Variable Acoustics-Anybody done it?

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 1:54 pm

We are planning on doing a studio remodel in the near future. Our room does a little bit of everything. We might be doing rhythm tracking one day, live strings or choral the next or solo, groups vocals. Everything in between.

I am really wanting to redo the main live room which now is mainly LIVE.

I would like create a room that can be deadened quite extensively, but then livened up for orchestra or choral work. I have researched several things like hinged panels, hard on one side, dead on the other. Curtains are thought. Like heavy theatre curtains that could be drawn on certain walls.

Just wondered if anyone here had ever done anything like this..

Thanks for any advice.

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 3:27 pm

I've been thinking about this as well. Would love to hear ideas/experience.

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 7:44 pm

I am in the process of implementing this sort of thing.

I installed the bass traps permanently in corners. I am building the mid/high absorbers free standing with a plywood backing. This way i can set them up for vocal recording, drums, guitar, etc. and if it's too dead i can spin them around to make the area more live. Basically i'm using Ethan's mid/high absorber plans and just adding a base for them to be stable and not fall over.

How well will it work?! Well, I don't know yet, but it should realistically. I can always stand them up where i would have mounted them on the wall anyway later.

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 8:26 pm

Daniel,

I was thinking about that as well. Try developing an attachment system mounted to the wall, so that you can just pull off the panel, turn it over, and re-attach it.

Less floor space used up (just a little more space would be used than the panel attached to the wall by itself), and it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. There's a picture in here somewhere of Ethan's products showing a mounting system that has exactly the same idea that I'm describing.

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 7:50 am

Quote:

Originally posted by Bassmannie:
Daniel,

I was thinking about that as well. Try developing an attachment system mounted to the wall, so that you can just pull off the panel, turn it over, and re-attach it.

Hang it from a (big) nail with wire that's attached to screw eyes in the top of the frame. Pull it away from the wall, and flip it over.

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 10:02 am

<img src="http://www.sweetwater.com/newstudio/image/mtstudio862.jpg" alt=" - " />

Here is a picture of an idea. This is studio A at Sweetwater Sound in Ft. Wayne. I sent Chuck the plans for these many years ago from a book I had. Can't find it now. It was either the Everest book or another one I got from Mix Publications on studio design.

They are hinged panels, soft on one side and hard on the other. There are many variations of these around. I have seen some real fancy ones in the BIG BOY studio at The Sound Kitchen just up the street from me here in Franklin. I 'll see if I can find a pic of them.

Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:01 pm

Quote:

Hang it from a (big) nail with wire that's attached to screw eyes in the top of the frame. Pull it away from the wall, and flip it over.

That would certainly work, Jon, even if it was a little tongue-in-cheek.

I was thinking more like this (image taken from Ethan's RealTraps site):
Wink

That's one of my ideas. Maybe worth a try.

It's one of two of my better ideas, one of which I will definitely implement at some point.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:52 am

I have seen a few pics around of rooms with timber blinds in front of absorber panels. I don't know how well it would work but it could be a cheap alternative. Just roll em up or down depending if you want diffusion or absorbtion I spose....

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 8:46 am

[quote]Originally posted by Bassmannie:
[QB]

Quote:

Hang it from a (big) nail with wire that's attached to screw eyes in the top of the frame. Pull it away from the wall, and flip it over.

That would certainly work, Jon, even if it was a little tongue-in-cheek.

It actually wasn't tongue in cheek at all, at least not mostly.

Even better, one big screw eye in the top of the panel, and one on the wall. One big heavy rope or chain in between. I like it because you don't even have to pick the panel up, really, just pull it out and spin it.

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:13 am

George C-
Are you looking to diffuse along with the reflected area? I have (at home, not here) some images of these variable acoustic treatments. Maybe if was Sayers or something. They open to expose absorbtive material, but when closed, the surface is convex providing some nice 'poly' diffusion. Now that I think about it, you could make it like has been mentioned here hanging on a wire for easy flipping, but use a convex shape on the reflective side.

Could you do this, guys? Would putting it in a frame of 1x4's be OK as a frame to keep it flat against the wall when the absorbtion is 'out'?

JZ

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 11:44 am

just put this together. something like this?

<img src="http://members.bwwonline.com/jeffzika/variable.gif" alt=" - " />

4 sides of 1x4 pine, a lip for the fiberglass to sit on, a poly on one side, acoustically transparent material on the other.

(this is a simplification, don't nit pick! (the fiberglass is not covered on the poly side....causes premature death...etc....."

Jeff

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:39 pm

I get it now, Jon!

I see how the wire-hanging panel idea would be convenient. My only qualm is that I don't think it would look especially professional.
Of course that's not really an issue in a personal studio, unless one is out to impress himself! Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:57 pm

Jeff, I'm not positive about this, but it seems to me that having the 1x's sticking out past the edge of the poly (on the convex side) would make that part of the poly into a CONCAVE reflector, which can give some really focussed reflections.

You could achieve the same stability when the poly was toward the wall, by using 4 dowels at corners for legs, without the possibility of messing up the diffusion afforded by the poly's. You'd want to contact cement 1/4" neoprene feet on the ends of the dowels that contact the wall, for vibration - or you could use 4 of those rubber "crutch tip" slip-ons, available at most drug/variety stors... Steve

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 7:04 pm

Jeff:

Yes, I would want that. We do lots of orchestra, choral work, so diffusion would be a good thing.

Thanks for your ideas. Post those images if you have them...

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 7:04 pm

Sorry.
Momentary lapse of reason.

I was at work and not thinking clearly, clearly.

The diffusion wouldn't work with walls blocking the reflection. I agree that there would be a lot of misdirection going on-- air, poly, frame, poly, frame, etc....
When you put polys next to eachother, there is reflectoin between the surface of polyA and polyB that just must bounce around the 2 until it is set free back out into the ethers. but with a straight wall, it wouldn't really add to the process!

AND-
what about a box frame holding the absorber material, and make a lipped front that you could just slide 1/8" plywood into from the side. Leave one side short and run a rabbet along the other 3 sides. Nice and simple. Heck, put a seal on it and you've got a absorber/bass trap/reflector.
Very Happy

Jeff

This topic sponsored by: