drum room acoustics

[tbonechillaxin]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody could point me in the right direction for creating a room that is suited for recording drums in. I currently record drums in a relatively square room, medium size, with marginal amounts of acoustical absorption. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[spkguitar]

http://johnlsayers.com/

All the info you will ever need there; direct info, links, and a forum where you can ask questions.

[powerjoe]

Hey there,

Building a good sounding drum room (in terms of acoustic absorption/ reflection) can be challenging. However, it does not need to be rocket science. Depending on the size of the room (this is key), you may want to retain some of the reflection for room reverb. However, if the room is relatively small, and square, deadening the room will me more in line. If your room is small, say, 12x12 or smaller, there will likely be no "usuable" reverb (reflection) to speak of. All of the reflection you'd get in a room that size will not sound good when integrated into your over all drum mix. If this is the case, concentrate on absorption, and even bass trapping. Because all modes eventually terminate in corners, bass trapping said corners on a 45 degree angle is best. Additionally, and perhpas more importantly, overhead absorption in the form of a cloud absorber, will work wonders for taming unwanted reflections and giving your drums a more "clean" sound in your mix. Here is a great thread about building a cloud absorber: DIY cloud absorber I would stick with Owens Corning 703 or rockwool (4" inches total thickness) to really even things out. If the absorption you buy (or build) is made portable, all the better.

Now, if your drum room is larger, you may want to consider only using portable absorbers. Movable Gobos or acoustical panels made from fabric covered rockwool or Owens Corning 700 series mineral fiber can be indispensible for not only creating a deader drums space, but for making a nice vocal booth or guitar cab dampener.

As my collegue mentioned, John L Sayers forum is great. But also check out the STUDIO TIPS forum
World class acousticians and pros frequent that forum and are always eager to assist.

Good luck!!


~ Joel