Alternatives to rigid back for homemade panels

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DM1

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I'm building some 2'x4' panels for my first reflection points. A simple pine frame with 4" Roxul S'n'S, wrapped in muslin. However, I feel the frame needs a rigid back for support.

Most of what I've read suggests that the backing should non-rigid (notably, Ethan's oft-repeated advice that a plywood backing reflects sound and negates the benefit of an additional air gap.) Is this true of all rigid materials? Would pegboard, with all its holes, be OK in place of plywood?

And if not, what alternatives are there for strengthening the frame without affecting the acoustic properties?
 
DM1 said:
I'm building some 2'x4' panels for my first reflection points. A simple pine frame with 4" Roxul S'n'S, wrapped in muslin. However, I feel the frame needs a rigid back for support.

Most of what I've read suggests that the backing should non-rigid (notably, Ethan's oft-repeated advice that a plywood backing reflects sound and negates the benefit of an additional air gap.) Is this true of all rigid materials? Would pegboard, with all its holes, be OK in place of plywood?

And if not, what alternatives are there for strengthening the frame without affecting the acoustic properties?
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what about mesh?
 
I don't know how dense the safe n sound is, but the mineral wool board I bought was very sturdy and needed no support. If you think you need it, you can put cross bracing or chicken wire.
 
Are you using 1x4 lumber for the frame? If so , you don't need no steenkin' support. :D Now, if you get to 4X4 size panels, you will need a few angled pcs at the corners like MS says. Some thin plywwod does the trick.

For mesh or peg board go here. http://www.whealy.com/acoustics/index.html

Keep in mind, once you add a hard surface to the back or front of the panel you change the whole effect, maybe to the point of negating the gap behind the panel.
To keep the fluffier stuff in (if used) use chciken wire like scrubs says, or a few wires to hold it in.

T
 
I just finished mine up an even the 2'x4' panels (4" deep) once the burlap was stapled on, they're pretty stable. And unless you plan on moving them around a lot, you don't really need them to be super rigid. I'm sure a good whack could mess one of mine up... but if anybody gets that crazy in my studio, they're gone! :)
 
Nate74 said:
but if anybody gets that crazy in my studio, they're gone!
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Heh, so no thrashcore sessions for you, then? :D

I know they don't need to be that rigid, but my dad's helping me build them, and he's a carpenter. I think an unsupported frame offends his sensibilities :)


mshilarious said:
Put braces across the corners.
Click to expand...
Ya, this makes the most sense. Thanks.


Tonio said:
Keep in mind, once you add a hard surface to the back or front of the panel you change the whole effect,
Click to expand...
Independent of support, does anyone know what the reflective properties of cardboard are? I know I could use mesh or chicken wire and just cover that, but I don't want to wrap the whole panel in muslin. And paper seems just too flimsy for the backing. Would carboard work?
 
I would think cardboard would reflect too much high frequency info to be useful as a first-reflection panel. It would be fine for a bass trap, though.
 
You don't need any support for the back or sides. The stuff is a lot denser than regular insulation and pretty rigid. All you really need is a method of attaching it to the walls. If you use a frame for cosmetic purposes, you're giving up some amount of performance and spending more money than is necessary.
 
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