Archive for category HOW TO
DIY Microphone Shield/Gobo – 2 Minutes (with Video!)
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, DIY, HOW TO, Recording Studio, Video, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on May 1, 2015
Stuff you need: Glue, Binder and Foam
Acoustics First understands that the Do-it-Yourself spirit in the audio world is alive and well, and here is another one of our contributions to that community.
The personal mic shield… all you need is…
- Foam safe Glue
- a One inch thick, three ring binder
- two 1 foot x 1 foot pieces of foam
- 2 Minutes
Got everything together?
Do you have 2 minutes?
Let’s do this!
Watch the video…
Or follow the steps…
Open the Binder
Open the binder and bend the bottom tab flat.
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Spray the Binder and the back of the foam with glue.
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Wait for a few seconds for the glue to get tacky, then carefully stick the foam to the binder – be sure to apply pressure to allow for a strong bond.
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Give the glue some time to dry.
After the glue sets, slide the rings of the binder over a bare mic stand – the top tab will hold the shield up.
All Done! Just set up your mic and you’re ready to go!
Complete Mic Shield with Microphone.
This DIY project is brought to you by Acoustics First – Be inspired and sound great doing it. Enjoy!
Season’s Greetings from Acoustics First – 2014
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, DIY, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, HOW TO, Media Room, Offices, Product Applications, Products on December 9, 2014
Season’s Greetings from Acoustics First!
DIY Gift idea using Tone Tiles™ and some Creativity!
Acoustics First would like to offer this Do-It-Yourself gift idea to all of our readers this year.
If you’ve got a creative painting habit, give a customized gift that not only shows your creative talents, but also helps to improve the sound of the room!
Above is a festive holiday painting on one of our 1’x2′ Tone Tiles™.
Want to go a little bigger? We also have 2’x3′ Tone Tiles™ in Stock.
2′ x 3′ panel Photo from iPhone
A Second Idea is to get a photo printed on a Tone Tile™.
How about “posting” that photo to the “wall” of your living room, and have a great conversation piece as well as improved acoustics – at the same time !
Season’s Greetings and Happy Gift Giving!
– Acoustics First
* Don’t forget to ask your local printer if they have flatbed printing capabilities.
Quiet that fan… Ceiling Fan – With Vib-X
Posted by Acoustics First in DIY, HOW TO, Product Applications, Products on December 10, 2013
Airflow is good. Circulating stagnant air has many health benefits, but what do you do when that ceiling fan is just making too much noise?
To start, check all the normal suspects; is it balanced, cleaned, level, blah blah blah… You’ve probably already checked these anyway. It’s an older fan, the motor hums, because older fans hum. If it’s vibrating through the structure, there may be something you can do to isolate that extra vibration – and at least keep the other occupants happy.
When most people think of Vib-X pads, they think of a musical function; Isolate your speakers, isolate an amplifier, isolate a (insert name of miscellaneous musical gear here)… but there are some really useful everyday functions for this wonderful material. Like keeping that fan from vibrating the entire house!
Isolate that ceiling fan with Vib-X!
The simple install may involve a contractor, or at least some one who knows electricity, so you don’t electrocute yourself… but after shutting off the power to the fan, it’s pretty quick. Take down the fan and find the box. Disconnect the box. Cut some Vib-X to separate the box from the wood. Cut some Vib-X squares to use as washers. Remount the box using the diagram, a couple fender washers, maybe a couple optional grommets if you desire – then re-install the fan.
Ceiling fans are usually mounted to an electrical junction box in the ceiling, which is usually just screwed to a ceiling joist or some simple wooden frame. By using the Vib-X to isolate the electrical box from the wood, the vibrations do not directly transfer from the fan into the structure of the house, turning that old, vibrating ceiling fan – into a breath of fresh air.
Simple. Thought so. Don’t forget to balance, level, and clean that ceiling fan while you’re doing all this. Turn that power back on and enjoy the breeze.
DIY: Back Wall Diffuser Array/Bass Trap
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Auditorium, Broadcast Facilities, Diffusion, DIY, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, HOW TO, Media Room, Multipurpose Rooms, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Restaurants, Studio Control Room, Teleconferencing, Theater, Vocal Booth, Voice Over, Worship Facilities on June 20, 2013
Getting more out of your back wall diffuser array with a simple hanging DIY array/bass trap.
One of the big “back wall” questions people have is “If I have a large diffuser array, how can I get the bass trapping I need?” A great answer to this question is to turn the entire array into a hanging bass absorber. If you are already planning on getting diffusion for your back wall, here is a great way to use that wall space for more than just diffusion.
Stuff you need:
- 4’x 8’ sheet of 3/4” Plywood
- 32 sq/ft of 4” Cutting Wedge® Classic Foam (Or similar absorber)
- 8 x Art Diffusers® – Model C (or Model F, Quadrapyramid™, or other comparable diffuser)
- 2 x IsoHangers
- 2 x Heavy rings (Think big Curtain Rings or Hanging Wire will also work)
- 2x Closet Rod/Shelf Brackets
- 2 x 7/8” wood screws and fender washers
- Construction Adhesive (Make sure it’s safe for Foam)
Assembly instructions
- Screw the two IsoHangers to the plywood, using a fender washer on each screw. These should be about an inch in from each end -drill small pilot holes first. (These will be used to hang the panel, this side will be designated as the back from here on out.)
