Best room treatment

Hello Tim ,

    I am now thoroughly excited about the swarm system. I’m going to beg borrow and steal for some more money. I am wondering though if our room is just not good enough to achieve the sound quality I’m hoping for. 18 ft. High ceilings with windows on the right side and stairs and upstairs walkway on the other. There are really only two corners for bass traps and only 4 inches between the wall and windows so I could not stack all the way to the ceiling. It would be a top, middle , bottom trap set up of about 2 ft sections. We are running curtains from the top window to the floor on both sides. The fireplace is in the middle so any wall treatments would have to start about 6 ft up.  In regards to the 2’x4’ panels from GIK did you use strictly absorption and diffusion? It seems they have some that have a combination of each characteristic. Do you think panels will be needed all the way to the top or will about half way up be sufficient. I’m assuming the ceilings will also need some panels. One of the videos I watched recommended absorption and diffusion on the ceiling. 

The worse the room, the greater the advantages of the Swarm. Do that first, then wait and see. Odds are you won't need any bass traps. 

As for panels, find a local hardware store that will sell you a couple sheets of Owens Corning 703 insulating panels. They're what GIK and everyone else wraps inside their fancy acoustic panels. In raw form the panels are ugly yellow but very light weight and dirt cheap making them a perfect way to experiment and determine what (if anything) you need, and where.  

Diffusion panels are a little more involved. But remember, everything in the room is either reflecting (diffusing) or absorbing. You could hang framed art on the wall, tilt it down slightly, you got a diffuser.

I will consider strongly making them myself as my WAF financial tank is running on fumes. I have another question in regards to bass swarming. What is the probability that one or more of the subs will end up in a bad spot like out in the middle of the room to get the best sound ? 

A couch preferably fabric, some pillows, a carpet, a chair or two preferably fabric, curtains, a tapestrie, a coffee table, an end table.....a picture or two or three....you know, a regular lived in room, jmo. No ugly crap in my listening room. 

Does the swarm system work equally as well for home theater and music listening? I am 90% HT use and powerful, room shaking, chest pounding bass is what I’m looking for. I currently have a single Seaton Submersive with dual opposed 15” drivers. I have no room treatments, but use EQ via Dirac Live.  I am very intrigued with the thought of trying this system.