# Corner Bass Trap Design :Q



## MichiganMan (Aug 4, 2008)

I've noticed corner bass traps that fill the corner completely.

Is that necessary? Can the corner trap be X-wide by Y-thick with a void behind work the same? 

for a corner trap how wide should the face of the wedge be to be effective in the mid to low bass region?


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## thewire (Jun 28, 2007)

A trap will cover more absorption floor to ceiling providing the best broadband absorption this way. Whether or not the trap is solid as oppossed to simply layer/layers stratling a corner will be dependent on the room. Again how wide the wedge or square will be will determined by how much is being addressed but a smaller one might be around 12". You want there to be an even amount of decay time across your frequencies. More is not always better and there is the point of deminishing returns. With little room available you might also want to cover a larger amount by using square absorption instead of corners but again, this depends on the room.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Just to add a couple of things...

The thickness of the material directly impacts how low in frequency the absorber will be effective to. 

The distance from the leading edge of the absorbtion to the hard boundary behind it will impact how low in frequency the absorber will be effective to.

Once you go to 6" thick, you might as well do the solid triangles as it takes the same amount of material. (assuming a 17x17x24" triangle vs a 2' wide panel straddling the corner)

Bryan


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## MichiganMan (Aug 4, 2008)

Bryan,

Is 6" typically thick enough for a mid/high corner trap? 

I can see that cutting a simple triangle would be the simplest form. But I could save 25% material generating a shape 6" thick 24" width and tapered sides (corner fit).


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Look again, you really can't. 6" of 2" thick material straddling the corner will use exactly the same amount of material as 17x17x24" triangles. 

An 8' ceiling will require 6 pcs of 2" 703 to straddle at 2' wide.

Cutting triangles - each piece will yield 16" of thickness so 6 pcs yields 8' in height.

Bryan


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## MichiganMan (Aug 4, 2008)

Bryan,

Perhaps I'm visualizing it differently. The way I sketched it out I can get 10 2/3 slices per 2x4ft sheet, 9 full slices plus 1 2/3 with the remnants. Full triangles yield only 8 slices. So I would need only 9 sheets verses 12 for an 8ft. tall wedge.

Is my inturpretation of a corner trap wrong?:sad2:


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

I've honestly never seen anyone try to do that kind of detailed cutting. Good luck doing that but it looks like it will work.

Bryan


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## thewire (Jun 28, 2007)

That is exactly what I did, I only I did the lower half of my traps as two peices of each cut lengthwise and I used the small corners (as seen in the image above) behind those, with any loose leftovers between them. Then I added some dowel rods in front for the front room traps. I also left about a 3" space of air between them and the two layers of fabric.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

You guys have a LOT more patience that I do. I'd buy the extra 3 pcs of 703 and make 1/4 as many cuts.

Bryan


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## thewire (Jun 28, 2007)

It was took alot of work and I had to rest the turkey carver. I put in peices while it cooled off also. Mine was Roxul 60 though. It was not cutting near as fast by the time I was done and after so many, it barely would cut straight.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

bpape said:


> You guys have a LOT more patience that I do. I'd buy the extra 3 pcs of 703 and make 1/4 as many cuts. Bryan


I think not just patience ... time, strenght and aim (to keep it straight, but maybe you can use something here to help :yes :bigsmile:

As far as the results/effect ... What's better???, to have just one piece to cover the whole corner or a gap between wall and bass trap :huh:


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Thicker is better. A solid chunk will always perform better.

Bryan


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## MichiganMan (Aug 4, 2008)

Would there be much difference between the performance of two 4ft sections verses one 8ft.?

A 4ft. section is more convenient for getting in and out of my basement. And I think the frame would be more rigid.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

No performance difference.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

MichiganMan said:


> Would there be much difference between the performance of two 4ft sections verses one 8ft.? ...


I think that there's no difference ... the difference will be only using a solid chunk vs chunk with air gap, as stated by Bryan. :yes:


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