Fabrics for Room Treatments

[CupCak3]

How important are the fabric properties for room treatments? The treatments I’ll be fabricating will be for first reflections and bass traps. After searching around for acoustically transparent fabrics, they seem to be very pricey and most of them are not wife approved (the ones which she does like are really $$$).

After playing around with the bonded cotton I’ll be using in my panels, it does not seem to me that the fabric will make a huge difference (assuming the fabric is not backed and can be pretty easily blown through). I’d really like to be able to buy whatever I need from JoAnn Fabrics or similar…

Thoughts?

Thanks!

[Txgrizzly]

i have heard that Burlap was the fabric of choice but i am a newbie to this stuff. you can dye the burlap any color you want so that might help the wife get on board...

[Kal Rubinson]

For this purpose, you want something that will NOT reflect HF. Ideally, you would use a purpose-designed (acoustically transparent) fabric like GOM FR701 so that the fiberglas in the panels can absorb a wide range of frequencies.

Besides, burlap is ugly regardless of color (just ask my wife).

Kal

[here.now]

For this purpose, you want something that will NOT reflect HF. Ideally, you would use a purpose-designed (acoustically transparent) fabric like GOM FR701 so that the fiberglas in the panels can absorb a wide range of frequencies.

Besides, burlap is ugly regardless of color (just ask my wife).

Kal

Hey watch it buddy... I just burlaped my whole theater :lol:

Seriously though, it blended will with our decor but any fabric that can be easily blown through will be sufficient.

[Kal Rubinson]

Hey watch it buddy... I just burlaped my whole theater :lol:

Makes me itchy just to think about it. :E

Seriously though, it blended will with our decor but any fabric that can be easily blown through will be sufficient.

Mebbe.

Kal

[CupCak3]

For this purpose, you want something that will NOT reflect HF. Ideally, you would use a purpose-designed (acoustically transparent) fabric like GOM FR701 so that the fiberglas in the panels can absorb a wide range of frequencies.

Besides, burlap is ugly regardless of color (just ask my wife).

Kal

The HF reflection is what I am concerned about. Do you (or anyone else) have an idea of how specially designed, non-AT fabrics will perform? I know this is a very broad (and probably poorly formed) question but I'm have trouble grasping how (let alone how much) most fabrics would reflect enough sound make an audible difference.

[exojam]

I purchased my fabic from the below site, they have a few different colors to choose from.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--Fabric--107.html

James

[ThomasW]

There's no reason to buy a $pendy specialty fabric unless you need a specific color.

Any natural fiber will absorb HF, so cotton, jute, wool, will do the job.

I use muslin (not to be confused with Muslim). It's a very low cost all cotton weave. Nice thing is it's virtually the same color as off-white wall paint in my house .....

[CupCak3]

There's no reason to buy a $pendy specialty fabric unless you need a specific color.

Any natural fiber will absorb HF, so cotton, jute, wool, will do the job.

That's exactly what I needed; thanks!

[cjd]

I used wool felt. Wool or muslin are both easily died, though in my case it was for the front of the theater and thus is black.

[Kal Rubinson]

The HF reflection is what I am concerned about. Do you (or anyone else) have an idea of how specially designed, non-AT fabrics will perform? I know this is a very broad (and probably poorly formed) question but I'm have trouble grasping how (let alone how much) most fabrics would reflect enough sound make an audible difference.

It should be a big problem as the softer and more open the fabric, the less reflective it will be. As another has suggested, many natural fibers will do. The problem would be difficult if you needed complete transparency.

OTOH, one advantage of GOM is its fire-resistance. If you are going to use yards and yards, that might be a concern.

Kal

[CupCak3]

It should be a big problem as the softer and more open the fabric, the less reflective it will be. As another has suggested, many natural fibers will do. The problem would be difficult if you needed complete transparency.

OTOH, one advantage of GOM is its fire-resistance. If you are going to use yards and yards, that might be a concern.

Kal

Good point with the fire resistance, but I'm not covering walls so I should be OK with about anything.

I don't need complete transparency; I'll be treating my HT, not a critical listening room. That being said, I wanted to make sure what I was doing would work well the first time with all the time and money I already have invested in equipment and speakers.

[Dennis H]

Yeah, it's much easier than picking a grill cloth.

Grill cloth:
reflects = bad
absorbs = bad

Room treatments:
reflects = bad
absorbs = good

[Dennis H]

As an aside, anyone measured the absorption of a bed sheet? Earl Geddes says that's what he's using as an 'acoustically transparent' screen in his HT. I'm sure there's some absorption but I wonder if it's really much more than the $pendy screen materials? As a WAG, I'd think it might have more absorption but less reflection (comb filtering).

[Kal Rubinson]

As an aside, anyone measured the absorption of a bed sheet? Earl Geddes says that's what he's using as an 'acoustically transparent' screen in his HT. I'm sure there's some absorption but I wonder if it's really much more than the $pendy screen materials? As a WAG, I'd think it might have more absorption but less reflection (comb filtering).

I think this seems pretty strange considering the wide variation in fiber and weave that are found in bedsheets.

For those interested in a goldmine of data and information on acoustics, try this: http://forum.studiotips.com/index.php

Kal

[PoorboyMike]

As an aside, anyone measured the absorption of a bed sheet? Earl Geddes says that's what he's using as an 'acoustically transparent' screen in his HT. I'm sure there's some absorption but I wonder if it's really much more than the $pendy screen materials? As a WAG, I'd think it might have more absorption but less reflection (comb filtering).

That's interesting. I've been holding back on getting some AT material because I don't really have $2-300 to burn right now. I might just give this a try if I can find a big enough sheet. Preferably on without any stains. :B

Do you remember where you read about Earl using the sheet? I wouldn't mind checking out what he has to say about it.

[Dennis H]

It was just a brief comment in a thread about center channels. He mentioned his center was another Summa behind a bed sheet screen. He said it was acoustically transparent but I don't know what he means by that exactly. I think he's using a receiver with EQ so it would be easy for him to boost the highs if needed. I don't know if he does though.

[PoorboyMike]

Thanks Dennis, I think I will give this a try. I'm using an Onkyo 805 for a pre/pro so I should be able to boost the top end a little to compensate for the sheet. Heck, even a high $$ AT screen needs this done for best results.

I wonder what the gain on a white cotton sheet is?

[Hank]

Burlap works. We did a local group build of absorbers in my garage a few years ago and used it. I went to Hobby Lobby and was VERY surprised at the number of colors of their burlap. Looks nice too. It sheds pretty bad at first, so I'd vacuum it before working with it.
You could go to the Orange store and take a look at their window screen material. They've got some black fiberglas that's open enough to be fairly acoustically transparent.

[bigburner]

Ice cold water runnin' through my veins
They try and drag me back to work again
Pain and blisters on my mind and hands
I work all day making up a... a burlap bag

Grand Funk Railroad - "Inside Looking Out"

I was the vocalist in a band in 1971/72 and we did that song. The word burlap is indelibly ingrained in my memory. No particular colour comes to mind.

I hope this little reminiscence was helpful.

Nigel.

[Curt C]

Ditto here Nigel,

GFR was done almost as often by college / garage bands of that eara as Deep Purple's "Smoke on the water".

C