Acoustic treatment on a budget - my ideas

 

New member
Username: Nkotb

Marietta, GA

Post Number: 6
Registered: Jul-04
OK, here's my setup - dedicated 14'w x 15'l x 8'h room located in corner of basement. Walls are sheetrock over soundboard, attached with anti-resonant clips, w/ sound-reducing insulation batts b/w the studs. The floor is carpeted w/ pad over the slab w/ 4 recliners in a row in the back 3rd of the room. I am considering the following for your opinions:

Making absorptive door & wall curtains, and screen masking on front wall that continue into the corners, and along the side walls a couple of feet. What would you say if I made these curtains out of gathered Velux nylon poly-foam blankets?

As for diffusers & absorbers - I like the concept of RPG's BAD Panels (http://www.auralex.com/bass_traps_lenrd/bass_traps_lenrd.asp

What's would be my bang for the buck combo?

Thanks!
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Corners and floor and ceiling intersections are where you get the most build up of bass energy. Treat those areas first with just enough material to get the response you want without sucking-out too much. There is little need to do the front wall all the way across in most applications. You can use a mirror and a flashlight to find the first reflection spots on your side walls, this is what you want to dampen more than anything. Wrapping the matrerial a few feet out into the room will accomplish very little unless your speakers sit directly against the back wall. The first reflection is usually several (4-5) feet out in front of the speakers. Absorptive material should be hung a few inches away from the wall with absorptive foam placed behind it. The more surface area the soundwaves pass through (and the more often you can make them pass through the material) the better for absorption. Placing material directly against a wall leaves no roon for reflection. By allowing a lowered bounce you get double the work for the same money. A corrugated foam is best for this application. Something that looks like the corrugated mattress toppers is the idea, the deeper the corrugation the better. These materials are often available from a foam rubber supply company at reasonable prices. Treat the rear corners and the area just behind your listening position and then decide on the diffusers. Often they are not needed unless the speakers overpower the space. With an 8' ceiling I would think about treating the ceiling with strips of absorptive material to cut the bounce from that area. As you start to tune the room a crude but effective tool to use is a stack of cardboard boxes stuffed loosely with newspaper. Stack these and place them in various locations until you are satisfied with the sound.
 

New member
Username: Bettyt456

Calgary, Alberta Canada

Post Number: 4
Registered: Sep-04
I have mastering studio and I bought a full room acoustic treatment package at "Primacoustics".
do a search for them in google. It cost about 600 CAN and it did a hell of a job. Improved my room alot. I also put a kit in my home theatre room. Amazing!
 

New member
Username: Mart1gen

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-05
I've had similar problems, I'll try your suggestion Brent.

 

Unregistered guest
I would try bass traps from Audiotec USA. They did a fantastic job for me.
 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 280
Registered: Mar-05
I covered my walls in black burlap floor to ceiling. Looks great and does a good job on catching the sound. Only cost me 150 bucks too. Here's the pics.
 

Scott Mayo
Unregistered guest
Where did you get the black burlap?
 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 314
Registered: Mar-05
from hancock fabrics online.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Lowfront

Post Number: 43
Registered: Jun-05
Alright...Anyone else Suggest the burlap??...I was gonna try it out as a starter for my room...

How do I know how much yards to get...??

my room measurements are here....
image/bmpUpload
Good room.bmp (83.0 k)


Walls are 7feet 6 inches high
the back of the closet is 2 feet back
anyone that takes the time it will be greatly appretiated...

 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 4119
Registered: May-04


Take your dimensions to the fabric shop; they will assist you. I would not suggest burlap, but that is simply a matter of personal taste and what you want the final appearance to be.

What you want is a fabric which will allow a certain amount of signal to pass through to a padding underneath. I would suggest you look at the linens at the fabric shop and ask if they carry grill cloth. If the weave of the material is not open enough to let light pass through, like a grill cloth, you will reflect as many frequencies as you let pass. If you choose a heavier fabric or a tighter weave, hang it in loose folds and not stretched tightly across the wall. The folds will act as a diffusion material and break up the reflections. Be aware that damping low frequencies (beneath about 200Hz) is very difficult without large quantities of material. For these frequencies, other tactics are employed.




 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 441
Registered: Mar-05
only reason I did burlap is the price, and it doesn't look that bad either. I stretched it tight over the wall but left 1/4" of gap behind. It works good for my setup and I noticed a big difference because this same setup was in my livingroom before I moved it down here. Also Burlap is thicker than most other fabrics so that is another reason I thought it would work good. I guess I am just hurt by Jan's harsh words about my thrifty home theater.
 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 442
Registered: Mar-05
also I have pics of it here:
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 4126
Registered: May-04
j.c. - Any harshness in my words was merely a reflection of the blantant disregard for the worldwide burlap shortage which has occurred over the last twenty years. There are children who will have to go without underwear and pillows to sleep on because of your greed for burlap. I hope you're happy!







