SOUND ON SOUND

[The Bunk]

Time has come for an overhaul for my "spare bedroom" (which is now no longer a bedroom, nor is it spare); basically I moved in here (standard 2 up 2 down) almost 20 years ago and over that time it has become nothing but a dedicated music room / studio where I do all my recording and "pleasure listening". It's got sufficient acoustic treatment to be able to knock up decent enough results. Window is covered by a venetian-type blind, so no curtains. The carpet has had years of wear and tear, spilt beer, wine, the odd fag-end burn and is generally just pants. So that's going to be replaced.

Question is: go for another carpet or a hard floor? My vox recordings have generally been fine and most of the guitar stuff I do is DI. But I've never really been truly happy with my acoustic (mic'ed) recordings. (and yes I know that's a whole separate subject!!)

[Mike Stranks]

It's always tricky if you have to use the same space for mixing and recording music with mics.

In your situation I'd re-carpet, but get some boards - ply, hardboard, MDF or whatever - to put on the floor and/or walls to brighten things a bit when recording 'acoustically'.

[Jumpeyspyder]

...or a variation to Mikes suggestion - get a rug that can be removed / peeled back when needed

[Wonks]

...or a variation to Mikes suggestion - get a rug that can be removed / peeled back when needed

Just because he's follically challenged....

[Jumpeyspyder]

...or a variation to Mikes suggestion - get a rug that can be removed / peeled back when needed

Just because he's follically challenged....

I'm not follically challenged - they've just migrated south

[The Bunk]

I'm thinking here that Wonks is referring to my own follicular failings And I do indeed have a collection of er, "rugs", but that's a whole different and difficult to explain story

[blinddrew]

I too am folically challenged but that's irrelevant to this post.

One of the threads a while back suggested getting some wooden venetian blinds that could be hung over the front of any room treatment. Doing some mixing? Raise the blind, acoustic treatment in place. Doing some recording? Drop the blind, nice reflective surface.

[The Bunk]

One of the threads a while back suggested getting some wooden venetian blinds that could be hung over the front of any room treatment. Doing some mixing? Raise the blind, acoustic treatment in place. Doing some recording? Drop the blind, nice reflective surface.

So you're a bit of a blind expert too Drew? Perhaps that's another reason for the name
That's a nice idea. The reason for mentioning it is from my experience of changing from curtains to a wooden blind in my living room where the home cinema set-up is. In the curtain days I could crank up the volume to music DVDs and it sounded great. Now with blinds it's just reverb city, absolutely awful, despite doing as much as I reasonably can to soften the room up. So the listening experience is important.