Just looking for some advice about DIY accoustic panels.
I've got a music/cinema room that I've built from one half of a double garage. So it's quite small at 3.8m x 3.3m x 2.3m, though I did use heavier materials like blue board, thick selatex and solid core doors to help the room not be too energetic, which seems to have worked as I don't seem to have any problem with the upper frequencies, just some of the ubiquitous bass ones!
Just to say, I'm not trying to make this into a recording studio and I don't have (or really understand yet) all the science about standing waves, room nodes etc, I've just been doing trial and error with various things and see what changes.
The main issue I had was a boom (or resonance/drone/thud - not sure how to describe it) in certain bass frequencies that I found distracting while listening to music. I've done all the things I can to isolate/stiffen the speakers and equipment from vibrations (and tbh, the bass is fantastically controlled) so I came to realise it's a room generated issue.
I've bought some cheapish "accoustic" foam bass traps for the rear wall corners behind the speakers, and tbh, they've done a good job - not only taming a lot of the bass boom, but made the mids/highs clearer and warmer*
The main issue I have now is the back wall reinforcement. The sofa is a little off the wall at 30cm, but the amount of bass reinforcement you get is significant. The difference between where the sofa is now and another say 60-70cm forward is very significant and noticeably improves the SQ. Unforunately, that just brings the sofa too close to the TV to be comfortable, so I prefer it where it is.
So I'm looking to make 4 panels to go across the back wall (and prob 2 more for the side wall 1st reflection) and wondered if there's any pointers and does or don'ts.
Size wise, I'm thinking something like 500 x 1200mm for 3 and 300 x 1200mm for 1 (as it goes on a narrow door on the back wall). Wood frame, suitable fabric cover and either rockwool or accoustic foam. But what thickness should I be aiming for. Common ones seem to be 2" or 4", so was thinking maybe 3" as a compromise as the back wall could probably take 4" ones, but it's going to be pretty bulky. Thinking about 2" ones for the side walls, again more for the aesthetics - even though it's a dedicated listening room, it's still got to have some form, not pure function!
I guess one concern I have is not over dampening the room, but doing a few calculators and they do seem to advise about 6 panels for a room of my size.
* I have found though, that when I put these floor to ceiling I find the bass stops dead and loses too much reverb (?) so the sweet spot seems to be only covering half the way up.
I've got a music/cinema room that I've built from one half of a double garage. So it's quite small at 3.8m x 3.3m x 2.3m, though I did use heavier materials like blue board, thick selatex and solid core doors to help the room not be too energetic, which seems to have worked as I don't seem to have any problem with the upper frequencies, just some of the ubiquitous bass ones!
Just to say, I'm not trying to make this into a recording studio and I don't have (or really understand yet) all the science about standing waves, room nodes etc, I've just been doing trial and error with various things and see what changes.
The main issue I had was a boom (or resonance/drone/thud - not sure how to describe it) in certain bass frequencies that I found distracting while listening to music. I've done all the things I can to isolate/stiffen the speakers and equipment from vibrations (and tbh, the bass is fantastically controlled) so I came to realise it's a room generated issue.
I've bought some cheapish "accoustic" foam bass traps for the rear wall corners behind the speakers, and tbh, they've done a good job - not only taming a lot of the bass boom, but made the mids/highs clearer and warmer*
The main issue I have now is the back wall reinforcement. The sofa is a little off the wall at 30cm, but the amount of bass reinforcement you get is significant. The difference between where the sofa is now and another say 60-70cm forward is very significant and noticeably improves the SQ. Unforunately, that just brings the sofa too close to the TV to be comfortable, so I prefer it where it is.
So I'm looking to make 4 panels to go across the back wall (and prob 2 more for the side wall 1st reflection) and wondered if there's any pointers and does or don'ts.
Size wise, I'm thinking something like 500 x 1200mm for 3 and 300 x 1200mm for 1 (as it goes on a narrow door on the back wall). Wood frame, suitable fabric cover and either rockwool or accoustic foam. But what thickness should I be aiming for. Common ones seem to be 2" or 4", so was thinking maybe 3" as a compromise as the back wall could probably take 4" ones, but it's going to be pretty bulky. Thinking about 2" ones for the side walls, again more for the aesthetics - even though it's a dedicated listening room, it's still got to have some form, not pure function!
I guess one concern I have is not over dampening the room, but doing a few calculators and they do seem to advise about 6 panels for a room of my size.
* I have found though, that when I put these floor to ceiling I find the bass stops dead and loses too much reverb (?) so the sweet spot seems to be only covering half the way up.