Re: Minimizing echo while shooting in apartment

Ty:

Point well taken! But if you had covered the ceiling and two adjacent walls in that huge open space with apprpriate hangings? Sorry!

On the subject of the slap echos and other such monstrosities, I remember 20 years ago walking into a very large totally "untreated" room and being astounded with the great sound I heard. Which I know, of course, you've probably already guessed at what was going on - I had just never been in such a space and heard what I heard. The room was the "music room" in a large mansion. The owner was an engineer, and a very talented musician and first class pianist. The room was some 25 feet high, and approximately 35 feet long and 40 feet wide. The floor was highly polished, smooth hardwood, with two small wool throw rugs. Three of the walls and the ceiling were heavy, two layer smooth wallboard mounted on 4 x 6's on 18 inch centers. The fourth wall was 25 by 40 foot four layer laminated glass. Furniture included a smooth leather couch and similarly covered six chairs, with three small hardwood end tables, and a small bookcase. Two Carver speakers completed the layout, except that placed slightly off center on the floor were two full size concert grand Steinways.

My host sat down and started playing a Rachmaninoff Prelude - what sweet sound! Good balance (except for the few holes and peaks resulting from the standing waves generated by the room shape, and the sympathetic resonance from the second Steinway), just live enough - no obtrusive echo, etc..

And of course you know what was going on. At the time, I failed to recall what I had read about years before which explained what was happening - the construction of the room was such that its dimensions (apart from the large size) gave every appearance of being conventional. And of course, I immediately saw as well as heard what was happening when my host (laughing) made a comment after the prelude, "The walls are not parallel! They're off by [?] (several degrees - I've forgotten just how many, it seems like he said three or four degrees?). And he then indicated that the ceiling likewise was several degrees off from being parallel to the floor.

Aren't acoustics just fascinating!

William