***** Got an even better one... -Big cardboard box -A stick to open the box hinge like -String attached to stick -Put desired amount of beer... Can be just one bottle or even a can of any beer brand... -Wait and pull.
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
Thanks for enlightening me. I always thought a bass trap would be a pizza and a beer in a cage and when the bass player enters the cage you can close it and when he realises he's trapped, you might have finished recording ...
Whenever making DIY sound treatment make damn sure the thing can't catch fire. I don't know if that particular brand of fiberglass is fire rated but keep that in mind. All it takes is one bass player and your studio is done for.
NobodyWhatsoever they might light them up because they just realized they have been playing the wrong notes for years without noticing and nobody had the chance to check on them until the recording started.
but seriously this is not a problem right? since a lot of the 'absorption' is really just kinetic diffusion turning the sound waves into heat inside the fiberglass
Another useful note for handling fibreglass dust! If you get too much on your skin, wash yourself with cold water instead of warm/hot water. This is because warm water will cause your pores to expand and the dust is at risk of becoming stuck further inside your skin. This isn't dangerous by any means, it just makes one bitch of an itch!
I learned that the hard way! I was helping some friends put a new ceiling in a church and I got that shit all over me(I had to hold it over my head) it itches like nothing else. had to wait hours to get home and shower.
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
Everything is more articulated and the cymbals and the hi-hat really shine. Great vid, Glen, I've always been feeling like a caveman when it comes to acoustics!
Very cool. Another thing I've found works well in certain applications is those heavy moving blankets. Not so much for bass, but I have two hanging on a clothesline behind my kit and they help keep the cymbal reflections in check (as well as hide my washer and dryer and make it look a little more like a studio and not a basement).
Rockwool has a slightly higher acoustic dampening factor than fiberglass, so I've used that in the past to good effect. Also the frame can be made from 2x4 wall studs instead of metal. Both of these are cheap and readily available in Home Depot or Lowe's.
No man ... I've been building houses and other things ,,, all my life and that's a genius design ... it's cheap ,,, quick and easy ... I've been looking at different builds and solutions to this problem for a while ,,, and you've covered all the important basics ,,, well done 👍👍👍 thanks man ...
Man every time I tried to come up with the build I always overdid it and it just wasn't reasonable to do ,,, whatever you may lack in building experience only allowed you to come up with a solution outside the box man this is really good thanks a lot
Who is this polite man and why is he not yelling at me? In all seriousness, I am building a garden office which I want to put a drum kit and my amps into so I've been double checking these videos (egg carton soundproofing being the other one). I am planning on soundproofing with rockwool in between the walls/frame floor and ceiling. Then acoustic plasterboard on top of this but I am not sure if I should go for a double layer of acoustic plasterboard or not. Feels like something I'd regret later down the line and I really don't want to disturb my neighbours. Anyway this was very helpful and informative and it's really cool to see how much you have progressed in your presenting style as when you're watching regularly (like I do) you don't notice it as much. Keep up the good work and praise Krom.
After reading through the comments, I think you really need to do a video on how to trap an actual bass player. As a bassist myself, I can make some suggestions on what sort of bait would work. Boobs, for starters. They are known for their magical powers...
That's awesome. You built your traps similar to mine: 4" with metal frames. I used drywall bead which, while less strong, has the advantage of exposing more of the absorbing material. I used 8lb mineral wool. The idea with spacing, which you probably know but others might not is, by spacing the panel in 1-4x the multiple of your panel's thickness, you gain better low end absorption with a slight sacrifice in low mids. This has to measured on a case-by-case basis, though, because when I gapped my cloud too much I got a null. Also, adding FRK (foil, etc) you actually lose some mid-high absorption but gain more low end performance. Be sure not to use more than one layer of FRK (which should face the room) if using multiple sheets of insulation.
Yesterday I've done an acoustic treatment job for a practice/recording room. Bass traps in all the 8 corners, foam at the other end of the room facing the drumset, 6 diffusors behind the drums and some foam on the cealing and at ear level around the drums for getting the first early reflections...the drummer couldn't believe how good the kit sounded, he said he could finally ear the kit and play much better, so it's not just for us techs also the musician will benefit from a good room ;)
Dude...wall studs and monkey hooks: YOU ARE A GENIUS! I've been scouring the internet and the walls of Home Depot trying to find something that requires minimal effort and is also cheap. This is perfect. Also I had never heard of monkey hooks before, I'm pretty sure you've changed my life in two different ways with this one video, so thank you sir!
Wow, with the traps the bass drum really rang out in the mix, thanks for making this video because I would have never thought of this on my own because I'm a bass player
Hey Glenn I just wanted to add that you can get the fabric fairly cheap using old sheets from Grandma or thrift stores. You don’t have as much choice on patterns usually but the fabric stores are usually fairly expensive. Cool vid!
I recently had a chat with a mastering engineer from one of the big studios regarding the subject, he pointed out that priority is to avoid still standing waves. Absorbers like those DIY ones are fine but they aren't bass traps, in addition it's adviced with some sort of diffusers to break some waves and reflect them back into the room into different directions, you don't want to muffle it all, and real bass traps might not even be needed, depends a lot on the room size and layout. A tip for you guys who are building a DIY studio, you don't need measurement equipment to set everything in the right spots either, just talk loud against your walls and listen, the human voice is pretty efficient to figure out where to place traps, you can then add difusers in between and on the wall, shelf or what ever your studio monitors are facing behind your chair, equipment and other objects can also work as diffusers as long as they are soft enough. It is also adviced with at least some thick dense fabric at the ceiling above the mixing area too, hard surfaces that can bounce soundwaves parallel between eachother are always the worst.
Yes... These would be better named broadband absorbers. I made some of my own using plywood frames, Roxul Rockboard (similar to Owens Corning 703, but cheaper), and microsuede cloth (materials from ATS Acoustics). Just three 2x4' x4" absorbers made a HUGE difference in the sound of my room! The bass from my monitor sub tightened up considerably. More absorbers are needed; I just need to get around to making them!
@@soundman1402 Try with layers of cheap towels in the frame, can be as and even more effective as those solutions labeled with flashy words as acoustic, pro, studio etc.
I work for an Insulation company here in Arizona, duct lining insulation will work just as well. It is compressed like normal sound barrier insulation, down side is it comes in a big roll fairly easy to cut though. FSK lined batts will be a bit tougher to cut because of the foil. just my two cents.
I’d love to measure what frequency range these are affecting. I have a suspicion these alone are probably working more at high and midrange without a tuned mass to dampen. It’s possible the plasterboard behind them is acting as that mass and it’s possible the membrane foil is doing it but I don’t think it would. Anyway food for thought. Genius going with the steel stud stuff. Probably ends up much lighter than my wooden frames. Really good to see someone putting this content out there, thanks for that.
great idea with the metal frame. beats sawing, nailing and stapling. just completed a bass trap today and have at least 8 more planned... corners back and top and sides ... diffuses are going to be used as well for mids and highs. Room measurements using analysis software such as REW will tell you the truth about where your problems are and whether you've fixed the issue and how well.
Strictly speaking these aren't "Bass Traps" they are broadband absorbers and wont do much for bass they will tame the high/mid range and early reflections though. For bass you need a lot more depth, just thing about the mathematical size of the sound wave you are trying to "absorb" menu bass waves are bigger than small rooms entirely so there's nothing you can do to catch them, which is one reason why bass often sounds more apparent outside of the room rather than inside (the room is just too small). You will make a great improvement if you space your absorbers a few inches away from the all because the wave goes though the trap bounces off the wall and returns through the trap, the airgap between the trap and wall improves the traps efficiency at this. If they are mounted dead against the wall on hooks the effect it lessened and less efficient. The best proper "Bass Traps" to make are corner traps and are very deep (as described above) the deeper the better, often called superchunks and worth googling to see what im talking about. - Not trollin just thought you might find this useful info.
