Functional Use For Scrap Wood! - Studio Sound Diffusion Panels

[@abydosianchulac2]

What about the new frames? Did you analyze them?? _What about the new frames?!?_

[@ZacBuilds]

Can I just take a second to say that I HATE adobe premiere sometimes haha. It doesn't matter how many times you tell it to pre-render all the effects, it still does stupid stuff like this haha.

[@ArpadBuildsThis]

@@ZacBuilds I know right? I make sure everything is good and I like that it is a powerful editing system, but I hate the stupid stuff it does sometimes…

[@cytrixstudios]

🤣🤣

[@spencerferguson2185]

The filming, editing, time and effort you put into these videos in absolutely insane. Seeing the process of putting one of the builds together is extremely entertaining. The finished panels look incredible in my opinion. I think everyone appreciates the work you put in and enjoys the final product. Astounding work as always!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you so much Spencer! I definitely try to set myself apart in this space with the production quality. I really enjoy the film making process, probably as much as the actual building process, so it's a labor of love. I'm also lucky enough to have a very talented video editor helping me out on these videos. So it's a collaborative process between him and I.

[@Hermiel]

Diffusers don't eliminate reverb; they reshape it by changing how it bounces around the room. Reducing reverb time requires removing acoustic energy from the room by converting it to another form of energy. Fiberglass and foam panels are two materials which can do this. Incidentally, diffusers have lower limits on their effective frequencies. The ones you built will work down to about 1 kHz. There are several free utilities for designing mathematically-correct diffusers that are maximally effective given a set of constraints. Your final product looks nice, no doubt, and will have some effect but it's a shame you didn't use a proven algorithm to design it. Next time.

[@alexiscanet9009]

Hmmm sent this to my partner since they're musicians o wonder if putting foam between what goes against the wall will work. Thanks for the insight.

[@Raeven00kami]

Out of curiosity, would making this out of the foam panel material work? I helped a buddy out building a sound booth and we used some 1'x1'x1" squares of the stuff and it seemed hardy enough.. Loved this video, Zac. The beauty of the grain really pops and a great way to (slightly?) lower your scraps bin! :D

[@thePavuk]

and thy are far too small.

[@jgm113]

Could you please link one of these free utilities? I would very much like to build a mathematically correct panel but having a hard time finding what you suggested.

[@KennJordan]

​@@jgm113 Free link to BBC research report to create a mathematically correct acoustic diffusing panel downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1990-15.pdf

[@iangorham2247]

I appreciate the dedication to setting the right expectations. It's so easy to get discouraged when these projects take forever and it doesn't feel like they should. Especially when multiplied by the newbie time tax, and then when the result isn't as good as it looks when you watch the guy who's dedicated a chunk of his life to being good at it

[@BMSculptures]

That glue up gives me nightmares still from the ones I did. Great build, Just LOVE the look of the pixelated different species of wood... As you know. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@ZacBuilds]

Haha I hear you Blake, I couldn't have done it without the old episodes of Star Trek to keep me sane. It also helped that I spread it over a couple of days. Appreciate the support as always man!

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

Not only does this look sick, I can tell a difference in the audio too! Keep up the amazing work, Zac!

[@ZacBuilds]

Hahaha I'm literally watching your latest video as I respond to this comment. I think we must have both been watching each others videos at the same time. And thank you, at first I didn't notice the difference, but after listening to this video vs my older videos I can actually hear a noticeable difference. It's still not perfect, but it makes a surprising difference.

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

@@ZacBuilds we always seem to be in stride together. Your voice sounds a little bit richer with that sound diffuser. But even if it didn’t work, I’d love to look at it!

[@MrItanaa]

i really don't get how a video like that would get only 2k likes... people don't appreciate others insane efforts. Thank's for this amazing video, dude. Cheers from extreme north of Brazil.

[@christianschwarze2105]

Really like it that you put back in some realism by confronting people by showing that you did lots of episodes and what movie magic you had to do ;-)

[@krounmusic]

Just found your channel a couple of days ago, it's already one of my favorites.

