Rockwool/Aerolite as Absorption?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ninjaza
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Ninjaza

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Rockwool as absorption panels? (Used it for my bass traps, but can it be used for reflection points, stereo image, ceiling cloud etc?

I've heard it is amazingly good, but want to hear your opinions.
 
4" of rockwool with a 2" air gap behind it is terrific for broadband absorption. The general consensus around here is to use the foam to make your bed more comfortable and use rockwool/mineral wool for broadband acoustical absorption. Superchunks floor-to-ceiling in every corner possible, 2'x4' panels at first reflection points on walls and ceiling, and then go from there. If you get the low frequencies under control, then you can start to spot-treat with foam panels to tame flutter and echo.
 
Tadpui said:
4" of rockwool with a 2" air gap behind it is terrific for broadband absorption. The general consensus around here is to use the foam to make your bed more comfortable and use rockwool/mineral wool for broadband acoustical absorption. Superchunks floor-to-ceiling in every corner possible, 2'x4' panels at first reflection points on walls and ceiling, and then go from there. If you get the low frequencies under control, then you can start to spot-treat with foam panels to tame flutter and echo.
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Great man! So grateful for your response. Thank you. :)

Please could you check out that link and give your thoughts on it for the above. Many thanks mate :)

Isover Glasswool Aerolite
 
They really don't give enough info about the absorption at various frequencies to make a judgement on how it compares to rockwool. They give a NRC value of 1.10 at 135mm of thickness, but I don't know much about NRC values. It's glasswool, so you could probably find some charts to compare glasswool to rockwool. One difference that I can come up with is that rockwool is a little less hazardous to work with, although it's still not pleasant to get it on your skin or in your eyes/mouth/lungs.

This is the best reference that I can find, but it's a little tough to dig through:

http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm

I don't think that glasswool would suck as a sound absorption material from looking at that chart. I can't find like-for-like measurements at a glance on that chart. They didn't test glasswool very thick, just an inch or two. Any material would suck at low-end absorption at that thickness. They tested rockwool (Roxul Safe n Sound) at 3" and other rockwools at up to 4".

Low frequency absorption (below, say, 600Hz) is going to be the primary concern in just about any home studio. Rockwool is a known entity for a lot of the fellows here, we've all experienced real-world improvement in the low frequencies in our rooms by using it. I don't have experience using glasswool, and I don't see it mentioned here very much. So it's going to be tough to get any real-world advice regarding it. Hopefully somebody with more experience in that area will happen by soon.
 
I've used fiberglass insulation in many of my panels--I strip off the paper facing and go from there. I'm always using Roxul now, going on the recommendations of people here and elsewhere. I believe Roxul is safer, though I've always handled glass wool with gloves, and of course I've always got the resperator on, even with Roxul. Once the panels are covered with fabric, and they are hung, it's all good. I've got two ceiling panels directly above the mixing point, with about 6 inches of clearance from ceiling to top of panel face. These panels are Roxul filled, though I don't think there is much difference acoustically speaking if one uses glass wool. I've got over 20 panels in the room now, including standing, folding panels that surround the recording areas. I've made some little 2' x 2' panels that I'm going to attempt to mount on stands that can be used for Reflexion filter-like sound deadening around mics, though the standing panels work very well indeed for this sort of thing now. At this point, Reflexion filters seem really pointless--I can see where they might be needed in a pinch, recording in a remote location or in an untreated room.
 
TimN said:
I've used fiberglass insulation in many of my panels--I strip off the paper facing and go from there. I'm always using Roxul now, going on the recommendations of people here and elsewhere. I believe Roxul is safer, though I've always handled glass wool with gloves, and of course I've always got the resperator on, even with Roxul. Once the panels are covered with fabric, and they are hung, it's all good. I've got two ceiling panels directly above the mixing point, with about 6 inches of clearance from ceiling to top of panel face. These panels are Roxul filled, though I don't think there is much difference acoustically speaking if one uses glass wool. I've got over 20 panels in the room now, including standing, folding panels that surround the recording areas. I've made some little 2' x 2' panels that I'm going to attempt to mount on stands that can be used for Reflexion filter-like sound deadening around mics, though the standing panels work very well indeed for this sort of thing now. At this point, Reflexion filters seem really pointless--I can see where they might be needed in a pinch, recording in a remote location or in an untreated room.
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Good to know man. and how are your results with them? :)
 
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