RealTraps has announced their new SoffitTrap. Unlike conventional bass traps that intrude visually when mounted straddling room corners, SoffitTraps are designed to mount high up in the ceiling corners and look like a built-in soffit. They can be painted using standard Latex paint to match the walls and ceiling, and like all RealTraps products they employ a damped membrane for very high performance down to the lowest bass frequencies.

SoffitTraps are 12-1/2 by 16-1/4 inches by 4 feet long and weigh 8 pounds. Since rooms are rarely multiples of exactly four feet, custom lengths are available at no additional charge. Seams between sections are easily hidden using standard drywall tape and joint compound, and the traps can then be painted to match the rest of the room. SoffitTraps can also be installed vertically in wall-wall corners, or hidden under a small table top (not supplied) to serve as plant holders or as stands for loudspeakers up to 50 pounds. When used as speaker stands they effectively decouple the speaker cabinet from the floor, in addition to their bass trapping.

According to RealTraps co-owner Ethan Winer, “High-performance acoustic treatment is a key component of every great monitoring environment. Unfortunately, the intrusive appearance of most bass traps has been a big impediment to their acceptance, especially when a bedroom or living room does double duty as a home studio. Effective bass traps are of necessity large, which makes them difficult to hide. Our new SoffitTraps redefine what acoustic treatment looks like, appealing to people who were previously turned off by large rectangular panels. We have also raised the bar for performance. SoffitTraps provide a huge amount of absorption below 200 Hz, centered around the ‘fullness’ range for bass instruments, with intentionally less absorption at higher frequencies. This avoids over-damping a room as can happen with typical panels made of foam or fiberglass.”

Complete product details and photos are on the RealTraps web site. Also at the RealTraps site are articles and videos offering room treatment advice, tutorials showing how to solve common acoustic problems, and a detailed explanation of acoustic product testing methods. SoffitTraps are available directly from the manufacturer for $50 per linear foot or less.