Acoustic Room Kit Choice.

Formless

Junior Member
Trying to narrow down my options and see what other people have used. I'm not much of a DYI because of time limitations and capabilities.

My room is empty 10x10 with 7ft ceilings and I'm looking at a basic room kit.
The options I'm looking at are:
Auralex, Green Gizmo or Sonex

One looks like auralex but cheaper? Sonex doesn't have a room kit and looks a little more for industrial use. Is there anything I'm missing?

www.auralex.com

www.greengizmo.com

http://www.sonexfoam.com
 
Also, what treatment does the room need? "Treating" a room isn't a one-size fits all type of process. Are there too many reflective surfaces (too many echos) or does the shape of the room lead itself to standing waves (too bassy)?

If you are going for sound isolation, then that is a completely different thing that really requires the room to be designed from the studs out to really isolate the room from the rest of the world (and vice versa!!). Slapping some Auralex on the walls won't keep your family or neighbors from complaining about drumming at 11PM. :)
 
Sorry I didn't specify what my goal is. I'm not concerned with sound proofing but right now it sounds like a slap echo mess, low end does not seem to be a issue, My kit is not boomy at all 8"-14 toms and a 17inch kick. The room is a basic wood frame and sheet rock set up with drop ceiling tile.

The reason I had picked that list of companies is they had the style of treatment I was used to seeing. And being from Brooklyn I am used to playing in pretty small cramped rehearsal rooms with just wedge foam so the results were very good in my opinion. I have a basic knowledge about acoustics and practiced in a variety of different treated rooms I just never knew what company made what and what companies people had a good experience with. I watch that online drummer Mike Johnston and for a few basic mics I think he gets a really good sound and its nothing but wedge foam around him in a basic room.

I think I'm just looking for feedback on companies and the results of their product or is wedge foam just wedge foam and I should be looking at price? I'm open for other solution except a DIY if no one can vouch for any of these companies. But If I win that free room kit contest thing that would be just fine too :)

Thanks for any insight
 
have you built a room within a room? where is the room situated? is it a basement? what's the floor made of? is the floor floating or a normal floor? what are the walls made out of? where are you putting the drum kit? centre? near a wall?

i've never used any companies... mates a builder so we source cheap building supplies
 
In my previous room, I opted to not spend the money on Aurlex, and went with a different brand (I can't say I recall which brand), and ended up regretting it. It didn't work as well.

When I built a new room, I bought Aurlex and I am much happier with the results. It took less foam to get far more absorption.

And don't forget to add some foam to the ceiling.
 
Its a basement room where the 2 corner walls are concrete the other 2 are just wood frame and sheet rock. Industrial style carpet on concrete floor no floating floor Not a solid door but again I'm not worried about sound proofing.

I have the drums right now towards the back giving my back about 3 feet away from the wall.
I plan on doing the occasional jam session with a guitarist but its 90% for drum practice.
I'm not going to do any recording in this room but I have a nice kit and cymbals and its just piercing in there.

I am considering Auralex just because the recognition of the name but the price is meh, the other one "looks" quality but they are new so who knows? Depends on my budget after bills this week if I take the risk or not.
 
I am not sure what type of tiles you have in your ceiling but if they are the hard type I would replace them with the softer perforated type, also carpet on the floor is good, certainly much better than bare concrete or wood would be. FYI, back before all these companies started marketing all these fancy foams and tiles to put on the walls they used to just put cheap rubber backed carpeting on the walls of theaters to flatten the acoustics of the room. Anything soft that will not reflect the sound waves will work quite well, even heavy drapes will make a very noticeable difference.
 

Yea I tried them and the very mention of them on any recording forum you get blasted because of the reviews and performance of the material and the false claims.

I bought them up on 2 other forums and got pages of comparisons and independent studies showing its a waste of money. I think I was pretty convinced after page 10 that I wouldn't risk my money on them since so many others have done so with major regret and backlash. But thank you for the suggestion.

Thanks for the info about the tiles, I had not considered that, they are just the white 1'x1' pressed cardboard style, so a perforated style might also help.

I know theaters still use the heavy drapes and to be effective they have to be folded in the accordion style to make absorption and diffusion effective and I haven't found anything that can get me effective coverage at a reasonable price.

I am going to keep compiling info from all sources and I am going to try to follow up with my choice and results with an audio comparison if anyone is interested.
 
Thanks for the info about the tiles, I had not considered that, they are just the white 1'x1' pressed cardboard style, so a perforated style might also help. .

Actually those are decent, they wont reflect too much sound, I was thinking more on the lines of the 2'x 4' t bar type that are made from a hardboard type material and replacing them with something softer but I think your ceiling and floor are pretty good they way they are. I think I would focus more on something for the walls like a cheap rubber backed carpet or some heavy drapes from a second hand shop.I wouldn't worry about the color either as you can always dye them. Any marinas near you, you might be able to cut up some old worn out sails.
 
Back
Top