# Live/dead room with opposing walls?



## Aujan (Feb 13, 2011)

Hello Everyone. I'm new here, thanks for having me!

I'm making a tracking room in the basement. The size is 13x15.5 x 8.7. The ceiling height will change because the stated dimension is measured to the floor above, between joists, and I need to treat it for trasmission.

Two walls are concrete, so there's no reason to worry about sound transmission on those two walls.
The walls that face opposite the concrete walls have been built for STC value, and are sheet rocked.
(two leaf,dual metal stud,insulated,double rock) so I was wondering...

Since it's a tracking room, does it make sense to just treat the two concrete walls for absorption
(including bass and corner traps) and make that a "dead" area and the other walls a "live" area ?

On the positive side, I'd have some variety for moving mics around to get a variety of sounds, and each reflective wall would be opposite and absorbing wall, which should control comb filtering.

On the down side, I know that it's generally not advised to put all of your absorption in one place, with the preferred method being alternating panels, with the inverse on the opposite wall.

Opinions please?


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## Zeitgeist (Apr 4, 2009)

I think it's hard to go wrong with bass/corner traps..

My thought about treating the two concrete walls - and leaving the others bare, is that you'll mitigate slap echoes and some HF between 2 of the walls....... and you'll still have those reflections off the other 2. I'm not sure how that would end up sounding. But depending on instrument placement, it might be exactly what you want. Maybe bpape can chime in regarding the ideal treatments - if you're looking for a compromise..

Any particular type of music that you'll be recording?


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## Aujan (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks for the reply.

My son has a heavy metal band. I play classic rock style and some classical/accoustic.
I've done voicer recordings for overhead annoucements and video documentory type stuff.

My though is that for voice work and maybe bass, a dead room is good. For acoustic instruments or a single cranked guitar amp, some reflection _could_ be good. I could move around to find the sweet spot.

Two "dead" walls might be overkill. (pun intended!) I guess that's why we have the REW forum!

Any one else have any pros/cons?
Thanks.


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## fractile (Mar 15, 2009)

You might think of convertible wall panels or reversible mobile gobos (diffusion or absorption), since it seems to be a multipurpose room. That might work with a front dead wall and corner bass traps.


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## Aujan (Feb 13, 2011)

fractile said:


> You might think of convertible wall panels or reversible mobile gobos (diffusion or absorption), since it seems to be a multipurpose room. That might work with a front dead wall and corner bass traps.


Thanks for the input. I've been kicking your idea around, and it seems to make the most sense.
I got some input from a studio designer and he didn't dismiss my idea for the tracking room,
but the size of my room is the limiting factor. Too small to try to get creative with reflections.

So it's back to basics...

Thanks again.


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