At this point, I'd rather have great acoustics

[bluespkr75]

I just heard what effect my room is having on my recordings. I A/B'd vocal takes of the same person done in two different spaces. They are drastically different. The setup was exactly the same (mic,mic pre,etc.). In one room I would have said I have a great sounding mic or mic pre and in the other I would've said they suck! So what does this say for some of the opinions on gear ( including mine)? Are they really accurate? My room is what sucks. For once, my mind is not on the next piece of equipment I need to buy.

[drumsound]

You've made a great revelation! The space is very important. Most studio owners are continually 'tweaking' their rooms. I've done several different things since opening my room three years ago. I was sitting in the control room today before my client showed up thinking about adding just a bit more bass trapping. My booth is totally 'getto fabulous' with packing blankets on mic stands. I've got the 703, but I need help cutting it to shape and I need the time and money to then cover it in fabric. I might add some things permanently to the walls in my bathroom and hallway (which I use for iso).

Acoustic treatment in just not as sexy as gear. But it soooooo important.

[surf's up]

those words are oh so very true. my first set-up was in a very small bedroom with untreated drywall. sounded like crap. fortunately i have been able to move up to a larger room, and i built bass traps and loaded the walls with 703 rigid fiberglass. Things sound much better, not awesome, but certainly acceptable and usable.

the thing about this that sucks is that changing your space is not an easy thing to do. you may just not have the square footage, or it may not be property that you own, or you just may lack the know-how to treat a room effectively. but there is ALWAYS room for improvement, no matter what the room. I recommend looking at Ethan Weiner's acoustics site as well as the acoustics forum he has. The links escape me but Im sure someone will post them. His advice is very much geared towards affordable solutions for non-professionals.

working in a bad room does force you to use sometimes creative micing techniques to get a good sound. but i wouldnt necessarily call this beneficial to one's education. i think it comes more as frustrating if you are trying to learn a craft, and when put to practice, all the theoretical principles you learned are not born out as you envisioned them. i also think it makes one prone to gear-lust (If i just had xyz mic, this room wouldnt sound so crappy!!!).

[I'm Painting Again]

so true..my test is usually a drum kit..if it sounds tight and focused and great in the room the room is cool..many 4" rigid fiberglass panels do a great job of making a crappy room Ok-great..you should try that out in your "crappy" space..

[stinkpot]

many 4" rigid fiberglass panels do a great job of making a crappy room Ok-great..you should try that out in your "crappy" space..

Can you elaborate on this? Are you saying may 4 inch fiberglass tile type things, glued/ screwed to the walls and ceilings in carefully chosen spots?

[surf's up]

many 4" rigid fiberglass panels do a great job of making a crappy room Ok-great..you should try that out in your "crappy" space..

Can you elaborate on this? Are you saying may 4 inch fiberglass tile type things, glued/ screwed to the walls and ceilings in carefully chosen spots?

the corners would be a great place to start. you can affix or simply stand the tiles up cross-wise in the corners to help with the lower frequencies. i have fiberglass on appx. 60-75% of my wall area because it is a relatively small rectangular room. I also have it on the ceiling. But starting with the corners is a great way to improve the sound.

[bluespkr75]

I've been aware of the benefits of bass traps and other acoustic treatments for some time now, but being able to do a comparison of the same person's vocal takes, done in two different spaces, through the same signal chain really put things into perspective. It's a little discouraging because now I realise that my room needs some seriuos help before I can move on with recording in there. On the other hand, I'm very excited to here what some of my mics sound like afterwards. This is obviously where people should first be focusing their efforts when they start to assemble their studio IMO.

[I'm Painting Again]

4" thick Owens Corning 703 or = material has the best absorbtion properties..they come 2'x4' from insulation supply places where contractors purchase from..in other words you cant get it at a home creepo..

[matyas]

What are some good non-permanent ways to treat a room? I have a nice big attic space, with some fairly high ceilings and curved walls that actually has kind of a nice natural reverb. Unfortunately I can hear some wierd boosts and possibly some comb filtering, but affixing stuff to the wall isn't an option because I rent the place. Ideas?

[mighty rime]

before you jump to conclusions remember that the same microphone and preamp can sound different on seperate days in the same room! temperature, barometric pressure, and power consumption on the grid all effect the sound... not to mention if the vocalist stood 2 inches further or closer to the original position.

but yes room first, monitors second ( to hear the room ), and whatever new fangled mic pre third.

if drastic construction is not an option you should use gobos, or big baffles on wheels made out of 703.... build many sub rooms within your own room.. without tearing anything down.

ethans site is realtraps.com i believe

[MichaelAlan]

... I recommend looking at Ethan Weiner's acoustics site as well as the acoustics forum he has. The links escape me but Im sure someone will post them. His advice is very much geared towards affordable solutions for non-professionals.

I typed "Owens Corning 703" and his site came up. Sweet.


Mike

[goldstar]

www.recording.org/modules.php?name=Foru ... forum&f=34

www.johnlsayers.com Forum link on the upper right.

http://forum.studiotips.com


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