Advanced Acoustics - Studio Acoustic Treatment

Why do I need bass traps?

Standard acoustic tiles such as the F.A.T. PRO Acoustic tile and the Wedge PRO acoustic tiles etc. are only truly affective at mid to high frequencies. This is because the tiles are thin and so can only absorb shorter waves. Or absorb waves with less power and travelling at slower speeds. This means that if only acoustic tiles are installed there is not enough foam to be able to absorb the stronger more powerful waves.

Low-end frequencies have very long wavelengths . These wavelengths have a lot of strength. This means that more foam is necessary to absorb these frequencies. This is why bass traps are absolutely needed in any room that is going to be used for recording, mixing or practising. Add to that the fact that the low end frequencies tend to build up in the corners of a room and this is why we have corner bass traps. Most studios do not have the space or funds available to be able to treat the whole wall with thick, bass trapping foam. And you wouldnâ€™t want to do that either.

Noise can be 6-12dB louder in a corner than in any part of a room and this is why we insist on the installation of bass traps in the corners. The wider the bass traps the lower they can absorb to. Standard bass traps are usually 12" wide but these bass traps can't absorb the very low frequencies. This is why we introduced the MAXXX Bass Trap . This has a width of 24" creating a larger area for the low and very low frequencies to be trapped.

Bass traps do not soak up all the low-end frequencies in your room. What they do is help to better define the low frequencies bringing them under to control and easier to recognise. This in turn helps you to achieve better results in your recordings. If a person is having trouble with the music sounding good in the studio but terrible in another room he or she needs bass traps. The situation just mentioned is a common problem and can easily be solved with the use of bass traps. These are not expensive and it is not necessary to fill a room with them. With correct installation in the right places low-end frequencies are tightened and excessive colouration is removed.

We have four models of bass trap. There are our foam bass traps constructed from solid high density acoustic foam specifically designed to absorb those hard to deal with low frequencies. We also have the Corner Sound Trap Panels . These are constructed from professional grade acoustic foam backed onto 6mm MDF. All this is covered in an open weave cloth to improve the aesthetics of the studio or home listening room. The bigger the bass trap the better it can perform and the better the response of the room.