Also the alu foil backing will have a reflective effect on the HF/HM so depending on the frequencies you are trying to deal with this may or may not be an advantage/problem.
The difference between these placed in a corner and a superchunk type trap is quite minimal. I did my homework on these. Read a few charts.... superchunk is better, but not by much. And watch the whole video... I mentioned using spacers. But listen to the bottom end on the kick in the a/b clip. That's evidence they're doing their job.
Stacked the way they are, if they reflect anything, it would be absorbed again by the insulation. If I had the foil facing out, you might have a point.
SpectreSoundStudios superchunks done properly have way more low end absorption due to their depth again you need to consider wavelength, you need depth of absorption not just a panel a couple of inches deep and im not denying them doing their job nor trolling i'm just trying to help give you some long standing tried and tested fundamentals that are proven.
Neil Hester and likewise with the foil, you have barely any depth to absorb anything but HF waves before hitting that foil. They key to all of this is wavelength of the frequency you are trying to tame and the size of your room, throwing up some broadband absorbers will instantly make a difference in deadening your room, if thats what you want then great but if you want to balance out the frequency response of your room (you especially need to in a mix room or you wont be hearing your speakers correctly and probably make the wrong decisions when mixing) then you need to first measure your room with an RTA and measurement mic to find your problem frequencies and then treat them accordingly with tuned traps to match.
Thanks, I designed some bass traps for me, but the way you built the frame could improve my project. Also, this is probably the first quiet-Glenn video haha.
I'm obsessed with the added use of rubber on the back side. Sound would then travel through the Owens Corning 703, through the rubber (layered rubber of 1/2") adding mass. Sound would then bounce off the wall, and what remains would then travel back through the 1" rubber, and then through the Owens Corning 703. The key to knocking out low frequencies is the weight of the entire panel. 25Lb panels is good, but 75Lb panels is even better. The rubber mats possibly from rubber entry mats. If you can't get rubber entry mats? I do believe tires are shredded into small pieces and used for various things, so if you can get some of this shredded rubber, placing that into a cavity 4" thick, and MDF board on front and back would knock out low frequencies.
If any of you guys don’t want to risk messing with the Insulation or is difficult to get it, layering bath towels is a great alternative. I build a vocal booth with traps made out of towels and it works really really well.
Roxul makes a good substitute for the rigid fiberglass sheet, and can be found at big box home stores. They hold their shape unlike cheap fiberglass at the home store, and fit perfectly in the cavity of steel studs also, and come in 23" x 47" pieces.
Cool idea, but I notice that you place the panels with the foil back-to-back. Wouldn't the double layer of foil, in the middle, negate the effectiveness of the secondary glass layer? Just asking.
It will just break the sound waves before they hit that second layer. An old trick for mixing room windows is to use a different thickness of glass for each layer to break down the sound waves efficiently, maybe that is why Glenn did it like that.
I'm thinking this is a BASS frequency trap, not a high frequency one. The thin foil ain't stoppin' no low frequencies, so I doubt that it matters - but so as to avoid reflection of HIGH frequencies, he has it facing inward.
Oh man, we watched this in class today (I'm doing a diploma of sound and studio production) and I was like "oh fuck yeah, that's Glenn!!" Unfortunately I missed out a huge chunk of this vid because because I was late to class because fUCKING BUSES NOT TURNING UP AND SHIT M4+4 WWWWWWWWWWWW
The rigid fiberglass is sold at HVAC distributors and is called ductboard. It is available in 1", 2" and 4" thickness (the 4" is generally special order.) It comes in 4' x 10' sheets. If you special order the thick stuff, you will have to buy the whole case of 3 or 4 sheets usually.
Hi, Glenn. I’ve been watching your channel for some years, and I really admire your philosophy of recording acoustic sounds and making it sound great (hence, I’m commenting on the Bass Traps video). My question: could a video on super basic acoustic treatment be a possibility? Like, the basics of audio physics, or "You should do this to make your room acoustically accurate" kind of stuff] If you’ve already done this, I apologize for wasting your time. Thaank you so much from Japan. Keep it metal!🤘😈
great idea with the metal frame. beats sawing, nailing and stapling. just completed a bass trap today and have at least 8 more planned... corners back and top and sides ... diffuses are going to be used as well for mids and highs. Room measurements using analysis software such as REW will tell you the truth about where your problems are and whether you've fixed the issue and how well.
Apparently, Roxul (Rockwool) Comfortboard 80 is good stuff for making bass traps. You can get it at Home Depot. For $60 you get 6 boards that are 24 x 48 inches, and 1.5" thick. You can stack 3 of them together to get 4.5" thickness, and they're already 2 x 4 feet--no cutting needed. Into the corners of the room they go. Unlike fiberglass, the mineral wool isn't nasty and itchy.
Hey Glenn, great video. Big fan of your work, yes a lot of the knowledge is available elsewhere but having it put into one easily digestible video is incredibly useful. Any chance you'd consider making a video on placement of these traps and how that would affect sound for tracking? Cheers
If you glue the two fiberglass sheets together with a small bead of construction adhesive it will create a small air gap which will improve the soundproofing. It is a small detail but makes a big difference.
Roxul Safe N' Sound is also great if you can't find the stuff Glenn uses. It's not compressed, but it does a wonderful job of deadening sound. If you add a piece of styro insulation for rigidity and sandwich it between two half inch piece of Roxul, you'll have an amazing trap for the same price, maybe a bit cheaper. All of that is available at the big box stores if that's something you have to go with.
We used these in my church to help absorb all the sound reverbing (I think that's a word) in the building. It's a giant metal building so it was so bad and these helped, we dressed them up to and. Made them look nice and the band sounds 10x better. Thanks man, I know you're not the biggest Jesus fan but thank you anyways man.
Decided to comment for those who may be renting and can't put holes in the wall. A couple years back, I was looking for acoustic treatment to help tighten up my room acoustics. There were two big problems with this though: quality pre-built was expensive, and I was not allowed to make holes in the wall, due to being in an apartment. This left me with one solution: build my own, with a custom, mobile design. I'm in no way a carpenter or designer, but I figured I may as well do it. It would either turn out well, or turn out bad, but still give some treatment to the room, so why not. The general design is based on a series of triangles, so they fit snugly against a wall corner. At the deepest point, it measures 1 foot deep, and is 7 feet tall, so I get almost complete corner coverage. The inside is built in a compartment fashion,, it's a a total of four, if I remember correctly, compartments made of roughly evenly-spaced solid pieces of triangle-shaped particle board. This idea is designed to give the whole thing structural integrity, which I can say definitely worked. Each compartment is a bit over-stuffed with equally-sized insulation, I think 2 inches high per piece, maybe 5-6 pieces per compartment. I don't remember specifically what the insulation was, but I do remember it was highly recommended for bass traps at the time (around five years ago.) I do know it wasn't the highly compact insulation used in this video. Because I was broke at the time, I used two bed sheets I had no use for to cover the front and back securely with far too many staples. It's quite ugly, navy blue on front, red on the back (in hindsight, I should have just bought better-looking, matching sheets from a thrift store.) All total, a pair of these costs me around $100, a toenail, and my dad's saw. I still feel a bit bad about the saw. When I was using them up until a couple years back, they definitely did what I needed them to do, which was to reduce the overall bass frequencies in the room. Since then I can't say I've been too into making music, so they're mostly horrible decoration and a wonderful cat tower. As far as I know, I still have the original design somewhere. If not, I could probably make it from memory, if anyone is interested.
I buy my traps from ATS Acoustics. A 2'x4'x4" panel will only run you about $60+shipping. They're relatively cost-effective if you don't have the time or motivation to make your own traps. Of course, if you've got the time, definitely make your own.
