Corner Bass Traps - Always beneficial?

[microstrip]

Not necessarily, RPG Modex Plate is 4" thick...I would still call that broadband since it operates over a wide frequency range, not narrow like a tuned trap.

Yes, but they are thick in price ...

I was looking at their specifications - they are really impressive. But they are very difficult to get in Europe, although they were designed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. I think I will have to design a custom bass trap and tune it. Happily I have all the front wall space (13'x8') and no problems with depth.

[NorthStar]

---This is a very good thread with some excellent feedbacks.
{No emoticon this time! }

[Rutgar]

Well, I'm still waiting on the RealTraps. So in the meantime and for fun, I thought I would pull all of 2" foam Echo Busters out of my room, which I haphazardly had placed across some of the corners in an attempt to get 'some' bass trapping.
I took measurements both before, and after. I believe the results speak for themselves. The Echo Busters were doing absolutely NO Bass Trapping. I did get a bump from 4K on up, by removing the additional absorption.

The Blue is NO treatments in the corners. The Red is with the EchoBusters across the corners. Both are with 1/24 octave smoothing.

[DonH50]

"Echo Busters" implies HF absorption or diffusion, not bass trapping. It looks like these are only effective over about 4 kHz.

[Rutgar]

"Echo Busters" implies HF absorption or diffusion, not bass trapping. It looks like these are only effective over about 4 kHz.

Yeah, I never had any illusions about Echo Busters being bass traps. But since they are all I had (and I have a butt load of them), I thought they would be better than nothing, straddling the corners. Evidently I thought wrong.

I am surprised though, at how little effect they seem to have on the 500hz to 4K range (at least when used across room corners).

Interesting though, that one effect from 100 to 400hz they did have, is the RT-60 (T-20 & T30) moved from under 400ms to under 500ms (after removing them).

[rbbert]

I'm close to getting a pair of the MSR Spring Bass Traps reviewed by Kal in Stereophile. Aside from the fact that they have outstanding absorption in the 60-80 Hz "trouble" region, they can also be painted to match my room's trim (same paint, even) at no extra charge.

[EddieSudz]

I'm close to getting a pair of the MSR Spring Bass Traps reviewed by Kal in Stereophile. Aside from the fact that they have outstanding absorption in the 60-80 Hz "trouble" region, they can also be painted to match my room's trim (same paint, even) at no extra charge.

Been thinking about these myself! Are you dealing with them directly or through a local dealer?

[rbbert]

Been thinking about these myself! Are you dealing with them directly or through a local dealer?

Apparently my "local" dealer is down your way in Capistrano Beach (I live in Reno).

[Steve Williams]

Apparently my "local" dealer is down your way in Capistrano Beach (I live in Reno).

The only dealer (distributor) I know in Capo Beach is Philip O'Hanlon.

BTW, I'm having lunch now with my wife in Capo Beach at a little Mexican place by the beach

[EddieSudz]

Apparently my "local" dealer is down your way in Capistrano Beach (I live in Reno).

Nice! I will have to look them up!