Since the advent of affordable digital audio equipment, the proliferation of recording studios has expanded to the point where many successful recordings are now entirely produced in home-based project studios. These rooms are typically small preexisting structures that were never intended for audio. This limits the options that one can retrofit to make them work.

One thing is certain, without acoustic absorption, these rooms tend to ring at the resonant frequency and the close proximity walls not only produce powerful secondary reflections, they also cause flutter echo or room chatter. These combine to collapse the effective listening position and cause ear fatigue. The immediate solution is broadband absorption.

Years of experience have proven that the walls and ceiling guide sound waves into the corners. This is why most acousticians start treating rooms by focusing here. There is also an added bonus: corners are often free from equipment and this makes them a perfect location to create deep, unobtrusive bass traps.

Following the development of the FullTrap, the MaxTrap was also conceived to control troublesome bass, manage mid range standing waves, and absorb high frequencies. Only in this case, the MaxTrap was expressly designed to be positioned in corners and take advantage of the additional depth they provide. The MaxTrap ships flat to reduce freight costs; assembles in minutes; and features an innovative composite wood frame and mounting cleats that make installation easy.

From first view it looks like a simple acoustic panel. But there is much more going on than meets the ears! The MaxTrap is actually a device that combines three different sound absorbing techniques to provide full bandwidth control.

Firstly, the MaxTrap employs a 3" thick 24" x 48" face panel that is made of 6lb per-cubic-foot high-density fiberglass. This is the same material used to control professional recording and broadcast studios around the world. This panel has been laboratory tested to absorb frequencies starting from 400Hz to well above the threshold of human hearing. This controls flutter echo, and helps eliminate strong secondary reflections.

Secondly, a deep cavity is created behind the face panel that extends back to the corner to help absorb the low frequencies below 100Hz. This is very effective at reducing standing waves that tend to clutter the sound field.

Thirdly, a diaphragmatic membrane is suspended inside the frame creating a dead mass with a very low resonance frequency. This membrane is made of barium impregnated vinyl and weighs in at 1-lb. per square foot (the same weight as lead!). The membrane is draped loosely inside the MaxTrap so that it can vibrate as bass penetrates the system. Low frequencies cause the membrane to vibrate and bass energy is converted into heat through vibration. The conversion from acoustic vibration to heat "traps" or removes some bass energy from the room.

By combining the MaxTrap with standard Broadway panels, you will notice that bass will immediately tighten up, chatter echo will be reduced and with less interference, the listening sweet spot will expand making your room more comfortable to work in.

The result: Three acoustic principles are applied providing broadband absorption. This not only helps control excessive bass and room nulls, but will result in a tighter more consistent bass sound throughout the room. All of a sudden, the listening sweet spot is enlarged; troublesome standing waves are eliminated; intelligibility is increased; and listening fatigue is reduced. How cool is that?