[@ZacBuilds]

Dude thank you so much! I really appreciate it

[@UrbanShopWorks]

Zac your content is really good! Don't worry about unrealistic time expectations, anyone with a brain can figure out that this stuff takes a lot of time. Your videos are highly watchable and I personally think you are going to blow up on this platform!

[@ZacBuilds]

Dude! Thank you so much that's really nice of you to say. I definitely hear what you're saying, but I think unrealistic expectations run rampant in the DIY space. People seem to have this idea that you can whip something like this up in an afternoon haha. Once you start getting some experience it becomes pretty clear BUT there's a lot of new comers to the field and a lot of people who just watch for fun, so I made that for them. Cheers man.

[@OG_Beckie_Leigh]

@@ZacBuilds I only found your channel the other day, and I’m one of the “watches for fun” subscribers. However, I’m filing the information away in my brain for possible future reference. 😂 I love how you keep it real in your videos by showing/owning up to your mistakes in addition to the your awesome finished prOjects. I’m hoping that watching your videos gives me the kick in the butt that I need to FINALLY finish the bass guitar that I started for my son in april 2021. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Keep up your beautiful work & thanks for sharing your experiences with everyone! ✌🏼💜🛼

[@m.j.s.3838]

Last winter, I did 2’x2’ skyline panels using repurposed wood (60 y.o. veneered plywood beams) cut all by handsaw while listening to hockey on the radio. Getting a nice cut by hand is very satisfying, if you aren’t in a hurry. My tips: -use larger pieces than in the video, I did ~2”x2”, for LESS cutting/sanding and BIGGER panels -consider cutting the exposed ends at random angles for another element of diffusion -don’t get too fussy about being perfect like the guy in the video; imperfections are lost in all the busy towers; eg. I barely sanded mine, and using different sizes is not a big deal either. I had alternating rows of slightly different width towers, which worked great. -a thin backing board is preferable -the banded effect of plywood beams is very good, especially if the plys are thin and numerous -leave some spots empty -this calls for some time and effort, and will hang on the wall for years, so you might as well go all in and give 110%__find and follow an acoustically formulated pattern; look (on the internet) for “skyline diffuser pattern”

[@sherryleggett1612]

To heck with sound things. That is a work of art.

[@chadtal46]

I really liked that you showed a timer with the actual time on it

[@ZacBuilds]

I wanted to keep it realistic, because I knew in the edit so much of the time that went into this would be lost haha

[@jason.martin]

Looks great! but I agree that you need much more diffusion as those are not covering enough, place some broadband absorbers to the sides of where you sit. Diffusion wont get rid of the reverb it just makes it sound more pleasant, absorption will tame the reverb.

[@J0ermungand]

I actually appreciated the timer. You should keep that around. Maybe even have a small timer in a corner that's permanently on. Also those sound diffusion panels, even if they were professionally designed (ie calculated to achieve a specific effect) would still not be enough due to how small they are compared to the room. So it's a start for sure and it does look cool. I don't know what else you've planned, but those windows are pretty large and you should consider some dense fabric curtains to diffuse the sound reflected off of them. You'll be surprised how much that helps (speaking as someone who has just recently started acoustically optimizing his home cinema setup - which has a wall that is one large window).

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks you, the next step is to get some sound traps using mineral wool. I do actually have some roll down curtains which should theoretically help a bit. They aren't heavy drapes, but they are a blackout sytle canvas. I'll make sure I roll those down before recording.

[@J0ermungand]

@@ZacBuilds Excellent, you can try the roll down curtains, though i suspect they won't be as effective as heavy drapes. Mineral wool is afaik preferred for sound insulation (ie absorbing sound), which should help reducing reverb tremendously. Gotta be careful to leave enough diffuse reflection, otherwise everything just sounds muted. I'm personally going to try styrofoam wall panels for absorbing sound on my back wall. I'll try and make them look like a faux stone wall.

[@DieselWeazel]

I can appreciate the work you put into this video.

