DIY BassTraps

[Larry D]

Here is an interesting site for DIY basstraps -- www.basstraps.net -- also there are some interesting videos on basstraps to be found on Youtube.

[rumonkey2]

Cool - thanks for the linky. Need to get some of the cheap/easy ones done. Been putting it off too long!

[engtaz]

Thanks

engtaz

[rumonkey2]

I've decided to go ahead w/ some of the quick & easy ones. (the ones Joel did an instructional video for) Going to HD today to pick up framing supplies & Hancock fabric to look for material. Plan on using ATS - do I need to go Rockboard or will the RockWool do fine with a frame???
What is the best way/tool to cut this to size with? Plan on doing mainly 2'x2'x4"...

[m-fine]

If you go ATS your choices are Rockboard 60 or AFB. The ones I made out of Rockboard60 are frameless. Just 2 or 3 panels glued together with a liquid nails type of product and a fabric coating glued on. I used small L brackets to mount a thin hardboard shelf to hold them up and a single bracket on top with a pin into the material to hold them in place. The 4" units weigh about 17 lbs and the 6" about 25 lbs so you do have to think about hot to hold them up.

The AFB is cheaper and lighter, but needs a frame which can potentially offset both advantages.

The stuff can be cut with a utility knife and probably most saws, but I did not try it.

If I should have taken a few photos of the build process, but it was REAL simple to do it without a frame.

1) Lay first pannel on some cardboard on the floor, squirt on some sticky glue stuff with a caulk gun.

2) Place a second panel on top as best you can then slide it around until it lines up on all 4 sides. Squish the glue.

2b) Repeat and add another layer for the monster 6" units for the corners

3) Glue a piece of cheap burlap to the back. I used 3m 77 spray glue for most of this but many other glues will work as well.

4) Flip it over and glue the facing fabric (much more $$$) to the front and sides.

4a) If I was to do it again I would add a thin layer of cotton or polyester batting to give them a softer apolstered look. The Rockboard has some texture to it that shows through on my units.

[rumonkey2]

Hey M - sorry if I may have asked you this before (over at AV123 maybe?) -
Do you have any pics of your treatments? Especially the corners?

I may do 6" for the ceiling corners - I think that is gonna make the biggest difference in my room. My surrounds are so close to back corner, I can't do full corner....thinking about doing Super-Chunks below surrounds & straddling corner above...but that will be down the line.
Just to give you an idea:



Once I finish this new EC, I also plan to get rid of the stuff I'm storing CDs/DVDs on now, so corner will be "empty". And the recliners will be about 1' further (they are actually about 1' from wall now) from back wall. Gonna change lighting too. Plan 3 2'x2'x4" along back wall.
Then, I have these "polyfoam" or "polystyrene" product display blocks that I grabbed from various POP tools we sell at work. They are various shapes and sizes. Will glue 2" insul & cover & place between panels. More to dress up the wall than anything. Don't know if this material has any insulating/acousitical value, but it's light weight & will make a good backing frame....
I thought I had pics of it somewhere but can't find them. Temporarily played with some on wall before...honestly couldn't hear a difference. But, maybe w/ rockwool on them... It can't hurt...? If it does, I'll take them down.
Doing the framed panels because I think I may benefit from the "open back" design - especially in the corners. So, I think I'm going rockwool. Cheaper to boot.
Couldn't find didly at HF today. And the associates of no help. Just looked at me funny and said "we don't really have speaker fabric"....
Tried to explain, but they were too busy....
Did the "breathing/blowing" test... I think I could tell -:rolleyes:- what would and wouldn't work. Just didn't see anything I liked.
May go ahead & get burlap from ATS, but I want some mixed colors/patterns
somewhere. I'm thinking backwall panels a "pattern" with smaller peices solid color/colors.....

What is the best type of material to look for? Outside of speaker cloth & burlap of course....:eyebrows::idea:


Sorry for the rambling....I'm just hyper because I finally acted on something today! All these plans & no action:fryingpan: (Got all my 1x2s & assembly hardware + a small ceiling fan for the "HT" room today!)

[m-fine]

Yikes lests see if I can digest all of that and reply.

No pictures, I need to borrow a camera. but my issue is the top portion of the rear wall is 6 inches further back than the bottom 32". My simple solution was to make 2 6" thick units, one to mount spanning the top 48" and the other to sit on the floor for the bottom 48". They do not line up perfectly, but in the dark you can't tell :D

As for fabric, IMHO there is too much emphasis on the material needing to be acoutically transparent. Lets face it, if the high frequencies roll off passing through the fabric, your rockwool is not going to mind ;) You want to avoid anything too reflective (vinyl :D) if you care to treat the highs as well, but in most rooms with treatment there is WAY more absorption in the upper frequencies than the lows making the room sound out of balance. My solution to that was thicker pannels and cloth that I think might reflect a little more than burlap or grill cloth. Another factor was I wanted to have black velvet around the screen for light absorption, so some of the panels I have not finished yet will have black velvet fabric and these will go on the ceiling above the screen, beneath the screen and probably in 6" thick floor standers behind each of the mains.

