The Trappings of Success? StudioTraps
Originally published in Sound on Sound, February 1999.

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Full Article at Sound on Sound

Below are some excerpts from The Trappings of Success? StudioTraps: “Used by such famous personages as Hugh Padgham, Roy Thomas Baker, and Pete Townshend, they are ideal when you need a quick but reliable way to combat problems with room resonances, reflections, and reverberation.”

“All the recordings made using Studio Traps were much better than those done in the untreated room, sounding a lot more controlled and balanced.”

“Used with their reflective sides, Studio Traps add ‘life’ and support to sounds, while still removing unwanted coloration from the room acoustic, and providing useful separation from other instruments.”

“Another advantage of the Traps is the dense pattern of early reflections that they provide… These dense early reflections also provide a consistency of sound within the enclosed area — this also means that there will be less variation in the sound if a performer moves a little during the take.”

“For those who are regularly involved with live recording (whether out and about or in the studio), they are an exceptionally quick and easy way to improve local acoustics. Their biggest strength is their portability, not only making it easy to transport half a dozen in the back of a car, but also giving them supreme flexibility when setting up. From locating the source of the problem, it only takes a couple of minutes to erect a custom recording area. In addition, while the air gaps between the Studio Traps do lessen the maximum amounts of isolation and separation available compared with the more traditional acoustic screen, they do have the advantage of not psychologically cutting off the performer as much as traditional screens often do.”