Time for treatment

All about acoustics. This is your new home if you already have a studio or other acoustic space, but it isn't working out for you, sounds bad, and you need to fix it...
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howiedrum
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Time for treatment

#61

Postby howiedrum » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 09:34

Hi Everyone,

I made eight corner bass traps yesterday, two per corner, each half the distance from floor to ceiling. The total distance is 9'-4" from floor to ceiling. So each trap is 4'-6", leaving a 2" space up top which we may cover with molding or not.

For the bottom traps I used left over Safe n Sound and for the top traps I used mostly attic R30 insulation. To avoid compression, my carpenter put a partial shelf half way up in the bottom Safe n Sound traps, and for the top R30 traps, he stapled the paper backing of the insulation to the frame and then filled in with long vertical pieces of insulation.

Is the paper stapled to the frame a problem? I couldn't think of a reason, but I hadn't seen anyone do it before.

Here are photos.

Thanks.

Howie

IMG_5688.jpg
Bottom Trap

IMG_5692.jpg
Top Trap

IMG_5693.jpg
Top Trap with stapled paper

IMG_5695.jpg
Stacked in Room SE Corner

IMG_5696.jpg
Stacked in Room West Wall



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endorka
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Time for treatment

#62

Postby endorka » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 11:47

Is the paper cover against a wall? I can't see it making any difference acoustically, but you may want to check your building code for fire retardant requirements of "furniture" attached to walls. The paper might not meet them.

Part of me wonders about it rasping against the wall in the presence of loud sound giving a kazoo effect, but that might just be silly :D

If there is any doubt could you replace it with fabric or the fire retardant wadding Starlight uses.

Cheers!
Jennifer



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Starlight
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Time for treatment

#63

Postby Starlight » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 12:49

The kazoo effect went through my mind too.

What do you want the paper to do? My guess is nothing as the traps will be backed into the corners and so the backs won't be open to the room. If it is there to keep fibres in and you don't think the wall is up to the task, I would replace the paper with the cheapest fabric to hand, either old bed sheets or burlap with a fire-retardant spray.

Hang on a minute about the wadding I use being fire-retardant. I have just done a test, holding a lighter under a scrap. It shrivelled because polyester is a plastic. Holding the lighter under the polyester batting for longer, as would be the case in a real fire, it ignited. That is not fire-retardant enough for a real (out of control) fire, one that may happen when a studio is unoccupied.



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howiedrum
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Time for treatment

#64

Postby howiedrum » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 14:44

Hi Jennifer and Starlight,

Is the paper cover against a wall?

Yes, the corner walls.

What do you want the paper to do?


My carpenter thought if we stapled it on as we did it would keep the insulation from compressing and keep fibers in. I had no other reasons for doing that. The Kazoo effect you both mentioned was something I did not think about. As a drummer I should know better. I think I will have him tear off the paper and install some wire or something for compression and then wrap in fabric.

Howie



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endorka
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#65

Postby endorka » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 16:59

Starlight wrote:Source of the post Hang on a minute about the wadding I use being fire-retardant. I have just done a test, holding a lighter under a scrap. It shrivelled because polyester is a plastic. Holding the lighter under the polyester batting for longer, as would be the case in a real fire, it ignited. That is not fire-retardant enough for a real (out of control) fire, one that may happen when a studio is unoccupied.


Thanks for the heads up on this. The wadding I bought is rated as fire retardant, for the purpose of stuffing furniture and so on. I haven't tested it though.

I did test the MSL Firecheck spray I used on calico by the same method as yourself, and it worked really well. Untreated calico from the same roll went on fire.

Cheers,
Jennifer



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Starlight
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Time for treatment

#66

Postby Starlight » Sun, 2021-Jun-20, 18:15

This is stuff worth sharing, worth knowing. Thanks.

Sorry to hijack your topic, Howie.




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