[@DanielSMatthews]

There is a lot more to real fractal diffusers than them just being random, but whatever it looks nice and will have some effect even if the frequency band it works with is not as wide as it could have been.

[@ArpadBuildsThis]

I love the end product! I gotta make some of these! This was a fun, entertaining video, and gave me some good advice and inspiration to build some! Thanks Zac!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Arpad, I always appreciate your support and kind words man! Might be a good project for you once you get the new shop up and running!

[@ArpadBuildsThis]

@@ZacBuilds I think so! I have too many off cut pieces that I should probably get rid of but I keep hanging on to them… Thanks Zac!

[@Danielism]

Really enjoying the videos Zac!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Daniel!

[@mvilla4614]

This project came out super dope. I saw it in the background of one of your other videos and went looking for this video. I knew you had to had shared the process. Thanks

[@squared80]

You needed to add absorbers, not diffusors. But it looks great and will help with sound dispersion. Thanks for the share! I made my skyline diffusors with scrap wood, as well. Cheap and effective!

[@cassfo]

Amazing, as always, but i couldn't take my eye off the top right piece, so loooong

[@ZacBuilds]

Hahaha, it's actually the same length as many of the middle pieces, but I guess its on it's own up there in the top right corner

[@cassfo]

​@@ZacBuilds yes, it probably is, the spotlight was for the position itself. Even so, an amazing job, congratulations!

[@worldtreedesign]

I was imagining trimming it off with a Japanese saw 😄

[@raMmpage18]

It's like giving you a middle finger. LOL!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Very nice job. Really cool project. I really like it. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Jared! Think you might make one for yourself?

[@SchysCraftCo.]

@@ZacBuilds hope for my tiny house.

[@SophieMaudeB]

I loved these so much!! Such a good concept and turned out so well

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Soph!

[@hotandsour100]

@@ZacBuilds dude, I'm pretty sure she's waiting for you to ask her out

[@peggycole616]

Love it I have a large living room and lots of scrap to work with thanks!

[@ZacBuilds]

Heck ya Peggy! Those big cavernouse living rooms can be really echo-y which makes it hard to hear movies and TV shows properly sometimes.

[@haldorasgirson9463]

Improves sound. Makes dusting impossible. Good trade. A partially filled bookcase does wonders also, and it gives you some place to put your books.

[@ZacBuilds]

Honestly, dusting isn't much of an issue in my house. I run a roomba daily and it does wonders for keeping dust to an absolute minimum haha. I've thought about adding some bookcases to the office, but I think I've got a better idea that I'm saving for a future video

[@josephmartinez2231]

Been along for the ride before the KZbin was established 👍 the speaker builds on Instagram and all that good stuff

[@RobSchweitzer]

Those came out great! Glad you added the perimeter trim, you had me worried about 3/4 of the video that you were gonna have exposed construction ply edges haha!

[@ZacBuilds]

Haha thanks Rob, though I'm insulated you think I would ever leave the plywood exposed 😂

[@RemarkableWoodworks]

What a great use of material!!!!! It looks amazing and call me crazy but I was actually thinking about how good the voice over sounded before the end! Speaking of the end, those final shots are absolutely stunning 😍

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks buddy! At first I didnt think it made a difference, but the more I listen, the more I think it actually did help quite a bit.

[@colejones7145]

I have wanted to build these for some time after seeing them in a video of the redbull London music studio thank you for your time and effort this is a great guide! Love your work

[@ZacBuilds]

My pleasure and thank you for watching! You'll have to let me know if you end up building them!

[@MrTeff999]

This is the second diffuser I've seen on KZbin, but I doubt it will work as intended. Although the blocks vary in height, they all reflect sound in the same direction. Seems to me the blocks should be cut at angles and pointed in different directions, up, down, left, and right.