 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 446
Registered: Mar-05
lol! pantie$ either
 

New member
Username: Donski

Surrey, B.C. Canada

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-05
Hello all; this is my first posting. How does a person know if they have room acoustic problems? I replaced my wall to wall with laminate, it sounded bright so I placed a floor mat in front of each speaker on the floor. What else do I look (or listen) for. Bless the experts.
 

Silver Member
Username: Joe_c

Oakwood, Ga

Post Number: 595
Registered: Mar-05
Your on the right track. Try and move those rugs around and see how it sounds when placed differently. Also if you can hang acoustical treatments on the walls such as tapestries or even acoustic panels (if the wife doesn't mind) to dampen the sound. The main I dea as you probably have already realized is to prevent the sound from bouncing all over the place. Use your ears, they will serve you well.
 

New member
Username: Maze

Post Number: 2
Registered: Aug-05
ok i'm a newb in isolation old time drummer. thinkin of havin 2 layers 2" each of isolating rockwool with sheetblock and guypsum boards. what i was thinkin is should i put one layer on my existing wall and the other one on the gypsum wall parallel to it leaving space there? or would it be much better if i have one on gypsum then space then the second layer then another space then my existing wall?
 

New member
Username: Croco

Post Number: 1
Registered: Aug-05
i have connected my computer to the amplifier and i just want to find if the sound is not going to damage the sound card for my computer. Anyone with idea.
 

Silver Member
Username: Cheapskate

Post Number: 512
Registered: Mar-04
i just went to a local department store and picked a couple of $8 foam egg crate matress liners up for my asymmetrical side walls. i'm thinking of picking another one or two for my front wall too for a LEDE setup.

acoustical tiles are crazy. it cost me $50 just for 5 small 3" and 4" wedges to line my sub cabinet.
 

New member
Username: Ehwwong

Post Number: 1
Registered: Nov-05
hi, i am using gcd acoustic foams and they are priced quite reasonably.. for 42sq feet, i only paid USD149.

check them out if you are on budget.. like me.
 

New member
Username: Jasev

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
Here's another acoustic treatment supplier in the uk also with very reasonable prices,

www.acoustic-foam.co.uk

they are part of a large foam company called comfortex in oldham uk
 

Bronze Member
Username: Willieman

PR USA

Post Number: 52
Registered: Jun-06
.
 

New member
Username: Comfortex

Post Number: 1
Registered: Oct-06
we now have test data avaliable online for comfortex acoustic foam tiles and bass traps

http://www.acoustic-foam.co.uk/testresults.pdf

Specialists in acoustic treatment for studios and live rooms and home cinemas.
 

New member
Username: Comfortex

Post Number: 2
Registered: Oct-06
to see the current range of acoustic treatment please visit

www.acoustic-foam.co.uk

or to see what we have on offer direct to the public see our ebay shop
we will deliver to europe but please ask for a quote on postage first

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Comfortex-Foam_Acoustic-Foam
 

New member
Username: Harrycunninghamgooglem...

Post Number: 1
Registered: Nov-07
Hi all, I'm new to sound proofing, I would like to sound proof my basement room to allow my son and his mates to carry out band practice. I have never done anything like this before but I'm willing to have a go at most things. I would appreciate any help or suggestions you might have.
 

New member
Username: Lock1347

Newburgh, Indiana US

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-08
I'm new to this site and I am have trouble following the way to posting my own post in the proper place. I just wanted to warn everyone about ordering from XDIMAX, I ordered a video stabilizer on Jan. 2, 2008, and have not received it as yet, Jan.14, 2008. Nor did I get a valid tracking number from them. What I did find out is that this company is in Israel, and the order comes by Israeli Postal Service. After I had all ready ordered, I then found this out, also that I must wait up to three weeks for delivery and that is at a cost of 8.95 for the shipping. Also they don't make clear until it's to late that they take your Credit Card but payment is through Pay Pal, and your are charged before you can verify that you will even receive the product, another drawback. That there would be noway of tracking this order between Israel and the US, which could be up to three weeks. Evidently the Israeli post travels by boat, and they done tell you this until after the order has been finalized. So I would highly recommend that this site be avoided.
 

New member
Username: Warrenz

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-08
Take your dimensions to the fabric shop;
 

Silver Member
Username: Nency

Post Number: 119
Registered: May-09
Nice ..... Good Posting......
Most of my friends who have such a small budget go with a roominator kit from Auralex. (www.auralex.com) I personally went with a Microcosm solution. (www.microcosmmedia.com) It cost me under $300.00, looks great, and it's quite effective at taming the acoustic environment. What's really neat about the Microcosm stuff is that you can swap it on and off the walls to get more or less of a live sound when you need it.
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