Next Project - Acoustic Panels

[johnastockman]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

I will check it out, thanks, I just don't want to look like a crazy person grabbing fabrics and trying to blow through them! The grill cloth once stretched is just really unacceptable looking to me. I can see the roxul underneath with my lighting.

I got some really weird looks from the all-female shoppers at a local fabric store where I'd get the Dacron quilt batting I use for acoustic damping, and the open-cell foam choices. They have lots of different closed/open-cell foam, and huge amounts of various types of memory foam. I was going around blowing through the different kinds, which helped me decide which ones to buy. Yeah, I looked like a weirdo, but what's a bit of weirdo when it comes to well-built and great-sounding speakers? On some, it was easy to see when holding it up to a good backlight, others not so much, requiring the blow-through-it test. JoAnn fabrics used to carry an old-school variant of grill cloth, more like the tweed weave on 70s speakers, or like vintage guitar amps. Not as see-through as the stretchy cloth, maybe that would work better for allowing sound to go through, but not actually see what's behind it.


John A.

[Mike220]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

I will check it out, thanks, I just don't want to look like a crazy person grabbing fabrics and trying to blow through them! The grill cloth once stretched is just really unacceptable looking to me. I can see the roxul underneath with my lighting.

[fbov]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Go to a fabric store and look for "batting." It's used in layers to make quilts, or in this case, to provide a uniform backing behind the fabric wrap, so the transparency doesn't look as bad.

Then again, you can buy other acoustically-transparent cloth at a fabric store as well, which may not be as transparent. The easier air goes through, the better sound will.

Have fun,
Frank

[Mike220]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Gordy, where did you acquire the fabric wrap for your panels and what is it called specifically. I tried some speaker grill cloth but its also visually transparent so it doesnt look as nice. Sorry if this was already posted but after reading your thread i didnt see it.

[bkeane1259]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

The denim product looks good but I wonder if it would sag? I know you can use rockwool and many lowes stores have it in stock now.

The UltraTouch stuff would need minor support depending on low large the panels are. It's an intact batt but not very rigid. In a 1x1 frame it should have enough support from the fabric wrapped around the frame. The denim won't stand on its own like a batt of OC703. However, its low cost and great performance would justify the time required to fabricate some sort of supporting method like chicken wire, etc.

[eyekode]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

The denim product looks good but I wonder if it would sag? I know you can use rockwool and many lowes stores have it in stock now.

[Kevin Wehrle]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Don't use acoustic foam if you've not yet purchased it. You will get much better results with something like Gordy used or with UltraTouch Denim, OC703 or Roxul. I've used generic acoustic foam and it's not good...period.

Thanks for the heads up and I will be sure to follow your advice. Thank you! Right now they are just drawings sitting on my computer.

[bkeane1259]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Love this. I have some plans sitting here for a 1x1 frame panel. I planned on doing basically what you did and putting 1 1/2 acoustical foam in the frame, wrap with different clothes and hang them from the ceiling in my office/lab. It is currently open and hope this will cut down on some of the sounds reflecting off the raw wood floor joists.

Don't use acoustic foam if you've not yet purchased it. You will get much better results with something like Gordy used or with UltraTouch Denim, OC703 or Roxul. I've used generic acoustic foam and it's not good...period.

[Kevin Wehrle]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Love this. I have some plans sitting here for a 1x1 frame panel. I planned on doing basically what you did and putting 1 1/2 acoustical foam in the frame, wrap with different clothes and hang them from the ceiling in my office/lab. It is currently open and hope this will cut down on some of the sounds reflecting off the raw wood floor joists.

[bkeane1259]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Very nice, clean installation. Well done.

[JasonP]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

That looks great man, good job!

[Gordy]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

I finally got to finish the panels for the room. The difference it makes is very noticeable. When walking in the room and talking there is no more echo. Due to availabliity of material I had to substitute the brown material for a blue. I still think it came out good. There was also a frequency in the center channel that just really stood out in vocals. It was almost over powering. Once I put the lower center panel on the wall I don't notice it anymore. Everything sounds more crisp and focused. Overall I am happy with the results and it is one more step towards getting the room set up. My next project will be custom walnut end tables to match the speakers.

[NickJ]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Here are a couple of the acoustic panels I made (out of 7 total). I would recommend looking at the AVS forum link, lot of info out there. I had spoonflower print mine on their performance knit fabric (acoustically transparent). I used a 1x4 frame with 3" thick insulation (1" air gap)

Spoonflower will print any picture file you send them, could be family or vacation photos - whatever! They really do come out nice, great colors.

Nice looking panels. What kind of file specs did you need to send them (resolution/dpi/etc.)?

[eyekode]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

I love the Star Trek poster! Colors do look very saturated. Nice prints!

[djhamp]

Re: Next Project - Acoustic Panels

Here are a couple of the acoustic panels I made (out of 7 total). I would recommend looking at the AVS forum link, lot of info out there. I had spoonflower print mine on their performance knit fabric (acoustically transparent). I used a 1x4 frame with 3" thick insulation (1" air gap)

Spoonflower will print any picture file you send them, could be family or vacation photos - whatever! They really do come out nice, great colors.