I'm experiencing a bit of echo in my newly converted garage, so when there's playback or when I'm playing guitars its too echoey. The walls were plastered with insulated soundboard underneath but that's more for soundproofing and insulation rather than to stop the boomy room syndrome thing.
I know you can get those acoustic foam pad things to stop the sound from bouncing round the room, but what's the best positioning for them? The trouble I'm also having is my monitors are positioned at the back of the room on the far right facing inwards as I'm only using half the length of the room (so I can only use half the LED lights to save power as I have a front and back switch). Facing the monitors across the length of the room (which is recommended by people mixing) isn't practical as the sound faces the back of my house from the garage. Positioning it the other way would mean the neighbours can see through the window at what I'm doing.
So with that dilemma where should I place the foam? Behind the monitors and dotted around on surrounding walls? I won't need any on the ceiling will I? I'm only using this room to play guitar not mix. Any guitar stuff will be direct via an interface I would think but playback would be via the monitors. So wanna keep it low cost and basic and still do the trick.
Comments
Where to put them? Corners especially, also overhead. On walls, place traps level (both vertically and along the wall) to coincide with the area where your and your students' heads (ears, to be specific) are most regularly while you are in the room.
By the way, the studio acoustics subforum over at gearslutz.com has a treatment reference guide - here. Have a read of section 2, items a to d, under the heading room set-up.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Acoustic-Foam-Wedge-Treatment/dp/B006I1J25E/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=acoustic+foam&qid=1553526325&s=gateway&sr=8-5
I was going to put some of these around the room.
Now you mentioned about thickness I think these are slightly thicker?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/305mm-Wedge-Acoustic-Studio-Foam/dp/B00ZG3UXVW/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=acoustic+foam&qid=1553526683&s=gateway&sr=8-9
In simple terms - forget foam. Proper acoustic foam products from people like this https://gikacoustics.co.uk/ have their place but you are far better off building something using Rockwool RW3 https://www.insulationexpress.co.uk/rockwool-rw3-acoustic-insulation-slabs?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-Ym0kc2d4QIVz5TtCh09igX7EAQYASABEgLh6PD_BwE . As said above, wrap in 'breathable' fabric.
You would need panels at least 100mm thick and you can improve their performance by spacing them from the wall (another 100mm). You need to position them at the 'mirror points'. To find the mirror points, if you can't do the geometry, sit in your mix position and get somebody to hold a mirror flat against the neighbouring walls. At the mirror point you will be able to see your monitors in the reflection.
My home studio, also a converted garage, looks like this
Their are panels at the mirror points (left, right and ceiling) plus 'super chunks' in the front corner. Google 'Broad band acoustic panel DIY', there are loads of build tips.
My other question is how is the best way to stick them on the wall as I don't want use nails/staples, and I've read sticky double-sided tape doesn't hold them up well (falls down after after 10 hours).
You need bass trapping, not acoustic foam, which is all show and no go.
If you want to persevere with foam then get some 'no more nails' but this is harder to remove than using staples or nails.
Some people glue them to ply sheets which are then hung like pictures.
But in the strongest terms possible I urge you to do this properly and not waste time with acoustic foam.
It doesn't work, it only makes things worse.
Entry level for acoustic treatment would be some GIK acoustics corner traps and their larger wall hanging bass traps or something comparable that you can make yourself out of rock wool and a wood frame, covered in acoustic fabric.
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Personally I think the broadband panels look nicer than the foam too
How many would I need in total? And I’ve seen the ones on stands so I wouldn’t have to mount them onto a wall. Are these a good option? There’s a lot of space so plenty of room for a few of them on stands.
https://gikacoustics.co.uk/product/wooden-and-custom-metal-stands/
As your room is not a textbook studio control room, my previous advice still stands: fill or straddle the 4 vertical corners, floor to ceiling if possible, and I would start with 5 more traps: one over your head and 4 on floor stands that you position between you and the 4 walls that you face perpendicularly.
It is not a surprise but all the same nice to see that Musicwolf, octatonic, guitarfishbay and myself are all singing from the same songsheet.
*NB my phone isn't attaching the photo!
I know the 2 windows there don't make it ideal either.
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Also as previously stated the problem with positioning the monitors at the far end facing the length of the room is that the sound will travel towards the garden towards the house, and ideally I want the audio travelling outwards, positioning the desk the other way puts me in full view of the neighbours and them in full of view of me.
I emailed the guys at GIK and by the measurements of the room they said I would 20% of the surface of the walls to be treated.