An idea for diffusion on a tight budget... your feelings?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tubedude
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tubedude

tubedude

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Just an idea, I might try it and see how it does. Nothing lost, really, if it doesnt.
Go to ups.com, click on "supplies", and then go to "UPS packaging supplies" then go to "tubes and envelopes"
The triangular shipping tube, heavy cardboard, over 3 feet long, 3.5 inches deep, pretty damn sturdy, paintable, and you get 10 of them for $6.80. Painted nicely and hung with care they would be very uniform and probably professional looking. Might be an idea for low ceilings over drums. I would paint them a different color from the room, but one that matches nicely.
These could be painted and then hung about an inch or 2 apart to cover areas you want diffused. You could stuff them full of carpet foam or whatever, too.
Good idea? Seems like it. Cheap, too. Let me know what you think. I'm no acoustics expert, but for those on a tight budget that would never get diffusion otherwise, it seems feasible.
Peace!
 
You would have to change your name to "Triangle Tubedude" :D

Kevin.
 
Maybe someone with some SMARTS can figure out the best distance apart to place these things. I was thinking maybe butting them together, but raising every other one about an inch or so up from the wall, so they are staggered, depthwise.
I'm just overthinking, these are just ideas I am looking to either have them approved or shot down. Whatever. :)
Give me your thoughts.
 
Tubedude - I hope I didn't offend you, I was just joking.

Seriously though, give it a try! It sounds like a great idea. Let us know how it works for you. I'm sure you don't need a yes or no from anyone here to try things. Triangle shapes have been used a lot as diffusors... they work great. Like you say, the stuffing material may have an effect on how they work.

They are cardboard so be carefull of flame near them and have people avoid bumping them with equipment etc.

Cheers
Kevin.
 
It sounds like a good idea but....

... the tubes are hollow.
I'm afraid you might be creating dozens of little "Resonate Chambers" particularly at the lower frequencies, rather than effective diffusion. Now if you could stuff them with something fairly dense, then you might be on to something there.
 
DOH!!
I just re-read your post. You already told me to "Stuff It"!
It sounds like a good idea!
You could contact cement them to a pannel and hang them where needed.
 
Looks like about $.75 a square foot if you do full coverage - more for "stuffing" - (I hear Stovetop makes "UPS helper")

Whatever you use for shortcuts, remember the less you pay, the more you burn - check out this site for fire retardants, they have stuff for cardboard, foam, wood, etc - the cardboard stuff costs $35 a gallon which covers about 250 sq ft, or $.14 a square foot. Cheap insurance against becoming the new version of "Extra Crispy"...

http://www.natfire.com

They don't quote coverage on foam without calling, but these guys might be the answer to cheap, non-fire retardant foam too... Steve
 
Cool, nothing negative yet.
Thanks for the fire info, you are really onto that stuff, arent you?
Guess I'll try it out in a room now and see how it works out.
Anyone else gonna try it?
longsoughtfor- wasnt offended at all, and I can see where you thought that was aimed at you. It was aimed at me :)
Any other thoughts?
 
I think I'm there dude. If they are rigid enough, I wouldn't know why it wouldn't work. Look at the T-Fusors and the mini-fusors from Auralex. They are hollow. It says "Improved broadband diffusion can be achieved by filling the cavity we designed into the back of the T'Fusor with acoustic foam or 1" rigid fiberglass." Looks like you may have found something here. I'm gonna go for it.
 
absorbing is a little more difficult to do right, hence the need for fancy foam and bass traps and the like.

Diffusion materials generally should be solid, or at least so stiff they don't vibrate to low frequences.

One option, which a friend of mine did a few years ago was find a construction site where a pre-war apartment building was being torn down, to be replaced with some overdone hotel. Anyway, the point is he got permission to go in, and take all the moulding he could pull out.

About 10 full pickup loads later, he had enough moulding to epoxy to his ceiling in random lengths, shapes et all, then spraypainted over that so it was all "super white". A bizarre solution you say, I would have agreed. However it looks cool and the room definately diffuses well off the ceiling.

BTW, it cost him a beer for the demolition crew - if I recall correctly, that was about 10.
 
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