inexpensive acoustic foam (found some)

[bighonkintuba]

I practice in a basement with a fairly low dropped ceiling and some hard surfaces, including a ground level window above/behind my head. My neighbors can't hear me and my wife doesn't care when/how long I practice (call me lucky! ), but sound reflecting from the ceiling back to my ears has been a bit harsh, which can also be heard on recordings.

I had been looking for a source of inexpensive acoustic foam and found:
http://www.thefoamfactory.com/acousticf ... efoam.html" target="_blank

I did a few price comparisons (taking panel size, pattern and noise reduction coefficient into account) and the cost is roughly 1/2 that of Aurelex foam for (presumably) the same level of absorption.

I bought a pack of 3" wedged panels (NRC 0.75), covered the window and placed three panels on the ceiling (large, straight "quilting" pins hold them place quite well; took a few minutes to mount) in the tuba bell's line of fire and the difference is amazing. The harshness is gone, sound pressure levels near my ear are reduced a few dB according to my sound level meter and recordings sound much better. If anything, absorption might be a bit too much. I'll have to play around with panel position to get it just right.

These aren't meant to 'soundproof' a room, but they certainly helped tune my practice room's acoustics to my liking for under $100.

I'm not affiliated with the company...

[jon112780]

In a smaller room with a average or low ceiling, I've found the most efficient use of this material was to place these foam squares in an upper corner where two walls and the ceiling meet. Depending on the angle you hold your horn, experiment and find what works best for your particular setup.