RealTraps - Installing RealTraps

RealTraps are extremely versatile and can be installed in corners, on walls, or from the ceiling. They're also light enough to hang using standard metal picture wire. Simply thread a wire through the holes in the mounting bars on the back, then hang the wire over a small wood screw or Molly bolt that's been attached to the wall or ceiling. All of the pieces needed to mount your traps are included with your order.

MiniTraps, MondoTraps, and MicroTraps come with two Molly bolts, two screws, two D-rings, and a length of picture wire. If there's a stud behind the wall where you're attaching a D-ring, use a screw. Otherwise use a Molly bolt. You need only one or the other, but both are included for your convenience. Molly bolts require an 1/8 inch hole and can be used with walls up to 3/4 inch thick. For walls up to 1-3/4 inches thick we provide toggle bolts (1/2 inch hole) instead of Molly bolts if you request them when you order. For concrete walls and ceilings we recommend solid-wall anchors, commonly made of lead to expand inside the hole.

For Tri-Corners and 2 by 2 foot MiniTraps the included pieces are 1 Molly bolt (or toggle bolt), 1 plain screw, 1 D-ring, 2 cable ties, and a pair of springs. Only one cable tie is needed, but we include an extra as a spare. RFZ Panels include two Molly bolts (or toggle bolts), two screws, two D-rings, two J-style mirror mounting clips, and a length of picture wire. Separate pages show how to install RFZ Panels on walls, Tri-Corner traps, and RFZ Panels on a ceiling.

All bass traps work best when installed in corners because this is where low frequencies tend to focus. However, RealTraps are especially effective in a corner because the large air gap behind them extends absorption to lower frequencies. Besides the standard vertical corners at adjoining walls, a corner at the top of a wall where it meets the ceiling is equally appropriate, as is the corner at the wall and floor. Ceiling corner mounting is ideal for small rooms where wall space is at a premium.

If the room is very live sounding you can put additional MiniTraps on the walls, as shown at left. Wall-mounted traps should be spaced off the wall a few inches to enhance their low frequency performance. The easy way is to hang the traps like a picture and stuff a wadded up plastic bag behind them to get them off the wall. The Rigid Mounting page offers a more stable and permament solution that is not difficult.

The photos on this page show a variety of mounting methods, and can serve as a guide for installing in your own rooms. Because MiniTraps are easy to handle you can lean them against the walls and corners - perhaps resting on a cardboard box or chair - temporarily as you experiment with different locations.

2'x2' MiniTraps are intended mainly for mounting in tri-corners where two walls meet the ceiling or the floor. They can also be used in regular corners or anywhere else a 2'x4' MiniTrap won't fit.

Please be careful when installing your MiniTraps!

Be especially careful that hanging wires are securely wrapped at both ends - especially with ceiling mounting - to ensure that a trap won't fall down and hurt you or damage your audio equipment. See the section Attaching Picture Wire below for instructions.

For standard ceilings eight feet high, the best way to treat a corner completely is to use a regular 2'x4' MiniTrap in the wall-wall corner, then add a 2'x2' MiniTrap or Tri-Corner trap above in the tri-corner where both walls meet the ceiling. If you have room you could put a second 2'x2' MiniTrap or Tri-Corner on the floor in that tri-corner. This is shown at left and in the photo above.

For higher ceilings you can place two 2'x4' MiniTraps in the wall-wall corners, though you should center them evenly for the most air space above and below each unit.

ATTACHING PICTURE WIRE

When attaching picture wires to the back of your traps or to the D-rings (see below), be sure the wires are secure and can't pull loose. The photos at left show the right and wrong way to secure a wire. When done correctly, the end of the wire is wrapped at least five times around the main portion, much like a hangman's noose.

Do not simply twist the two wires together as shown in the lower photo at left. Even if you twist them tightly they can still pull apart under the weight of the trap.

After you are done securing each wire to the trap or D-ring, tug on it firmly to be sure it will not pull loose.

VERTICAL CORNER MOUNTING

For vertical corner mounting you'll use two separate hanging wires about 2 feet long, and one screw or Molly bolt in each joining wall. Put the screws or Molly bolts 15 inches out from the corner, 2 inches below where you want the top of the trap. For horizontal corner mounting place the screws or Molly bolts 19 inches out from the corner. Then attach the supplied D-rings as shown in the corner photo below at left, and attach the wire to the outer-most tabs on the trap's top mounting bar.

CORNER MONDOTRAPS: For Corner MondoTraps having beveled sides put the screws or Molly bolts 9 inches out from the corner instead of 15 inches.

2x4 MONDOTRAPS: For 2x4 foot MondoTraps you'll instead use a single hook or D-ring right in the corner, and then attach two wires to the outer-most tabs on the mounting bars. The two photos below show 2x4 MondoTraps installed this way, looking down from the top.

