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There’s really no right or wrong here. I prefer the finish I get by putting the back fabric on last because it covers the seams from the front fabric giving it a more professional look. Now, it’s on the back so no one sees it so it really just comes down to your preference. Thanks for watching!
Bro I personally thank you from the bottom of my heart for this clean and informative video. I’ll follow every frame of it when I start doing my panels. 👍👍👍👍
Put a smile on my face with that comment. Glad I could help. I’ve got some other Acoustic Panel resources on my channel. Make sure to check them out. And thanks for the view!
Just did mine. I put the back fabric on first. Went to Goodwill and found a large tablecloth for $3.00. I stapled it securely to the back, then dropped the insulation into the frame. I laid down the cover fabric on the ground then gently laid down the sound panel onto it. (Tip: use painters tape around the frame to hold the insulation in place, otherwise it may fall out when you go to lay it down on the fabric). After centering the frame on the fabric, I began to secure the fabric. On the back, the front panel fabric will cover the back fabric.
There are countless tutorials online. Yours is by far the best, simplest and more enjoyable to follow. You convinced me to tackle this by myself and saved me probably hundreds, if not thousands down the road. I've made 3 panels so far. A few tips: 1) Avoid Burlap. It falls apart. Its too transparent and is ugly. 2) Cotton canvas works very well. It looks good, easy to work with, durable and cheap. 3) Many in the US are having a hard time finding the 24" version Rockwool. I was not able to order it from Home Depot. I was able to special order it from Lowes. 4) You can use just one Monkey Hook to hang on drywall. I also used just one small D loop in the back of the panels. The panels are quite light and do not need reinforced hangers. 5) Apparent 1x4 lumber varies quite a bit in thickness. Don't panic if the frame doesn't align perfectly. The fabric hides the imperfections of the frame. 6) You can make a 2x8 corner bass trap using this exact same design. Just use 2 two 8' pieces and add two 22.75" support in the middle, just like you do for the top and bottom.
Thank you so much for your kind words. And happy to help. I have a few other videos on panels covering testing and placing. I also recently did a panels 2.0 video that introduces some additional features to the panels. Make sure to check them out before you start your build. Best of luck with the project!
I am using this great, helpful tutorial to make my panels with the following mods/improvements: 1: I am custom sizing larger panels for the room I have; 2: using black landscape fabric for back and black “speaker” fabric for front so no color difference; 3: add back fabric before front; 4: modify the top bracing to be a French cleat (45 degree bevel) so it is dual purpose as mounting method with minimal stand-off from wall and very clean look; 5: leave top brace clear of backing fabric ((by about 1”) so the brace/cleat is exposed to the mating 45 bevel piece attached to the wall (using same 1 x 4 material)
Good tips and overall design. I recommend putting on the back fabric first so that it is completely covered and also so you can cut it without fear of cutting the front fabric. When you staple the front fabric, start with the tops and bottoms so that the folds are hidden by the sides. This gives you the cleanest overall look.
Thanks. Pick through the comments or check my Panels Q&A video. I discuss my logic about why I think putting the back fabric on last is the way to go...This has been discussed at length in the comments...
After months of anticipation, I finally built two acoustic panels of my own based on the information in this video and i'm super geeked! Worked really well :) Like other people had commented, I put the fabric on the back first, just to remove any additional frustrations with cutting, but either way thanks for all the information!
Glad this helped out! The back first or last debate has been brought up by a few. I talk about it in another video. If you ever need to open the panel to adjust or fix something it's better to have the back on last. Easier to get back in without damaging the outer fabric. Other than that, they both work the same ;)
Super helpful video! Got my panels up and they work great! I would like to mention to others who plan on following this video that live in America my experiences in building this. Wood was super easy and cheap, costed about 24 USD for 8 frames. The insulation was not sold anywhere local in my area and I believe it will most likely have to be ordered online from Canada. Luckily when I ordered it online it was able to ship to a lumber store not far from where I live, but not sure if others would be so lucky so I’d definitely check that before building this. It costed me 70USD in total for the insulation, but it comes with 8 pats (8 pieces) which was perfect for the room I’m in because I need 8 panels. I had trouble with the fabric when I was shopping at local craft stores, because they didn’t have 58 inched rolls, only 54 inched rolls everywhere I went. Luckily a lady that worked there assisted me (I’m terrible at measuring fabric and such) we ended up using the 54 inched rolls because you should still have just enough to fold over and staple there just won’t be as much slack as the video has. As for the material, I needed white panels to match the room so I used a material similar to what they use for projector screens (idk what it’s called) but it worked great because it was thick enough to where the wood wouldn’t show through the fabric and it was about 5 USD a yard. For the back of the panels I just used the same material they use under couches and stuff. It costed about 90 USD for 8 of the fabric and 8 of the backing pieces all together, but it was on sale for me so it was only 70 USD. So all together for 8 panels it costed me about $160 USD. Again, great video to follow but just sharing my experiences to hopefully help others!