Just a question and a suggestion. You used compressed fiberglass to make your bins, wouldn't extruded foam board or bead board work just as well?... You said you tried to hang your bass bins horizontal but the aluminum was not holding its shape. After you get your bins made but before you cover them, Take some aluminum roof flashing and cut it 1 inch by 24 inches and fasten it in the middle of the bass bin on both the front and back so if you do want to hang it horizontal, the aluminum frame will hold its shape.
Amazing sound difference. And as far as your drumming is concerned, you are the bass player of drums! :-D When I first started playing bass, I was playing in the worship band at our church doing mostly Hllsongs type stuff. I wasn't very good yet, but being an ex-hi-fi salesman, I was a gearhead and used an Acme Low B2. The guitar player used a stack of two peavey 4x12's and a 200 watt head with digital effects. He would give us amazing tapes of his home shredding, but all he could do in front of a crowd was strum chords. Oh, and It was a constant point of contention between us that he had too much bass dialed into his sound. It was "friendly" but only because I was so new to the bass that I didn't have a lot of confidence in my position. But that changed over time. And the standing waves in the place caused the bass to be overwhelming where the mixer was located. Anyway, in rehearsal they constantly complained that my bass was too loud and yet I had a hard time hearing myself. So one day it came to a head. They complained. I turned down. They complained. I turned down some more. Finally, they complained, and I turned it OFF, but kept playing. They stopped the song and complained again. There was a very uncomfortable silence after I explained what I had done. It's affected my attitude toward guitarists ever since. I'm gunning for it. We each need our own space in the mix. But I'm gonna give those traps a try, both for my home system and the club at which we are regulars.
Nice. I build some a while back using 1x4 lumber with a 1/4 inch plywood back and only one 2 inch fiberglass panel. The back panel was recessed one inch to give the space. Much heavier. I may redo mine with the metal studs. I have two six foot tall panels hinged together to for a singer and the screws have pulled out because of the weight. Metal studs would definitely improve the setup.
You've got a good start. For increased BASS trapping effectiveness, you'd do better to orient the foil side facing into the room. Remove the foil from the 2nd sheet, or buy non-FSK (unfaced) panels, and place it behind the faced sheet. Make sure the foil is facing into the room (away from the wall). You will notice some mid-hi reflection back into the room, sure, but the increased bass absorption is worth it. (For panels at first reflection points, use non-faced.) Place the trap diagonally across the corners, floor to ceiling (as you mentioned), and you can also suspend them horizontally at the same diagonal/spanning position, where the walls and ceiling meet. You mentioned a space of 1 or 2" behind wall panels, but a minimum of 4" is widely recommended. It's the equivalent of increasing the depth of the absorber. (roughly speaking). Some folks recommend using the heavier oc705 for traps/absorbers, but 4" of 703 and 705 are roughly the same. 2" of 703 will absorb more mids, 2" of 705 more low mids. All traps benefit from distance from the wall. For really economically and beefy bass traps, check out the concept nicknamed "superchunks" using the pink fluffy insulation. If you can give up the floor space, 9"-14" (thereabouts) of pink fluffy (non-compressed!) in some simple frames across front-rear walls, floor to ceiling, has a dramatic affect on low end - real low end, not just the basic low mids you can grab with panels - we're talking down in the notorious 60 hz range. Cubic ft-wise, it's very cost effective. Hit me up at SnellingAcoustics (dotcom) and I'll gladly share info.
Damn! The end result was a world of difference and thats because I am listening on my laptops meh speakers right now. For sure am gonna look into making a few of these guys
Thank you man! I made a studio space out of a shipping container but the acoustics are....pretty bad. Seems like an easy weekend project to build these, Thanks again!!
use a few lengths of suspension strapping ( comes in a big roll ) and then use short self tapping screws to attach it length ways.. this stiffens up the edge. You can now hang them horizontally if you like for under $10 a box a strapping should do several. as will a box of short screws. OR if you have more metal studs you could just double the side you are going to hang it by. :) these are great traps, much needed in our new place with wood floors and rounded wall to celing transitions ( older style plaster arches. ) thanks Glen :)
Hey Glenn! First: Thanks for your great videos. Both hilarious and educational. I've been browsing around your videos for recording tips, what I haven't found yet is tips on recording without making too much or any noise. I'm thinking about starting to record my jam sessions. I play guitars and drums. Since I moved to my apartment I've been unable to use a guitar amp out of respect for my neighbors. I would therefore LOVE your take/opinion on what one can do to achieve a (nearly) silent studio. And I bet I'm not the only one. I'm assuming that you need a somewhat loud amp for some punch and to ensure that no other noise goes into the mic while recording. First solution that comes to my mind first using a Line6 POD or Fractal Axe for bass & guitar, a set of digital drums and vocal mic, all into a small mixer, like 8 channels or so, and computer software for recording, you´ve already shown us that in one of your videos. The idea is to use headphone or in ear monitors while recording, and studio monitors for editing the mix. So tips on the things above would be much appreciated. also: I'm from Stockholm, in my mid 20's with a decent job and decent pay but as I am kind of new to this I'd like to begin with affordable stuff before upgrading. Thank you for your time and videos!
Oh man.. I've been trying to think of a solution to get the 'echo' out of my shit recordings for YT videos. I wonder if something like this would cut down on that. Worth trying, from the looks of it. Thanks for the great vid.
Woodeso's Guitar Mods Yes its exactly what they will do, what you are trying to remove is early reflections, the number of absorbers you will need will depend on your room size but what you will be trying to to is place absorbers on the largest reflective surfaces, walls, ceiling and corners. You might get away with one wall of two opposing - so put panels on one wall but not the opposite one.
I see other people have already commented that this is in fact a broadband absorber and not a bass trap so I won't belabor that point. Main thing I wanted to mention, as I have built a LOT of these things for my studio as well as for other people, is that you can also use a product that is made from compressed rock wool and get a very similar result. It looks about the same but is not yellow. It comes in 3" and 4" thicknesses. It is about half the price of the fiberglass. You have to get it at the building supply places too. The largest maker of it is Roxul. One other thing. I build mine with a wood frame so I've got something to staple to. I cover the panel first with a layer of 1/2" cotton batting. This acts like a filter to keep all those nasty fibers inside. Lots of good info on your channel. Love your videos. Keep it up!
Thanks so much for the video and the great idea. As a rookie I cannot hear much of a difference but I think as I grow I will come to have more of and ear for that.
Seeing the title I honestly thought this was going to be about building a box propped up with a stick for trapping bassists. Would you ever make a video on building one of those? Bassists are hard to find.
I should point out that you can reinforce the long side with pretty much anything rigid enough to hold the weight. Since you already got the rivets out, might as well take a metal ribbon or strap and rivet it to the middle of each long side around the back so that there's no slack in said ribbon. If you already made the thing and are too lazy to go back to the hardware store, a couple holes and a piece of string or rope will also work, though it will look a bit worse in the back.
Hope this doesn't sound like too daft a question but is there any things to consider or look out for in regards to fire safety when constructing or sourcing materials. I am assuming the fiberglass part will be graded to a certain level for safe use within buildings but what about the materials covering it. Is there any signage on the packaging on the box we should look out for. I get a little paranoid about that kinda thing as I used to be responsible for a building and had to undergo fire marshal training part of which I was made to watch footage of The Station Nightclub fire (not something you want to watch if you have a weak stomach.) where the band Great White accidentally ignited acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings around the stage with a pyrotechnic display. Technically it wasn't their fault as the guy that made them used the wrong flammable insulation that was right next to a bar full of spirits and you can imagine the result in a club full of people. I also know that when performing in certain theaters and we bring large drapes etc they are required to be flame retardant to a certain level . I believe you can buy sprays for that kind of thing. I wouldn't be planning on using them in the same situation but non the less I am always thinking about fire safety with those king of things. I am sure you do too. Could be a useful topic to cover if you haven't already as I know people may try to cover their walls in all sorts of things some of which may not be wise. What not to use could be a use could be a useful warning video for those who want to cut corners or use a cheaper more flammable alternative especially if they plan on doing so in a business setting where they are more responsible for member of the public in there building and are required to follow certain regulations.
