As you audio guys know, the sound for my web series is abysmal. The production reality that I have to live with is that I am shooting in an actual concrete and steel bunker. I also do not own the property so cannot drill into the walls. The space that I use is 13'4"X17'2"X9'. What can I do to help the sound that does not attach to the walls or ceiling, won't interfere with camera and light placement too badly, and does not cost a truck load of cash?
sound Inexpensive Sound Treatment
- Thread starter Lucky Hardwood
- Start date
Not too sure if this would work visually with what you are after but here in New Zealand we get cardboard egg carton trays. (google that exactly to see what I mean) and it is quite common when setting up recording studios on the cheap to simply cover the walls with those trays. They absorb most if not all echoes and would probably go a long way to solving your dilemma. The only thing is, when putting them up, be careful to not snub the points etc or flatten them in any way because it is the shape of these puppies that does a lot of the sound absorbing work. Also leave no gaps. f you can, do all the walls, and possibly the ceiling too.
Admittedly it will not be AS good as the foam but it is far cheaper, and if you are not recording loud music, it should be more then enough, and either way cheaper or free.
Check out this link to see that there is science behind this idea.
http://www.acousticsfirst.com/eggc.htm
Last edited:
I'm not sure if your post is supposed to sarcastic or you were being serious?
It was quite common in the 70s/80s in the UK to see egg cartons being used in very cheap studios because it looked a bit like some of the real acoustic treatment of the time but the trend died out in the early 80s when even those making cheap demo tapes learned that egg cartons were next to useless. I can't believe they're still using egg cartons for acoustic purposes in New Zealand, that's funny! BTW, you do realise the article you linked to was explaining why you shouldn't use egg cartons for acoustic treatment?
Sure egg cartons are better than nothing when you've got bare concrete walls but that doesn't mean you should use egg cartons, there are equally cheap materials you can use which make far better acoustic treatment; old blankets, carpets, etcetera, as has already been mentioned. Actually, egg cartons would probably perform better acoustically if you left the eggs in them (!), even better would be to forget the eggs and the cartons and just nail dead chickens all over the walls (leave the feathers on for even better absorption)!
G
Last edited: