Bass Trap

[jamhead]

What I didn't take a photo of was the two bass traps in the back...the one superchunk and the 6" thick trap (photos later) both had Kraft paper placed on the front. I sprayed the paper with 3M adhesive and applied to the front (minus a 2ft area directly in line with our ears when listening) to minimize mid-high frequency absorption.

Next up...frame made simply using molding:



One each for the superchunks.

Attached fabric to the back of the frames and attached using small wire brads.

 

[Flint]

If your room becomes too "dead" after installing these, I recommend putting slats of wood across the fronts of the superchunks to reflect mid-high frequencies while passing the bass energy through to the fiberglass.

 

[jamhead]

Next up, bass trap behind door. Frame is 1x6" pine. Similar to taller superchunk (this one is 7' as well) had a support piece of wood at the 48" mark to minimize compression from the weight of the fiberglass. Inside seams were caulked.



Hung on studs:



Filled with fiberglass:

 

[jamhead]

Again, no photos, but used Kraft paper in front of the bass traps to hopefully minimize overall deadening of the room.

A frame made similar to the superchunks using molding and attached fabric to the frame.

And, now the finished products:





Looks like I don't have a photo of the tall superchunk. bummer. But, you get the idea.

 

[jamhead]

So, total for the room is 3 superchunk bass traps. The two upfront are open faced. One in the rear corner covered with Kraft paper.

1- 6" trap behind the door in the rear of the room...covered with Kraft paper.

3-4" broadband traps behind the couch for primary reflections.

2- 2" broadband on either side wall for primary reflections.

To do: 2 - 8" thick absorption panels in the alcove directly above my speakers. Not sure if I'll cover those or leave them as broadband.



Flint, to respond: I talked with Ethan Winer about the concern of over-deadening a room, and he suggested the use of Kraft paper over the rear traps (since they weren't at the primary reflection areas) and that should minimize the over-deadening aspect. Overall absorption is well under 20% of wall area, so hopefully I'm OK.

Maybe Batman can respond as to if he felt the room was a little too dead. We really couldn't turn it up too much...so not sure if he could tell.

 

[heeman]

Nice job Jamhead!!

How do you think they effected the sound?

 

[Randy]

Very nice indeed.

 

[DIYer]

Good yob man! :handgestures-thumbupright:

Diy is fun.

 

[Huey]

Looks good Jamhead!

 

[jamhead]

Nice job Jamhead!!

How do you think they effected the sound?

Thanks for the comments everyone. Hard to tell how they look with the photos...but I think they look good in the room.

Heeman- Very hard to describe. I'll try. On Saturday night, our daughter was at a sleepover so my wife and I was able to sit down and listen for about 3 hours at a fairly good volume. I didn't use "reference" discs, or study the sound, but we just wanted to listen to some music, as we typically do on weekends.

Couple of things that surprised me...and I don't fully understand. The system sounded louder at the same volume level than before, but not in a bad way. The treble seemed more clear, more distinct. Also, although the imaging remained the same, you could hear more clearly sounds from each speaker as well. As an example, we listened to a Pearl Jam Live Bootleg, and they have 2 lead guitarists......Stone is in the Right speaker, and Mike is in the Left. They change leads and play "together". In the past, you could hear each when they would play solos or similar, but now, you can hear each play throughout the song...the guitars don't seem to get lost together during the songs. Both of these were surprises.

The bass itself is weird and will take time to get used to. Hard to describe, but in the past you could hear the bass, and it sounded tight. Now, the kick drum is very sharp...with minimal decay. The bass guitar sounds more like a guitar than extended bass, as it used to. However, there is tactile feeling with both....though you can't hear it. Make sense? Now, it's almost as if the sub isn't on, as you cannot "hear" it (I had to get up and check a couple of times), but the tactile feel of the bass (through the floor and on the couch). I really like that feel....more of a "punch".

I did play around with a couple of deep bass tracks...one was the 1812 Overture, and the cannons no longer have a "low" sound. They sound like cannons, but have much more impact than room echo. Sharper....more of aloud "pop" that you can feel.

Damn hard to describe. I need to spend more time with it, but so far, I love what I'm hearing. Porcupine Tree's "Halo" sounded great...but different. Again, need to get used to it.

 

[Batman]

Nice write up. I didn't hear anything in that room before you had all your treatments. But something was just "right" about that setup.

 

[jamhead]

Thanks Batman.

Bon Iver and Radiohead are coming my way! I can't get that Bon Iver song out of my head.

 

[heeman]

Nice job Jamhead!!

How do you think they effected the sound?

Thanks for the comments everyone. Hard to tell how they look with the photos...but I think they look good in the room.

Heeman- Very hard to describe. I'll try. On Saturday night, our daughter was at a sleepover so my wife and I was able to sit down and listen for about 3 hours at a fairly good volume. I didn't use "reference" discs, or study the sound, but we just wanted to listen to some music, as we typically do on weekends.

Couple of things that surprised me...and I don't fully understand. The system sounded louder at the same volume level than before, but not in a bad way. The treble seemed more clear, more distinct. Also, although the imaging remained the same, you could hear more clearly sounds from each speaker as well. As an example, we listened to a Pearl Jam Live Bootleg, and they have 2 lead guitarists......Stone is in the Right speaker, and Mike is in the Left. They change leads and play "together". In the past, you could hear each when they would play solos or similar, but now, you can hear each play throughout the song...the guitars don't seem to get lost together during the songs. Both of these were surprises.

The bass itself is weird and will take time to get used to. Hard to describe, but in the past you could hear the bass, and it sounded tight. Now, the kick drum is very sharp...with minimal decay. The bass guitar sounds more like a guitar than extended bass, as it used to. However, there is tactile feeling with both....though you can't hear it. Make sense? Now, it's almost as if the sub isn't on, as you cannot "hear" it (I had to get up and check a couple of times), but the tactile feel of the bass (through the floor and on the couch). I really like that feel....more of a "punch".

I did play around with a couple of deep bass tracks...one was the 1812 Overture, and the cannons no longer have a "low" sound. They sound like cannons, but have much more impact than room echo. Sharper....more of aloud "pop" that you can feel.

Damn hard to describe. I need to spend more time with it, but so far, I love what I'm hearing. Porcupine Tree's "Halo" sounded great...but different. Again, need to get used to it.

This is interesting, because I experienced similar conditions once I installed my Floor to Ceiling Bass Traps in my 2 front corners. Almost the identical conditions.............

 

[yromj]

...Now, it's almost as if the sub isn't on, as you cannot "hear" it (I had to get up and check a couple of times), but the tactile feel of the bass (through the floor and on the couch). I really like that feel....more of a "punch"...

IMHO, that's saying that you got a lot things right. The sub shouldn't like a separate speaker but should sound like an extension of the other speakers. I've seen multiple people check to see if a sub is on at various GTGs. When the sub's turned off it should sound like the lower end of the speakers just got turned off.

John