To frame or not to frame? Bass traps

[joshj]

Hey guys,
Your forum is fantastic and I appreciate your witty replies to some of these questions. I've been reading these forums to try to establish my next step. Unfortunately I have a smaller room (9'x11') and to start I'd like to build 4 bass traps (for the corners) with 703 fiberglass. I've seen some say "build a wood frame" and others say "directly wrap the fiberglass and no frame". I was planning on using 1x4s to build the frames with 4" thick pieces of 703. Would I still see benefits using wood frames? How long should the frames be; four feet? My only other question is, are the frames flush with the ceiling or is their a preferred gap of space? Thanks in advance.

[HangDawg]

Originally Posted by joshj

Hey guys,
Your forum is fantastic and I appreciate your witty replies to some of these questions. I've been reading these forums to try to establish my next step. Unfortunately I have a smaller room (9'x11') and to start I'd like to build 4 bass traps (for the corners) with 703 fiberglass. I've seen some say "build a wood frame" and others say "directly wrap the fiberglass and no frame". I was planning on using 1x4s to build the frames with 4" thick pieces of 703. Would I still see benefits using wood frames? How long should the frames be; four feet? My only other question is, are the frames flush with the ceiling or is their a preferred gap of space? Thanks in advance.

The easiest/cheapest way IMO is to just mount the 703 across the corners (floor to ceiling) of your room.

[chris-from-ky]

I'm just giving my unexperienced opinion on this one...

A frame is not necessary to make an effective bass trap. I like to think of a bass trap as a pillow. Just upholster the 703 in the dimension you need and hang it. It will be a ton lighter in weight than that 1x4 frame you'll add to it that won't give you any additional trapping. And you'll save yourself the labor of making the frame.

Again, just my opinion which is unsupported by my personal experience. But in my defense, I conceptualize things A LOT before I move into action.

If you do choose to make a frame, you should consider 1/2" X 4" strips since they'll do the same job and be lighter in weight.

[tedbro27]

How would the fiberglass be mounted to the corners?

[Innovations]

All a frame gets you is nice crisp edges. It also gets you something you can screw eye hooks into for hanging, but there are plenty of other hanging methods.

[notbradsohner]

if you do go with a frame, and before I go on, read the disclaimer.......................................................................................... .....................read it? ok good. DRILL HOLES IN THE SIDES OF YOUR FRAMES. Just get like a 2 inch bit and a drill, and put evenly spaced holes, about every 6 inches to a foot.





**DISCLAIMER** Some people disagree with this, and I am not entirely sure this workes. IT may tune your room to unwanted frequences, which I cannot be responsible for.

[fitZ2]

Figure it this way. A 2" thick, 2'x4' panel has 288 square inchs of exposed edge. Thats a full 2 square feet of absorption area PER PANEL(if you don't place them edge to edge) at 90 degrees to the face. Thats is a lot of incident angle absorption area. So why waste it by covering it with a frame? It equals 1/5 of the available area. With 4 panels, it is like adding a full 2'x4' EXTRA panel. Also, space the panels out at least 1" from the wall, by gluing a 1"x 1" styrofoam, fiberglass, or wood spacer across the back, at top and bottom. This will lower the bandwidth of the absorption. Even used across the corners of the room, the edges still will add to the overall absorption in the room.

fitZ

[KevinDrummer]

I was thinking of using a suspended ceiling grid, wrapping some 703 with fabric, and inserting directly in the grid without using the regular tile. This would take care of the framing issues, give you some HF control, as well as the bass trap without taking up valuable space. Then the walls can be treating reflectively or absobtavely (??) as needed. Hmmm??

[notbradsohner]

That would work, they also sell, panels with 703 on the back of them. Or you cold just do a reglar drop ceiling, and put tiles in, but lay 703 on top of them.

[Innovations]

Regular accounsic ceiling tiles are too reflective to be a good bass trap. If the sound is bounced off the surface it can't be absorbed by what is behind it.

[KevinDrummer]

Originally Posted by Innovations

Regular accounsic ceiling tiles are too reflective to be a good bass trap. If the sound is bounced off the surface it can't be absorbed by what is behind it.

Yeah, that is what I was thinking, as well. Hmmm, could be a market for "LF/HF" absorbing panels to slip into a regular drop ceiling grid.

OK - I'm off to become a millionaire

[notbradsohner]

Originally Posted by KevinDrummer

OK - I'm off to become a millionaire

have fun!

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by KevinDrummer

Yeah, that is what I was thinking, as well. Hmmm, could be a market for "LF/HF" absorbing panels to slip into a regular drop ceiling grid.

OK - I'm off to become a millionaire

Bass will go through ceiling tiles. Also, you can buy ceiling tiles that are made of rigid fiberglass insulation.

[DDev]

The ceiling tiles that are made of rigid fiberglass can be modified to get rid of the reflective surface by carefully pealing the white finished side off of the fiberglass, giving you a 2'x4'x1/2" fiberglass panel. Then you can build up depth in 1/2" increments as desired (for those who cannot find 703 locally this is one way to get similar results from locally available materials).

Darryl.....

[Innovations]

Nah the stuff that they make most cieling panels is just too dense to make a serious room deadener. a better solution would be to put an open grid light defuser panel in order to support several layers of 703 above it. (the grid panel I am speaking of is made of styrene, with a square grid about a quarter-inch and about a quarter inch deep. usually these are put in front of fluorescent lights. You can get the stuff at most home stores.