Lets talk DIY Sound Panels

EndersShadow

So I'm looking at building myself a couple DIY soundpanels. I know a bunch of you guys have done this, or have panels. So I figure this would be a good place to bounce some idea's/thoughts at.

I figure I am going to take the easy way out and frame the entire outline so I can get crisp edges. I know that GIK uses a frame for the airgap and leaves the material without ANY edging/frames on it, but I think its the easiest way for me to get em built and look nice and crips.

I am planning on buying Canvas material from either GIK, ATC or just hit up Joanns Fabric myself.

I've already got a staple gun or 3, and after building my sub enclosure I will have a bunch of wood clamps & glue, and my father in law has a small table and miter saw so I think I should be good to build the frames. Figure I will use 1" thick wood and maybe use 2x6x1 and cut em into maybe 2' x 4' panels.

Plan is to build 4 panels. 1 will have a curtain rod on the back for spacing like another member here did @blakeh‌, another will have door hangars to hang on my utility room closet doors.

I may or may not use the other 2 behind the mains since the RS-II's have a rear firing tweeter and open baffle mids for diffuse sound.

So I've got a couple questions.

1. For standard traps does it matter if all I can find is 3" thick Roxul? Locally it appears Lowes and Home Depot have it and one thing should be enough to do all the panels I need.

2. I've noticed that most makers add a gap of some sort between the material and the wall. Is there a standard spacing for a normal v a bass trap? IE should I add 1" of airgap, 2" of airgap etc.

Thoughts, comments appreciated. This is pre-build so I am making plans for what should be hopefully another easy winter project.

hochpt21

For better or worse, here is what I did...

I used white pine, wood glue, nails, corner braces and knauf material from ATS Acoustics. It's all covered by green burlap.



Here is the finished product with legs so I can move it around...

EndersShadow

@‌hochpt21

Paul, what made you choose that material over say Owens Corning 703 or just regular Roxul? Anything in particular or just cause they had it?

SCompRacer

They stay crisp if you don't drop them or cart them around to other peoples houses to try them. I recovered my 244's. Roxul is new improved rockwool which isn't as bad as fiberglass or the old rockwool.

footwedge

How does one determine where to place these, trial and error method?

EndersShadow

footwedge wrote: »

How does one determine where to place these, trial and error method?

Most suggest behind your mains (if using box speakers) and then at your reflection points.

You determine those points by buying a 12 pack and bribing a buddy to come over (insert joke here). Sit in your main listening position. Have your buddy take a floor length mirror along the side walls. At some point the angle will line up to where you can see your speakers. That's a reflection point and should possibly be treated... But it's also trial and error as well.

EndersShadow

Gotcha. Well as we know I cant do behind the listener as thats the loft portion, but maybe due to the decreasing ceiling height down to below the area of my loft wall, it will do similar lol.

I think I can only do first reflection points as I think my room is almost too small to have second's, and the ceiling is likely out for a permanent fixture as I have a ceiling fan in there and I cant see the wife going for a floating cloud. Also long term my goal is some infinite baffles up there since I have all that space up there and am limited on the floor space. But thats long term.

Thanks for the heads up on the fabric. I like the look of the ivory or parchment. I think the Ivory would be what I go with. I am also wanting to paint the rear wall of my room in a dark gray. I'm also debating building some full wall to ceiling panels to go along where my furnace is to basically seal that section off and try to reduce any noise from it more than the current doors do.

hochpt21

EndersShadow wrote: »

@‌hochpt21

Paul, what made you choose that material over say Owens Corning 703 or just regular Roxul? Anything in particular or just cause they had it?

I was being paranoid, but the following statement sold me on it...
"An eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free sustainable insulation board. Similar to Owens Corning 705 insulation."

hochpt21

They have many different colors and pattern of burlap.

In my small listening room, I found that right behind the mains actually took something away...so currently I have one directly behind the equipment rack which is in between the two mains....the first and second reflection points and then on the back wall basically right across from the mains.

EndersShadow

DSkip wrote: »

Instead of doing full walls, I'd suggest doing half walls. This way, you can stack them in place and get them rather snug, something that isn't going to happen with a full wall panel. They are easier to manage, and in case situations change, they can also be utilized for different scenarios.

I found it easier in my situation to make them smaller than I needed/wanted to maximize potential.

The full wall ones would be 4 panels each the exact dimension as the door in that section so it looked better.

However i did think about having panels on a mount system so I could hang them in the doors and have them hanging there but not the entire length.

We will see as that closet adds a fair amount of noise to the area when the furnace is running and I'm trying to decide if I want to line the doors w Dynamat to help quiet it down a little.

hochpt21 wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

@‌hochpt21

Paul, what made you choose that material over say Owens Corning 703 or just regular Roxul? Anything in particular or just cause they had it?

I was being paranoid, but the following statement sold me on it...
"An eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free sustainable insulation board. Similar to Owens Corning 705 insulation."

Gotcha as long as that's why I will likely go with the 2" thick Roxul for most of my traps if I can find it, and then frame them in 1 x 4 so there is a 2" dead air space but they still look flush with the wall.

Maybe do some vintage movie posters for one or two, or even do Masterchief or something lol....

hochpt21

That sounds good Dan.

I'm needing to do some for my living room. WAF is much more critical here. I just stopped by Jo Ann fabrics and they had at least 15 colors designs and patterns of burlap....a few that might even fly as 'art'.

hochpt21

That 1x4 is a good idea that i just might steal. I wonder if drilling some large holes in the sides would help.

EndersShadow

hochpt21 wrote: »

That 1x4 is a good idea that i just might steal. I wonder if drilling some large holes in the sides would help.

Well this for me is where "ideal" and "reality" will likely not intersect. I like the idea and it would make them super easy to hang using the cheap Skip method (I can explain better via phone if needed). or just some nails/i-hooks in the wall.

Having the sides exposed I am sure aids in absorption, but again I just dont see that working for me given my newb DIY skills and the need for it to look good, so crisp edges will matter.

If I had a router, I "might" route some of the middle out leaving enough of a frame to keep it together and easy to put together, but alas I am without a router here, though I have a jigsaw.... so I may attempt that, but again I'm kinda lazy and it would take some serious work to do, so I'm not likely to do it lol....

pumpkinman

I read where some use plastic drywall corner bead to give a nice sharp edge.

Just a thought......P-man

Mikey081057

I bought my panels from ATS and they have a diy section with some good materials and design ideas.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--DIY-Acoustic-Materials--102.html

hochpt21

EndersShadow wrote: »

hochpt21 wrote: »

That 1x4 is a good idea that i just might steal. I wonder if drilling some large holes in the sides would help.

Well this for me is where "ideal" and "reality" will likely not intersect. I like the idea and it would make them super easy to hang using the cheap Skip method (I can explain better via phone if needed). or just some nails/i-hooks in the wall.

Having the sides exposed I am sure aids in absorption, but again I just dont see that working for me given my newb DIY skills and the need for it to look good, so crisp edges will matter.

If I had a router, I "might" route some of the middle out leaving enough of a frame to keep it together and easy to put together, but alas I am without a router here, though I have a jigsaw.... so I may attempt that, but again I'm kinda lazy and it would take some serious work to do, so I'm not likely to do it lol....

I was just thinking to use one of these to run a series of holes down the side and then cover with material...

hochpt21

Mikey081057 wrote: »

I bought my panels from ATS and they have a diy section with some good materials and design ideas.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--DIY-Acoustic-Materials--102.html

That is where I bought my Knauf material from.