Affordable Panel Fabric in LA

[Bang]

I just finished with Steven Klein and his design calls for a lot of fiberglass panels for my large new control room.. I really like the polyester Maharam but its quite pricey when you start doing the whole room, anyone point out some good fabric places in or around LA that have a decent selection of panel like fabrics that are a bit more affordable, dare I say 10- 15 bucks a yard? Ok maybe 15 -20 bucks a yard? Thanks,

Steve
www.bangrecording.com
www.blacklinerock.com

[ELI-173]

You should be able to get it a lot cheaper than that. I've heard there is a 'fabric district' downtown, super cheap...

Worth checking out anyhow

[juniorhifikit]

Just go to a regular fabric store and pick something that looks good. Then hold it up to your ear to tell if it's "transparent". Oh, if it's a commercial facility with building permits etc, you may have to adhere to a fire rating.

[pieter k]

Yay to the fabric district. Go there and do your shopping. Start at Michael Levine's, one of LA's oldest and most revered fabric stores. That's where I got my fabric for my panels, and you'll find stuff for way, way under $10 or $15 a yard. Then, 3M spray-on adhesive will work fine and save you even more money (get it at Home Depot). All that "audio-specific" fabric has to be the biggest ripoff since time began.

If Levine's doesn't have somethng you like, well, you'll be in the thick of the most astonishing collection of fabric stores you could imagine.

You can find something that will work; something better looking than burlap but still sufficiently transparent; and, if you're lucky, something that even color coordinates with your studio (I'm assuming since you've paid for Klein that your studio not only sounds good but looks good).

ML:
919 Maple Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Update: if you're using spray-on adhesive, don't cover the front with it and try to keep it largely limited to the back edge, where you wrap the fabric around. It leaves a bit of a crust beneath the fabric and if most of the surfaces that are suppose to be doing the acoustic work have that, then you will have created a more reflective surface. Depending on what fabric you choose, it will do a surprisingly good job of naturally sticking to the fiberglass on the front; I've had my panels up for a year and a half with no fabric sag at all.

[Dave Martin]

it's not LA, but I've been very happy with the price (and service) I've gotten from Silent Source on Guilford fabric - seems like it was around $20 a yard. The bolts are about 54 inches wide, though - 30 yards goes a LONG way...

www.silentsource.com

[caseyLA]

Or you could do away with the whole fabric thing altogether.

Owen's Corning makes something called "Select Sound". It's faced with a black "skin". Frame these suckers up and no fabric required.

http://www.geocities.com/thatwascasey

[mikey]

I just went to Home Deot and picked up some indoor out door carpet ....its got a bead to it almost like the pro stuff ( like cordoroy) ...at a glance it looks great ..They have a bin of different colors small pieces so i have three different colors