Acoustic panels... a photo essay...

[ViLo]

Great work! you inspired me to make my own traps, where is SPI Dallas Located?

Thanks

S P I Specialty Products & Insulation
(972) 620-1009
11232 Leo LN
Dallas, TX 75229

It's near the intersection of Royal Lane & Harry Hines. The guys working there are very friendly and encouraged me to send my audio friends!

...db

Great, Thanks!

[John Sayers]

Roxul RW™40 - 3.0" has good specs and apparently a good price - a friend in Kansas purchased it locally for 35c/sqft.

http://www.roxul.com/sw18207.asp

good figures:

0.62 1.03 1.20 1.10 1.08 1.10 1.10

cheers
john

[ViLo]

Roxul RW™40 - 3.0" has good specs and apparently a good price - a friend in Kansas purchased it locally for 35c/sqft.

http://www.roxul.com/sw18207.asp

good figures:

0.62 1.03 1.20 1.10 1.08 1.10 1.10

cheers
john

35 cents Sqft.? it's way too cheap!

[ViLo]

Can I make this traps smaller? 24" x 24" and just put them one on top of another one? Just curiuos.

THnaks

[Alec]

Now I'm blown away, especially listening to something like Steely Dan's Aja, or a great Alison Krauss mix.

I have purchased some "703", and am debating how to install in my room, as it is already completed, but found out I SHOULD have put more $ into my "Acoustics" instead of just EQUIPMENT...LOL

Your comments have really inspired me , regarding what you heard when listening to Steely Dan etc, after all its about making and LISTENING to music, being inspired by the Great sounds of Albums......I could go on and on!! but... a quick question

Your issues YOU HAD, sound just like the ones I HAVE!!,

What made you , or how did you decide to use a Broadband Absorption design rather than adding the Plywood on the front of the Corner traps to just cover Bass Freqs?

Because of the Mid issues you were having?

If I use your same design w/o plywood front will I TRAP just as much Bass as Clunky Mids?

Thanks for the inspiration!

[dbyboth]

Your issues YOU HAD, sound just like the ones I HAVE!!,

What made you , or how did you decide to use a Broadband Absorption design rather than adding the Plywood on the front of the Corner traps to just cover Bass Freqs?

Because of the Mid issues you were having?

If I use your same design w/o plywood front will I TRAP just as much Bass as Clunky Mids?

Thanks for the inspiration!

Well... it really wasn't very scientific. I took some very unscientific frequency response measurements and read a lot on this forum and elsewhere and realized I had pretty much the worse shaped room for audio 11' x 11' x 9'. I had a lot of peaks and dips. It was very easy to pick out the worst ones just sweeping through the frequencies and listening. It was truly like somone was turning up and down the volume.

I want to track and mix in this same room so I chose the shotgun approach. Hence broadband absorbers of varying thicknesses and gaps between them and the walls. It seemed to me that the plywood box absorbers were more specifically aimed at certain lower frequencies. I wanted to generally deaden my room across as many frequencies as I could. I still think I could benefit by installing two more panels on the ceiling. The situation I have today is still far from perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than it was.

The other factor was cost and ease of construction. My panels were built with a hand saw, cordless screwdriver, scissors and staple gun. No table saw or other power tools required. They are also portable so when I leave I can take them and use them in my next studio.....db

[dbyboth]

Can I make this traps smaller? 24" x 24" and just put them one on top of another one? Just curiuos.

THnaks

The more knowledgeable than me can correct me if I'm wrong. My take is that it's the total area and mass of absorption that counts so, yes you can do what you ask if you've a mind to...db

[ViLo]

Can I make this traps smaller? 24" x 24" and just put them one on top of another one? Just curiuos.

THnaks

The more knowledgeable than me can correct me if I'm wrong. My take is that it's the total area and mass of absorption that counts so, yes you can do what you ask if you've a mind to...db

The reason I'm asking is because this room is my "sleeping room" when I need too, or my wife decides to visit me [This room is not attached to the house ] hte bed is in the back of the room in a corner so I want to put one trap in the corner where the bed is, so it needs to be smaller.

