How thick should bass traps be?

For effective absorption down to 100 Hz, you need approximately 85cm of depth (absorber + air gap). For 80 Hz: about 107cm. For practical home studios, 10-15cm absorbers with 5-10cm air gaps target frequencies from about 150 Hz up. Corner mounting effectively doubles the depth.

Does corner mounting help?

Yes, significantly. Placing porous absorbers in corners places them at the pressure maximum of axial modes, increasing effectiveness by up to 4×. Corner mounting also effectively doubles the path length through the absorber, extending the low-frequency range.

What material should I use?

Mineral wool (Rockwool, Knauf) with a density of 40-80 kg/m³ is the most cost-effective. Higher density is not necessarily better — 60 kg/m³ is often optimal. Standard acoustic foam is effective above 500 Hz but poor at bass frequencies due to insufficient depth and density.

How many bass traps do I need?

Start with all four vertical corners floor to ceiling. This is the most impactful treatment. Add horizontal corners (wall-ceiling, wall-floor) for further improvement. A typical home studio benefits from 8-12 bass trap panels. More is generally better for low frequencies.

AudioCalcs

Bass Trap Calculator — Porous Absorber Dimensions

Calculate bass trap dimensions and effective absorption range for room corners.

Absorber Thickness

Air Gap Behind

How We Calculate This

Quarter Wavelength Rule

Effective frequency = c / (4 × total depth)

Where c = 343 m/s and total depth = absorber thickness + air gap. The absorber is most effective at the frequency whose quarter wavelength equals the total depth.

Practical Range

Porous absorbers work from approximately half the quarter-wavelength frequency upwards with increasing effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard formulas. Always verify results for critical applications.