Hate to disappoint... but that isn't a bass trap. It's a broadband acoustic panel. Using 6 inch frames, 4 inch batts and leaving a 2 inch space behind the batt would also increase their effectiveness (for broadband panels). Proper and effective bass traps are designed to be placed into corners of the room where there is usually a significant amount of buildup in the low end due to the omnidirectional behaviour of lower frequencies. These traps require a batt to be placed on the face of a (preferably) triangular frame, plus thinner batts placed in a perpendicular manner to the batt on the face (think batts running from corner to face of trap). Cool vid though! Keep em comin :P
Without the traps, the drums sound echoy, but with them, they sound controlled, but dead. With a bit of verb, they would work well. The real ideal, tho, is to have a room you don't have to have much in the way of bass traps in, but has an awesome room verb sound. Nirvana at Sound City is a classic example.
Thanks mate....just transformed a bedroom into a studio with these and a 100$ Home Depot gift card. What a freakin difference....don't have to run to my car as much WOOHOO!!
Just a little idea that may be rock artsy. Use some old rock t-shirts and stretch them across the trap. It may give it a rockier kind of look. May save some dough on the material as well. Im a big guy so my shirts may actually fit.
excellent vid... simple and easy... and pretty effective. through the mic / over youtube it was hard to hear any difference in the lower bass drum region - but the upper frequencies - and especially the cymbal decay... world of difference at the same volumn... literally night and day. I suspect one might need 12" traps for base it would seem. either way, excellent presentation. Thanks
Love your channel and content. But the other post was correct even with the space this trap will not get frequencies much below 125hz. I'm sure it did make a measurable improvement. The Owens Corning 705-FRK (the one with the foil) 2" thick with a density of 6 PCF spaced 12-16" from wall has an absorption coefficient of 0.40 at 125hz which is very good. Making that cavity go floor to ceiling and filling with some pink fluffy will also increase the absorption. Make sure not to have a rigid surface behind the panel. Also the FRK facing can be used to reflect some miss and highs so if you have a lot of traps u can face that out so as not to attenuate too much in the mid and high frequencies. If you put more than one panel together be sure to remove facing between.
Thanks for the idea! I know these kind of videos may be a little less "profitable" than others in terms of viewers, but as it is more technical, are deeply appreciated by people building home studios, myself included. Cheers! PS: I have to ask, and sorry if you already mentioned in another video, what's the name of the SMG opening song? it's totally badass and would love to listen to it if it were a band's song instead of a specific "jingle".
This is a great video on a DIY project. My only comment is I don’t believe it is necessary to frame the fiberglass panels since they are rigid it doesn’t require a frame around it. You could simply by the fiberglass panels wrap them and fabric and you would be good to go. Just my suggestion and to save a little time and money
How do you hang them then? I built one last night and there's not a whole lot lost under the frame. But I have pieces and shavings from the shit all over my basement! It's rigid but not sturdy by any means. It shed just by picking it up!
Another RRRRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYY good insulation for both treating the room and putting inside the wall for sound-proofing is "Roxul" stone-wool insulation. It is, of course, more expensive than standard fiberglass, but worth it. You can use half the thickness that you'd need with standard high-density fiberglass.
did you measure your room before and after? they look like effective broadband absorbers but im not convinced that they offer enough mass to be much effective below 150 or so
New to your channel... I dig this a lot. I'm going to look for other DIY videos on your channel, and gratefully request more. Please and thank you. Cheers!
Those aren't actually bass traps, but rather high/mid absorbers. If you want more efficient low frequency absorbtion, here's what I've decided on: -Rockwool sheets, the densest heaviest sheets of the stuff that you can find. You'll find these in sizes of 60cmX120CM usually (sorry, european here, so metric is my jam). -Cut it in half so you get two 60x60cm pieces. Then cut each of those in half again so you get four 30x30cm pieces. THEN cut them diagonally to make a bunch of triangle pieces. -Stack these pieces in you corners, all the way from floor to ceiling if possible, and mount two thin planks on the outer edges to hold them in place there permanently. Stretch fabric from top to bottom and staple or glue in place. Now your entire corner, where low end has the highest pressure, will absorbed way better than any flat panel ever will. -Flat panels are great to absorb high and mid range frequencies, but as you approach 100hz it'll be less and less efficient at doing so.
Is the black fabric really enough to stop fragments and dust from the fiberglass from spreading in your room? I read that this stuff can cause health issues (even heard that it can cause cancer), just wanted to make sure it's safe for my bedroom studio where I'll be living and sleeping as well...
most UK bass players i know would like an upside down option "to go out in style" {his opinion} with a quick last riff or two (thank god) at smoke on the water( if they dont mind, please ?) i can pay any extra upfront guys, my pleasure.
Can you show us how to build a bass player trap
SuperMrdumm that made my day
***** Got an even better one...
-Big cardboard box
-A stick to open the box hinge like
-String attached to stick
-Put desired amount of beer... Can be just one bottle or even a can of any beer brand...
-Wait and pull.
tuck234 Hey did in an earlier episode. Laserpointer pointing at a wall. Done.
Pim Schilz Thats pretty good haha XD
+Pim Schilz As a proud bassist, I know I would fall for this. Too elaborate for me.
Man i thought it was gonna be a video on how to catch a wild bass player haha
***** As an alternative to baiting them towards the trap, you can drive them away from every other exit by pinning a piece of sheet music on it.
***** that would be an awesome video and im glad i made someones day
Ernesto montes OOOHHH...you mean a "Bewildered Beast"....anybone.....nobody?....ok..
+anonny mouse Wait- so that string WASN'T magic? Holy shit... ...the guitarists lied to me...
Yeah I actually thought this was going to be about how to trap a bassi... I mean... Meathead
Will these also catch trout and other fishes...?
also how do they stand up underwater...?
Are you a bass player?
Arun Kumar
only if they bite.
They will stand up in the water on their own. You just have to ask them nicely
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
Thanks for enlightening me. I always thought a bass trap would be a pizza and a beer in a cage and when the bass player enters the cage you can close it and when he realises he's trapped, you might have finished recording ...
Whenever making DIY sound treatment make damn sure the thing can't catch fire. I don't know if that particular brand of fiberglass is fire rated but keep that in mind. All it takes is one bass player and your studio is done for.
Nejc Kirn They've discovered fire already? My God...
777malkavian this is the end of the world!
NobodyWhatsoever they might light them up because they just realized they have been playing the wrong notes for years without noticing and nobody had the chance to check on them until the recording started.
most fiberglass is used for stoping fire spreading through flats ect , i dont know where the its guna catch fire stuff people thing
but seriously this is not a problem right? since a lot of the 'absorption' is really just kinetic diffusion turning the sound waves into heat inside the fiberglass
Another useful note for handling fibreglass dust!
If you get too much on your skin, wash yourself with cold water instead of warm/hot water. This is because warm water will cause your pores to expand and the dust is at risk of becoming stuck further inside your skin. This isn't dangerous by any means, it just makes one bitch of an itch!
Yep. Spot-on.
I learned that the hard way! I was helping some friends put a new ceiling in a church and I got that shit all over me(I had to hold it over my head) it itches like nothing else. had to wait hours to get home and shower.
Also; WELL VENTILATED AREA + DUST MASK/RESPIRATOR! That shit makes your lungs itchy!
Imagine pulling pink shit that's been shredded by pests out from behind 40 year old homasote boards. Imagine that being your entire 8 hour work day.
Keyboard Warrior I always feel bad for people who have to handle this stuff daily
Fucking hell, wasn't expecting that big of a change! Without the traps it sounded like you recorded with a built in mic of the camera.
oggel33t was thinking of the same thing. thought i was the only one
cheers
James Hetfield called. He says you're due onstage in 5 minutes.