[@howler5000]

Love the timer idea!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks I got the idea while talking about this issue with some people on IG. People thought the time would be the best way to show the passage of time and keep the video moving at the same time.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

i think bass traps in the corners might do more for your room. it would be cool to see a carpenters take on full room sound treatment. usually videos on that sort of thing are from the perspective of people with a lot of training and experience in the audio world and you get a mix of extremely expensive, but good looking stuff versus cheap janky stuff. you could totally make a studio treatment miniseries from a fresh perspective with more projects in this vein

[@ericmorata-c4w]

What type of wood to use? Fir? Oak? Cherry, chestnut? Congratulations on this video, a great professional lesson that allows you to make great financial savings if you are a bit of a handyman!

[@goldbrian13]

absolutely beautiful. great craftsmanship as always!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Brian!

[@kyleolson8977]

"So you will understand when I say that death is that state in which one exists only in the memories of others. Which is why it is not an end." - Tasha Yar, in the background of your video.

[@ZacBuilds]

Oh man hitting me right in the nostalgia!

[@DIYBuilds]

How did you get minwax to sponsor you? Asking as fellow Canadian. ;)

[@ZacBuilds]

I woke up one day to an email in my inbox asking me if I'd be interested in working with them. It's been history from there haha.

[@melcved3098]

Like always awsome création mr. You are the best 👍😁

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you so much!

[@cartier13]

Looks great, but from what I've been reading you want to use soft woods for these types of panels for maximum effect.

[@danielleboon1543]

Awesome video. I’ve actually been meaning to make a defuser, we have a stairwell with a ridiculous echo problem, it’s deafening. I actually have a bunch of scrap wood lined up to make one, we were cutting down some 2x6’s and 2x8’s (making do with Covid lumber prices). I’ll be going over this a few times to check all your tips. Can’t wait to see the next one!

[@mitchtube3]

Make some absorption panels next, they will help much more. These are great decoration though, they look fantastic. Worth the time :)

[@KevinCM81]

That came out really nice and they look great. I wish I had a home woodworking shop to build my own also. I like your builds good Sir. I also like your video edits and shots. keep it up and thank you.

[@TheCatanzaroShop]

Awesome idea! I’ll be making a set of these to burn up some scrap wood. Great video as usual.

[@ZacBuilds]

That's awesome, you'll have to send me some pics when you do! It really helped to clean up my scrap piles (well outside of the REALLY small scrap pile)

[@Redheadsrule13]

Feedback on finding a way to include a time element in your videos: One of the best ways I often see people create a condensed sense of time passing is with time-lapses. Seeing all the activity blurring together as the hours of work get condensed down into a few seconds really gives a sense of just how much effort you've put in. It's tried and true, but it's a great tool to have in a videographers arsenal. Bonus suggestion: Taking the time-lapse idea a little further, including a clock or timer in the shot during a time-lapse could be super cool. The blur of activity in tandem with the hours of a clock zinging by in just seconds could be the extra kick to help deliver just how much those hours of work get diluted down into a few seconds of video footage.

[@mnoutback]

Oh my goodness, I've never related more to what all you said after 6:30! I'm always complaining to my wife, "I don't know why this is so hard, it took the guy in the video only 10 minutes!" xD So thank you 🙌

[@ZacBuilds]

Haha my pleasure! I always watch back my videos and thing "damn this looks like I did this in an afternoon" when I reality it was done over the course of 5 days

[@robertpennycook1936]

Awesome thought to put the realism in there - if people still undertake the project after knowing the time that goes in then you know they are really engaged in this craft. Well done. All the best for your channel.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Robert and that's exactly it. I'd hate for someone to watch one of my videos and think "oh that looks easy I'll do that this weekend" only to find out its actually a lot more work than they initially expected. This wasn't a particularly hard project, but it was time consuming and I wanted to show that as realistically as I could.

[@ScottWalshWoodworking]

I can smell the CA glue activator from here

[@abdullahassan2099]

Nice Job Zac:

[@johnvcougar]

Love this, great idea.

[@gelphmullet]

Great video and awesome results, thanks for the insight!