Thanks for ou reply!

[Cincy_Kid]

Hey Db,

Again, thanks for the inspiration in building these panels. I followed your advice to a tee and came up with some panels of my own.

Check them out here

Good luck again and wish me luck on the bass traps i will tackle next

[knightfly]

Couple of points I'd like to add - one, SAFETY - very few cloth choices are treated for FIRE retardance - there are sprays available that will take care of this. (Ask Great White if they think this is a good idea ) One source on the net -

http://www.natfire.com/products.htm

Second point - size. If you build smaller versions, expect smaller results (possibly to the point of not being able to hear the results) - although building several smaller units (NOT thinner insulation though) and stacking them will work fine if it makes things easier/more portable for you.

The closer your room is to square, the more you should consider thicker insulation and WIDER traps across corners, not smaller ones. This will help smooth out the worse modal conditions in such rooms.

For a bit more strength on frames, you could add some small (6-8 inches on a side) 1/4" plywood triangular "gussets" at corners, but don't put any kind of full BACK on these unless they will ALWAYS be used flat against a wall; you get results to a lower frequency range with air space behind the absorbent. There's no "free lunch" though; as you add air BEHIND the trap, you introduce peaks and dips in response that could either help or HURT your room-tuning efforts - more here

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5786

Steve

[powerjoe]

Just another point about SAFETY.

A fire retardant/ resistant spray is a good economical choice for making your bass traps or panels safer. However, read the instructions on any product you buy as you will likely need to re-apply the fire retardant/ resistant spray at some point as directed on the can/ bottle.


Be safe first.


~ Joel

[spacez]

Hi,

I've read people asking about hanging methods & I instantly thought about a hanging method commonly used in exhibition & shopfitting installation. It's called the split baton & basically involves a type of easy hanging slot mechanism composed of two opposing halves cut at 45%. he benefit would be dual, maybe triple purpose. You could use them as shown in the sketch as corner braces as well as hanging brackets. At another level, they could also be used directly accross the center of your frame as a cross-brace/ hanging/support method. The wall mounting bracket side can be attached to your walls in whatever fashion suits your particular walls (of course

I've attached a link to a really quick sketch loosely drawn in MS paint of all things

[SonicClang]

I think my eyes are getting confused. That's like one of those optical illusions on the books in school. I can't tell which way things are facing/going. Are they coming out at us or going away? AHH!!!

[spacez]

I think my eyes are getting confused. That's like one of those optical illusions on the books in school. I can't tell which way things are facing/going. Are they coming out at us or going away? AHH!!!

erm, sorry about the hand drawn 3D views, they're a bit rough

I'll try to explain:-

The top view is looking down at the top right hand corner of a frame from the back. It shows a bracing corner block say, approx 100x100mm. Only it's not a 'normal' corner bracing block, as it's bottom edge is cut at 45% to allow it to slot into it's opposing half (the bracket pictured underneath it & viewed from the same angle)

This wouldn't work for the bottom corners, but a slightly larger outside-in L shape would.

For a middle height wall support & center brace for the frame you could just add the split baton accross the full width of the frame.

Whether there's a 'stand off' from the wall or not, depends on whether the split baton braces are fixed to the outside (as pictured) or the inside. If fixed to the inside you could even set them slightly inside the 'flush' level of the back of your frame to achieve a really tight fit to the wall)

Just an idea. Well, it's probably how I'd build them, but I'd like to hear what the experts & experienced guys here think of the idea.

I'll draw up some better pictures if anyone still doesn't know what I'm getting at here.

[spacez]

Hi again,

here's another rough sketch of the concept.



I didn't include dimensions, as they wouldn't apply to everyone. This drawing doesn't include the opposing wall bracket section of the split baton braces. I thought that might be getting obvious

So what do you think guys?