Broken Drummer 😂😂😂
Lol!!!
lol'd
Hahaaa
One of the Best Ideas of SoundProofing is "SoundProof Curtains" it actually Block outside Noise coming from Windows. Check Here: livesoundproof.com/best-soundproof-curtains/
Everything is more articulated and the cymbals and the hi-hat really shine. Great vid, Glen, I've always been feeling like a caveman when it comes to acoustics!
Very cool. Another thing I've found works well in certain applications is those heavy moving blankets. Not so much for bass, but I have two hanging on a clothesline behind my kit and they help keep the cymbal reflections in check (as well as hide my washer and dryer and make it look a little more like a studio and not a basement).
Rockwool has a slightly higher acoustic dampening factor than fiberglass, so I've used that in the past to good effect. Also the frame can be made from 2x4 wall studs instead of metal. Both of these are cheap and readily available in Home Depot or Lowe's.
No man ... I've been building houses and other things ,,, all my life and that's a genius design ... it's cheap ,,, quick and easy ... I've been looking at different builds and solutions to this problem for a while ,,, and you've covered all the important basics ,,, well done 👍👍👍 thanks man ...
Man every time I tried to come up with the build I always overdid it and it just wasn't reasonable to do ,,, whatever you may lack in building experience only allowed you to come up with a solution outside the box man this is really good thanks a lot
Who is this polite man and why is he not yelling at me?
In all seriousness, I am building a garden office which I want to put a drum kit and my amps into so I've been double checking these videos (egg carton soundproofing being the other one).
I am planning on soundproofing with rockwool in between the walls/frame floor and ceiling. Then acoustic plasterboard on top of this but I am not sure if I should go for a double layer of acoustic plasterboard or not. Feels like something I'd regret later down the line and I really don't want to disturb my neighbours.
Anyway this was very helpful and informative and it's really cool to see how much you have progressed in your presenting style as when you're watching regularly (like I do) you don't notice it as much.
Keep up the good work and praise Krom.
After reading through the comments, I think you really need to do a video on how to trap an actual bass player. As a bassist myself, I can make some suggestions on what sort of bait would work. Boobs, for starters. They are known for their magical powers...
Another demonstration that quality gear can't fix shitty drumming. Love your videos! They provide excellent advice without selling out!
Those drum skills will get you into 85% of the other punk bands we play with🤘
He looks so awkward playing drums, it's hysterical xD 😂
That's awesome. You built your traps similar to mine: 4" with metal frames. I used drywall bead which, while less strong, has the advantage of exposing more of the absorbing material. I used 8lb mineral wool. The idea with spacing, which you probably know but others might not is, by spacing the panel in 1-4x the multiple of your panel's thickness, you gain better low end absorption with a slight sacrifice in low mids. This has to measured on a case-by-case basis, though, because when I gapped my cloud too much I got a null. Also, adding FRK (foil, etc) you actually lose some mid-high absorption but gain more low end performance. Be sure not to use more than one layer of FRK (which should face the room) if using multiple sheets of insulation.
Yesterday I've done an acoustic treatment job for a practice/recording room.
Bass traps in all the 8 corners, foam at the other end of the room facing the drumset, 6 diffusors behind the drums and some foam on the cealing and at ear level around the drums for getting the first early reflections...the drummer couldn't believe how good the kit sounded, he said he could finally ear the kit and play much better, so it's not just for us techs also the musician will benefit from a good room ;)
Dude...wall studs and monkey hooks: YOU ARE A GENIUS!
I've been scouring the internet and the walls of Home Depot trying to find something that requires minimal effort and is also cheap. This is perfect.
Also I had never heard of monkey hooks before, I'm pretty sure you've changed my life in two different ways with this one video, so thank you sir!
Wow, with the traps the bass drum really rang out in the mix, thanks for making this video because I would have never thought of this on my own because I'm a bass player
Hey Glenn I just wanted to add that you can get the fabric fairly cheap using old sheets from Grandma or thrift stores. You don’t have as much choice on patterns usually but the fabric stores are usually fairly expensive. Cool vid!
I recently had a chat with a mastering engineer from one of the big studios regarding the subject, he pointed out that priority is to avoid still standing waves.
Absorbers like those DIY ones are fine but they aren't bass traps, in addition it's adviced with some sort of diffusers to break some waves and reflect them back into the room into different directions, you don't want to muffle it all, and real bass traps might not even be needed, depends a lot on the room size and layout.
A tip for you guys who are building a DIY studio, you don't need measurement equipment to set everything in the right spots either, just talk loud against your walls and listen, the human voice is pretty efficient to figure out where to place traps, you can then add difusers in between and on the wall, shelf or what ever your studio monitors are facing behind your chair, equipment and other objects can also work as diffusers as long as they are soft enough.
It is also adviced with at least some thick dense fabric at the ceiling above the mixing area too, hard surfaces that can bounce soundwaves parallel between eachother are always the worst.
Yes... These would be better named broadband absorbers. I made some of my own using plywood frames, Roxul Rockboard (similar to Owens Corning 703, but cheaper), and microsuede cloth (materials from ATS Acoustics). Just three 2x4' x4" absorbers made a HUGE difference in the sound of my room! The bass from my monitor sub tightened up considerably. More absorbers are needed; I just need to get around to making them!
@@soundman1402 Try with layers of cheap towels in the frame, can be as and even more effective as those solutions labeled with flashy words as acoustic, pro, studio etc.
Just love that pause between snare and cymbals at 06:38
This is the best video you've made so far. Excellent job glenn
GUYS THIS IS SOOO FRIGGIN EASY!!! WAYYY EASIER THAN WOOD AND NAILS AND STAPLES. GOOD JOB BRO
I work for an Insulation company here in Arizona, duct lining insulation will work just as well. It is compressed like normal sound barrier insulation, down side is it comes in a big roll fairly easy to cut though. FSK lined batts will be a bit tougher to cut because of the foil. just my two cents.
703 board is made for duct lining, really none of these insulation products were designed for acoustics until they figure out they can jack the price.
I’d love to measure what frequency range these are affecting. I have a suspicion these alone are probably working more at high and midrange without a tuned mass to dampen. It’s possible the plasterboard behind them is acting as that mass and it’s possible the membrane foil is doing it but I don’t think it would. Anyway food for thought. Genius going with the steel stud stuff. Probably ends up much lighter than my wooden frames. Really good to see someone putting this content out there, thanks for that.
great idea with the metal frame. beats sawing, nailing and stapling. just completed a bass trap today and have at least 8 more planned... corners back and top and sides ... diffuses are going to be used as well for mids and highs. Room measurements using analysis software such as REW will tell you the truth about where your problems are and whether you've fixed the issue and how well.
The A/B at the end says it ALL!
Great & powerfully changing vid, Chief! It's a game changer in sure for a lot of DIY-ers! \m/
Yeah boi best tutorial I have seen on building traps. Also you are better than some drummers ive seen live :(
Strictly speaking these aren't "Bass Traps" they are broadband absorbers and wont do much for bass they will tame the high/mid range and early reflections though.
For bass you need a lot more depth, just thing about the mathematical size of the sound wave you are trying to "absorb" menu bass waves are bigger than small rooms entirely so there's nothing you can do to catch them, which is one reason why bass often sounds more apparent outside of the room rather than inside (the room is just too small).
You will make a great improvement if you space your absorbers a few inches away from the all because the wave goes though the trap bounces off the wall and returns through the trap, the airgap between the trap and wall improves the traps efficiency at this.
If they are mounted dead against the wall on hooks the effect it lessened and less efficient.
The best proper "Bass Traps" to make are corner traps and are very deep (as described above) the deeper the better, often called superchunks and worth googling to see what im talking about.
- Not trollin just thought you might find this useful info.
Also the alu foil backing will have a reflective effect on the HF/HM so depending on the frequencies you are trying to deal with this may or may not be an advantage/problem.