[@LukeTheJoker]

That came out amazing! Thanks for including the timer, you have convinced me not to make them... 😆

[@ZacBuilds]

Haha ya this was a TIME CONSUMING build, but I do love the end results.

[@markgarcia0419]

Very nice! Im gonna do this next summer.

[@RodrigoNascimentoMattos]

imagine having to clean dust from that hahahah beatifull art though!! regards from brasil!

[@bobsmoot8454]

There are sites that dictate the specific length of each piece and it’s location in relation to the other, it’s a mathematical calculation and to have a skyline diffuser work within a predetermined frequency range so you definitely need to use a site that provides this critical information or you won’t get what you want, it’s that simple

[@alfredoyapur]

New here. Here is your "like" my good sir. Saludos desde México.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you very much!

[@maciejlegowicz5834]

look really awesome, however, to reduce reverberation you'd need probably 80% of the wall covered with this.

[@Rutger90]

Just found out your channel. Great content and great craftsmanship Zac!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks so much Rutger! how'd you find it?

[@Rutger90]

@@ZacBuilds think i got it recommended via some other creative channels. Love the skills!

[@Crispy_Cheese88]

Would try doing that, with some words between the pixelate wood

[@nibiru3683]

Warped stabilizer, did you dirty in the last little clip there lol

[@createinvent]

That is a cool end table by the couch. I assume you have a video on that somewhere?

[@ZacBuilds]

I do ya! It's one of my earlier videos so the quality isn't as great haha

[@HiveMind2024]

Short stubby handle brushes are the best

[@StopandStare.]

I have seen this one before, some guy made this in his living room with cooler effect of shadows throughout the day

[@ZacBuilds]

That sounds awesome!

[@StopandStare.]

@@ZacBuilds kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2qVY4lmjNV8paM this was the video, your project is cool 😎, but adding shadow takes it up a notch

[@jacobsmith1877]

You will need some absorption panels to tighten that room up and get it sounding better.

[@abydosianchulac2]

Hmm, despite the high cost involved, I could see marketing these to people with smaller recording spaces in their home. I knew many voice actors and audio book narrator's who have converted a spare closet into a recording studio; something this scale could provide some decoration and noticeable function beyond the normal acoustic panels.

[@ZacBuilds]

Oh totally! Or KZbinrs like me haha. Professional made sound diffusion panels are available and they are quite expensive!

[@haldorasgirson9463]

Shipping cost would kill you. You can buy rigid foam diffusers and bass traps that install easily and shipping costs are low.

[@abydosianchulac2]

@@haldorasgirson9463 Of course, but the overall cost of something taking half a workweek to construct isn't going to be cheap in the first place. This would clearly be an upmarket item, and possibly one marketed locally so self-transportation is possible and shipping cost irrelevant. And anyway, as I was referring to panels for small spaces, only pieces close to the size of the satellite panels Zac made would be feasible/desirable in such rooms/closets. Make a smaller, multi-piece diffuser that could fit in several USPS flat-rate medium boxes and the cost is cut even more.

[@its9429]

Super, love your creativity. There must equipment to test for reverb? Nevertheless as you said, they're attractive on their own.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you so much! and there definitely is, but it's quite expensive and outside of my price range. If I could find someone whod let me borrow the equipment I'd love to do the test

[@kanedNunable]

timer is a brilliant idea.

[@chrisanthony144]

beautiful !

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@JasonGrissom]

Another great video Zac! I really like the way they came out. Also, maybe contact Guinness. This may be a record for pieces of scrap wood used on a project!

[@AdMBandLeader]

For the best woodblock diffuser results, you don't have any two exact tall blocks on the panel, no matter how apart they might be in position.

[@seajeepstar7516]

great job

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you sir!

[@anandshah71]

Superb video thank you

[@gk505]

Maaaan !! this is it

[@sblmnlbll]

nice! good job!

[@jonathanzj620]

Timer is very much appreciated. I am less than impressed with jump cuts and lack of explanation between steps. Thanks!