Thnx for sharing your experience. You nailed this on the head. My video is there to get you started but great you were able to adapt to subtle differences. A lot could learn for your experience. Thnx for sharing your story!!
Just thought I'd throw my success story in the ring here. Thanks to COVID, I've had ample time to (finally) work on improving the sound treatment of my basement, and this video was the starting point. The baffles I made are beautiful and have already made a HUGE difference in the acoustical properties of my very boxy room. Mine are wrapped in burlap (cheapest and matches my studio aesthetic), but I feel the absorbtion of reflection is fantastic. Thank you SO MUCH for this exceptionally easy tutorial! Just a tip from someone who built 10 of these: take your time. If you find yourself rushing, stop; you're going to end up regretting it and redoing the work you've done. I hope this works as well for all of you that it has for me!
I could tell that you are a perfectionist before you mentioned it, because you wrapped your corners in the best manner possible and you explained why for everything.
I’ve watched several videos on making absorber panels. This is the best one I’ve seen! I’ve saved this video and will watch it again later after I collect all my materials to start the project. 2x👍🏻
Thank you so much. Appreciate your thoughts. Good luck with your build. Please drop me a comment once you've built them to let em know how it went. Good luck!!
Just wanted to comment and let you know that after finding your video I am getting ready to build 12 of these panels using your method but with Owens Corning 703 and I cannot thank you enough for saving me the effort of figuring out how to design the panels. I have the roxul safe n' sound cut in triangles stacked in my corners for superchunk bass traps and the difference the acoustic treatment makes cannot be overstated. Great video!
Thank you so much! I’m always happy to hear that my video helps! Once you’ve done your build check out my acoustic panels placement and sound test videos. They may provide further assistance once you are ready to install Good luck!
I would say, when you make these panels, take your time and follow EXACTLY the steps presented in that video. It allows for a smooth work flow. I have a bad habit of zooming through instructions in order to satisfy my excitement.. I have built a few panels, single, double in width and/or height, with upholstery fabric and whatever fabric I had on hand, notably landscaping fabric that I used before knowing that the exact same fabric was featured in the video...what a genius! Well maybe not so because after having built in six panels with some beginner mistakes, I finally got it right. Again FOLLOW DIRECTIONS just as it is in the video. These panels work great,(even with beginner mistakes) and they definitely changed what I am hearing when mixing. And there is nothing better than building your own stuff because, if nothing else, it will keep you centered in the moment which is quite helpful in these crazy times we are living. Just do it!
Thank you for your support and positive feedback. And I agree 100%. Easy to gloss over directions and then get frustrated when you make mistakes. It's not a hard project but you need to follow the steps if you are not used to making things like this. Glad you pushed through!!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that. Check out the placement and sound test videos when you make yours and let me know if you find them helpful. Cheers!!!
A very enjoyable video. I am trying to figure out how to care for children in one room, while parents are attending a meeting in another room. I really appreciated the commitment to perfection. Thank you.
The mesh backing, I would recommend wrapping the batt in it first, then snug fit into the frame. This will avoid having to do all of the extra work after putting the main fabric on.
You must also be a master at Christmas gift wrapping. No but seriously this is the most tidy diy acoustic panel I've ever seen with ultra simple instructions. Great job
Ik u keep running back to this vid as to why it's popular "Cheap and Awesome" in the thumbnail And the way you presented the Panel open, showing everyone how easy it is to make right from the thumbnail made me wanna click it 🐸
Awesome. Thank you so much. We're building a Lonely Rocker Army! I have a ton of panel resources on my channel. Different types of panels, how to place and test them. Check them out and let me know your thoughts.
The instructions here have been totally helpful. I'm not at the material wrapping phase yet, I still have to order my fabric, but I used these guidelines to build 18 panels, which took a couple of weeks, overall. I also ended up using a 4 1/4 inch hole saw and drill press to cut out evenly spaced holes in my wood pieces, before assembly. This should provide a few extra percentage points of absorption, although not necessary. I should also point out that I went with modified 1x10 knotty pine for all of my frames. I've filled these with 3 layers of safe n sound, so I had to had a small strip to the 1x10's (really 1 x 9 1/4) in order to house three layers. And each panel is wrapped in 1/4 inch polyester (dacron) batting before I do the final fabric phase. Overall, my build is a tad pricey though and more involved - but for my needs I'm happy. Just thought I'd share. Thanks again for these helpful videos!
