Vicoustic Wavewood panels installed

[jdandy]

Tim.......When I first constructed the two room recording studio the design was strictly to be a control room and a sound recording room. Once the framing, insulation, and sound batten were installed and the drywall completed along with the commercial carpet, I used test tone frequency sweeps, a sound pressure meter and my own ears to make decisions on where I wanted to install absorption panels. The sound recording room where live microphones were used needed to be relatively dead with slap echo reduced to a minimum. I installed the panels incrementally and ran tests again. Ultimately I arrived at a full four wall placement of absorption panels before I was satisfied the room would not influence the direct sound captured by microphones from vocals and instruments. The room worked very well for live recording and I was completely satisfied. At the time there were only the JBL LSR6332 speakers on the elevated wall platforms and a single JBL LRS6312SP powered subwoofer in the room for recording playback and talkback purposes from the studio control room.

As the years past by I gradually transformed the studio recording room into a two channel audio room and then included a home theater system, all without reconsidering the acoustic absorption characteristics in the room. For all practical purposes the room was working very well, but I gradually began to consider changing the acoustics of the room to gain some additional upper midrange and high frequency energy that was being sucked up by all the absorption panels. With a little research and conversations with a few recording studio friends I came to the conclusion I needed to remove the absorption panels on the rear wall and install diffusion panels. I also pulled the couch into the room so that my head is now about 30 inches forward of the rear wall.

Once the Vicoustic Wavewood panels were installed behind the seating area I was immediately impressed with the improved upper midrange energy in the room. Initially I left the front of the room unchanged while I evaluated what I had done to the rear wall. Then after another conversation with a friend who uses Wavewood panels across the entire front of his room behind his speakers I decided to add the final two Wavewood panels in place of the two 2' x 2' x 2" absorption panels behind the left and right equipment racks. Once installed I was excited to discover my sound stage had gain depth and a more vivid 3D presence. I have since thought about adding a few more Wavewood panels across the front wall but the room sounds so wonderful now I have held that thought in check. The combination of absorption and diffusion as is presently installed in the studio sounds perfect to me just the way it is.

[mtroo]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
There seems to be a large amount of trial and error that goes into the process. Start with a SWAG (Scientific, Wild Assed Guess) then proceed. I do not have near the experience, or ear I suspect that you have, plus you seem to have other valuable contacts. I have a room which opens into the dining room on one side, into the front hall way opposite the stereo with blinds (wood) behind the stereo. Not really sure how much my wife will allow me to do in the living room. Curtains behind the stereo would be okay at night, but she likes a little light. Not much for the vampire thing.
Need to keep reading...
Thanks.
Tim
PS: don't know if you're related to your avatar, but she gives me impure thoughts.

[wgb113]

Those are really nice looking (as is your space.)

Congrats!

[jdandy]

wbg113.......Thank you. The Vicoustic Wavewood panels have been up now for nearly two and a half years. I am continuously impressed with the entire room's acoustic signature. I never tire of sitting in the sweet spot and letting the music wash over me. I haven't changed any of the panels or their locations in all this time. That's a clear indication of my satisfaction.