Wednesday Mailbag – Putting In False Wall

Hi Mike,

I’m converting a bedroom into a control room and I could really do with your advice. The dimensions are 12ft by 7ft and I’d like to split it in two using a false build wall. Budget’s not really an issue. The floor is concrete and the walls are stud brick. Basically I’m looking to produce the best listening environment. What should I do? Is the space big enough and worth all the effort of putting in the wall?

Thanks
Wayne

Hi Wayne,

I want to make sure I understand your question. You want to take a room that measure 12’x 7′ and divide it into two equal rooms of 6′ x 3 1/2′?
I am assuming a room height of 8′.

If this is true, neither of your new rooms will work for a listening environment and definitely not for a control room. A room that is 3 1/2′ wide and 6′ long is about the size of a closet.The original size of 12′ x 7′ would work for a listening room and or a monitor room if you could get the acoustical issues under control. This will be no easy task, no matter what the acoustic foam companies tell you.

Since your room size is so small, you will have to control all room boundary reflections with a minimum of 2″ of acoustic foam. We will have to leave the bass issues alone for now. There is no room to deal with them in these room sizes unless we can build into the walls themselves. you will have to give up 12″ on each wall space to achieve satisfactory levels of low frequency absorption.

I would strongly consider finding a larger room. You will be fighting less in your mixes with a larger room. You can keep the 12′ room dimension but the 7′ has got to go from any acoustical perspective considered.

Regards,
Mike
Regards,
Mike