Studio - Bass traps & Accoustic Panels - Is there a limit?

Question

I wonder if there is a limit on how many basstraps and accoustic panels you should use for a room?

I mean, could it be negative in having to many on your walls?

Answer 1

There is no proper amount of acoustic treatment for a room. It depends on what kind of room sound you're going for.

If you're going for a dead room, then no, there is no limit.

If you're going for anything else, then yes, there is a limit.

If you're not sure, there are two ways to approach it:

• Experiment... see what you like. How does the room sound for performance? How does the room sound for recording, etc... Make changes. You'll find something that you're satisfied with.
• Look into a technical acoustic measurement of the room, and purchase treatments to help mitigate the specific trouble-spots present. E.g., these standing waves, these frequency spikes in this corner, etc...

Answer 2

Yes it can be negative too have too many. I know of Foley artists/mixers who prefer some stages over others because it's too dead of a space. I have also been in overly dead rooms, as well as properly-treated and "pleasant-sounding" (as in, the air/roomtone itself) dead, but not too dead, edit suites.

You will have to experiment. This may be a good starting point to build off of: http://www.atsacoustics.com/page--Free-Online-Room-Acoustics-Analysis--ora.html

The answer I received for my space felt accurate in my mind, as to deadening/tuning the space but not killing it.