Thanks for sharing your adaptations and glad these videos are helpful to you. Sometimes planting a seed is all we need to get creative. Adapting to your needs is an awesome thing to do. Continued good luck with your build!
Thanks for your thoughts!! I have actually given thought to doing that. Maybe for my Patreon. I have a bunch of other Panel videos on my channel including my 2.0 formula. Make sure to check them out!
I highly recommend using black landscape fabric as a covering on the front before putting the other fabric on. Upholstery fabric is designed to let air through, but it will also allow the dust from the rockwool to pass through. Landscape fabric is cheaper than backing fabric. Also, look for roll ends in the upholstery fabric section of the fabric store. There are really great deals for just a few bucks. I did 8 panels with about 25 dollars worth of fabric.
Check my channel for my new Acoustic Panels 2.0 that I just published. I addressed concerns for inner insulation and included a formula for bass traps. Check it out.
I have made these. I cut a 45degree edge of the front so that the insulation goes all the way and instead of flat on the bottom, 45degree angle there.. makes the "box" less likely to rack
This the best and simplest video on this topic. Unfortunately the price of wood went up since 2018, so $20 per panel is no longer accurate. Oh well. I just marked where I'm gonna be making the cuts. Pretty excited. Thanks for this!
Eh, a 2x4x8 common board is $7.58 at Home Depot in Nashville, TN and that same board was around $6 in 2018, so I don't know if that's really worth mentioning?
@@LonelyRocker I finished building the frames following the instructions in this video and they came out Perfect! This is absolutely the best video on this topic.
Great tutorial, one thing I would change is to add the backing material before the primary fabric. That way you don't have to worry about how the edges look & it guarantees you won't see it from the front...
Thank you. And Ha! That has been mentioned so many times. I talk about why I do it this way here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IjCtAccI_7w.html
I used the best 1x3 pine I could get, cut 45 degree corners, and attached the wall hanger directly to the top 1x3. Super light, and professionally clean looking.
Well, I looked up when this was posted. It was 4 years ago roughly and the price of things certainly has changed a LOT. 20 bucks Canadian is roughly 15 USD. But I'm nowhere close to that on my build. To be clear, I have upgraded some things. I am doing a total of 8 24x48 panels, 6 of which are 4" deep and 2 of which are 8" deep. The wood was over $120usd, the covering was $110usd and then I didn't have most of the tools. I purchased wood clamps, gloves, t-square, glue, a counter sink drill bit, staple gun and staples, screws, etc...all of which added up to roughly $100 but we won't count that toward the cost of the panels since some will likely have all those things. So far we are at $230 and we haven't talked about filling materials yet. So if we divide $230 by 8 we see that we are already at $28.75 per box without any filling or backing fabric. The fabric was an issue as none of the fabric stores I went to carried any rolls wider than 54 inches or longer than 10 yards! I wound up ordering backing material from a horrible company whom I won't mention here for $35. The material had to be ordered online and I went thru Amazon and wound up spending $65 plus another $30 for the 3" elastic (this was already figured into the amount above for covering). The filler is where I upgraded a bit. I ordered Roxul SafeNSound 60 as you have used. The packs were 24x48x2 and came 6 to a box, I ordered 2 boxes which was roughly $130 and for the 8" bass traps I also ordered Rockwool Comfortboard 80 which was also 24x48x2 and came 4 to a pack (I ordered 1 pack). That was about $120. So we are at $230 before filling and now we are at roughly $545 which comes out to $68 ish per box which if we are talking Canadian is more than 4 times what it was when you made this video! Might want to make an Update supplement type video to get people more current info, if that matters to you. I gotta say, the mindset just figuring out the plans and exactly what I need without waste was quite hectic. But the issue with covering fabric is probably the biggest mind trip of all. Not having rolls wider than 54 inches means I would need to buy a roll at least 16 yards long or hire a math genius to figure out how to do it with 2 rolls, which by the way none of the stores had more than 1 roll of any upholstery fabrics... I figured that I would need to either have a roll that was 44 inches wide (never found any that small) or 60 inches wide to avoid having a ton of waste. I did find 60" wide rolls on Amazon and the cost was much cheaper than in the stores. Anyway, now I have to get the time to build all the boxes. I will start with the bass traps. I plan to use 2 panels for a ceiling cloud. Still need to purchase hanging hardware for those... Loving the project, so thanks for the knowledge and inspiration!
