Best way to improve my recording chain <$150

[stevecuss]

+100 on room treatment. It gives budget gear a fighting chance and allows quality gear to actually live up to its quality.

room treatment is simply a game changer and makes a mind blowing difference.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

I may or may not have changed my mind, and may or may not be on my way out the door to Home Depot.

And JoAnne Fabrics.

There's a concurrent thread here about DIY treatment panels.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

There's a concurrent thread here about DIY treatment panels.

Thanks. TBMan linked me to it.

The quality of the 1x4" at Home Depot was appalling... should have gone to Lowes to see how there's was, but they didn't have any rockwool batting in stock, and they wanted a minimum order of 3 packs.

So I'm at <$100 for enough materials to make a few panels. Could maybe stretch the budget and also buy a new or lightly used interface as well.

The didn't have 24" batting, only 15" x 47". It's the Owens Corning Fire and Sound Guard. I'm trying to decide if I should make long skinny ones with a single piece in each.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Hey, nobody wants to repipe the house, either. But at least room treatment is something you can see.

Ha! true ,,, Especially my house

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Ha! true ,,, Especially my house

Not doing that in my spare bedroom, Kev.

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Thanks. TBMan linked me to it.

The quality of the 1x4" at Home Depot was appalling... should have gone to Lowes to see how there's was, but they didn't have any rockwool batting in stock, and they wanted a minimum order of 3 packs.

So I'm at <$100 for enough materials to make a few panels. Could maybe stretch the budget and also buy a new or lightly used interface as well.

The didn't have 24" batting, only 15" x 47". It's the Owens Corning Fire and Sound Guard. I'm trying to decide if I should make long skinny ones with a single piece in each.

They have good 1x4s at my local HD but you have to pick through them. They are from Sweden, but where they get the stuff from probably varies. In fact there are 3 grades from furring strips (forget it) from about $2.50 up to 5.30 here for a 1x4x8.

I built the skinny (16") ones because that was the size of Safe'n'Sound they had, and luckily I only had to buy 1 bundle at a time. I couldn't use 3 bundles in my small room unless I treated all the wall-ceiling joins, and I'd still have some left over. The problem with the narrow stuff is you end up building probably a couple extra panels, and the wood, hardware and fabric are a big part of the expense - more of the cost of a single panel than the insulation.

I just checked, and Home Depot now carries the OC Fire & Sound Guard stuff - it's in stock here. Also same 15"x47" size though.

P.S. You might spend some time looking for "building supplies near me" and see if there's anyone that deals in Owens Corning or Rockwool material that can sell to a consumer buyer. I've not tried that - well, called one place and they said no before I stumbled on the bales of Safe'n'Sound. Can't hurt.

P.P.S. Someone said that if you go to the Lowe's store, you can purchase a smaller quantity - the Rockwool ComfortBoard 80 (I think Rockboard 80, previously) has a 20 order minimum, but maybe if you go ask nice they'll special order a couple for you. Or as someone suggested, order 20, return 19...

[warfrat73]

Yeah, I picked up the OC stuff locally.

There were literally probably 20 1x4" in the bay, and they were pretty picked through. I bought one or two extras so I can hopefully cut off some of the bad bits. Might take a run to Lowes tomorrow and see how their stock is.

I'll have to take a closer look at how everything will fit together before I decide if I should make skinny ones or cut the batting in half and make thicker ones.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

I'll have to take a closer look at how everything will fit together before I decide if I should make skinny ones or cut the batting in half and make thicker ones.

Thicker is better, especially with the lower-density insulation from the home center. That's why pro panels use OC703 or Rockwool 60/80 products; higher density means better sound absorption for a given thickness. When I used Safe 'n' Sound from Lowes, I made those panels 6" thick. Even for 703 or Rockwool, it's recommended to use 2 batts and go 4" if you can.

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Thicker is better, especially with the lower-density insulation from the home center. That's why pro panels use OC703 or Rockwool 60/80 products; higher density means better sound absorption for a given thickness. When I used Safe 'n' Sound from Lowes, I made those panels 6" thick. Even for 703 or Rockwool, it's recommended to use 2 batts and go 4" if you can.

For recording acoustic guitar I don't think you have to go 6" thick. Realistically, the audio energy of an acoustic guitar is not that great. If you have your average bedroom, by the time even the low E string's energy gets through a 3" panel/gobo and then hits the wall a few feet away, it's not coming back into the microphone.

Now, when you are mixing a full-range mix, yes, it's good if the corner bass traps are 6" deep, but this will quickly blow the OP's budget. (Cheap bass traps - buy the bundles, and just stack them in the corners unwrapped!)

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Ha! true ,,, Especially my house

Is that for your pipe organ? ;-)

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by lkingston

Is that for your pipe organ? ;-)

Ha !! the good news is with my keyboard skills, it is really pretty quiet

[DukeX]

Definitely room treatment.

You'll have more money in the future for better equipment, which will be easier to judge in a better sounding room.

Next, I'd save for some good studio monitors.

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi w-rat

You will need an interface, and the best bang-for-the buck just may be the Behringer 202MC-HD - CliCk. This is a great little unit with a manageable noise floor. Your mobile-pre is outdated and not really adequate.


The Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD has Midas preamps in it (some of the best pro-summer preamps around), and will interface with Mac, or PC. You already have decent mics, and headphones. Sweetwater has them for $118…the link is just an Amazon link to show you the unit.

Down to $79 on Sweetwater for those interested. Just ordered one.

[warfrat73]

Progress of a sort. These are made with OC Fire and Sound. I thought I had enough of that fabric from the remnants bin to do four all with the same orientation, but was about 2" short. Not sure what to do about the fourth one.

[keith.rogers]

Nice!

I made mine over a period of months and acquired remnants when I could and plain muslin when I couldn't, so my room is a horror of mismatched panels . You did good.