Hi folks,

I want to record and mix a cappella singers - no instruments, at least not for the foreseeable future. I have a couple of large diameter condenser mics, a Presonus A/D interface, and a PC to record with. I'm looking for advice getting my room as good as I can make it for this purpose, without breaking the bank.

The room is about 16x12, with carpeting and a finished ceiling. I posted a few pictures here -
http://picasaweb.google.com/danabu/StudioSetup?authkey=IKNRfYNxXcY#

The forums have been great and I have an idea of what I should do, but I thought I'd post the pictures to get ideas from people who would know better.

My plan/questions -

1. I think I should install something in the ceiling/wall corners on the sides of the room, and in the wall/wall corners. I have this convenient lip that runs along the left and right side of the room, but it's only about 10" below the ceiling. Could I get away with putting up O 703 using this lip to the ceiling, and would that be worth it?

2. The floor is carpeted and the ceiling is finished. I've read that a drop ceiling and hard floors would be better (at least for instruments), but I don't want to rip out what's there. Should I put some foam or 703 on the ceiling, somehow? And would a few panels be adequate, or do I have to cover the whole thing?

3. The left wall has these inset panels in it that I could use easily to make the walls non-parallel. Should I do nothing, make the walls non-parallel, or just put up a few pieces of 703 with a small air gap behind them?

Finally - the pictures of rigid foam on this forum look a lot like fiberglass ceiling tiles. I'm assuming there must be a significant difference, but is there any way that ceiling tiles are acceptable substitutes?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

1. However you can get panels in place in those corners will be fine.

2. Right, no need to rip out anything. I agree some absorption on the ceiling will help. Especially at the loudspeaker reflection points, and above the singers.

3. Don't worry about angling the walls. Absorption does the same thing and you'd need absorption there anyway.

(4.) Some ceiling tiles are made from very thin (5/8") rigid fiberglass, but you'd need a lot of them to get a usable thickness. And you'd have to peel off all the plastic facings. If you can get 703 or 705 that will be a lot easier.

--Ethan

Thanks, Ethan! Couple follow ups if you don't mind:

1. For the wall/ceiling corners of the room - If the triangular cross-section of the resulting air gap will only be 10" on a side will it worth it? You advise pieces that are 24" long on the hypotenuse in the wall/wall corners - these would only be about 14" if I use the lip that's already there.

2. I'll put half a dozen pieces of strategically placed 2" thick 705, hanging down off 2" strings or with 2" spacers. Should I do it paper side down to increase bass absorption, or mix it up the way you suggest for the walls? And if I put the paper side down - can I also paint the paper white to keep the lighting reasonable, or would that screw up the absorption characteristics somehow?

3. For the side and back walls - alternate pieces of 705 with the paper side in and out, installed on 2" spacers to keep an air gap behind.

Do I have it about right?

1. Without measuring it's impossible to say. But don't over-analyze. If that's the only way you can get traps up there, go for it and be confident it will only help.

2. Paper should not be used at reflection points. Anywhere else is okay. Paint will have little effect.

3. That's fine, but don't have paper face the room at reflection points, or near where you'll have musicians (sound sources) or microphones.

--Ethan

Thanks again, Ethan. I've just done out the math, and have had a bit of sticker shock.

For this 16x12 room I'm coming up with needing to install 40 to 45 2x4' panels by the time I put traps up in the corners, on the walls, and 6-8 of them on the finished ceiling. Does that seem about right, or am I making a mistake thinking I need to cover so much?

I don't think you need so many panels in a room that size. I suggest you start with half that and see what happens.

--Ethan