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Ceiling tiles using rigid fiberglass

So I'm in the process of finishing a basement to include a dedicated audio space, which will be 35' x 23' x 8'6". Walls framed and electrical mostly done. I am trying to determine the most effective method of creating an acoustically absorbent ceiling while maintaining a nice look.

I have looked into 'acoustical' ceiling tiles but the data is obviously not promising. The idea that I favor right now is to buy the rigid fiberglass, cut it into 2' x 2' squares, wrap them in an acoustically transparent cloth, exact type TBD, and drop them into a standard grid. In effect, I'd be creating my own ceiling tiles, the benefit being that they'd actually be of acoustic benefit, instead of the off-the-shelf tiles which don't work all that well.

The main questions I have are:

(1) Is this a reasonable approach? Has anyone here tried this?
(2) If so, what to do with the gap between the rigid fiberglass and the main level floor (joists are 2x10s)? Is it best to use 1" rigid and stuff the rest with fluffy, 2" and stuff, 4" and stuff, or will they yield similar acoustic results? If I use 4", will stuffing the gap even make a difference? I think the 1" rigid plus fluffy is the least expensive option, but performance is more important that cost here.

I'm also very open to ceiling tiles which are acoustically transparent enough to let the incident waves penetrate to fluffy fiberglass underneath. This would be a very attractive option, as it may yield great performance with less effort (I'm doing all the construction work myself, so anything that saves time is welcomed!).

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but I searched for quite a while.....

Thoughts?
cathode

Showing 1 response by hessec

hessec's avatar
hessec
59 posts
 
So, you are looking for a whole ceiling of absorption? Or is the goal to "soundproof" the room from the upstairs? I am certainly no expert but I have been messing around with my own diy rigid fiberglass creations for a while and I think that the whole ceiling covered in 705 would sound awful. In this application, I don't know for sure, but these panels can be VERY effective at sucking the life out of your stereo..... I don't know how else to put it. If it were me, starting over, I would drywall it and then mess with placement for a while of panels on the ceiling, mark out the spots you think sound the best for the traps and then finish (i.e. paint, spackle) and finally permanently attach your panels.

There is a lot more proper acoustics than just absorption (diffusion) and you would be well served to do a lot of research before going off the deep end..... Just my opinion.
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