Thanks for your insight. And yes, prices have changed dramatically. Especially considering current events. This video is a phenomenon. It was my first “official” episode and it has not stopped getting views in 4 years. I did actually do a bunch of follow ups and offered different designs and strategies. I decided to stop doing topics on Acoustics. I think I have enough available on the channel and it was never really a core interest of mine. My main focus is home recording and mixing from the perspective of a guitar player. Hope you got through your build ok and hope you check out some of my newer topics. Cheers!
@Lonely Rocker absolutely understand. Please don't misunderstand, mine was more of a comment than a critique. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have got the knowledge or Impulse to do this. I looked at many videos or plans and yours just made the most sense to me and seemed to be the most well built without going overboard. A few others from the popular channels here have some more flimsy, and probably cheaper builds. But I don't want boxes that I'm going to worry about moving around. Thanks again! I do also check out your newer content and I always appreciate it very much. You got a sub from me the first time I watched one of your videos. Continued success!
@@pvalenti I totally took your feedback as constructive and contributing to the discussion. It wasn't critical at all!! I thank you for your contribution and thrilled you watch my other stuff and decided to jump on board. Thank you! Look forward to hearing from you again!
@Lonely Rocker cool man. Too bad my OCD always has me looking for ways to make something better. The mix of Comfortboard 80, Safe-N-Sound 60, and the Auralex Studio Foam (which I thankfully got from a friend for free) should make for a couple nice bass traps. The only question is which layer should go in front? I think yours is densest in front...I just wonder if the Comfortboard would stop so much that the 2 additional layers would be superfluous...probably over-thinking it...
Pleasure is all mine, my friend! Funny, just the other day some guy commented this is NOT the way to do corners. We all know what finger we can show him! 😝😝😝 Enjoy your panels!!
I'm pretty good at woodworking. In my humble opinion, the only problem you may have is underestimating the difficulty of screwing the corners together. It's important to a drill proper pilot holes. You can use just a regular drill bit, or for about $10 you can buy a set of three. The common sizes are #8, #10, and #12. They will drill a nice controlled straight hole with a little countersink. If you don't drill a pilot hole, in that type of joint it's very easy to split the wood. If you're a perfectionist like me, you can get discouraged real fast. Final thought to an issue that I still see. Do not buy slotted head screws! Buy Phillips head (star type), square, or Torx drive screw heads. Hopefully, you have a cordless drill driver, but in any case slotted drive screws are a PITA. Have fun...
Don't mistake these panels for "Soundproofing". These are designed to absorb reflections not hide sound. Not sure how well they will silence your fridge. But good luck! :-)
Great video. Just finished making my first one for a friend's new studio and it came out great! I sanded the whole frame and rounded off all the edges to protect the material. I also used 100% polyester for the front as I read it was good for acoustic transparency. Going to try to hang away from the wall a little by attaching small feet to the back side of the finished panel. Thanks again!
Thank you. Glad you're making progress. And personal tweaks to the formula are always fun. I used feet in my install as well. I touch on that in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IjCtAccI_7w.html Also, check out my Panels 2.0 video. I introduce a new formula to the brew. Good luck with the build!
I just used Rockwool yesterday for a bathroom remodel project at a house. A normal carpenter looks at it and thinks, “hmm this is good insulation and needed to pass my fire safety inspection.” But I looked at it and immediately thought “Yo, this would make a really nice acoustic panel for my home.” I am SO glad you have this video. Do you think the panels work really good? I’ll be moving into an apartment soon, and would like to cut some of the room echo and reduce some noise bleed.
I love that story!! That's what it's all about!! My pleasure, glad you like this video. They do a great job cutting down echo for sure. They do not have any soundproofing properties. That's a different thing. But placed correctly you will definitely improve the sound inside your room. Check out my other Panel videos. I have newer formulations for different needs and I also have placement and mounting tips. Check them out!
Dont you need to worry about breathing around the insulation? Even after you hang them up wouldn't it be bad for your health? After all it's meant to be in wall cavities. Just asking because I really wanna make these! 🙂
That’s a very fair question and a lot have discussed it. Studies show modern rockwool is very safe. If you’re concerned you could put an extra membrane of some sort inside. The key is it has to be somewhat breathable for them to be effective . I may do some further research and produce a video about this at some point. Thnx for your thoughts!
Although less effective (but effective enough) use towels or Auralex instead. The particles are really dangerous; extremely irritant for, lungs, eyes, and skin
That’s why you cover the panels all the way around. Wear a particulate mask while building them. Then cover them with fabric. Then hang them up where you want them and DON’T move them around or touch them anymore. They can sit in place for many YEARS without endangering your health if you leave them alone.
