Acoustic Panel without frame and hang it overhead (DIY)

M

mactreouser

New member
Hi dudes,
Thinking of DIY Rockwool Panel with Fabric without frame.

Any idea to do it?
Any idea to hang it overhead?

Appreciate!
 
mactreouser said:
Hi dudes,
Thinking of DIY Rockwool Panel with Fabric without frame.

Any idea to do it?
Any idea to hang it overhead?


Appreciate!
Click to expand...

I just watched a video where the guy used certain rods from wall to wall to suspend his panels overhead. You can get them with ceiling mounts but I think he used side mounts. Then he just laid his panels on top of the rods. It looked pretty simple and his room sounded great. I will try and locate the video and edit this post.
 
The problem is that even stiff 703 or 705 will tend to sag a bit over time. If you're going to go to the bother of putting curtain rods across the ceiling (and note that unless your room is less than 8' wide, they are going to sag, too, unless supported in multilple places), just build the framed panels.
 
Mack Caster said:
I just watched a video where the guy used certain rods from wall to wall to suspend his panels overhead. You can get them with ceiling mounts but I think he used side mounts. Then he just laid his panels on top of the rods. It looked pretty simple and his room sounded great. I will try and locate the video and edit this post.
Click to expand...
I think you probably meant Jim Lill's video (I posted it in another thread, too.) He uses Roxul Rockboard which is rigid, at least relative to "rockwool" (which I used, and needs a frame).
YouTube
 
keith.rogers said:
I think you probably meant Jim Lill's video (I posted it in another thread, too.) He uses Roxul Rockboard which is rigid, at least relative to "rockwool" (which I used, and needs a frame).
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the one. Thanks for re-posting it. I did look for it but could not find it. I loved his idea for the cloud. So simple yet so effective.
 
I have a pair in wrapped glass (703 I think it is), that are each each hung on a pair of lite chain. So they are 'hook height adjustable, and can be lifted' up off the chain to be flat or tilted. - Anywhere from a 'low in an inverted V for a more tighter gobo' type of config (bleed from other sources, or a tighter mic area), to 'up and 'flat with a gap to the ceiling.
Ten years (? Hell IDK :D ) No sag.
 
If you get the 703 FRK with the paper/foil backing on one side, and turn that side up toward the ceiling...it probably will not sag much...though TBH, with any of these products, 703, Roxul, even the cotton fiber ones I would want some kind of frame, and most definitely some sort containment material. Very porous burlap and other types of open weave material, even the Guilford of Maine stuff...is still porous enough to let fibers fall through, especially from ceiling mounted traps.
All insulation products can cause irritation, even the cotton stuff (try inhaling some lint from your dryer lint trap).

I would at least double wrap them...a layer of polyester felt cloth, plus the outer "cosmetic" layer. The ones I made recently, I even wrapped the 703 in a layer of 0.4 mil plastic, so the 703 is completely sealed, and that thin layer has basically zero effect on the acoustic properties.

The ones that guy built in the video...TBH...they look pretty shabby. I mean, all that work, and you can see the droopy cloth surface on some of the panel. You need to use a polyester material, as it will not stretch/sag with environmental changes like cotton or other moisture absorbing materials can.
Not to mention, for that small room, all those traps made it look like one of those padded nut house cells. :D
I'm sure it works OK...I just thought for the amount of work and expense it ended up looking kinda throw-together.

Here's the ones I built recently....they were meant to be mobile and not for permanent mounting, more for multi-use, and they are self standing. Bass Trap Madness
 
Or...............you could string mono filament 15 lb fishing line in whatever sized criss crossed modules you want...say 16" x 16" .....

A gazillion ways you could do it...

Nail 1" x 3/4" wood strips in whatever length the panels are around the perimeter at the height you want and in the area you want the panels to hang.... eye hooks every 16", string and tightly tie the fishing lines to the eye hooks, slide the panels in on top of the string modules and move where you want .....suspended, no sag and adjustable...well that's one way ...a gazillion more ways to get to Rome...
 
