Hanging/suspending Auralex question

Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:23 am

If I were to suspend some 2x4 pyramid foam from my ceiling, to hang down in front of some windows, would it matter if there's any kind of backing (say, 1/4" plywood or something of the like) behind it, or no? For some reason I thought that part of the absorption process was for the sound waves travel IN to hit the foam sheet (presumably on a wall or other hard surface), and what ever didn't get 'fully' absorbed on the way in would get caught on the 'way out', or 'bouncing back' if you will.

In thinking about it, I would think that if they were hung freely, without a backing, that some sound would still travel through them.

Is this not the case?

Thanks.

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:12 pm

I think some of the other acoustic goes will be able to guide you better?

If you want more mass? And your plan is sticking on some plywood and screw the plywood up. Yup, it will add mass. But making a mass of everything isn't necessarily going to improve your sound in your control room that is already really screwed up. Hopefully, that's not the case?

Conversely, you can do as the manufacturer suggests and glue it directly to the surface you want to treat. The stuff treats the mid & high frequencies more than it treats the lower frequencies. It's absorbent, not resonant.

If you want bass trapping, you'll need a bass trap. Just adding an extra piece of 3/8 inch plywood to the back of your foam ain't going to do that.

Rod & Ethan hate me. But they know their stuff. Just not me.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:32 am

Actually, I think my room, for what it is (a living room basically) is now treated about as good can be given it's dimensions/layout, my budget, etc. The suspending of the Auralex isn't really something that I'm set on doing.
The skinny is this....

My tracking area (vox, acoustic/electric guitar) is basically a corner in my room. I've treated it as such that there's a decent amount of absorption about, including two 'panels' that have foam wedges on them. These panels make up the other two walls if you will, so I can essentially create a booth around me. I've noticed that while tracking, I"m still getting a bit of reflection though. So my initial thought was to treat the ceiling with some diffusors, but a local pro audio guy that I chatted with on the phone (after having described to him my set up) was almost adamant that the problem wasn't my ceiling, but the two windows that are situated on the other side of the room behind me. He argues that sound is traveling across/over/past the panels, hitting the windows (which just have pull down shades and curtains drawn over them) and reflecting back.

Well, obviously, I"m no pro here...and this is after all a project studio, so I'll consider his advice fair and research it a bit more. In the meantime I have treated the ceiling with diffusors and will be recording later today to see if that has helped my problem. If in the event though I decided to treat the window areas with some covering, this is what/why I was asking.

The three weakest 'links' then in the sound of my room (being points of reflection) would be the two windows and my huge Sgt. Peppers wall poster....and I'm not about to take that down.

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