[@ZacBuilds]

It's a challenge for creators because on KZbin the only thing that matters is keeping your audience engaged. If people get bored and tune out then youtube won't show your video to anyone. So that's why you see so many creators editing things so quickly

[@Subsurface123]

Please tell me you made a vid on making that end table. 🔥🔥🔥

[@tedwingate]

Love your videos, any plans to get a gimbal for the handheld vloggy shots?

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Edward! Honestly, probably not, setting up a gimbal takes so much time that it kind of hurts the work flow. I'll try to focus on holding the camera steadier in future videos though.

[@insert2965]

wow cool!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you!

[@Sbregher]

Very cool!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks!

[@felymMusic]

What are the sizes of the wood blocks you used please?

[@mysterOrel7924]

Great stuff ! Good sound but can be better !!

[@FullContactDrummer]

I'm thinking about doing this, but I'm thinking of using 4x4 boards.

[@nikanj]

Me: Why are diffusion panels so expensive? There's like $10 of pine in them. Me after watching this video: That's a very reasonable price.

[@kensaiix]

there is calculator on the internet on how and where to place what height blocks for such a build. your random approach is certainly aesthetic, but probably less effective as they could be.

[@inzemix73]

4.20 blocs :D

[@LikeDotaudio]

Diffusion doesn't work well with such low energy like a voice. Normally used in studios so the back wall doesn't reflect back into the speakers. They do look nice, but perform so poorly.

[@no8do]

This would be cool as fugg if you could match city maps with skylines. like let's say...NYC. or chicago. or Toronto.

[@mysterOrel7924]

What if you made another BUT this time an arstist while make a draw based on the little scares colors

[@naregj91]

You're gunna need to cover that entire wall if you want to notice a difference in sound

[@CP-ij8hh]

15:26............hilarious!!

[@antiHUMANDesigns]

Nope, nope, nope, diffusors do not reduce reverberation, they only break up standing waves and such. They make the room sound larger and sound better, but do not reduce reverberation time. If you want shorter reverb time, you need absorbers, not diffusers. You have large windows. The windows reflect a huge amount. The walls are not your primary problem, though it obviously helps to treat them. Also do not forget the ceiling, as that's where lots of early reflections happen. Directly above you, where you sit.

[@Tom_the_great]

They would need to be considerably larger to have any effect.

[@jaydorsett1580]

Angled faces would have helped alot, no flat faces to direct soundwaves back, instead turning them

[@wenducha07]

I love the way you did this tutorial, however this panels won't solve the problem that you are attacking. Diffuser panels will always work more as an EQ of your room, while absorbing panels would help you deal with reverberation. If you want to dry your room, better to build some panels filled and fill them with absorbing materials. Anyway, I watched this video completely because the work you did is admirable.

[@Djsrinuinthemix]

This pattern link plz sir

[@jenseggers-lemieux5423]

I think you should have let the burn marks on the wood, it would have been looking good.

[@ZacBuilds]

Interesting idea! Some of the pieces do still have a hint of burn on them, but I did my best to hide most of them.

[@stephenjudge7531]

Scrap wood my bottom ! That looks like a bunch of prime timber pieces to me . . ..

[@saustindavis]

There are free websites online that will calculate the exact pattern needed to disperse specific frequencies. What you built looks nice, especially with the various colors of wood used, but unfortunately the actual effect is unknown. Next time use a pink noise generator and an RTA MIC in the room to find the problem frequencies and build the diffusers accordingly.

[@rockman49er]

They sell these as kits for diy and they are 100 to 300 bucks each wow I have enough scrap wood here at my house to build thousands of these I have a lumber business and the scrap wood has built up over the last 40 years definitely going to build some of these I put a huge pile of wood up on Craigslist for free and well nobody has got it so now I'm going to use it myself

[@ДмитрийП-ю6ч]

С таким размером эффект минимальный. Больше для красоты. Тем более повесил высоко, а надо напротив твитеров динамиков

[@chrisruffino5168]

Since they cover what 2% of the wall, they should help with 2% of the reverb... I would just stick to calling them art. Nice art.