TAE said:
Or...............you could string mono filament 15 lb fishing line in whatever sized criss crossed modules you want...say 16" x 16" .....
Click to expand...

Why go with line...just hang some fishing nets, you know, like back in the late '60s...add some UV lights and those night-glow posters...a bong...
 
miroslav said:
...
The ones that guy built in the video...TBH...they look pretty shabby. I mean, all that work, and you can see the droopy cloth surface on some of the panel. You need to use a polyester material, as it will not stretch/sag with environmental changes like cotton or other moisture absorbing materials can.
Not to mention, for that small room, all those traps made it look like one of those padded nut house cells. :D
I'm sure it works OK....
Click to expand...
With 26K subscribers, I don't think he was worried about how it looked! If you keep your humidity controlled (and you should), the muslin is not going to sag, since it's just covering semi-rigid panels, and not supporting any weight other than its own.
 
I have no idea what 26k subscribers have to do with the how his traps look...?
There's videos of people doing that most stupidest things one could imagine that have thousands of subscribers.
Does that mean anything...really?

I didn't think we build personal studios to please someone other than ourselves...but I know, not everyone cares about the esthetics of their studios.

If you look at the video at around 9:30 on...you can see that the cloth is pretty sloppy/droopy already, and overall, it's a rather unappealing space...aesthetically speaking, of course. :)

I'm just saying if you're going to take the time to build a personal studio space, maybe give it a bit more than a laundry room vibe...
...or maybe not.

Whatever.... :D
 
miroslav said:
I have no idea what 26k subscribers have to do with the how his traps look...?
There's videos of people doing that most stupidest things one could imagine that have thousands of subscribers.
Does that mean anything...really?...
Click to expand...
Well, his videos are music (not stupid things IMO) - he's got wicked country guitar chops, and a lot of them are instructional, and the aesthetics have always been an obvious "don't care much" if you watch them. He said he wanted to make the room for acoustic instruments and singing - his own, I inferred, i.e., he's not opening a studio for other people. If that's where the OP is going, start budgeting for those oriental rugs and expensive fabrics! (I found out the fabric quickly runs into money if you aren't careful.)

It was just a way to solve a problem.
 
I'm not making any negative comments about the guy or his musicianship or saying his videos are stupid.
I only said the cloth wrap on his traps was sloppy/droopy considering the amount effort/time/money he put into it.

It's obvious he doesn't care about it...it's his studio....so that's cool.
I was simply looking at it from my own perspective...like it would drive me nuts to build a bunch of traps and then see the cloth all droopy or a trap sagging off the wall...and then to post a video showing them like that, I would expect people to notice it. :D
That's just me...those little things count.
They use to call me pixel anal when I was doing graphics 'cuz I would notice if an edge or symmetry was off by a pixel. People wouldn't believe it, then they would zoom in, and sure enough...off by a pixel. :facepalm:


It's all good...you don't have to defend the guy...I just noticed the cloth, that's all. :)
 
miroslav said:
I'm just saying if you're going to take the time to build a personal studio space, maybe give it a bit more than a laundry room vibe... or maybe not. Whatever.... :D
Click to expand...

"or maybe not" is what makes the world go round. The bass traps you built are absolutely beautiful! You are truly a "Craftsman" when it comes to this. If I had the money, I would follow your example and I still may, even if I have to build one a month. I also agree with your line of thinking, but only because it is my personality. I am sometimes referred to as "Mr Monk" in the home remodeling world. Centered means centered, not 1/32s to the left or right. I can promise you, we are not the norm.

