What room treatment or treatments...

You need to go to Auralex.com. I am using in 13'x 15' room.

Bigger improvement than any component you will ever purchase.

Paul

I have a small room. Had Rives Audio do a "diy" design (wanted to build as many components as possible).

It includes:
RealTraps
Tuned resonators
Rigid 'glass (first reflection points & others)
RPG Diffractal
Ceiling diffracting grid (diy)

happy listening,

I'm using a number of DIY bass traps and absorbers based on a variety of Owens Corning 703/705 rigid fiberglass. I went DIY because I needed something that would exactly fit my needs, plus I wanted something that looked good in the room.

I currently have floor to ceiling bass traps in all four cornters, wall and ceiling absorbers at the first reflection points and I'm working on a couple of membrane-type bass traps and then a diffuser.

There's a lot of excellent information on the Room Acoustics forum (sponsored by Rives) over on AA plus Ethen Winers and Jon Risch's sites. If you have some basic woodworking/shop skills, you can get professional results and use all the extra money for more gear.

Advent,

That seems like a lot of bass trapping.

Were you having resonance problems?

Bgrazman - Actually, it's really not all that much. Ethan seems to believe that it's almost impossible to overtrap low bass. Don't know yet if he's right or not, but I'm using this as a learning experience and playing around with different treatments. I'm got a decent size room that has some issues, including a specific peak that I might try to address with the membrane type traps.

I was thinking about having Rives do a Level 1 on my room as well-and may still-but decided to go this route first and see what I learned. There's a ton of available information (and opinions) out there, so there's lots to try. What I do know at this point is that room acoustics is a very big deal and my room and system is much improved with treatment.

Of course, Ethan has a vested interest in selling traps...

Of course, the important thing is the sound--I'm most of the way done with implementing my Rives Level 1 (diffuser is 6 weeks from delivery, then I have to deal with the ceiling) and I'm delighted.

Happy listening,

bgrazman care to expand on how you built your rigid panels for reflection points

Based on the pictures you did a fabulous job

I'm in the process of building some rigid panels for absorption and need a bit of guidance

I have a room that's 20'x20' with a few open walls and a 21' high ceiling. A real tough room for audio, no matter how good the gear. Any suggestions for this room?
Thanks

Bluemike,

I assume you mean the "red ones" (and not the tuned resonators which are wood). I took a 2'X4' pice of 1/2 inch plywood. Mounted 703 rigid glass panel and glued it on with liquid nails. Covered in loosewoven fabric & stapled.

Hope that helps,

brent

Bluemike. Another option for making a panel is as follows: Make a thin wood frame with the dimensions of the frame members being approx. 1 to 1-1/2" wide and 3/4 to 1" thick. I lap jointed the corners, but mitre cuts would work too. Build a frame with the outside dimension being 24"x 48" up to 36"x 48" Three pieces of rigid insulation will make a total of the two larger panels. I like the appearnce of a golden rectangle better which is 30"x 48", but it wastes material.

Once you have the frame, run a bead of glue around the front surface of it and mount the rigid fiberglass. The frame gives some lightweight support to the panel, but more importantly, it moves the panel off the surface of the wall (3/4" to 1") and makes the panel more effective. (I think Ethan's site explains why) With the frame behind it instead of around it, you also get the increased surface area that comes from the exposed sides which increases the effectiveness.

Since you don't want exposed fiberglass, you need to cover it with some sonically tranparent material like burlap (cheap) or Guildford of Maine (quite expensive) That can be stretched tight around the fiberglass and frame and stapled on the back.

I used 2" thick Owens Cornig 703 for the first reflection points which works really well. It comes five 2x4' sheets to a pack or you can order individual pieces from some mail-order companies.

George3 - Now that does sound like a tough room. You could do some basic measurements, then build or buy some room treatment and then see what happens. Or, and probably better, contact Rives Audio and see what they can do with a Level 1 consultation for you. I've come to the view that continuing to upgrade your equipment without first addressing your room acoustics is an expensive and self-defeating effort.