Author Topic: What's Up  (Read 8705 times)

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
What's Up
« on: July 31, 2011, 09:03:33 PM »
My new ceiling panels. They are homemade binary amplitude diffusion. They are painted to match the ceiling paint, and a layer of matching colored Guilford cloth between the holey board and the OC703 behind. The ceiling panels are 6" deep, with 4" of FG lying against the front board. There is a web of supporting members every 2 feet to hold it all up. These took a lot of time to build, plus about 3 years to figure out how what and where plus healthy dose of procrastination. They changed the sound of the room drastically for the better. Midrange echo is mostly gone, except the front to back axis which still has some hard walls on both ends. All in due time.

Big thanks to Carlman who came over last Thursday to hang these up in time for the G2G. They are fairly heavy, but are held on the ceiling securely with steel hooks holding screws in the frame. The hanging system was invented by Shane, and it worked great. Too bad I didn't take pictures of that.  A few years ago Bryan suggested I float 4" of FG in this ceiling tray. It's not dropped down 12" like he suggested then, but the most I could get away with.

There is also a big one installed on the left wall, 4" thick stuffed solid with 703. The sound is very cozy and intimate, with no loss of sibilance. It just doesn't echo anymore, and there is probably some bass improvement. 112 sq ft of treatment added in this batch with lots more to come on front and rear wall, corners. Bass has always been OK, flimsy walls I guess. Flutes pianos and other stabbing peak midrange spikes are much better now.

I have some measurements of the room from long ago before any treatment was added. Not sure if I could find them, but I will look for them when I get around to measuring the room again.


Maybe you can see the hooks on the ceiling after 1st panel is hung.


Carl's artsy photo of the finished ceiling. Two 4x6' panels flanking a 4x8 panel in the middle.

Offline tmazz

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 12088
  • Just basking in the glow of my tubes.....
Re: What's Up
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2011, 09:13:37 PM »
Looking good!  :thumb:
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline BobM

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 3318
Re: What's Up
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2011, 06:07:26 AM »
I bet if you take that bar code reader on your Android phone you will get a web page when sweeping over those holes  :rofl:

Seriously though, how is the sound after putting them up? Looks very professional.
Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you'll have to blow your nose.

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
Re: What's Up
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2011, 06:14:52 AM »

Looks about right!

Sound is relaxed, calm, peaceful, quiet. But no sense of stuffiness. Conversations are much nicer now, everyone is spending more time in here, which is a good thing, I think?  It was pretty bad before especially in midrange echo, not enough soft decorations.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2011, 06:16:49 AM by richidoo »

Offline Carlman

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 3037
Re: What's Up
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2011, 07:00:16 AM »
I think they sound good bare like you have them, Rich.. I have mine covered with fabric because I can't deal with looking at the barcode.  The effect isn't as good as the bare sound.  Rich's ceiling looks kind of like a cool, hazy, late sunset in Manhattan to me. ;)  

One day I'd like to re-visit my panel placement and see what I can do to make it more effective.  

-C
I really enjoy listening to music.

Offline mdconnelly

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 1439
  • new ways to dream...
Re: What's Up
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2011, 07:47:30 AM »
I know that panels are doing exactly what they are designed to do - sonically.  But your ceiling placement with holes exposed looks like it was intentionally done for artistic purposes.  Very cool.  Hmmm, wonder if I can convince my sweet wife to consider same...  :-k

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
Re: What's Up
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2011, 08:08:42 AM »
Yeah, I don't mind the look of the holes, and I like messing with non-audio people's heads when they see our family room turned bachelor's laboratory, so the weirder the better. But with color matching cloth in the holes and painted to match the walls at least it looks like it was deliberate. Maybe some crown molding around it?  :lol:

Bryan has explained to me in the past that this amplitude form of diffusion is not as efficient or wide bandwidth as well designed phase diffusion, so if you get wife's permission for weirdness you should check that out too. For me, time was available but not parts money.

evan1

  • Guest
Re: What's Up
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2011, 08:47:30 AM »
Hey Rich

Are the holes drilled in a random pattern ? or is it a specific pattern ?

Offline Carlman

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 3037
Re: What's Up
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2011, 09:28:17 AM »
For me, time was available but not parts money.

This is refreshing after reading the morning news.... It's good to know you didn't have to 'raise your debt ceiling' to get this project done. ;) 

-C
I really enjoy listening to music.

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
Re: What's Up
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2011, 09:30:17 AM »
Are the holes drilled in a random pattern ? or is it a specific pattern ?

It is a pattern repeated in 2x2' blocks. The pattern is optimized by a computer to achieve maximum mathematical "randomness."  I believe that randomness (as in chaos) is not essential to good diffusion, but in an XY grid of integer positions this is the easiest way to produce and simulate in a computer.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2011, 09:44:13 AM by richidoo »

Offline BobM

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 3318
Re: What's Up
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2011, 06:53:42 AM »
How did you make these? Did you drill out all of this yourself, manually, or have them fabricated?

Where are the step by step pictures, like you did for your speakers? We want a Youtube video!  :duh
Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you'll have to blow your nose.

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
Re: What's Up
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2011, 10:34:55 AM »
I bought the acoustics book by Peter D'Antonio that talks about the theory. I put the coordinates in excel, printed hole center locations with small dot on full size on paper. Punched the dots through to masonite template with awl. Drilled 1/8" thru holes on the template. Placed the template on 4x8' masonite, spray paint thru the holes to mark locations on 4x8.  Then I drilled them all by hand with a 1/2" unibit and an electric drill. Sand the masonite boogers off on both sides, attach to frame made from 3/4 plywood. Built in cleats to hang it up. Route the edges, sand, paint. Drop squares of color fabric inside the frame members, then drop in FG. Hang it on hooks installed in ceiling joists. Repeat 2 more times. Each 4x8 has about 5000 holes. Sorry I didn't shoot any video... It was a 3 year project, including procrastination.

Offline tmazz

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 12088
  • Just basking in the glow of my tubes.....
Re: What's Up
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2011, 06:39:57 PM »
15,00 holes drilled by hand????? You are out of your mind!!!! (In a good way of course.  :thumb:)
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline richidoo

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 11144
Re: What's Up
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2011, 07:20:40 PM »
It goes pretty fast. Or was that the amphetamine?

Offline tmazz

  • Out Of My Speaker Cabinet
  • ******
  • Posts: 12088
  • Just basking in the glow of my tubes.....
Re: What's Up
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2011, 08:15:49 PM »
It goes pretty fast. Or was that the amphetamine?

Better living through modern chemistry.  :rofl:
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables