dtximages Posted January 1, 2001 Share Posted January 1, 2001 I have a room that I really dont care how it looks adn I was wondering if it would be a good idea to put foam up on all the walls and put my la scalas in there. What would it do to the sound? It should be good right? What do you think? thanks chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 DO NOT PUT ANY FOAM ON THE WALLS UNLESS YOU ARE SURE IT IS UL RATED FIRE RESISTANT!!!!! A while back, I had a big room (converted sunporch) that was great but too lively. I found a source of ugly blue foam squares that looked a lot like the acoustic foam thingies I'd seen in various catalogs. I put a bunch of them all over the front and side walls. Sounded much better. One day, out of curiosity, I decided to see if they were flamable. I took one outside, lit a match, and held it under it expecting it to maybe singe a bit. Damn thing burned like it was made out of gelled gasoline. Almost burned my hand 'cause I couldn't drop it fast enough. Poof, flash, no more foam square. Barely any residue, in fact. Went back inside and ripped all of them off the walls. I was REALLY lucky. Any minor incident (spark from outlet, careless friend with hot cigarette, whatever) and I'd have been front page news. Few days later I dug a pit in the woods behind the house, dumped all the foam in the pit and lit it. Holy moly. Flame must have been 30 feet high. REALLY, REALLY LUCKY. ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 Where does one find acoustic foam? Do they have stuff like that at Home Depot? What other alternatives are there to acoustic foam to help quiet a room down? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted January 2, 2001 Author Share Posted January 2, 2001 Ok, this might sound stupid and somewhat "redneck" but I was thinking about buying a few of those king size "egg carton" things thatyou put on a bed for the foam. I cant be that much different than real acoustic foam. Its much cheaper. I was gonna find a way to make it look presentable. I would still like your opinions when you quit laughting. Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 www.audioadvisor.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 You could probably buy some used egg crate mattresses from a nursing home real cheap. But then again that might not be such a good idea... I can just see you throwing a party..."cool speakers but what is that smell??" Sorry I just couldn't resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Phare Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 If your a under paid rube like me it's hard to afford Audio Advisor. Go to www.markertek.com for better prices on acoustical dampening. I also recommend checking out a book on acoustics to be sure where placement of such dampening material would be best. I think the one I have is called The Master Hand Book of Acoustics. It has some great ideas for the DYI types. I always thought the kid in high school ( back in the '70's ) was on to something with egg cartons covering his ceiling! The room was just as dead as any anachioc chamber found! Driving his old Marantz gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted January 2, 2001 Share Posted January 2, 2001 Done properly, room treatments can work miracles. And no, I'm not selling or making them. And you don't have to spend a fortune. I sprang for RPG ProFoam from Audio Advisor when they sold six 24" squares for fifty bucks. That was the best value in "over-the- counter" room absorption I could find. But if you want to save a lot of moolah, you might try looking in the crafts department at your local wally-world. I found 22" square by 4' thick polyfill for just a few bucks. It's white, but I assume it could be dyed or covered with something and still be effective. In my experience, killing early reflections is the most helpful. You can use a mirror and a flashlight, with the help of an understanding loved one, to find the right spots. Just don't overdo it. Too much absorption will suck the life right out of the music - nobody would want to listen to music in an anechoic chamber. But when you get it dialed in, it can improve imaging and clarity tremendously. It can't be over-emphasized - the listening room is probably the most important component in determining your overall sound quality. ------------------ JDMcCall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted January 2, 2001 Author Share Posted January 2, 2001 JDMcCall About that foam you found at walmart. was it just flat foam or did it have "bumps" in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted January 3, 2001 Share Posted January 3, 2001 cls72, You might want to find out where it would be best to put the foam. There is a concept called LEDE (live end dead end). Depending on what you are doing and listening in to in the room, might help make the room more appropriately damped. Peter Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted January 3, 2001 Author Share Posted January 3, 2001 I just figured i would place the foam on the front and rear walls. Behind and to the sides of my front speakers adn behind my ears. How does that sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted January 5, 2001 Share Posted January 5, 2001 I would have to say that foam will not work as well as properly built acoustic absorbtion panels. (And OH MY GOD Ray, was that the stuff you were so crazy about?) There is a simple -- even I could knock one together in 1/2 hour -- recipe for building panels out of materials easily obtainable at Home Depot and Wall Mart. You will need 1x4's from Home Depot, 8" fiberglass insulation rolls from Home Depot, polyester blanket fill from Wall Mart, burlap from Wall Mart, staples, nails, hammers, saws. Maybe $50 in parts to build three or four of these guys. Basically you use the 1x4's to build a 2x4 frame, 16" spacers. Looks like an unfinished wall when you are done, except quite small of course. Then you cover the frame with polyester, and then burlap, leaving enough so you can easily cover the sides and rear at a later time. Staple it all on there nice and pretty -- from the rear, that is. Then you staple in the fibreglass from the rear, just like you would on a wall, with the paper facing the rear, stapling along the 16" spacers you put in the frame. The fibreglass will need to be compressed quite a bit to fit (8" into 4" area). Then you cover the rear with the polyester and burlap and staple it all closed. I bought eye hooks and hung these babies from my suspended ceiling. They aren't heavy. Position them at the well respected reflection points. Maybe put one in the front wall, between speakers. Oh, don't put them flat against the wall, have them out about 6 to 8 inches. When done, you can put your ear next to one and it is PAINFUL from lack of sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted January 9, 2001 Share Posted January 9, 2001 quote: Originally posted by cls72: About that foam you found at walmart. was it just flat foam or did it have "bumps" in it? It was flat. They had it in different thicknesses. It was also quite porous. I think it used mostly for cushions and pillows. I e-mailed the manufacturer about its sound absorption properties, but - surprise - I haven't heard anything from them. ------------------ JDMcCall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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