BTW, all my units are "open back". Although I mounted most of the 4" right up to the wall for now (WAF issues), I always have the option of adding 2" spacers later. That was part of the reasoning behind going frameless with the Rockboard.

[rumonkey2]

:thumbsup: Thanks!! I am up in the air about fabric choices, with all we read.
I mean, mass is mass, right??? Some say more fluffy chairs, pillows, etc... can help. So maybe I shouldn't obsess over the fabric as long as it is somewhat "breathable"??? i.e. No silks, heavy canvas, lined drapery material....I did find some upholstery that had a rather light, almost open weave to it....:scratchchin:
And yeah, I didn't think about adding the "spacers" later.... I guess the bulky/pillowy look of wool vs board may depend on the fabric I pick/how tight I pull it...??
Make sense??? Guess I should pick a fabric I like first, then decide....???

[m-fine]

I think you are on track about the fabric.

If I were about to make a new set, the rigid board vs wool decision would be beased on the following

Board:
A little more money for the panels
Need to buy batting material to get "pillowy look"

Wool/AFB:
Need to buy/build frame
Open back is more difficult (material may sag)

The batting material is sold a sewing stores like JoAnnes in various forms and materials. I assume the big bulk rolls would be the cheapest but I have no idea what the cost per panel would be. If you don't know what I am talking about, the stuff is like a polyester cotton ball that is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and in big sheets. If you open up a lot of foam upolstery there is a layer of it on top.

[m-fine]

Yo Monkey, here is a pic of some of my 4" units mounted on the side wall of my theater.



The 6" units look exactly the same except 2" thicker and they straddle the corners.

[rumonkey2]

Thanks M! Cool....good looking. What type of fabric did you use??
What did you use to mount the straddling corner traps??? Got any pics of those??
The HF I went to just didn't have a great choice of fabrics. I probably need to look online. No JoAnn locally... If I go rock wool, I'm thinking of doing a "button tufted" design to dress it up or possibly nailhead to match my recliners. I'm embarassed I know the term button tufted:embarass:...alot of furniture shopping in the last year or two...:D

Crap, if Texas woulda come through I would be in good shape to win an AU recliner(HT Market) & there would need to be lots of Blue & orange in the room...
Now, I'm looking at beiges/chocolates, etc....
Beige walls, MNS XLS & the closest stain I have found for my EC & other wood products I'm putting together a "Red Mahogany" - so maybe some deep reddish browns in the fabric too....

[m-fine]

Thanks M! Cool....good looking. What type of fabric did you use??

Liz Claiborn designer blah blah blah from Jo-Annes. My wife made the curtains out of another fabric from the same collection so we are stylishly coordinated.

What did you use to mount the straddling corner traps??? Got any pics of those??

The bottom ones sit on the floor. The top ones have been sitting on stacks of card board boxes for months because I am too lazy to make the shelfs. :D

I will be cutting a trapezoid out of 1/4" hardboard (peg board with no peg holes) and setting the traps on those.

Now, I'm looking at beiges/chocolates, etc....

My walls are "death by chocolate" and the ceiling and trim are a beige color whose name escape me at the moment.

Let me go try a couple more pics...

[m-fine]

Here is a 4" unit in between 2 curtains so you can see how Liz expertly matched the colors throughout the collection. (I am not really a gay designer, but I did stay at a holiday in last night).




And this is what the corners look like at the moment. The floor unit is not finished (I am going to make a top and bottom "plate" and it is sitting a pit out from the wall to make room for the cardboard stack holding the other one up. Shhhh don't remind my wife! BTW the kids unfolded the futon this morning (I have no clue why) but usually that is a "couch" on the side wall and not really well possitioned for movie viewing. It is a good room treatment on its own though! The 450 on the riser is the left side surround and is pointing at the main couch.

[m-fine]

Uhh I just noticed the grill is off the 450 too. I am afraid to ask the kids why! They are 5 and 2 and should not care about critical listening to the surround channels at their age!!!!!

[rumonkey2]

Finally found a fabric!

After searching my 3rd local HF, I finally found one that I like & will have a good W(GF)AF - it's a "closeout" , so I can't find a pic of it online. But it's a decent stripped pattern of a loose weave cotton. Hints of "gold" that match my recliners well & almost a hint of a coral/peach piping on a creamy milk chocolate fabric I'm gonna use this & some "dark" chocolate burlap - mix & match with some of the smaller pieces I will integrate.

For the "main" traps, I'm starting to like this plan to give it a more finished look:

http://www.helixrecording.com/Bass_Traps.html

I will shoot a pic of the fabric as soon as I can.
Gotta get good measurements for fabric so I can go back & buy this PM...

So, now I've got all the pieces for my new ent. center & finally found the stuff for treatments. Time to get the power tools out & start building! Plus, this gives me something to do A/V wise while I "wait" patiently for budget to >>>
(STILL haven't gotten my tax refund!:hissyfit:) and product to come on line!!!:goodvibes: