Basic/essential room treatment

[swilow11]

My apologies in advance if this isn't the right subforum for this topic.

I'm wanting to get an understanding of what KVR folks consider the most basic/fundamental form of room treatment there is. What the essentials are. The caveats are that I cannot build or modify much of my space- it is temporary (at least for a year as we are selling within that time frame) so I'm looking for a way to install some basic but essential acoustic treatment which can be easily removed. I don't want to go all out but what would be the essential things I should try to do? The aim isn't to profoundly alter my spaces acoustics but just to do what I can to counteract some of the fundamental problem areas.

Budget isn't an issue and I can do some basic construction. But I strictly cannot modify the actual space very much.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[FranklyFlawless]

• Bass traps for corners.
• Acoustic panels and diffusers mounted on the walls and ceilings.
• Subwoofer isolation pads.
• Isolation stands/pads for studio monitors.

These are basic foundational products for acoustic treatment.

[BertKoor]

I found that most acoustic problems will get tamed with simple things already:

• Book cases filled with stuff at the walls
• Carpet on the floor
• Curtains or whatever at the windows

Anything that breaks up reflections from large hard surfaces helps...

If after all this you still have real problems, only then look into bass traps & panel.

[harryupbabble]

you need it soundproofed properly?
hire hannibal lecter

[funky lime]

essentials for me are simply, some DIY broadband absorbers. in other words, 4in-thick mineral wool insulation batts, framed with wood and wrapped in breathable fabric. and just experiment with placement ... where walls meet, where reflections happen, etc. i leave a few inches air gap between the panel and the wall, myself.

acoustic foam is largely a waste of money, unless you really like the aesthetic of it. that said, i do feel like the look of the treatment is as important as the sound, in terms of creating a space that is pleasant, comfortable, and inspiring. i do have some of the newer style of flat, compressed, beveled edge foam panels, but that's more because i enjoyed arranging them into a design that i like. they don't exactly do any sonic heavy lifting, except maybe taming some very minor flutter echo in that spot when i do the clap test.

if looking to deaden a space on the cheap (say, for an iso booth), i feel like heavy-duty moving blankets are vastly better bang for buck than something like acoustic foam.

but that brings me to another point: i feel like putting money into the comfort and "coolness" of my room has helped more than acoustic treatment. i feel like GAS comes into play ... "look, i have proper treatment, now i'm a proper musician!" even if the impact on our final mixes is actually negligible. same with diminishing returns ... very easy to spend hundreds on acoustic treatment and not have your music actually get any better at all. my thick memory foam arm/footrests, for instance, have probably done more good for my music than my acoustic panels have.

[harryupbabble]

i wonder why rich musicians don't build their music room
a mile deep somewhere in the middle of an unknown desert

okay maybe some already did
i don't know

peter frampton did buy an island
and johnny depp too