KVR Audio

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Tue Dec 08, 2015 6:14 pm

Hey guys,

I am getting ready to build some traps and I am trying to figure out which insulation to go with. I contacted a local supplier and they have OC and Roxul. The Roxul product they have is quite a bit cheaper (attached is the quote). Is the OC worth the extra money?

Thanks,
Kevin

Edit: I had the supplier send over the manufacture stats. Here they are.

OC: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwM1t ... lyZS01dWxz

Roxul: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwM1t ... p5Yk13MmNz

From what I read I gathered OC at 1.0 NRC for 2" and Roxul at .95 NRC for 2". Is that going to reflect an audible difference that is worth more than twice the price of the Roxul?

valley · Post by **valley** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 3:58 pm

I'm no expert on this stuff, so this is purely my experience such as it is, but I think it's pretty debatable that OC is worth the extra cost. If you have specific problem areas then the extra might be worth it, but for large area treatment, it's unlikely to benefit you unless your room is also a pretty custom build.

In truth though it'll come down to what exactly you're trying to achieve. I.E. how bad are your reflections and standing waves? What frequencies need the most work?

ATS Acoustics offers a pretty impartial overview of the different materials that are often used for treatment.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/page--Selec ... l--ac.html

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 6:04 pm

Thanks for your reply valley,

My biggest problem in my room is the low bass frequencies. Everything just sounds a little muddy. I'm looking to put some 4" bass traps in the corners which I think will help absorb some of the mud. From the litature they sent I read it as although the OC had overall a higher NRC it didn't seem to hit the lower frequencies. The Roxul seemed to maintain a higher average NRC over the spectrum.

I haven't picked up the materials yet so there's still time to change my mind

.

Thanks,
Kevin

valley · Post by **valley** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:03 pm

For corner bass traps, what I'm planning to do on a build I'm just about to start is to layer roxul 60 and 80. The 60 is slightly less reflective of high frequencies than the 80, and at just 10 foot wide, my current space needs all the front help it can get. So I'll let a layer of 60 act as a broadband absorber, then another sheet of 80 behind will double up the amount of bass that will be absorbed by the panel.

Because these are for corner traps, the thickness of the combined panel doesn't really matter, and the cost is still lower than one sheet of OC. It'd look weird doing that on a side wall for sure, but I'm good with just using roxul 60 for the walls to the side of me.

My own debate is whether I want to also spring for some regular Auralex pads. I have a large TV (which I use as a second monitor) in front of my desk, so the wall in front of me is highly reflective. To offset this I'm going to cover the entire exposed wall with absorbers. For aesthetics I'm thinking the shaped Auralex will work better, and I know the stuff works great for mids and highs which is where I have problems there. It's also easier to shape into odd spaces.

Side walls for me will just be framed and wrapped blocks of roxul 60. I might even have ATS make me a few of their custom print panels, rather than DIYing them, as I think the wife will approve of the 'artier' look.

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:13 pm

That's a good idea to double them with different types of Roxul. I don't want to kill the low end just dumb it down a bit. I might get some of both and do a little test.

My room is very long (it's basically a studio apartment). But not wide, maybe 15ft. I'd like to put my desk so my monitors would be pointing down the long stretch but I can't because of what's on those walls, a kitchen and the other is the front door.

I think I'm going with Roxul because overall I can't justify the price difference. I'm not producing million dollar albums so I think it will be okay

. Hoping to get some absorption on the ceiling because I have hard floors but the ceilings have can lights so I'm not sure how to go about doing that and having them look decent and not start a fire! I wish I could put carpet down but I'm in a wheelchair so it's not much of a practical option.

I bought a bunch of colored burlap from burlapfabric.com and felt it was a good deal with the combination of some fire retardant spray

. I'll post some pictures once I get them together.

Thanks again,
Kevin

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 4:05 am

Been a bit busy with christmas just around the corner but I got to spend some time in the shop constructing my corner bass traps.

I used 1x4x8 to frame the exterior then used a polyester strapping material to hold the Roxul in and keep the frame from racking. I've been very happy with the results so far I will keep you guys posted and post some studio photos once I get them up.

6' x 2' Corner Panel

4' x 2' Corner Panel

Roxul vs. OC what's best for traps?