| My control room has an open "A
Frame" ceiling with a single steel beam forming
the horizontal element of the A. When we designed
the room, not only did we choose to keep the ceiling
open, but we wanted to highlight the ceiling with
upward-pointing flood lights to make the room feel
more spacious, (The control room is the only room
in the building without windows.) But we also knew
we'd have problems with the sloped ceiling focusing
first reflections at the listening position, causing
anything but a "focused" sound. So I spec'ed
out AlphaSorb
cloud mount panels from Acoustical Solutions.
I ordered four 2'' thick, 6 ft x 2 ft clouds with
the lower face and edges wrapped in Guilford
fabric and with brackets (suspended-ceiling
runners) attached to the upper (hidden) face. AlphaSorb
cloud mount panels can be ordered in custom
sizes and covered with custom fabric to fit your
studio's specific needs. I specified "stock"
sizes and colors for my control room, but even these
were made to order. I'm sure turnaround time varies
for each order; mine arrived within a couple weeks
after I faxed in my order. |
|
| Using a system of steel angles, C
clamps, and 20 gauge steel wire, I installed these
below the aforementioned steel beam. I angled each
cloud
to minimize reflections at the listening position.
(It took me one evening to install the clouds by
myself.) The clouds
are just wide enough to treat the listening position
while still leaving enough open space around them
so the room doesn't feel smaller. Sonically, they
do exactly what I'd hoped they do. All the usual
words come to mind—tight, accurate, focused—without
the room sounding too dead. The clouds,
which are easy to dent, came via a contract shipping
company. They were well-packed and arrived in perfect
condition. See Acoustical Solutions' website for
fabric choices, custom sizing, and sound-absorption
coefficients. |