The difference between these placed in a corner and a superchunk type trap is quite minimal. I did my homework on these. Read a few charts.... superchunk is better, but not by much. And watch the whole video... I mentioned using spacers. But listen to the bottom end on the kick in the a/b clip. That's evidence they're doing their job.
Stacked the way they are, if they reflect anything, it would be absorbed again by the insulation. If I had the foil facing out, you might have a point.
SpectreSoundStudios superchunks done properly have way more low end absorption due to their depth again you need to consider wavelength, you need depth of absorption not just a panel a couple of inches deep and im not denying them doing their job nor trolling i'm just trying to help give you some long standing tried and tested fundamentals that are proven.
Neil Hester and likewise with the foil, you have barely any depth to absorb anything but HF waves before hitting that foil.
They key to all of this is wavelength of the frequency you are trying to tame and the size of your room, throwing up some broadband absorbers will instantly make a difference in deadening your room, if thats what you want then great but if you want to balance out the frequency response of your room (you especially need to in a mix room or you wont be hearing your speakers correctly and probably make the wrong decisions when mixing) then you need to first measure your room with an RTA and measurement mic to find your problem frequencies and then treat them accordingly with tuned traps to match.
Thanks, I designed some bass traps for me, but the way you built the frame could improve my project. Also, this is probably the first quiet-Glenn video haha.
I'm obsessed with the added use of rubber on the back side. Sound would then travel through the Owens Corning 703, through the rubber (layered rubber of 1/2") adding mass. Sound would then bounce off the wall, and what remains would then travel back through the 1" rubber, and then through the Owens Corning 703. The key to knocking out low frequencies is the weight of the entire panel. 25Lb panels is good, but 75Lb panels is even better. The rubber mats possibly from rubber entry mats. If you can't get rubber entry mats? I do believe tires are shredded into small pieces and used for various things, so if you can get some of this shredded rubber, placing that into a cavity 4" thick, and MDF board on front and back would knock out low frequencies.
Can I use these as bass player traps?
László Szerémi I thought this was what the video was gonna be. Yes I was disappointed.
László Szerémi To the top with you.
László Szerémi No, that's pizza you're thinking of.
László Szerémi I dunno, man. Hide some weed in it or something, I guess.
NobodyWhatsoever Hook, line, and bass player.
i've made these years ago. its great and as an added bonus you save on heating in the winter!!
If any of you guys don’t want to risk messing with the Insulation or is difficult to get it, layering bath towels is a great alternative. I build a vocal booth with traps made out of towels and it works really really well.
Roxul makes a good substitute for the rigid fiberglass sheet, and can be found at big box home stores. They hold their shape unlike cheap fiberglass at the home store, and fit perfectly in the cavity of steel studs also, and come in 23" x 47" pieces.
Cool idea, but I notice that you place the panels with the foil back-to-back. Wouldn't the double layer of foil, in the middle, negate the effectiveness of the secondary glass layer? Just asking.
It will just break the sound waves before they hit that second layer.
An old trick for mixing room windows is to use a different thickness of glass for each layer to break down the sound waves efficiently, maybe that is why Glenn did it like that.
I'm thinking this is a BASS frequency trap, not a high frequency one. The thin foil ain't stoppin' no low frequencies, so I doubt that it matters - but so as to avoid reflection of HIGH frequencies, he has it facing inward.
@@whirldlee6352 Thanks guys. That makes sense.
I also thought this was about capturing bass players in a secure location. This is like the advice we really need, but not the one we deserve!
Oh man, we watched this in class today (I'm doing a diploma of sound and studio production) and I was like "oh fuck yeah, that's Glenn!!" Unfortunately I missed out a huge chunk of this vid because because I was late to class because fUCKING BUSES NOT TURNING UP AND SHIT M4+4 WWWWWWWWWWWW
The rigid fiberglass is sold at HVAC distributors and is called ductboard. It is available in 1", 2" and 4" thickness (the 4" is generally special order.) It comes in 4' x 10' sheets. If you special order the thick stuff, you will have to buy the whole case of 3 or 4 sheets usually.
Hi, Glenn.
I’ve been watching your channel for some years, and I really admire your philosophy of recording acoustic sounds and making it sound great (hence, I’m commenting on the Bass Traps video).
My question: could a video on super basic acoustic treatment be a possibility? Like, the basics of audio physics, or "You should do this to make your room acoustically accurate" kind of stuff]
If you’ve already done this, I apologize for wasting your time.
Thaank you so much from Japan. Keep it metal!🤘😈
We need more videos of Glenn playing drums.
Thanks Glenn. My plan was for timber frames, but this looks easier. I'd love to hear more about your resonator as well.
great idea with the metal frame. beats sawing, nailing and stapling. just completed a bass trap today and have at least 8 more planned... corners back and top and sides ... diffuses are going to be used as well for mids and highs. Room measurements using analysis software such as REW will tell you the truth about where your problems are and whether you've fixed the issue and how well.
Apparently, Roxul (Rockwool) Comfortboard 80 is good stuff for making bass traps. You can get it at Home Depot.
For $60 you get 6 boards that are 24 x 48 inches, and 1.5" thick. You can stack 3 of them together to get 4.5" thickness, and they're already 2 x 4 feet--no cutting needed.
Into the corners of the room they go.
Unlike fiberglass, the mineral wool isn't nasty and itchy.
Hey Glenn, great video. Big fan of your work, yes a lot of the knowledge is available elsewhere but having it put into one easily digestible video is incredibly useful. Any chance you'd consider making a video on placement of these traps and how that would affect sound for tracking? Cheers
If you glue the two fiberglass sheets together with a small bead of construction adhesive it will create a small air gap which will improve the soundproofing. It is a small detail but makes a big difference.
Roxul Safe N' Sound is also great if you can't find the stuff Glenn uses. It's not compressed, but it does a wonderful job of deadening sound. If you add a piece of styro insulation for rigidity and sandwich it between two half inch piece of Roxul, you'll have an amazing trap for the same price, maybe a bit cheaper. All of that is available at the big box stores if that's something you have to go with.
Thanks for this man. Extremely helpful. My studio is a small bedroom and I'm having a little trouble with my mixes.
We used these in my church to help absorb all the sound reverbing (I think that's a word) in the building. It's a giant metal building so it was so bad and these helped, we dressed them up to and. Made them look nice and the band sounds 10x better. Thanks man, I know you're not the biggest Jesus fan but thank you anyways man.
+Flying Pandas my pleasure! I assume praying didn't stop the echoes? I'm shocked! ;)
Great information for me, thankyou Sir. 🙏🏻👍🏻
Decided to comment for those who may be renting and can't put holes in the wall.
A couple years back, I was looking for acoustic treatment to help tighten up my room acoustics.
There were two big problems with this though: quality pre-built was expensive, and I was not allowed to make holes in the wall, due to being in an apartment.
This left me with one solution: build my own, with a custom, mobile design.
I'm in no way a carpenter or designer, but I figured I may as well do it.
It would either turn out well, or turn out bad, but still give some treatment to the room, so why not.
The general design is based on a series of triangles, so they fit snugly against a wall corner.
At the deepest point, it measures 1 foot deep, and is 7 feet tall, so I get almost complete corner coverage.
The inside is built in a compartment fashion,, it's a a total of four, if I remember correctly, compartments made of roughly evenly-spaced solid pieces of triangle-shaped particle board.
This idea is designed to give the whole thing structural integrity, which I can say definitely worked.
Each compartment is a bit over-stuffed with equally-sized insulation, I think 2 inches high per piece, maybe 5-6 pieces per compartment.
I don't remember specifically what the insulation was, but I do remember it was highly recommended for bass traps at the time (around five years ago.)
I do know it wasn't the highly compact insulation used in this video.
Because I was broke at the time, I used two bed sheets I had no use for to cover the front and back securely with far too many staples.