- Use Construction adhesive to attach the Cutting Wedge® Foam to the back of the panel in a checkerboard pattern (each panel 90° rotated from adjacent)
- Use Construction adhesive again to attach the 8 Diffusers to the front of the Plywood (Follow the installation instructions for adhesive placement)
- Attach the Rings or Wire to the free end of the IsoHangers.
What you have created is a hanging panel that will diffuse mid-high frequencies and trap the lows. The hanging mass absorbs low frequency energy by moving slightly when pushed by the energy of the Low frequency Waves. The rear facing fiberglass also absorbs low frequencies by dampening the panel, but it also absorbs any of the waves that happen to get trapped behind the panel.
Hanging the Diffuser/Trap Assembly
- Measure and attach the Closet Brackets to the Wall – Use appropriate anchors! If you have standard or double wall construction without Resilient Channels, use the studs – The IsoHangers will keep vibrations from transmitting through the wall.
- Hang the panel on the Closet Brackets using the rings/wire with the Diffusers facing you and that’s it!
This simple DIY project is provided as a way for our customers to learn better ways to use our products and get more value out of the products they buy. For those customers who are planning on purchasing diffusers to make an array, or maybe already have an array and are looking to try a new configuration – this project may be what you’re looking for.
A little History…
If you embark on this little construction project, you will be constructing studio elements that have remained basically unchanged since at least the early 1970’s. Hanging plywood wrapped in studio foam or fiberglass has been used “behind the curtains” of many of the top studios for effective bass control for over 40 years – just no one has ever seen it, as it has been hidden in walls; masked as a false wall of fabric stretched across wooden louvers!
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Acoustics First Corporation supplies acoustical panels and soundproofing materials to control sound and eliminate noise in commercial, residential, government, and institutional applications worldwide. Products include the patented Art Diffusor®, sound absorbers, noise barriers, acoustical fabrics and accessories. Acoustics First® products are sold for O.E.M applications, direct, and through dealers. For more information on acoustical materials and their application, please visit www.AcousticsFirst.com or call Toll Free 1-888-765-2900 (US & Canada).
DIY: StratiQuilt™ Room Treatment
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Animal Shelters, Articles, Broadcast Facilities, Construction Sites, DIY, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, HOW TO, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Sound proofing, Studio Control Room, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on June 6, 2013
There are some situations where people are looking for a more temporary (yet still durable and effective) room treatment. Maybe you have a garage, or a practice space, or a place where you are looking for a usable solution that isn’t a permanent installation. Here is a great (not to mention tax deductible) treatment that can address many of the isolation and absorption issues of a space, while remaining durable (Washable), and easy to remove and reuse.
Stuff you need:
- Enough StratiQuilt™ Double-Faced Barrier Blanket to cover all of the wall and ceiling surfaces of the room you need to treat.
- 2”x4” lumber for the edges (Used to attach the barrier to the walls and maintaining an air gap.)
- Short Lag bolts and Washers
- Misc. hardware to attach 2”x4” lumber to walls.
Here’s what you do.
Attach the 2”x4” lumber to the walls with enough spacing to line up the grommets on two overlapped edges of the StratiQuilt™ blankets – if you have purchased the roll, the finished edges are 4 feet wide. Leave enough room to overlap the edges and bolt the quilts to the 2”x4” lumber as shown in the diagram above. Continue around the room, overlapping the edges of the StratiQuilt™ blankets to seal off the room. The blankets can be left loose over doors to allow for entry and egress while maintaining a good acoustic seal.
If desired, continue the process across the ceiling to “lock in” the room acoustics. This treatment may be considered by some to be a little on the “dead” side (High Absorption); however, The benefits of the treatment far outweigh this issue, which can be compensated for by adding a few acoustically reflective surfaces to the room (Drum Kit, Amplifiers, Racks, Diffusers, etc.)
Why use this system?
Other than it being very simple to install, take down and move with minor modifications to the structure, it performs a few vital acoustic tasks – all with one product. The StratiQuilt™ design is two layers of quilted acoustic fiberglass with a layer of BlockAid® barrier in the middle. The BlockAid® help the soundproofing of the room by it’s STC of 29, which will add significant isolation to the room. Mounting on the 2”x4” lumber is not just done for ease – adding the air gap behind the barrier increases both its STC and NRC allowing it to work as a limp mass barrier/absorber. The material absorbs on both sides (being double-faced), forcing in-room reflections to be attenuated immensely through the many layers of material it must pass through.
And on a final note, this economical start-up solution has the benefit of not being a “Building Material” for tax purposes, allowing for its immediate deduction as an expense.
Record your garage band without sounding like you’re in a garage, Try StratiQuilt™.
This simple DIY project is provided as a way for our customers to learn better ways to use our products and get more value out of the products they buy. If you are looking for more ways to use the products you have, look to Acoustics First for Ideas. http://www.acousticsfirst.com
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Acoustics First Corporation supplies acoustical panels and soundproofing materials to control sound and eliminate noise in commercial, residential, government, and institutional applications worldwide. Products include the patented Art Diffusor®, sound absorbers, noise barriers, acoustical fabrics and accessories. Acoustics First® products are sold for O.E.M applications, direct, and through dealers. For more information on acoustical materials and their application, please visit www.AcousticsFirst.com or call Toll Free 1-888-765-2900 (US & Canada).
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