Testing for Corner Bass Trap Placement

This video illustrates a simple method to determine corner bass trap placement using a flicker noise (also called pink noise) audio file.

As illustrated in our previous GIK Acoustics educational video “Bass Traps and Understanding Lower Frequencies,” bass reflects off walls, floors, and ceilings yet it collects in corners where these boundaries meet. However the amount of bass in one corner can vary from the amount of bass buildup in another due to things like monitor and subwoofer placement as well as room structure.

A rectangular room has 12 corners: where walls meet ceiling, where walls meet floor and the four corners where wall-to-walls meet.

We always recommend treating a room with bass traps stacked floor-to-ceiling in front and back wall-to-wall corners.  But we also recommend covering ceiling-to-wall and floor-to-wall corners within a room. Basically the more corner area treated, the better the room response will be.

However budget and space constraints may dictate the number of bass traps you’ll be working with, so it’s best to determine where bass is building up most in your room and treat that area first.

One option is to use software such as Room EQ Wizard to test your room; but if you’re inexperienced in room testing, the following is a great substitute. Play a consistent low frequency signal and walk around the room listening to determine which corner has the most bass build up.

We’ve created a flicker noise (also called pink noise) audio file that’s filtered so just the lower end is coming through. Download this file at http://www.gikacoustics.com/pink_noise.mp3.

Once you’ve downloaded the audio file, play it in your room as you examine all corner areas to hear where bass is building up. If you have a hand-held SPL meter, then it makes this process even easier. Wherever you notice an increase in volume, is the best place for bass trapping.

Be sure to look at our complete selection of bass traps, soffit traps, tri-traps and monster bass trap options. And as always, visit our Acoustic Advice page to ask our experts for free advice on how to treat your individual space.