We suggest that you center corner-mounted MiniTraps and MondoTraps vertically, so the space above and below them is not blocked by the ceiling or floor. Allowing sound to get around and behind the traps lets them absorb that much more efficiently. Note that placing 2'x4' MiniTraps horizontally across a wall-wall corner impinges on the room quite a bit, so that type of mounting is useful mainly in large rooms.

The drawing above shows how much distance is taken by traps that straddle a corner. Note that for MiniTraps and non-corner MondoTraps, it is not necessary to place them at exactly 45 degrees. If a door or window is less than 19 inches from the corner, it's okay to use a different angle. As long as the trap basically straddles the corner it will work well.

This MiniTrap is centered vertically with equal spacing above and below to increase its absorption at mid and high frequencies.

The drawing at right shows the hammer-in type of Molly bolt we prefer. At left you can see how the "cage" folds behind the wall as you tighten it, to lock the bolt in place.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are two small barbs on the Molly bolt's shoulder that dig into the sheet rock to keep the bolt from turning. As you tighten the screw, push firmly on the screwdriver against the Molly bolt so the barbs stay in the wall and prevent the Molly bolt from spinning.

VERTICAL WALL MOUNTING

Using one length of picture wire, pass the wire through the outer-most tab holes on the mounting bar and secure the ends so the center of the wire does not quite reach the top of the trap. Two inches from the top is perfect. Then attach a screw or Molly bolt to the wall, and hang the trap. If you have access to a stud behind the wall you can use a wood screw, which is easier to attach than a Molly bolt and makes a smaller hole.

Otherwise, we like the kind of Molly bolt that has a pointed tip and is meant to be hammered into the wall without drilling, shown above. Make sure you get the proper Molly bolt for your wall thickness. Even if you have thin walls, get the type of Molly bolt meant for walls between 1/8 and 7/8 thick because they hold better than the types meant for thin walls. After the Molly bolt is screwed in fully to lock it in place, unscrew it a few turns to expose about 1/4 inch of the shaft. You'll place the wire over the exposed shaft.

CEILING CORNER MOUNTING

MiniTraps can be mounted straddling the ceiling corner or parallel to the ceiling. For a standard sheet rock ceiling you'll use D-rings like the one shown at right, and attach those to the ceiling with Molly bolts. With a grid ceiling you can use the clips we provide (free upon request, not shown), and thread the wires through the clip holes. Then you can wrap the wires through each loop and secure it tightly. When installing a MiniTrap on the ceiling, you should attach the wires to the outer-most tabs on the back of the MiniTrap for added stability. These tabs are identified in the drawing below.

For ceiling corner mounting, each MiniTrap requires two Molly bolts or two grid ceiling clips, and four lengths of picture wire. Install one Molly bolt or grid clip to support each side of the MiniTrap, and connect both wires to the same bolt or clip. Then do the same for the other end of the MiniTrap. You should secure all four wires to the MiniTrap first, and then thread the wires through the loop hook or grid clip. We suggest you use wires longer than necessary - say, two or three feet long - which makes it easier to hoist the MiniTrap into position and secure the wires to the loop on the ceiling. It's best if you have someone else hold the MiniTrap while you attach the wires to the ceiling, but one person can do it using a second ladder just to hold the MiniTrap while working.

Referring to the drawing above, we suggest you put the loop hangers 40 inches apart. The mounting bars on the back of a MiniTrap are closer than that, but if you use the same spacing you'll have to reach in too far to attach the wires while working on a ladder. By spacing them 40 inches apart each hook is four inches from the end of the trap, which is far enough in to hide the wires, but not so far that you can't reach in and tie the wires to the hooks.

CEILING PARALLEL MOUNTING

To mount a MiniTrap or MicroTrap parallel to the ceiling you'll use four lengths of wire for each trap, plus two D-rings attached with Molly bolts or wood screws, or grid ceiling clips. Put the D-rings about 40 inches apart as shown at left, then connect two wires between the trap's mounting bars and each ring. We recommend leaving an air space of three to four inches between the trap and the ceiling above, with larger spacing giving more absorption at the expense of impinging on the room height.

Another choice for ceiling mounting is to use post bases as described on the Rigid Mounting page of the RealTraps web site. However, for ceiling mounting it's best to use four post bases instead of three as shown on that page.

Step 3: Thread both wires through the same hanging loop. Tighten one wire and wrap it around itself a few turns. Then tighten the other wire and wrap it just once or twice. You may have to go back and forth a few times until the trap is hanging straight, but it's not difficult and takes only a moment. Once the trap is straight, wrap both wires a few more turns to make them fully secure, then you can trim any excess.