It's quite ugly, navy blue on front, red on the back (in hindsight, I should have just bought better-looking, matching sheets from a thrift store.)
All total, a pair of these costs me around $100, a toenail, and my dad's saw.
I still feel a bit bad about the saw.
When I was using them up until a couple years back, they definitely did what I needed them to do, which was to reduce the overall bass frequencies in the room.
Since then I can't say I've been too into making music, so they're mostly horrible decoration and a wonderful cat tower.
As far as I know, I still have the original design somewhere. If not, I could probably make it from memory, if anyone is interested.
I buy my traps from ATS Acoustics. A 2'x4'x4" panel will only run you about $60+shipping. They're relatively cost-effective if you don't have the time or motivation to make your own traps.
Of course, if you've got the time, definitely make your own.
Just a question and a suggestion. You used compressed fiberglass to make your bins, wouldn't extruded foam board or bead board work just as well?... You said you tried to hang your bass bins horizontal but the aluminum was not holding its shape. After you get your bins made but before you cover them, Take some aluminum roof flashing and cut it 1 inch by 24 inches and fasten it in the middle of the bass bin on both the front and back so if you do want to hang it horizontal, the aluminum frame will hold its shape.
Well done, much tighter. Think about some clouds too. Be easy to run REW and show the change in flatness and decay time.
Amazing sound difference. And as far as your drumming is concerned, you are the bass player of drums! :-D
When I first started playing bass, I was playing in the worship band at our church doing mostly Hllsongs type stuff. I wasn't very good yet, but being an ex-hi-fi salesman, I was a gearhead and used an Acme Low B2. The guitar player used a stack of two peavey 4x12's and a 200 watt head with digital effects. He would give us amazing tapes of his home shredding, but all he could do in front of a crowd was strum chords. Oh, and It was a constant point of contention between us that he had too much bass dialed into his sound. It was "friendly" but only because I was so new to the bass that I didn't have a lot of confidence in my position. But that changed over time.
And the standing waves in the place caused the bass to be overwhelming where the mixer was located.
Anyway, in rehearsal they constantly complained that my bass was too loud and yet I had a hard time hearing myself. So one day it came to a head.
They complained. I turned down. They complained. I turned down some more. Finally, they complained, and I turned it OFF, but kept playing. They stopped the song and complained again. There was a very uncomfortable silence after I explained what I had done.
It's affected my attitude toward guitarists ever since. I'm gunning for it. We each need our own space in the mix.
But I'm gonna give those traps a try, both for my home system and the club at which we are regulars.
Nice. I build some a while back using 1x4 lumber with a 1/4 inch plywood back and only one 2 inch fiberglass panel. The back panel was recessed one inch to give the space. Much heavier. I may redo mine with the metal studs. I have two six foot tall panels hinged together to for a singer and the screws have pulled out because of the weight. Metal studs would definitely improve the setup.
ive never heard of a bass trap, so knowing glenn, i thought this video was about making traps for the bass players... i was disappointed.
oldGnRrocks1 genius
thanks bb
Same
You've got a good start. For increased BASS trapping effectiveness, you'd do better to orient the foil side facing into the room. Remove the foil from the 2nd sheet, or buy non-FSK (unfaced) panels, and place it behind the faced sheet. Make sure the foil is facing into the room (away from the wall). You will notice some mid-hi reflection back into the room, sure, but the increased bass absorption is worth it. (For panels at first reflection points, use non-faced.) Place the trap diagonally across the corners, floor to ceiling (as you mentioned), and you can also suspend them horizontally at the same diagonal/spanning position, where the walls and ceiling meet. You mentioned a space of 1 or 2" behind wall panels, but a minimum of 4" is widely recommended. It's the equivalent of increasing the depth of the absorber. (roughly speaking). Some folks recommend using the heavier oc705 for traps/absorbers, but 4" of 703 and 705 are roughly the same. 2" of 703 will absorb more mids, 2" of 705 more low mids. All traps benefit from distance from the wall. For really economically and beefy bass traps, check out the concept nicknamed "superchunks" using the pink fluffy insulation. If you can give up the floor space, 9"-14" (thereabouts) of pink fluffy (non-compressed!) in some simple frames across front-rear walls, floor to ceiling, has a dramatic affect on low end - real low end, not just the basic low mids you can grab with panels - we're talking down in the notorious 60 hz range. Cubic ft-wise, it's very cost effective. Hit me up at SnellingAcoustics (dotcom) and I'll gladly share info.
Damn! The end result was a world of difference and thats because I am listening on my laptops meh speakers right now. For sure am gonna look into making a few of these guys
Thank you man! I made a studio space out of a shipping container but the acoustics are....pretty bad. Seems like an easy weekend project to build these, Thanks again!!
Watching this in 2020...your videos have come so far!
use a few lengths of suspension strapping ( comes in a big roll ) and then use short self tapping screws to attach it length ways.. this stiffens up the edge. You can now hang them horizontally if you like for under $10 a box a strapping should do several. as will a box of short screws. OR if you have more metal studs you could just double the side you are going to hang it by. :) these are great traps, much needed in our new place with wood floors and rounded wall to celing transitions ( older style plaster arches. ) thanks Glen :)
You're a savior. I was going to blow most of my money to sound proof, but this is far better. THANK YOU!!!
Hey Glenn!
First: Thanks for your great videos. Both hilarious and educational.
I've been browsing around your videos for recording tips, what I haven't found yet is tips on recording without making too much or any noise.
I'm thinking about starting to record my jam sessions. I play guitars and drums.
Since I moved to my apartment I've been unable to use a guitar amp out of respect for my neighbors. I would therefore LOVE your take/opinion on what one can do to achieve a (nearly) silent studio. And I bet I'm not the only one.
I'm assuming that you need a somewhat loud amp for some punch and to ensure that no other noise goes into the mic while recording.
First solution that comes to my mind first using a Line6 POD or Fractal Axe for bass & guitar, a set of digital drums and vocal mic, all into a small mixer, like 8 channels or so, and computer software for recording, you´ve already shown us that in one of your videos.
The idea is to use headphone or in ear monitors while recording, and studio monitors for editing the mix.
So tips on the things above would be much appreciated.
also: I'm from Stockholm, in my mid 20's with a decent job and decent pay but as I am kind of new to this I'd like to begin with affordable stuff before upgrading.
Thank you for your time and videos!
Huge difference, definitely worth the effort and money.
Oh man.. I've been trying to think of a solution to get the 'echo' out of my shit recordings for YT videos. I wonder if something like this would cut down on that. Worth trying, from the looks of it. Thanks for the great vid.
If you're doing vocals, do them in a closet facing INTO the clothes.
Sounds stupid, I know, but It really works.
Cesar Moreno Haven't had much luck in closet. Getting rid of the boxy sound in vocals is such a pain in the ass.
Woodeso's Guitar Mods Yes its exactly what they will do, what you are trying to remove is early reflections, the number of absorbers you will need will depend on your room size but what you will be trying to to is place absorbers on the largest reflective surfaces, walls, ceiling and corners.
You might get away with one wall of two opposing - so put panels on one wall but not the opposite one.
Glenn, you might wanna add a layer of Tyvek or something similar to your contraption, as fiberglass will most likely get through the fabric.
I see other people have already commented that this is in fact a broadband absorber and not a bass trap so I won't belabor that point.
Main thing I wanted to mention, as I have built a LOT of these things for my studio as well as for other people, is that you can also use a product that is made from compressed rock wool and get a very similar result. It looks about the same but is not yellow. It comes in 3" and 4" thicknesses. It is about half the price of the fiberglass. You have to get it at the building supply places too. The largest maker of it is Roxul.
One other thing. I build mine with a wood frame so I've got something to staple to. I cover the panel first with a layer of 1/2" cotton batting. This acts like a filter to keep all those nasty fibers inside.
Lots of good info on your channel. Love your videos. Keep it up!