Following this tutorial I built eight 24' by 48' panels for $150 Canadian after taxes for a bargain basement price of $18.75 per panel + 8hrs of labor.
Great DIY solution. I've gone a bit of a different direction, but fundamentally the same: open back frame, fabric over core material. Here's a visual detail tip: staple the corners on the ends (top and bottom edges ) FIRST, then the sides. Then when you fold the sides over the folded/staples end section, the lay of the fabric will completely hide the corner seam. I've been using a combo of acoustically neutral polyester bug-screen, or cotton muslin for the backs of my panels, but I like your idea of the upholstery backing. I'll check that out. BTW, you can get fairly cheap speaker fabric at JoAnn, or online. Makes for a stealthy, kinda goth look, and the acoustic transparency maximizes the absorption of the roxul.
Thanks for a great video Lonely Rocker! There is a ton of ugly reverb in the room where I practice vocals and it is in dire need of acoustic treatment. I decided to build 8 panels using your instructions. The frames turned out great but I'm still waiting on the fabrics to arrive (I can't wait for finish it up). Roxul 24 was tough to find online and it's a bit pricey but the experts tend to agree that it's the best in class for acoustic treatment so I bit the bullet. Fabrics can also get a bit pricey if you want the good stuff (not talking about the back of the panel). All in all, I managed to make it ~$27+change/panel so you were right on the money there. Thanks again for all the advice!
Thanks so much for your feedback and kind words! Glad this worked out for you and you'll soon have your panels proudly installed in your room. Enjoy them and glad I could be a small part in your studio venture. Cheers!
@@LonelyRocker Lynchburg VA. Looked up the product locator on their site and called but the stores listed are all out. I suppose I can just take the 16 inch and cut to fit
Covid has created supply issues all over the place. Perhaps that's why. Yes, use the 16 and cut tit if that's all you can find. Make sure to wrap the insulation with a thin fabric inside to keep it all together nicely. And check my newer panel build videos to see some of the upgrades I added...Good luck!
Also what do i need to look out for when choosing a fabric. I'm guessing it has to be acoustically transparent, but how would I know what is and what isn't? thanks again.... great video!
With fabric it’s pretty simple. If you can breath through it sound can pass through. I chose a dense fabric because it was easier to manage creases. Also the denser the fabric the Better it will keep insulation fibers inside. There is some discussion about putting an extra barrier of foil or plastic between the insulation and the outer fabric. However, rule of thumb is simply, the less sound that can penetrate the fabric the more that will bounce back into your room. All research I have done shows modern rockwool is safe so go with a fabric of your choice. The more rigid it is the easier it will be to avoid creases but you can pretty much use anything. Thanks for watching!
Highly suggest putting thy backing on first. You can cover the seam with your top fabric and you don't have to worry about damaging the top. Not to mention it would protect your fingers if you were using a different insulation.
There is no right or wrong here and a few people have been discussing this. 1. The best method is the one you feel most comfortable with. 2. It's on the back so no one will ever see it. I personally tested both methods. I decided I wanted to finish off the outer fabric. Either the backing or the outer fabric ends up on top. So really, it is a judgement call that has no bearing on panel performance.
Thank you. Almost every video on my channel is shot in my studio so you can often see them there. Specifically I did a video on where to mount them here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iLrItI73XZA.html
✅✅✅ DIY Acoustic Panels 3.0 are here. The coolest looking panels yet! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P8rsU22K--Y.html ✅✅✅ Panels Done? It might be time for a DAW Controller! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5n_aPsB1E4E.html 💥💥💥
I’m going to make some of these panels for a dual purpose application. I want to improve sound quality in the room, but also keep the sound from bleeding through the walls into other rooms. I saw you have a few different designs, I’m looking at backing them with 5/8 drywall and MLV. What are your thoughts on this?
This is great! I'm moving to a new apartment in October after I get married, and we want to set up a podcast studio at our new place. I was looking into foam, but most of them are pretty ugly and/or have terrible reviews, and the higher quality foams are too expensive. I was also looking at panels like the ones Tönnen makes, but those are also outside of our price range. The DIY option seems fantastic!
Some problems with this build. Most insulation is a true 24" x 48" and is not short like this video says. On top of that, you can't get four 24" pieces out of one piece of 8' lumber unless you have a magical zero-width saw blade. Some other build advice, if you have a router table, round the edges and the fabric will cleanly wrap around the frame.
