Acoustic treatment in our band room

[tlwwalker]

My bandmenbers and I placed acoustic sound absorbing panels on the walls of our band room.  We suffered from standing waves and feedback, echos and noise bouncing around the place. We bought 12 2'x4' , 12 2'x2' panels plus four 2' tall bass traps.This cost right at $1000. After putting it up the improvement of our sound was shockingly better. We have drums, bass, 2 electric guitars and an acoustic guitar, plus three vocal mikes. I could not believe how effective these panels truly are. We will now build a drumkit isolation booth of some type. We should have done this years ago.

[sparquelito]

I have been thinking of mounting some sound-dampening panels in my music room. 

Granted, the floor is carpeted, and there are a LOT of guitars and pieces of art on the walls as it is. 
But I could do a better job of reducing the slap-back and quirky echoes. 

It has always been a great practice place, but a less-than-ideal recording studio. 

😐

 

 

[Twang Gang]

Sound absorbing acoustic panels can make a huge difference.  Before I retired I worked at a private school with a large lunchroom.  With 75 or so kids in there it was deafening.  I found a supplier that sold some acoustic panels that were about 2 inches thick of foam covered in fabric.  They were 4 x 8 feet and we just glued them to the walls.  The science department had a decibel meter that we used and the panels reduced the noise level by about 2/3rds.   The music department had a couple of small practice/lesson rooms that were side by side and the sound bled from one to the other so it was hard to use them both at the same time.  I stuck a few of the panels up in there as well and while not soundproof it was difficult to hear what was going on in the room next door.

[Larsongs]

Auralex will design their recommendations for your Studio or Rehearsal Room… Email them a simple floor plan with dimensions & they will send you  their recommendation.. 

I did that a few years ago & it made a huge difference.. Pricey but now it’s a real Studio…

[Whitefang]

9 minutes ago, Twang Gang said:

Sound absorbing acoustic panels can make a huge difference.  Before I retired I worked at a private school with a large lunchroom.  With 75 or so kids in there it was deafening.  I found a supplier that sold some acoustic panels that were about 2 inches thick of foam covered in fabric.  They were 4 x 8 feet and we just glued them to the walls.  The science department had a decibel meter that we used and the panels reduced the noise level by about 2/3rds.   The music department had a couple of small practice/lesson rooms that were side by side and the sound bled from one to the other so it was hard to use them both at the same time.  I stuck a few of the panels up in there as well and while not soundproof it was difficult to hear what was going on in the room next door.

Well, that sounds easier than collecting enough of those pressed paper and"pulp" egg cartons to cover the walls(like back in the "day", and safer than using those old asbestos ceiling tiles a few I knew way back used(before anyone knew the dangers of asbestos).   Now, as a home decoration style I think carpeting on walls looks dumb, but as an acoustic solution to a music room, might be OK if enough can be found at a decent price.  And surely will look better than egg cartons.  

Whitefang

[Twang Gang]

10 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

Well, that sounds easier than collecting enough of those pressed paper and"pulp" egg cartons to cover the walls(like back in the "day", 

Whitefang

Ha Ha, I remember renting some studio space in an old building in Chicago that had those egg cartons stuck to the walls.  Cheap I guess, but not really that effective in deadening the sound.

[Whitefang]

In the  '78 Gary Busey movie THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY it shows him using a combo of egg cartons and old mattresses on the walls of his garage for that purpose.  

It also implies that a cricket burrowed in a mattress and chirping when they tried recording a tune as the catalyst for the band's name.  

Whitefang

[Larsongs]

I’ve used egg crates & mattresses in the past.. They really didn’t work that great.. 

[Whitefang]

Well, back in '67-'69 we always practiced in one of the bandmate's basements,  or in the empty storefront our key's player's Electrician Dad used as a tax dodge for his ran from home business. We didn't have the level of equipment that required such measures.

Whitefang

[merciful-evans]

I did it cheap. Bought a few duvets and covered the walls with them. Recordings come out just fine. Just need a better voice now.

[tlwwalker]

Update on progress:

We built a 6" drum riser with foam padding beneath. A curved plexiglass shield now surrounds the drum kit (half circle, as it backs up to a wall). That rear wall has the cheaper convoluted foam on it (matress topper material). There are Auralex 12"x12"  panels inside the plexiglass - 10 of them. We have 14 more available for future placement. There is now Auralex foam on the ceiling above the kit . We placed the two floor monitors on 1" insulated risers. I think we are running out of surfaces to cover.

The sound improvement is nothing less that stunning.  I used to HATE the booming bass and shrieking cymbals. It was not my bandmates fault, though. The reflective surfaces of the room were to blame. Now each instrument is tight. Instead of hearing it from all around me, each instruments' sound is coming from a single place.  Now the vocals are audible in the prominent way as they are meant to be heard. This allows the singers to hear better & correct on the fly.

Auralex+adhesives = $1250.  Lumber scrounged by us, plexiglass donated by bass player who owns a glass shop.

This has been very rewarding. Very worthwhile.