Dead Rooms

[Keith]

Mark

Going on from my question about ambience, I experienced a (mainly) dead room this week, and would like to know when, if ever, you would use one in a recording studio.

(Discussions about the relevance of egg consumption are inevitable, I fear  )

[Paul]

We had one lecture theatre at university that was acoustically dead, we used to use it for rehearsals. Singing in a dead room is very difficult, as you don't get enough feedback.

Paul

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi both,

I'll get my techno head on.

Anechoic is a term used that describes an environment that does not have any reverberation. You both probably new that anyway? There was a spate of recording studios built in the seventies, that were of "Eastlake or Westlake design.  These had a particularly dead or inert acoustic responce and were famous for producing a lot of classic recordings where a dead sound was favoured. At times, the addition of towls to drum heads in order to get an absolute dead un-reverberated sound! Lenny Kravitz's production is typical of the retro Eastlake and Westlake sound.
There was a great "Looking into the past" feature in Pro Sound News a few years ago where , I think, Elephant studios some years ago, bought a whole load of ex army mattresses to line the studio!! The mind boggles.

Egg boxes? Forget them! Other than reducing the reflective responce over about 8Khz (only a couple of db), they will do nothing to help your acoustics. Certainly not to reduce level of the noisy drummer who annoys the neighbours.

There is a simple equation that effects the level of sound that is transmitted. Density.

Absorption for reflective qualities is a separate issue. So things like Lead or concrete will stop sound from being transmitted, and mattresses, carpets and dense heavy foam will absorb sound. The lower the frequency the harder it is to stop those dang sign waves from  becoming liberated.  Air gaps are also often used to break down the waveforms amplitude and frequency.

In a recording environment, dead is very usefull. However, live is too. So a varied and controlable acoustic is best. My choice is a room (Like Woodworm or Presshouse) is maybe 20 x 30 or 40 ' with a high 16-18' apex ceiling, flint walls, some wood and curtains and screens, so you have some variables. Air moving is a good thing in recording! Diffusion is also a factor. Flint walls are good for a reflective yet diffused sound. Wood has it's own qualities too. Each material has unique and favoured uses.
Paul, your point about the live room for singing is quite right. For bands, it's often hard to find a room that is both live, but not too live that it sounds really loud when drums and electric guitars are played.

Rooms that resonate at a particular frequency are not very usefull, but sometimes are great for effects.

I hope this answers your question?

Cheers,

Mark.

[Nick]

Leaving aside dead rooms and recording the ambience of woodworm, have you ever gone to the other extreme and relied totally on the acoustics and ambience of a venue without any correction, balance or alteration?

I'm thinking of two examples; The Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions album, recorded in a church with only a microphone and cassette deck. Then there's Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded in similarly sparse fashion around a camp fire at a festival in Texas.

Cheers

Nick

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Nick,

Oh yes, I have made many recordings in houses, barns, kitchens, or even outside. That's the fun of it! What ever works really.

Mark

[jude]

back in 1968, with Giles Giles and Fripp I recorded some vocals in the back room 'studio' that Peter Giles had set up.

The drum booth was also the vocal booth and as I recall was some sort of framework covered in carpet underfelt.

Now my question to you is:

Would you consider this to be a 'dead' room (not least because I nearly asphyxiated from the heat and lack of air)?

or a 'live' room (due to the fact that carpet underfelt is extremely itchy) ?

Whatever, the end result was extraordinary and a privilege (and a hoot!)(released a couple of years ago as 'The Brondesbury Tapes')

Jude (I'm not shocked I just like this smiley)

[tony the roundhead]

back in 1968, with Giles Giles and Fripp I recorded some vocals in the back room 'studio' that Peter Giles had set up.
Jude (I'm not shocked I just like this smiley)

Was that "I talk to the Wind" Jude? - I love that track.

[jude]

Was that "I talk to the Wind" Jude? - I love that track.

Yes, amongst others - including the very peculiar 'Murder'

JUde

[Liam Schwilik]

Hi Nick,

I've got a feeling that I talk of Michelle Shocked's Campfire Tapes in my recording column in Acoustic magazine?

Mark