Thanks for the tips. The problem with all these videos on building panels is, no one describes what frequencies they are designed to handle. The biggest issue in every room is frequencies below 110 Hz. If you deal with those first, you suppress a lot of mid and upper frequency issues at the same time. Those panels are not effective against that range. Liked 👍 all the same! Thanks!!
I stopped making panel videos some time ago but this video has been so successful. I did an interview with John Brandt. You should look that up on my channel. Unless you go a pro route with proper measurements you’ll never get it right. These are a great DIY solution to make the room sound better and absorb obvious frequencies. But they are from perfect. Unless you’re willing to pay big bucks you’ll never get it right.
Outstanding video!! Thank you so much. And I really appreciate the animations. I just finished making 4, gonna do 4 more tomorrow. Followed your instructions, worked perfectly!
Thanks for your feedback but this was an early video on my channel. I’ve since retired my acoustic panel videos. I did quite a few. Ive hidden some of them and made them available on my Patreon. But I don’t make videos like this anymore.
Glad the video helped! Make sure to check out my other Panel resources. I have different styles of panels, testing and install tips as well. Good luck!
Am I correct in thinking that the reason why most people make their panels with a frame around the sides and an open back is so that they can leave an air gap between the panel and the wall? I want to make some panels for my home theatre but I don't have room for an air gap. I am thinking of just cutting some sheets of 1/4" thick wood into 2x4' rectangles, then putting a sheet of rigid Rockboard 80 on top and wrapping it with fabric. Since the insulation is rigid I figure it doesn't need the frame around it and since the sides are open it may even absorb sound a little better. What do you think? Are there any problems I'm not considering? Thanks for the informative video!
For the panels to be fully effective an air gap behind them is critical. They don't absorb 100% on first pass. Sound travels through, reflects off the wall behind it and bounces back through the panels again. Especially mid to lower frequencies. The absorption process is achieved through a combination of the panels AND how they are installed. The frame itself is not critical. It just creates durability for the panel. If you mount them on a board you may still absorb higher frequencies but mid to lower ones will bounce right off of the panels if they don't have an air gap behind.
@@LonelyRocker Thanks for your reply. I guess I'll have to do more research. I don't understand why the sound waves wouldn't reflect off the wood backing to the panel and have a similar effect since it would still need to travel back through the insulation again.
Just think of the air as part of the material of the panel itself. So if your panel is 4 inches thick and you have a 2 inch air gap then the sound has to contend with 6 inches before it reflects back. The absorption material works to slow down the frequencies but can't stop them all. The more you throw at the sound the better it will perform in slowing the frequencies. Mid to lower frequencies are harder to absorb. They need more material, space and time to be absorbed. The less you create, the less you will absorb.
Try putting the backing on first. I like to make my corners into swans, just fold back the first piece like you suggested, then divide the remaining piece by the length of the first. Now carefully pinch the other bit of fabric near the top and staple clockwise creating a swan like replica with fully exposed wings and under carnage. I know...its a very simple method picked up from a veteran panel builder and cabinet maker, he's now dead so he won't mind if you use it.
You don’t want too much absorption. A dead room is not good for mixing. The goal in a home studio is to treat key reflection points while keeping some life in the room.
Thank you so much!!! I have Panels 2.0 launching later today with some cool enhancements for these panels. Make sure you are sub'd so you catch it when it comes out. You've never seen panels like these!!!
Awesome! I dropped the new Panels video yesterday. Did you see it? Acoustic Panels 2.0! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MHnFYFZc-w8.html
If you want to make an uber good looking one that offers slightly better performance in the low end, here's what I've done: Get a $20 pocket-hole jig and some Tight Bond II wood glue. Pocket hole screws aren't strong but they'll hold it together for the glue to dry. That particular glue is stronger than wood itself, also join the short pieces to the face of the long ones. The benefit of this method is it lets you keep the joinery on the inside with no visible screws or nails on the outside, and you can apply wood finish to the outside frame which looks really nice. The other caveat is if you use plywood you have exposed edges which require iron-on laminate strips ("edge banding") before finishing, and the whole process can take days instead of hours. The edge banding doesn't take very long and makes the cheap plywood look solid wood, you just gotta be patient cutting it off with a utlity knife. I also use a 3" hole-saw that attaches to a drill and spaced out 8 holes in the long sides and 4 in the short. When you factor in the *hole-cutting + sanding, + laminate + wood conditioner + wood stain and clear, coats* .... it's a. lot of work. The next issue is you need to fasten the fabric to the inside of the frame in order to keep the outside stained wood visible. This requires cutting some thin wood slightly shorter than the outer frame and using it to pinch the fabric up against the inside edges, flush with the outer face of the panel. This was by far the most confusing part for me at first, but when you see a white fabric pop through the holes of a dark wood stained wood on the outside -- it seems worth it. Especially that moment you hang 10 ten of them. They'll be night and day prettier than the bare minimum with slightly better bass absorption because of the holes.
