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Looking for inspiration on how you’ve reduced echo in your gaming spaces.

Right now my basement is an echo chamber, especially since I put several
IKEA detolf cases down there. There’s only two windows, so that’s about as
many curtains I can put in. What other sound absorbent decor do you
recommend that may also be man cave appropriate?

Bonus points for pictures and/or links

When I was at uni we'd use egg cartons in our garage to muffle the sound echoes that'd be created from our gaming and the occasional band session. It's a cheap alternative to dampen the sound!

You need to break up flat surfaces that face each other and also soften hard surfaces. Egg cartons, rubber matting or carpet attached to walls.and ceiling will.help. You could.also hang a bunch of vertical.sheets or planks from the ceiling to prevent sound waves from reverberating between walls in straight lines.

Just beware the flammability of the materials.you choose to.add and make sure there is always an easy escape route or 2!

 Tyranid Horde wrote:
When I was at uni we'd use egg cartons in our garage to muffle the sound echoes that'd be created from our gaming and the occasional band session. It's a cheap alternative to dampen the sound!

Lol up on the walls? It’s probably effective, maybe not wife approved.


I threatened to hang blankets from one wall to the other.

Vetoed.

As mentioned above it's about surfaces.

Carpet or rugs on the floor is a start...and then non-flat surfaces on the walls is another thing. Maybe figure out some stuff you can set up and take down, so they'll be wife-approved.

Picture frames with blocks.of.closed.cell.foam might work. You could.put them.up.and take them down as required. You could.even make them reversible and have an actual.picture on the otherwise. You'd.probably.need quite a lot of them to be effective though

Buy some frames, put nice posters inside, or print some pictures on canvas (instead of carpets), hang some shelves for books or other stuff, get some plants, that should work

All of the above, but focus as much as possible on one wall (more than floor). One wall covered with books, plants and heavy courtains should be enough. If your wife doesn't allow for anything too fancy, make a foldable, tall (entire room height preferably) screen from egg cartons, they are great at breaking sound waves and due to their stackable design you should be able to do a great screen which folds into neat and aesthetic flat package to stand in the corner when unused.

Hrm...a nice folding screen or more could be doable

Hanging some cheap 'picture' or throw style blankets over the bare parts of the wall will help. Try to get them about an inch from the wall itself. This is a fix for recording in a "home studio".
Think of them as "tapestries".

Stunning pink faux flokati on every surface.
It's the only way to be sure.

 War Drone wrote:
Stunning pink faux flokati on every surface.
It's the only way to be sure.

It'll really bring a room together, I'm sure.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I guess a quick easy option would be custom tapestries.

just toss some carpet down, if hardwood. on the walls you can put anything thats not glass like posters, canvas art, curtains, magic mats, decor, couches, chairs, bean bags, etc. I play bass for a band and can tell you all about sound proofing if needed and what to use, but don't think you need all that...just normal stuff.

Can't put much carpet as it's a basement and would like to know if seepage is happening.

I have a start at least, so thanks for that.

Rubber matting on the floor would be waterproof, liftable for inspection and provide some soundproofing and shock absorption benefits.

 Flinty wrote:
Rubber matting on the floor would be waterproof, liftable for inspection and provide some soundproofing and shock absorption benefits.

And can be bought in 2'x2' interlocking squares.