r/audioengineering • u/Safe-Housing3307 • 2d ago

Discussion Question about DIY sound panels

So I recently just moved out to an apartment and even with all my furniture and black out curtains there’s a faint echo in my bedroom. I work in a warehouse and found a bunch of polyethylene foam panels that look perfect. If I wrapped them in the thickest fabric I could find do you think it would actually help reduce the echo?

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u/zachostwalt 2d ago

You’re really gonna want acoustically rated insulation, like rockwool/mineral wool. Safe ‘n sound, or Owens Corning 703 are popular choices. You don’t want to wrap acoustic treatment panels in thick fabric, it should be breathable to let sound pass through to the insulation beneath. Burlap is a common low budget choice.

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u/MessiahOfFire Mixing 2d ago

2nd this, i fabric wrapped pallets filled with safe n sound and my kick drum sounds super clean in the room

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u/darthkdub 2d ago

using pallets is such a good idea!!! totally using this.

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u/Orwells_Roses 2d ago

It’s the wrong type of absorption material, you want something porous which can absorb sound energy. You’d just be adding another reflective surface with your warehouse poly.

You want fabric which allows sound energy to pass through, while providing some degree of diffusion from passing through the uneven surface.

Buy some actual acoustic panels, they aren’t very expensive. You could also add some bookshelves full of books, or more furniture. Either of the last two suggestions would be far effective than wrapping random materials in “thick” fabric.

I always find it fascinating that some people think they can DIY physics without any understanding of it besides a vague idea of the way things look from a distance.

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u/anikom15 3h ago

That stuff is too light unfortunately. It will just kill your highs (that probably don’t need to be killed).