Installing Bass Traps - Not in the corners?

[moosapotamus]

I'm interested in putting some bass traps in my home studio. But, I don't really have room to mount them in the corners because I have some shelves and a couple of bookcases that are too close to all of the wall/wall and wall/ceiling corners. Walls and ceiling are all drywall.

Would hanging a few 2'x4'x2" panels from my ceiling be almost as effective as mounting the panels in the corners? If so, would 2'x4'x4" panels be a signifigant improvement over 2" panels?

Also, if mounted to the ceiling, would the rigid fiberglass start to sag very much over time?

I'm primarily tracking guitars, bass, hand percussion (I don't have a drum kit), vocals, and mixing all in the same room space.

Thanks
~ Charlie

[JWL]

I'm interested in putting some bass traps in my home studio. But, I don't really have room to mount them in the corners because I have some shelves and a couple of bookcases that are too close to all of the wall/wall and wall/ceiling corners. Walls and ceiling are all drywall.

Then get them as close to the corners as you can. The corners are the most effective place for bass traps, simply because in most rooms the low end energy tends to accumulate there.

Would hanging a few 2'x4'x2" panels from my ceiling be almost as effective as mounting the panels in the corners?

No. But they still work some. 2" is really too thin.

If so, would 2'x4'x4" panels be a signifigant improvement over 2" panels?

Yes. Even better are 4" panels, spaced 4" from the wall (or ceiling).

Also, if mounted to the ceiling, would the rigid fiberglass start to sag very much over time?

Good question. I don't think so, but I could be wrong. If you're worried about it, include some support across the panel when you build your frames.

[moosapotamus]

Then get them as close to the corners as you can.

OK, if they hang parallel to the ceiling (instead of diagonally across the wall/ceiling corner) I might be able to fit them in up against the wall. I don't have the ~17" up there that would be needed to mount them diagonally. But, I probably do have ~8" above my bookcases and shelves to hang some 4" thick panels level with the ceiling, up against the walls, with a 4" gap above them.

Covering the wall/ceiling corners that way, would there be much of a downside to making them narrower... say, 1' wide instead of 2' wide? If they were 1'x4' instead of 2'x4', at least sagging would be less of a concern.

Thanks for the reply!
~ Charlie

[Jon Nolan]

Then get them as close to the corners as you can.

OK, if they hang parallel to the ceiling (instead of diagonally across the wall/ceiling corner) I might be able to fit them in up against the wall. I don't have the ~17" up there that would be needed to mount them diagonally. But, I probably do have ~8" above my bookcases and shelves to hang some 4" thick panels level with the ceiling, up against the walls, with a 4" gap above them.

Covering the wall/ceiling corners that way, would there be much of a downside to making them narrower... say, 1' wide instead of 2' wide? If they were 1'x4' instead of 2'x4', at least sagging would be less of a concern.

Thanks for the reply!
~ Charlie

hiya charlie,

just to be clear - do you have the space to hang the panels diagonally from the ceiling to the wall? i know you have the bookcases vertically, so you can't treat those corners. but, if you CAN treat the corners where the ceiling meets the top of the wall, that would be preferable to panels mounted flush to the ceiling in terms of additonal LF coverage. likewise, you could do the same thing on the floor/wall. those are corners too, remember...

also, 4" is better than 2" if you're getting OC 703, OC 705 is more dense, and 2" would be swell. it does cost a smidge more.

also, you shouldn't need to worry about sagging with the rigid fiberglass at all. the stuff is pretty sturdy.

also, i'm in newmarket, so howdy neighbor!

LFOD,
Jon

[moosapotamus]

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the reply. I'm in Atkinson... small world.

No. I don't have the space to hang 2' wide panels diagonally from the ceiling to the wall. But, instead of mounting them flush with the ceiling, I do have enough space to hang 4" thick panels with a 4" gap above them, with the long edge of the panel right up against the wall. So, that would be kind of like a sofit (sp?) going part of the way around the room.

In that case, I was thinking (maybe) 1' wide x 4' long x 4" thick panels instead of the typical 2'x4'x4". I know... more area = more better. But, I don't have any idea how much (or, if) the performance would really suffer by going with narrower panels. So, still mulling that.

I'm also thinking about hanging one or two 2'x4'x4" panels from the ceiling in the middle of the room, above my mixing position.

And, instead of taking the time to build them myself, I'm considering either the ATS or GIK pre-made panels. They don't seem to be much more expensive than the cost of materials, and I'm sure they look a lot better than they would if I were to build them myself.

Thanks
~ Charlie

[Jon Nolan]

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the reply. I'm in Atkinson... small world.

No. I don't have the space to hang 2' wide panels diagonally from the ceiling to the wall. But, instead of mounting them flush with the ceiling, I do have enough space to hang 4" thick panels with a 4" gap above them, with the long edge of the panel right up against the wall. So, that would be kind of like a sofit (sp?) going part of the way around the room.

In that case, I was thinking (maybe) 1' wide x 4' long x 4" thick panels instead of the typical 2'x4'x4". I know... more area = more better. But, I don't have any idea how much (or, if) the performance would really suffer by going with narrower panels. So, still mulling that.

I'm also thinking about hanging one or two 2'x4'x4" panels from the ceiling in the middle of the room, above my mixing position.

And, instead of taking the time to build them myself, I'm considering either the ATS or GIK pre-made panels. They don't seem to be much more expensive than the cost of materials, and I'm sure they look a lot better than they would if I were to build them myself.

Thanks
~ Charlie

right on man, good luck with this stuff. i'm sure you'll dig the results. you know, you might get some 'super chunk' style treatments from one of those companies (assuming you could find some in one foot width), as the additional material will equal additional help. you could make some pretty easily too.

best,
jon

[BradG]

Theres some great, studio design sites out there that can really help you with this if you do a search.

http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php

I recently saw an article, I believe in Sound On Sound, where they built a very efficient (and affordable) bass trap, against a wall, using dense "hung" materials behind fabric. It was connected only at the top and may have been that dense rubber used in flooring, or something similiar. It had really great absobtion, at very low frequencies, if I remember correctly.

[bpape]

Also remember that when you straddle a corner, while 45 degrees is the best, if it's a different angle (like the 8" on one side that you have to deal with) you're still getting an added benefit and still covereing the corners.

Bryan