Ethan Winer[_3_]
August 27th 10, 06:09 PM
On Aug 26, 1:05 pm, adam79 > wrote:
> Yeah, the low ceiling height is lame. I live in a basement apartment;
> the one positive is that the ceiling is made up those gridded
> tiles/panels, here's a picture:http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj209/adam_l79/recording/ceiling_t....
> Do these tiles work as sound absorbers, or have I been given wrong
> information? Also, would removing the tiles give me more headroom (or
> would the grid that holds them up get in the way)?
The main problem with ceiling tiles is they're designed to absorb
speech frequencies. So they don't absorb bass, which is needed, and
they don't absorb highs either, which is also needed. Unless you can
remove the tiles *and* the grid, I'd add better absorbers under the
tiles, such as rigid fiberglass that's one or (better) two inches
thick. Or replace the tiles with new ones you cut from rigid
fiberglass. Then lay fluffy fiberglass above the grid and tiles to
help absorb bass. Use fluffy fiberglass that's as thick as possible,
given the available space.
As for where to put the drums, the goal is to avoid reflections from
nearby surfaces. One reflection off the floor is okay, but multiple
"early" reflection makes everything you record sound hollow and boxy
and like a small room, which of course it is. So the goal is to put
the instruments and microphones as far from reflecting surfaces as
possible. And/or add absorption on those surfaces.
--Ethan
> Yeah, the low ceiling height is lame. I live in a basement apartment;
> the one positive is that the ceiling is made up those gridded
> tiles/panels, here's a picture:http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj209/adam_l79/recording/ceiling_t....
> Do these tiles work as sound absorbers, or have I been given wrong
> information? Also, would removing the tiles give me more headroom (or
> would the grid that holds them up get in the way)?
The main problem with ceiling tiles is they're designed to absorb
speech frequencies. So they don't absorb bass, which is needed, and
they don't absorb highs either, which is also needed. Unless you can
remove the tiles *and* the grid, I'd add better absorbers under the
tiles, such as rigid fiberglass that's one or (better) two inches
thick. Or replace the tiles with new ones you cut from rigid
fiberglass. Then lay fluffy fiberglass above the grid and tiles to
help absorb bass. Use fluffy fiberglass that's as thick as possible,
given the available space.
As for where to put the drums, the goal is to avoid reflections from
nearby surfaces. One reflection off the floor is okay, but multiple
"early" reflection makes everything you record sound hollow and boxy
and like a small room, which of course it is. So the goal is to put
the instruments and microphones as far from reflecting surfaces as
possible. And/or add absorption on those surfaces.
--Ethan