You can easily install an Android or iPhone sound meter on a phone and record the decibel levels with and without the panels hanging on the wall to see how well they absorb sound. Also would be nice to put the sound meter on the wall and a sound source a certain distance away, then hand your sound panel over the sound meter and see how much sound is absorbed/blocked by the panel you built.
I’m most likely going to have Home Depot cut the wood for me because I do not have a saw.. what are the dimensions I need to make one panel please someone help! Intro confused me lol!
I agree Highly confusing a list of materials would go a long way here is on my friend did if someone needs an example collaborateworship.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DIY-Sound-Panels-Materials-List.pdf
These are not fiberglass. These are rock wool. 2 years in and still going strong. Check out my update for some new methods to include in your panels ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MHnFYFZc-w8.html
So excited for you!! Please send me links. I'd love to see the results. And sharing my video or channel will really help me so I can make more videos like this. Cheers!
You could consider making simple stands for them if you didn’t want to damage the wallpaper. Or just use a strong picture hanging method which would only create one hole. I mounted a small bar on the back if my panel and put one screw with a drywall anchor into the wall to mount each panel. Hope this helps!
@@LonelyRocker I see your point there, because I saw it the same way, before I was proven otherwise. If you use really thin plastic-foile, there will be no reflections, because the fabric you are using to cover the Panels is already enough to absorb the very high frequencies, which would be (like you said) reflected by the plastic. And the other lower frequencies are more powerfull and can get through the thin plastic. So wrapping the rockwool in really thin plastic-foile before putting it in the Panels will do no harm to the absorbing qualties. It will just improve the healthiness of the Panels, because those fibers won't be able to get in the air through the plastic, but would get easily through any fabric. If you are interested in my source, you can watch the following Video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3CJStLTMyDQ.html
@@08icefire73 Thnx for your thoughts. I have actually been doing some research on this and from what I read Mineral wool is very safe. However, to your point you can never be too careful. If I found the right material I would consider putting an extra layer in there. These panels can open easily from the back if I chose to add the plastic as you mentioned. Could you link me to a recommended plastic/foil?
@@LonelyRocker Someone who lives in Europe. But in America they use metric system only when they speak about bullets and guns xD Celcius is also a big thing here.
Just make up a bunch of panels using this great video, love the fabric/stapling strategy. I could only find Owens Corning Fire & Sound Guard in 15 x 47 x 3 inch in a reasonable price/quantity, so I adjusted the frame construction accordingly (made a few panels 'double-wide' with one 1x4 in between the 2 batts to keep em separated). The acoustic change in the installation space is dramatic. Echos have been completely eliminated. A few additional tips: (1) Select fabric for the fronts carefully. Too thick, and the corners will end up bulky, not crisp. Too thin, and there's a danger of ripping at the staple locations and corners. I found some solid black cotton/poly blend fabric on clearance for $1.90/yard at my local JoAnn Fabric store. Thin enough for easy folding/anchoring, with enough stretch to eliminate any seams/wrinkles. Finished pieces look awesome - like giant speakers! (2) The 1x4s I got had sharp edges, so I just lightly hand sanded everything (especially the corners) to prevent slicing the fabric. So glad I didn't go the Amazon/foam squares route.
I actually did an update video to my panel formula. And in it I explain the material I wrapped my panels in more clearly. Check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MHnFYFZc-w8.html
I read somewhere that if you spray the roxul with dilluted PVA glue 1:10 ratio it helps hold the fibers together. That plus the material to keep the fibers in should be 100% safe.
A number of people have mentioned that. My feeling is why mess with the insulation’s formula. It may adjust the absorption properties. Instead check out the panels playlist on my channel. I have done videos since this one that demonstrate ways to manage the fibres better and maintain good absorption.
@@LonelyRocker makes sense and i hate extra mess!!!! There’s one guy on RU-vid instilling so much fear about Roxul ... he’s making it sound like it’s 1000 times worse than asbestos!!! Anyways, i really like this video for the panels! I will be using your design!!!🤘🤘🤘🤘🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🤘🤘🤘
Really you should watch my other Panel videos. I did a whole Panels Q and A and discussed this. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IjCtAccI_7w.html I have spoken to Rockwool directly. While I encourage everyone to do their own research and not take my word for it, I can tell you Mineral Wool is NOTHING like asbestos. Glad you will be following my designs. Check out the internal formula for my mini panels. You could apply this formula to the 2x4 panels if you want a little extra protection from fibers. this is my go to formula now: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AdDdumAieJs.html
@@LonelyRocker i watched them all!!! 🤣🤣🤣.. iam currently building my music room, framing and electrical are done. Next is insulating with roxul,sonopan and 5/8 drywall. I have enough roxul left over to make 6 panels 🤘🤘🤘
The Rockwool Flexi slabs I've seen recommended are 1200x600x100 so that would be your inside dimensions for the fit. The rest for the frame would have to be calculated depending on the thickness of the wood you're using.
