Question about 703 FRK in small square room

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by jmvideo

I'm going to be building a bunch of panels in the next couple of weeks and wondering if 703 FRK vs normal 703 makes a big difference in a small square room. My room is 12 x 12 x 9. Would it be beneficial to build ALL the panels with an FRK face or would they work better/worse on the front/back/side walls?

I realize my room dimensions suck, so I want to maximize potential as much as possible.

As long as you don't limit the amount of bass trapping due to cost, to with FRK on the traps. DO NOT though use FRK on the panels for the early reflection points.
What Are Early Reflection Points. Acoustic Panels and Bass Traps.
BTW when I say limit the amount I mean covering every wall to wall, ceiling to wall and heck even floor to wall corners of the room. The FRK is going to help a bit but it is about coverage and a small squ room like that needs all the help it can get.

[jmvideo]

Thanks Glenn... I definitely appreciate your feedback! Would it also be bad to use FRK for the cloud as well?

[kasmira]

Clouds are usually at first reflection points. Don't forget that first reflections don't only happen on side walls - they happen on the floor, ceiling, and back wall as well. Therefore, probably not suggested to use FRK/FSK on the clouds.

If you have a lot of parallel wall surface you might want to think about keeping a few of them without FRK/FSK to reduce flutter echo a bit better. My room is just a tad smaller than yours and my flutter echo was horrendous. I have ~10 traps in my room right now (no FRK) and it's not even completely dead in there.

Also just to add, if you're getting 2" thick OC703, you should probably grab a bag of with and a bag of without FRK/FSK so that you can make 4" thick panels (which is the usual recommended minimum size) with the facing on only one side of the traps.

[jmvideo]

Originally Posted by kasmira

Also just to add, if you're getting 2" thick OC703, you should probably grab a bag of with and a bag of without FRK/FSK so that you can make 4" thick panels (which is the usual recommended minimum size) with the facing on only one side of the traps.

That's exactly what I plan to do. I guess I'll just use the FRK faces for the front and back walls and build all the other panels for reflections points with FSK only.

Sounds like I'll be building *a lot* of traps! Yeesh.

[kasmira]

Yes! The more the merrier! :D
Just to note for yourself, FSK doesn't mean without facing as you indicated in your last post. FSK is another term for FRK. Some manufacturers note it as "FSK" some note it as "FRK", there's other notations as well but those are the most common.

[jmvideo]

Originally Posted by kasmira

Yes! The more the merrier! :D
Just to note for yourself, FSK doesn't mean without facing as you indicated in your last post. FSK is another term for FRK. Some manufacturers note it as "FSK" some note it as "FRK", there's other notations as well but those are the most common.

Duly noted. I ordered a case of FRK and a case of non-faced 703. So that should keep me busy for a while.

[jwl]

Yes, use the FRK (Foil-Reinforced Kraft) on most of you panels, pretty much all of them except at the reflection points. This will increase the amount of bass absorption, which is good for your small, square room, and will also help prevent things from becoming too dead/overdamped once you line all the corners with bass traps. :-)

For more detail on what FRK (as well as different fiberglass densities) will do for you, see http://www.ethanwiner.com/density.html

[jmvideo]

Originally Posted by jwl

Yes, use the FRK (Foil-Reinforced Kraft) on most of you panels, pretty much all of them except at the reflection points. This will increase the amount of bass absorption, which is good for your small, square room, and will also help prevent things from becoming too dead/overdamped once you line all the corners with bass traps. :-)

For more detail on what FRK (as well as different fiberglass densities) will do for you, see http://www.ethanwiner.com/density.html

Excellent stuff.... thank you!

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by jmvideo

That's exactly what I plan to do. I guess I'll just use the FRK faces for the front and back walls and build all the other panels for reflections points with FSK only.

Sounds like I'll be building *a lot* of traps! Yeesh.

Don't use any kind of backing (FSK) for the reflection points.

[npatro22]

So don't use any kind of FRK on first reflection points even if it is facing the wall? Will it help low end absorption to have the FRK facing the ceiling for my cloud or better to save the money and just get plain?

[Glenn Kuras]

If facing the wall it is fine. Some have said that if you space that off the ceiling it will help with low end performance. I had a client years ago that had 703 with the FRK on the back, spaced off the wall a few inches. Did not seem to help to have it. Never tried to document the test though so use at will.

[npatro22]

Ok thanks a ton Glenn.