Basic / inexpensive ways to reduce reverbs / echo

[dBnoob]

Hoping for advise. My very small home office is basically bare walls - I like the minimalist approach. The floor is 3x3m / 10x10ft.

Looking to reduce echos and improve the acoustics somehow on a budget - would a few woven polyester panels help? Three of these for $100 - coverage 2.88m2
https://www.bunnings.com.au/1200-x-800mm-9mm-acoustic-pinboard-grey_p0510008

Or am I wasting my time and efforts and would be better off getting fibreglass & cloth panels? A set of four $124 - coverage 1.1m2:
https://www.selby.com.au/acoustic-r...tic-treatment-panels-900x300x25mm-900866.html

 

[DVDdoug]

Either of those should help.

You could experiment with a couple of blankets and if that helps, decorative blankets or "throws" on the walls might be a cheap solution.

If you don't already have carpet or a rug, that should help too but it might exceed your budget.

Or, acoustic ceiling panels from a home improvement store can be inexpensive.

Bass problems are harder (and more expensive) to deal with. You need bass traps or multiple subwoofers.

 

[Snarfie]

Did try room treatment for instance with a carpet an self made absorption panels.

That did help let say 10% regarding my specific room modes. What really did help DSP. (70%) Would suggest a free of cost DSP solution like Mathaudio room EQ in combination with Foobar2000 on a Windows laptop buy a measuring mic an go from their. Measuring is knowing whats going on with your room modes/acoustics.

Room EQ

Room EQ VST/AU and Room EQ for Foobar2000

mathaudio.com

 

[Chrispy]

How bare is the room generally? Where are you in relation to speakers? How are speakers placed?

 

[boxerfan88]

Normal furnishings like thick curtains, open bookshelves (randomly filled) can reduce echoes.

 

[Chrispy]

Did try room treatment for instance with a carpet an self made absorption panels.
View attachment 389760

That did help let say 10% regarding my specific room modes. What really did help DSP. (70%) Would suggest a free of cost DSP solution like Mathaudio room EQ in combination with Foobar2000 on a Windows laptop buy a measuring mic an go from their. Measuring is knowing whats going on with your room modes/acoustics.

Room EQ

Room EQ VST/AU and Room EQ for Foobar2000

mathaudio.com

curious, why the two sets of speakers or are those big subs up front?

 

[dBnoob]

How bare is the room generally? Where are you in relation to speakers? How are speakers placed?

Bare walls - recently painted - so trying to keep it neat as.

Below is the plan and proposed panel placement:

 

[Snarfie]

curious, why the two sets of speakers or are those big subs up front?

I making use of monitors for mixing purposes an farfield Vandersteen colum speakers front of picture. Both benefit from DSP considerably more than the minimal room treathment. My listening chair for the Vandersteen speakers is in the back of the room.

 

[Chrispy]

I making use of monitors for mixing purposes an farfield Vandersteen colum speakers front of picture. Both benefit from DSP considerably more than the minimal room treathment. My listening chair for the Vandersteen speakers is in the back of the room.

So this is a professional production environment rather than home reproduction?

 

[Snarfie]

So this is a professional production environment rather than home reproduction?

Ha ha not really i do this just for fun relaxation however making use of pro DAW Ableton software an Allen & Heath Xone 4D digital mixing desk.

DD - GOF (Snarfies Re-Edit)

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

www.mediafire.com

Create stuff like this for own use no Commercial intent whatsoever. ASR help me considerable to create a good sounding Mancave specific with my current DSP solution. Mancave is used as well for mixing purpose as for home use listening to the Vandersteen speakers.

 

[somebodyelse]

I'm assuming the listening position is close to the desk. I'd look at treating the side wall first. Cushions or pillows are an alternative to the blankets already mentioned to try it out before buying anything. Or a few layers of felt underlay if you have some around.

If you can cope with DIY and don't put a cost on the time you can save a bit of cash by making fibreglass or rockwool panels.

 

[dBnoob]

I'm assuming the listening position is close to the desk. I'd look at treating the side wall first. Cushions or pillows are an alternative to the blankets already mentioned to try it out before buying anything. Or a few layers of felt underlay if you have some around.

If you can cope with DIY and don't put a cost on the time you can save a bit of cash by making fibreglass or rockwool panels.

The side wall is a three-panel stacking wardrobe door, the centre panel is always open, so might just place some blankets over the other two and see if it makes a difference.

As for DIY - no problem, the issue is the cost of materials - a few years ago this wouldn't be a factor, but I'm certain it'd cost more to DIY equivalent of those four panels I've linked.

Anyway, I've just starting looking / researching / asking, we'll see!

 

[Zek]

I think that with this speaker setup, you will get an imbalance in the sound and overemphasized bass on the left speaker due to the proximity of two walls, and on the right side there is more free space.

 

[dBnoob]

I think that with this speaker setup, you will get an imbalance in the sound and overemphasized bass on the left speaker due to the proximity of two walls, and on the right side there is more free space.
View attachment 389798

Makes sense, although these are small drivers, bass would be >70Hz, not sure how great effect that would be? I have them on the desk for now, will see once they're wall-mountned.

The other option - desk stands, although I like the wall-mount concept, same as my PC monitor. It's always a compromise I guess.

 

[Tell]

Get an old mattress, cut it to whatever size you need, build a wooden frame and staple some thin fabric onto it. That's what I did, cost me next to nothing but did help a lot to clean up and tighten the sound.

 

[holbob]

I use old fabrics to cover glass, and I use my daughters dance mat behind my head resting against the back of the sofa and the wall - which is bare behind me. Brings the RT60 down 75m to around 250. Accoring to rew, anyway. I can crank it up more without being fatigued.

 

[holbob]

I use old fabrics to cover glass, and I use my daughters dance mat behind my head resting against the back of the sofa and the wall - which is bare behind me. Brings the RT60 down 75m to around 250. Accoring to rew, anyway. I can crank it up more without being fatigued.

It's actually a yoga mat apparently.