Hmmm. Hard to explain here but I used 2 angle brackets and bent them to about 45 degrees and then screwed a wood screw through each one. Basically creating a triangle and mounted them on the top left and right edges. Then put anchored screws on the walls to align with the brackets. I may need to do a mounting tips video to better explain this but hope this gets you thinking.
those fibers in the isolation are dangerous if inhaled. having this in a studio getting shaken by bass will definitely stir up the air. not sure how much protection the overlaying fabric will give you
That’s a fair question. The research I did suggested it was safe but I certainly recommend everyone makes there own determination. I’ve covered my panels back and front and the front material is quite dense. I don’t see anything to suggest any material is getting out and posing any health risks to anyone in the room but you can certainly take extra precautions if you have concern. If you seal the panel with an unbreathable material sound will bounce right off the panel and not get absorbed. All studios use some form of absorption so if there was an epidemic of mix engineers getting sick I assume we would have heard something. But please take your own precautions and be safe 😁
I'm also going to do this build, but I'm going to wrap the isolation in 2 layers of fleece before putting it in the frame, that will give it more resistance before the fibres can escape. The important thing to think about is that you should be able to breathe quite easy through the fabric, or else it will stop the sound from getting in and start to reflecting it bak in to the room. And if you have the option, work with the isolation outdoors, cutting and handling the isolation is when it releases the most amount of fiber.
Good vid! I've watched +20 videos on acoustic panels and this video is the best. Super clear! I was thinking of buying them from a guy on kijiji but now I'm thinking I may be able to do it myself! We'll see. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!! Give at least a pair a try. Once you get the formula down it becomes a breeze. When you cut your wood keep a set as a template so you can simply copy, cut and build. I know you've watched my other panel videos. You may want to consider blending some of the formulas. especially the extra internal wrap layer to keep fibers in. Good luck!!!
I cover that in these two videos: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iLrItI73XZA.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IjCtAccI_7w.html
@@LonelyRocker thanks for this video! It was well explained and easy to follow. I'm looking forward to ordering the supplies and getting to building. Thanks for the mounting links, I'm going to check them out now
Okay. I THREW the FIBERGLASS , out !! Bought " ROCKWOOL" , at LOWES . Going to start work, now. Glad I read your reply BEFORE I "was about to finish" my job using the FIBERGLASS !! I thought THAT FIBERGLAS was not THE best choice. Hell, I was ITCHING a little bit AND COUGHING !!
For the DIY world any breathable fabric will do the trick. If you have pro requirements I recommend consulting wit a professional. Most of my audience is DIY. As long as they meet basic requirements it can make a huge improvement to their mixing spaces.
foam, provided you actually buy acoustic foam, not basic packing foam, is much less efficient AND less cost efficient at the same time. and also looks much worse. trust me, I've been there.
Nope. Heavily researched this. Work front to back. This is discussed numerous times in the comments and I discussed it and gave my reasoning in my Panels Q and A video here on my channel. Look for that...
This is great, but if you can find acoustic transparent cloth ( like speaker grill cloth) it would work better as the cloth wont reflect as much sound. You want the sound to penetrate so its absorbed by the insolation material.
Thnx. My material is very good for this application. Very breathable so sound has virtually no barrier. I’ve been very happy with the results. I have a bunch of panel resources on my channel including placement and testing. Check them out. Thnx for watching!
Nothing necessarily wrong with a little reflection off of the fabric. Every room will have different requirements, but in any case it's a lot less energy coming back than from a drywall or concrete.
Awesome. Glad my video resonates with a fellow perfectionist. You should check my channel for my newer panel videos. I "perfected" the design and added some additional features. Let me know your thoughts if you do!
@@LonelyRocker Thank you Dan, I certainly will. I've bought the Rockwool, the timber (for 2 panels) and will try and build them in the coming weeks. Also ordered some loudspeaker fabric for the front covering. I plan to document/film my efforts and will hopefully have some worthy content to put on my own blog - where I'll link to your videos. Thanks again :)
