Among the different types of acoustic treatment in your studio, bass traps play a big role in getting accurate mixes. In this article, we’ll be discussing why bass traps are so important to a studio.
In commercial recording studios (and even these days of home studios), acoustic treatment is just as vital to getting great mixes as the monitors, console, gear, and the engineer. Diffusers are used to break up direct reflections of sound against walls and ceilings, and monitor isolators are placed under speakers to avoid low-frequency resonance on the mixing desks or monitor stands. Aside from diffusers and resonance decupling devices, bass traps play are a highly important overlooked element in recording studios.
What is a bass trap?
A bass trap is a type of acoustic treatment, usually placed in corners or back walls of mixing rooms that absorb low frequencies. Low frequencies build up in corners and since most rooms are rectangular or square in shape, each corners a boost bass presence.
What is a standing wave?
A standing wave is created when a frequencies being played reflect off a surface and come back to collide with itself. You’re stuck in the middle of this “sound battle” you will hear an inaccurate representation for frequency response. Generally, these reflections will cause a cancellation boost or cancelation of low frequencies.
Why use bass traps?
Low frequencies are much larger and stronger than higher frequencies. Because of their strength, they are more difficult to control. Bass traps are designed to help control low frequencies, minimizing the presence of standing waves.
One of the biggest challenges in mixing is having your mix translate well on other speakers (your car, iPod, other studios, etc.) If you think you’re mix sounds good in your own room, it may be too bass heavy or too thin in other rooms. This is usually due in part to poor low frequency control in your studio or the listening environment you are in. The best solution is to treat your mixing room for accuracy creating a neutral listening envirnmet that is correct for mixing.
How is a bass trap designed?
There are many ways to design a bass trap; however, they are generally the constructed using a wood frame and some type of absorptive material (fiberglass is popular). There are many different shapes and sizes, too. You’ll want to find bass traps that are sized according to the room you’re working in. If you have a smaller room (12‘x12‘), then using two 2’x2‘ in each corner of your walls can help. Many companies (check out Auralex) make their own bass traps, but with a little ingenuity and Google searching, bass traps are relatively easy to make yourself. and the results can far exceed commercially available products.
