I did some research today and came across some cheaper solutions. Aside from cheaper foam, Owens Corning 703 rigid fiberglass is used in a lot of studios for cost effectiveness and
is said to have similar echo elimination properties. I'm guessing many of you may know this already. I read about it on Gearslutz. I can't vouch for the performance of these products but I think some of you may be interested.
Yea Auralex is pricey, and honestly only worth it if you're:
A: looking for convenience instead of DIY
B: getting a good discount
C: in the market for a room kit (again falls under convenience)
I do swear by their mopads though.
That first link you posted seems decently priced, dunno if they'll nail you on shipping though.
Often enough we wheeled and dealed with people who were buying Auralex in quantity (like most things) at Guitar Center.
Wish I could remember our cost for it, but iirc it had a pretty large profit margin.
Re: Alternatives to Auralex
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:59 am
by ill mindset
Mopads are the only foam I own for the time being. I saw a DiY video to make a mic isolation shield.
Its not too bad looking and costs around $15 to make. Guy in the video says $10 but he got his foam on sale.
I'm not usually a cheapskate but for how easy it is and the fact that I wont use it all the time, why not?
Re: Alternatives to Auralex
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:07 am
by VirtualMark
I'm thinking of buying a black hole active absorber - it's a sub that plays reverse phase bass to cancel reflections. Reviews seem positive, the peaks in bass response are drastically reduced and the bass is tightened up. Also there's supposed to be an increase in midrange clarity and stereo field as the bass isn't booming as much and masking the rest of the sound.
The downside is that it costs a grand. But it's the only thing i've found that can potentially tame the low bass in a room - bass traps are limited and need to be tuned to work well.
Re: Alternatives to Auralex
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:22 am
by ill mindset
VirtualMark wrote:I'm thinking of buying a black hole active absorber - it's a sub that plays reverse phase bass to cancel reflections. Reviews seem positive, the peaks in bass response are drastically reduced and the bass is tightened up. Also there's supposed to be an increase in midrange clarity and stereo field as the bass isn't booming as much and masking the rest of the sound.
The downside is that it costs a grand. But it's the only thing i've found that can potentially tame the low bass in a room - bass traps are limited and need to be tuned to work well.
I thought you were trolling until I looked it up. haha
Pardon my ignorance, I should never have doubted you. I would have to be very impressed by an in person demo to even start to consider an extra grand.
Great idea though. When/if you do get one, be sure to post a review