Installing Bass Trap in each room helps minimize standing waves and acoustic interference that distort a listening room’s low-frequency response. Sound waves bounce off the floor, walls and ceiling, colliding with each other and spreading a very uneven sound throughout the room. Left untreated, such a listening room produces strong peaks and dips in the frequency response that change as a person moves in the area.

Latest recording technology

Even using the latest recording technology or top-of-the-line hearing aids, without proper treatment of low-frequency sounds, there’s no way to tell if the low-end of the music is even in pitch. Without proper room treatment to eliminate acoustic interference, the distorted response caused by low-frequency reflection will always be present. While many people will say that adding more subwoofers is the solution, installing these without proper room treatment can actually make the situation worse. While compensating for inadequate speakers can be useful, subwoofers can amplify and hide the real problem.

Installation of bass traps

Installing bass traps along with other acoustic treatments in a listening room flattens the low-frequency response and spreads the sound evenly throughout the room. In addition, modal ringing, which causes some bass notes to last longer than others, is also reduced so as not to compromise the clarity of the sound.

Of course, while many sound engineers wish for a magical acoustic vacuum to suck the waves out of thin air, this is an utter impossibility. The most effective way to clean up low frequencies in a listening room is to simply cover at least 30% of its surface area with bass traps and other acoustic enhancement devices.

How to use bass traps to tame standing waves

When mixing, you also need to consider standing waves. Standing waves are created when bass notes begin to reflect and bounce into each other in your room. Standing waves can either overemphasize the bass from your speakers (resulting in bass-poor mixes) or cancel out some or all of the bass coming out of your speakers (resulting in mixes with too much bass) . One problem with standing waves is that they can really mess up your mixes and you might not know they’re there.

problem with in your studio

To find out if you’re having a problem with in your studio, sit in front of your monitors and listen intently to one of your favorite CDs, now lean back and forth a little. Does the amount of bass you hear change as you move? Next, get up and walk around the room. Look for places in the room where the bass seems to be louder or softer. You may find spots where the bass almost cuts out entirely. If either inspection turns out to be true, you are the proud owner of standing waves. But no worry. You can tame this standing wave monster with a pair of bass traps.

Lower Frequencies

Bass Trap absorb the energy in the lower frequencies so they don’t bounce around the room and mess up your mixes. You can buy foam bass traps at some music stores, or (yes, you guessed it) you can make your own out of wood and insulation. Check out some homemade bass traps.