I was at a Christian Coffee House a few years back and there was some great talent there. The last act was a young kid who came in with an old 4 piece Tama drum kit held together with mostly duct tape. Most people where starting to leave as he was setting up. 20 mins into his set everyone was on their phone to other people telling them they had to come see this kid play. 30 mins later, the FD came and shut us down as we were over capacity for this Church. It took 30 min to get enough people to volunteer to stand outside so he could keep playing. This kid absolutely out played every act who had top of the line drums, both acoustic as well as electronic.

The Pastor asked him why he played on such a beat up set of drums when he was so talented. He simply stated "it works for me". There were so many lessons learned that night from 4 simple words. There are so many sayings that could be used here. "One mans trash is another mans treasure", "The pool stick don't make the player", "The suit does not define the man" but they all mean basically the same thing. People are different and do things their own way.

If we all thought the same way, this community would not exist. We would all just be doing the same thing in the same manner as everyone else. Myself, I choose to set up my studio in a cosmetically appealing manner, but then again, that's just me and more importantly, my wife said I had to. :laughings:
 
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Mack Caster said:
.... Myself, I choose to set up my studio in a cosmetically appealing manner, but then again, that's just me and more importantly, my wife said I had to. :laughings:
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There you go. I would have never gotten away with doing what Jim Lill did. My wife actually asked if I could do "one of those framed cloth things" for the guest room because it's apparently fashionable! When I started buying my fabric from the Wal-Mart remnant bin, she got over it ;).
 
miroslav said:
Why go with line...just hang some fishing nets, you know, like back in the late '60s...add some UV lights and those night-glow posters...a bong...
Click to expand...

Dude!!! Boom Chakalaka.... We called em "Black Lights"
 
Well, my meager room needed some treatment. It's far from professional and so far has been for my use only. After researching all the audio physics to an anal degree, I shuffeled off to Lowes to see what fit the budget. I took drop ceiling panels with insulation on one side, covred that with polyester quilt batting for some contour and floating fiber protection and covered the thing in discount burlap. Yes it smelled like hay for a few days (and was not fireproofed) and were a little fragile. These would be mounted high on the walls and not subject to any pokeing and such. I used fender washers and ring bolts on the panels, tied picture hanging wire between and hooks on the walls for hanging. This was quite flexable for hanging in corners or hung like a picture on the wall. I made 9 panels and made sure to get the first reflection points. I then made two window plugs from duct insulating board that are used to keep nature out and can stand in the floor below the windows when not in use. Some acoustic foam covers the foam filled metal exterior door from the studio. I have a closet for seasonal clothes that works pretty good for isolation. It's a little tight in the studio for electronic drums, keyboards, recording desk and such but there's a two car garage attached if a crowd shows up. I was amazed at the difference my panels made. I suggest at a minimum experiment and try something. Miro's panels are the type i would go with for portable gobos.
 
ronhar said:
Well, my meager room needed some treatment. It's far from professional and so far has been for my use only. After researching all the audio physics to an anal degree, I shuffeled off to Lowes to see what fit the budget. I took drop ceiling panels with insulation on one side, covred that with polyester quilt batting for some contour and floating fiber protection and covered the thing in discount burlap. Yes it smelled like hay for a few days (and was not fireproofed) and were a little fragile. These would be mounted high on the walls and not subject to any pokeing and such. I used fender washers and ring bolts on the panels, tied picture hanging wire between and hooks on the walls for hanging. This was quite flexable for hanging in corners or hung like a picture on the wall. I made 9 panels and made sure to get the first reflection points. I then made two window plugs from duct insulating board that are used to keep nature out and can stand in the floor below the windows when not in use. Some acoustic foam covers the foam filled metal exterior door from the studio. I have a closet for seasonal clothes that works pretty good for isolation. It's a little tight in the studio for electronic drums, keyboards, recording desk and such but there's a two car garage attached if a crowd shows up. I was amazed at the difference my panels made. I suggest at a minimum experiment and try something. Miro's panels are the type i would go with for portable gobos.
Click to expand...

Wait, I am confused as to what materials you actually used. Please be more accurate with your build. Really curious man! :)
 
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