Thanks so much for the video and the great idea. As a rookie I cannot hear much of a difference but I think as I grow I will come to have more of and ear for that.
Seeing the title I honestly thought this was going to be about building a box propped up with a stick for trapping bassists. Would you ever make a video on building one of those? Bassists are hard to find.
I should point out that you can reinforce the long side with pretty much anything rigid enough to hold the weight. Since you already got the rivets out, might as well take a metal ribbon or strap and rivet it to the middle of each long side around the back so that there's no slack in said ribbon. If you already made the thing and are too lazy to go back to the hardware store, a couple holes and a piece of string or rope will also work, though it will look a bit worse in the back.
Awesome info man. Rather a cleave with idea with using the aluminum studs as the frames. Thank for sharing.
I just wanted to say that Rockwool 60 works just as well and isnt dangerous to breathe or handle
Wow those really tighten up that kick drum. and for $40 really affordable, thanks for the great DIY tip man! :)
Hope this doesn't sound like too daft a question but is there any things to consider or look out for in regards to fire safety when constructing or sourcing materials.
I am assuming the fiberglass part will be graded to a certain level for safe use within buildings but what about the materials covering it. Is there any signage on the packaging on the box we should look out for.
I get a little paranoid about that kinda thing as I used to be responsible for a building and had to undergo fire marshal training part of which I was made to watch footage of The Station Nightclub fire (not something you want to watch if you have a weak stomach.) where the band Great White accidentally ignited acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings around the stage with a pyrotechnic display.
Technically it wasn't their fault as the guy that made them used the wrong flammable insulation that was right next to a bar full of spirits and you can imagine the result in a club full of people.
I also know that when performing in certain theaters and we bring large drapes etc they are required to be flame retardant to a certain level . I believe you can buy sprays for that kind of thing.
I wouldn't be planning on using them in the same situation but non the less I am always thinking about fire safety with those king of things. I am sure you do too.
Could be a useful topic to cover if you haven't already as I know people may try to cover their walls in all sorts of things some of which may not be wise.
What not to use could be a use could be a useful warning video for those who want to cut corners or use a cheaper more flammable alternative especially if they plan on doing so in a business setting where they are more responsible for member of the public in there building and are required to follow certain regulations.
Glen are you using track or actual metal studs. Either will work but metal stud are more sturdy
Hate to disappoint... but that isn't a bass trap. It's a broadband acoustic panel. Using 6 inch frames, 4 inch batts and leaving a 2 inch space behind the batt would also increase their effectiveness (for broadband panels). Proper and effective bass traps are designed to be placed into corners of the room where there is usually a significant amount of buildup in the low end due to the omnidirectional behaviour of lower frequencies. These traps require a batt to be placed on the face of a (preferably) triangular frame, plus thinner batts placed in a perpendicular manner to the batt on the face (think batts running from corner to face of trap). Cool vid though! Keep em comin :P
It worked perfectly with two pieces of isolation because that isolation is built to fit that frame.
Love this kind of videos. Just awesome for beginners in the studio building.
Without the traps, the drums sound echoy, but with them, they sound controlled, but dead. With a bit of verb, they would work well. The real ideal, tho, is to have a room you don't have to have much in the way of bass traps in, but has an awesome room verb sound. Nirvana at Sound City is a classic example.
Thanks mate....just transformed a bedroom into a studio with these and a 100$ Home Depot gift card. What a freakin difference....don't have to run to my car as much WOOHOO!!
Not only sounds great, It looks cool too !
But when are we taking them to the lake?
Just a little idea that may be rock artsy. Use some old rock t-shirts and stretch them across the trap. It may give it a rockier kind of look. May save some dough on the material as well. Im a big guy so my shirts may actually fit.
excellent vid... simple and easy... and pretty effective.
through the mic / over youtube it was hard to hear any difference in the lower bass drum region - but the upper frequencies - and especially the cymbal decay... world of difference at the same volumn... literally night and day.
I suspect one might need 12" traps for base it would seem.
either way, excellent presentation. Thanks
Love your channel and content. But the other post was correct even with the space this trap will not get frequencies much below 125hz. I'm sure it did make a measurable improvement. The Owens Corning 705-FRK (the one with the foil) 2" thick with a density of 6 PCF spaced 12-16" from wall has an absorption coefficient of 0.40 at 125hz which is very good. Making that cavity go floor to ceiling and filling with some pink fluffy will also increase the absorption. Make sure not to have a rigid surface behind the panel. Also the FRK facing can be used to reflect some miss and highs so if you have a lot of traps u can face that out so as not to attenuate too much in the mid and high frequencies.
If you put more than one panel together be sure to remove facing between.
Brilliant and very easy , thank you for being a straight shooter with your information.
Thanks for the idea! I know these kind of videos may be a little less "profitable" than others in terms of viewers, but as it is more technical, are deeply appreciated by people building home studios, myself included. Cheers! PS: I have to ask, and sorry if you already mentioned in another video, what's the name of the SMG opening song? it's totally badass and would love to listen to it if it were a band's song instead of a specific "jingle".
This is a great video on a DIY project. My only comment is I don’t believe it is necessary to frame the fiberglass panels since they are rigid it doesn’t require a frame around it. You could simply by the fiberglass panels wrap them and fabric and you would be good to go. Just my suggestion and to save a little time and money
Indeed and part of the surface is also lost under the frame
How do you hang them then? I built one last night and there's not a whole lot lost under the frame. But I have pieces and shavings from the shit all over my basement! It's rigid but not sturdy by any means. It shed just by picking it up!
Great demonstration, thanks!
Another RRRRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYY good insulation for both treating the room and putting inside the wall for sound-proofing is "Roxul" stone-wool insulation. It is, of course, more expensive than standard fiberglass, but worth it. You can use half the thickness that you'd need with standard high-density fiberglass.
did you measure your room before and after? they look like effective broadband absorbers but im not convinced that they offer enough mass to be much effective below 150 or so
True but he mentioned he was spacing them off the wall which helps, should build some 6 inch ones or at least 2 super chunk corner traps.
New to your channel... I dig this a lot. I'm going to look for other DIY videos on your channel, and gratefully request more. Please and thank you.
Cheers!
Those aren't actually bass traps, but rather high/mid absorbers. If you want more efficient low frequency absorbtion, here's what I've decided on:
-Rockwool sheets, the densest heaviest sheets of the stuff that you can find. You'll find these in sizes of 60cmX120CM usually (sorry, european here, so metric is my jam).
-Cut it in half so you get two 60x60cm pieces. Then cut each of those in half again so you get four 30x30cm pieces. THEN cut them diagonally to make a bunch of triangle pieces.
-Stack these pieces in you corners, all the way from floor to ceiling if possible, and mount two thin planks on the outer edges to hold them in place there permanently. Stretch fabric from top to bottom and staple or glue in place. Now your entire corner, where low end has the highest pressure, will absorbed way better than any flat panel ever will.
-Flat panels are great to absorb high and mid range frequencies, but as you approach 100hz it'll be less and less efficient at doing so.
Awesome. This was the next thing I needed to figure out and I can't buy any more big ticket items for a while.
Is the black fabric really enough to stop fragments and dust from the fiberglass from spreading in your room? I read that this stuff can cause health issues (even heard that it can cause cancer), just wanted to make sure it's safe for my bedroom studio where I'll be living and sleeping as well...
You could perhaps add thick plastic first?
Should be enough, you can also go with some thicker and more dense fabric
silk or microfiber layer then wool or dense cotton. plastic would add reflections, soft material only.
I would be concerned about safety.
@@TomFaron Why would they not be concerned about it?
I work in construction. To hang them sideways add L brackets underneath to hold it up
most UK bass players i know would like an upside down option "to go out in style" {his opinion} with a quick last riff or two (thank god) at smoke on the water( if they dont mind, please ?) i can pay any extra upfront guys, my pleasure.
Or just rivet a brace in the middle