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Old 11-17-2017, 02:38 PM
gfsark gfsark is offline
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Default Books and bookcases as bass traps/sound absorbers

We are rounding the corner on the kitchen remodel, and next on the list is the music room/recording studio. We have a lot of books and was thinking of building some bookcases in corners, and wondering if this would work as a bass trap? The book cases would be about 24” to 30” wide and fit diagonally across the corner.

I could also put books along one or more of the walls, not just in the corners. The room is about 13’x12’ and has 10’ high ceiling. What do you think?

Last edited by gfsark; 11-17-2017 at 02:41 PM. Reason: Add more details.
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Old 11-17-2017, 02:48 PM
sdelsolray sdelsolray is offline
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Book cases, filled with books, act as great diffusers in a studio space. To get the most out of them, make sure the spines of the books are not level with each other but instead are different distances from the front lip of each bookself.

Dunno about using them in a corner. It's probably better to put bass traps in the corners and not diffusers.
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Old 11-17-2017, 03:13 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gfsark View Post
We are rounding the corner on the kitchen remodel, and next on the list is the music room/recording studio. We have a lot of books and was thinking of building some bookcases in corners, and wondering if this would work as a bass trap?
No. As sdelsolray said, they can act as diffusers and that might be helpful with comb filtering and flutter by scattering frequencies ranging from the low-mids to the highs, but books aren't going to absorb low frequencies like bass traps.

You might want to call a place like GIK Acoustics and get some advice regarding your particular room.
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Old 11-18-2017, 09:23 AM
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Yes as people have stated books can work as diffusers on side walls. But if you really want them in the the corners you could try leaving them open on the back and try putting some cloth and then stack Owens Corning 703 on the back side of the case. (although honestly I have no idea if diffused bass might still be a problem or not )
But I can unequivocally state this room was a great tracking room ( But note the mixing console/position) is in a different room





And note the blue is all fairly thick absorption and all wall within a wall

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Last edited by KevWind; 11-18-2017 at 09:30 AM.
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Old 11-18-2017, 10:48 AM
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Al Acuff Al Acuff is offline
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This article by Ethan Winer has a lot of good info on this subject. Acoustic Treatment and Design for
Recording Studios and Listening Rooms
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Old 11-18-2017, 03:08 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
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I agree that books make good diffusers along the walls. I have been using them for 20+ years, and they have worked very well for me.

For bass traps, Ethan Winer is also the co-owner of Real Traps, which are highly regarded.
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Old 11-25-2017, 08:34 PM
gfsark gfsark is offline
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Thanks for the feedback (no pun intended). Enjoyed the pictures and Ethan Winer’s article. Books as side-wall diffusers but not as bass traps. Makes sense.

Last edited by gfsark; 11-25-2017 at 08:47 PM.
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