Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) Acoustic Treatments - A Question
MLV comes in different thicknesses, from thin drapes to sheets inches thick
At this point in time - I have installed a vinyl roller blind that is very effective at preventing reflections and because it is installed at the ceiling-wall boundary, also traps/disperses reflections there - a bonus!
But unfortunately it is not effective are preventing the very low frequency "bass blooming" I am currently experiencing.
From what I have read, my room is the ideal size for the propagation of low frequency standing waves- 11.5' x 15' x 8'(high)
So I was wondering if anyone out there had used the thicker versions of MLV in order to curb bass related issues and if so - what thickness did you find effective and how did you install it?
My system resides in my Living Room, so I am trying to "limit the visibility" of any device I install, either by design or concealment.
Many Thanks
Slaw - I have tried many different speaker positions and their current placement provides the best SQ - and minimizes the booming - but it is still present on some albums that have very deep bass lines As for the properties of vinyl - from what I have read, I believe the soft vinyl fabrics and MLV absorbs sound waves Thanks |
I decided to take the plunge and get a sheet of 1/8" MLV to see what it was capable of. From an acoustic perspective it is an inert material, i.e. it does not resonate at all. It is somewhat pliable, but it does not like any kind of shape that is rounded in more than one plane i.e. application to a straight pipe is OK as long as there is no bend or curve in the pipe It does not allow sound waves to pass through it and I believe is reflects very little also. I have used it to build a couple of different types of acoustic traps and it appears to do a reasonable job of quelling unwanted vibrations - however that my also be due to in part to the shape of the trap and the other materials used Structural rigidity is very poor, so it should be glued/fastened in place on a frame or structure. A hot glue gun is a good bonding agent for this material. You can cut it with a carpet knife, simply scour and bend to open the cut and then finish with one final cut, however, curved cuts can be a little difficult. Suggested uses: if you are planning on building an acoustic trap, one suggested use might be to line the inside of the trap with this product. This will act to absorb sound waves inside the trap and reduce vibrations that may be transferred to the outer panels of the trap. The name of the product I use is "Noiseblok" and purchased from.. http://www.acoustiguard.com/ in Toronto (Mississauga), but there are many similar products available on the web from other locations, because it weighs 1 lb/ sq ft - so shipping can be as much as the cost of the product, so try to source locally. It came in 4' x 6' sheets only and cost $50 CDN/sheet Bottom Line... The traps I built have eliminated unwanted reflections that I didn't even realize I had and most of those were around 70 Hz and up. They did result in a significant reduction in what I believe to be standing waves below 70 Hz, but it did not eliminate them completely. However, the taps are significantly smaller than any traps I have seen to date. That's the scoop on MLV - it's probably more for "the adventurous DIY'er" :-) Regards... |
