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rehersal room sound.....


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our band just rented a rehersall room and the sound in there is terrible! it has a lot of echo, its just a big empty room. how can we fix this? should we carpet it? put egg cartons on the walls? foam? please advise!

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Don't do anything to the walls or the room until you clear it with the landlord first.

Many places that operate as rehearsal spaces (when run properly) have very strict fire and occupancy codes they have to pay close attention too.

 

The place that I rent from does not allow any carpet or egg crate foams on the walls period.

If they inspect your room and they find it on there your gone, simple as that.

 

You may be able to get away with a flame resistant type curtain, but again, most likely the landlord would have to get approval from there insurance company and/or the local fire marshal.

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our band just rented a rehersall room and the sound in there is terrible! it has a lot of echo, its just a big empty room. how can we fix this? should we carpet it? put egg cartons on the walls? foam? please advise!

 

 

I'm going to guess it's a square or rectangle shape (roughly), solid walls of drywall and a concrete or hardwood floor.

 

Can I guess what you THOUGHT it would sound like, if not terribly echo-y?

 

Yes, check with the people who run the space, and if you can, carpet, wall treatments; anything to cut down on parallel reflective surfaces. If you are in a better rehearsal place with up-to-code sprinklers, they will probably expect that tenants do this, actually.

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its just a big empty room. how can we fix this?

 

How can you fix and empty room? You put crap in it.

 

No, I'm not being sarcastic (OK, so maybe I am ;)). Put an area rug on the floor (if you can). Fill the empty space with non-reverberant objects like chairs and couches in the corners. Cubical walls work pretty good too and can often be found used (there are many companies that sell used office and event materials).

 

Then learn feng shui. Listen for standing waves and move the objects around until to eliminate/reduce them.

 

It ain't perfect, but this will soften a room when you're not allowed to do better.

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If you need a temporary solution:

 

Buy some high density rock wool + some duvet covers. Fill the duvet covers with the rockwool and seal at the top.

 

Then you've just gotta work out how to hang it up where you want it.

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Here's what I did:

 

I bought a bunch of owens corning 703 in 2" thick 2'x4' sheets, a bunch of 2x4's, and built a a bunch of frames with internal dimensions of 2' wide by 4' high. Some of them have a 5/8" plywood sheet on one side (the back), I use these for gobos.

 

I put two sheets of 703 in them (so they fill the 4" depth) and then wrapped them with black cloth. I took scrap 2x4 and made some removable feet so the frames will stand up... then just place them around the room. Put a few around the drums, along the walls, and be sure to put one in each corner. If you have enough of them you can stack 'em on their sides (with some sort of stacking provisions, I put pinned hinges on some of them) to make gobo walls to divide partitions... also be sure to buy a bunch of big throw rugs to leave on the floor.

 

EDIT: Owens corning 703 is kind of expensive. They make a "quietzone" insulation for interior walls, maybe this will work. Roxul makes a "safe'n'sound" insulation that is the same kind of idea. These will definitely be less expensive but probably won't have the same acoustic properties... they'll definitely absorb a lot of sound, though, and I'll bet they'll absorb enough for your purposes.

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Here's what I did:


I bought a bunch of owens corning 703

.

 

 

ding, ding, ding ... we have a winner (or 706 if you can afford it)

 

Eggcrates and foam don't work well because they are not broadband and usually they are flammable. If you don't have broadband absorption you'll just make the room worse. You'll suck out all the highs leaving the lows unaffected and rolling all around your room. Yes you do see eggcrate looking foam in some big studios but what you don't see is probably 6" of 703 underneath them. That's what's doing the real work.

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