Hemholtz Resonator- Using MDF Bad Idea/Good Idea

barguitar · Post by **barguitar** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 7:58 am

I am constructing a studio with Hemholtz resonators on 7 or 8 walls.

An idea I had was to use MDF for the slats and then just finish them off by gluing slats of wood flooring to face them off real nice.

It sounds like a good idea money wise but I have no idea what it would do to the acoustic properties

Help?

cfuehrer · Post by **cfuehrer** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 12:50 pm

Check your local home centers for real wood vener rolls. I found some yesterday that looks great and can be stain or finished anyway you want.

cadesignr · Post by **cadesignr** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 12:36 am

Hello, anything that you add to the MDF adds to the overall thickness of the slat, which in turn modifys the equasion. If you have calculated for 3/4"MDF, use 1/2", 3/8" or 1/4", depending on the finish material thickness you are adding. Or simply use MDF prefinished or post finished with a veneer. Or Laminate. Or chemetal. Or even melamine, which you can purchase in 1/2" or 3/4" at some supply places, with an oak melamine finish. Much cheaper. But then again, its not real.

f = 2160 x sqrt ( r / (( d x D ) + ( r + w )))

Where:

f = resonant frequency in Hertz (Hz)
r = slot width.
w = slat width.
d = effective depth of slot. (1.2 x the actual thickness of the slat)
D = depth of box.
fitZ

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 2:06 am

Hey Rick, thanks for the heads-up - the additional thickness can change things quite a bit and definitely needs to be considered.

Saw some of your frustration "extruding itself" over on HR, join the club - I've been studying this stuff (irregularly) for 22 years; if that doesn't explain at least SOME of my quirks, then you weren't listening to your own rant

One of the American Heritage Dictionary's definitions of Perspective -

The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance -

Which point you made at HR with your comments about the song being the most important.

My perspective - been a "hot rodder" for at least part of my life, and as such I appreciate driving a car that can be faster, quicker, better handling, etc - however, there are times when just "getting there in one piece" is enough. Those times are when I borrow a phrase from another bud of mine who, when he's had enough "detail", just cranks his amp and says. "Let's BLAST...."

My view on the stuff you were "venting" is that if you're into music for only your own pleasure, do it however you want. Record in a cube, play in a garbage can, sing in the shower, whatever - but the minute you expect to sell your music to others, my conscience says do the best job of making that music sound as good as you know how.

That isn't accomplished in a quonset hut next door to a metal foundry, unless you're into a different genre of "music" than I am. And I'd hate to have someone pay for my music only to find that when played on a serious sound system in an acoustically pleasant environment that it sounded like crap.

That being said, I agree that there are times when all you can do is all you can do. I try to help within context in these cases - a bedroom studio can be made to sound better/more accurate with relatively small cash outlay, but as you know, serious sound proofing is NOT snake oil, it's just time and material consuming and very impractical in a majority of situations.

All of life can be frustrating if you allow it - the trick (at least for me) is recognizing when it's time to just say,"Let's BLAST"...

Steve

barguitar · Post by **barguitar** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:20 am

Thanks for the info!

THat helps!

cadesignr · Post by **cadesignr** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:04 am

All of life can be frustrating if you allow it - the trick (at least for me) is recognizing when it's time to just say,"Let's BLAST"...

Then LETS BLAST!! cause this maize of mirrors is getting old. And so am I. (thanks again Steve, your pyschology remedys helps )