I thought about grabbing and building a gobo out of it. Covering each side with fiberglass or some of that Auralux foam shit that was gifted to me by a buddy.
Any other suggetions for building a gobo?

User avatar
digitaldrummer
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3476
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:51 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Post by digitaldrummer » Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:18 am

I've had good luck using OC703 for gobos. I used 1x4's to build a frame around and then covered it all with fabric. I used some 2x4's to build some "legs" so it did not tip over and even put casters on them so it would roll.

I did put a cloud in the center of my vaulted ceiling too
Image

btw, superchunks are the best I found for corners...

Mike
Mike
www.studiodrumtracks.com -- Drum tracks starting at $50!
www.doubledogrecording.com

User avatar
Randyman...
takin' a dinner break
Posts: 186
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:30 pm

Post by Randyman... » Thu Jun 23, 2016 5:45 pm

Just to toss additional options out there: I'm using a hard-topped cloud above my drum kit. It is 4'x8' and 12" deep, filled with fluffy pink, and topped with plywood - hung at around a 12* angle about a foot from the ceiling. This still damps direct reflections and controls a nasty low-end floor/ceiling mode I was getting, but the reflective hard top and 12* angle almost acts as a kind of diffuser and still leaves "air/decay" in the reflections that eventually get back into the room after a short delay...

:cool:
Randy V.
Audio-Dude / Musician / PC Guru / Crazy Guy

User avatar
Brett Siler
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2518
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Evansville, IN
Contact:

Post by Brett Siler » Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:54 pm

There was a fire last night. I posted about it here. but before that I was calibrating the monitors. I got it sounding pretty good except the was a null between 400-550hz.. I still had the clouds to hand and a few more bass traps and even some Auralex foam thingys if needed. Now we'll see if I can even stay there...

I did have a session Thursday and go to see how the room sounded and I was very pleased. It was some sloppy acoustic folk punk stuff. and the setup was:

1 vocal -Sm7b very close
2 Acoustic Close mic - Oktavamod MXL603
3 midside Room - PPA stereo ribbon mic Mid
4 midside Room - PPA stereo ribbon side
5 duplicated side mic with phase inverted
6 Ambient mic Left - Avenson STO
7 Ambient mic right - Avenson STO

Production was minimal, some compression on the close vocal and guitar mics and some EQ. There may have been some minimal EQ on the Room and ambient mics, but no compression used on either of those mics. The ambient mics were delayed by 20ms. The compression and EQ used was from Metric Halo Channelstrip. with Waves Renaissance Comp on the Master buss. Then Izotope after the fact for the limiter to get the volume up. Banged it all out in about 2-2.5 hours. Oh yea the guitar was a Seagull I borrowed from a friend.

Here is a good example of hearing the ambient mics and room when he gets louder
http://imayellowbelly.bandcamp.com/track/goodnight

If you want to here the whole thing its here:
http://imayellowbelly.bandcamp.com/album/sidewalk-songs

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10139
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Post by vvv » Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:44 pm

Brett Siler wrote:

Here is a good example of hearing the ambient mics and room when he gets louder
http://imayellowbelly.bandcamp.com/track/goodnight
Holy, eh, "Heroes"; you can really hear the ambient kick in - sounds great!

Guy, BTW, sounds like Billy Bragg on speed.

EDIT: "That Dead Dog Waltz" song is a stand-out, BTW.
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

User avatar
Brett Siler
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2518
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Evansville, IN
Contact:

Post by Brett Siler » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:39 pm

Thanks for the compliment on the recording! Yea can you tell I've been inspired by Steve Albini? Tony Visconti work with Bowie, T-Rex, Iggy Pop was amazing too. I love Heroes.

I can totally hear what your saying, Billy Braggs at 45rpm when it should be 33 1/3 haha.

It was a fun short session. Great for me to test out the room. I mixed in headphones as we recorded.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], kslight and 57 guests