How To Make Real Acoustic Panels | Includes Measurements

Acoustic panels are used to make the room sound better by reducing or eliminating reflections and excess energy that muddy and smear what you are listening to. They aren't for soundproofing - that's something entirely different. You'd use these in a home theater or music room to improve the experience.
As the car guys say: "There's no replacement for displacement!"
Thin panels only work on higher frequency sound and don't even put a dent in the real problems that exist in all small to mid-sized rooms. These are 5-1/2" (140MM) thick and are made to be spaced off the wall by that same amount. That gap between the panel and the wall makes the panel more effective, especially for lower frequency sound.
The interesting part of this build is how I fastened the cloth using the grooves and splines. I didn't want to use a billion staples to attach the cloth to separate frames and then try to figure out how to attach the frames to the boxes to make it all look neat. The splines worked perfectly and greatly simplified the process.
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[@IBuildIt]

In the measurements at the end, the "Untreated room" shows the room before I did any work in there. That was the room before I started, not before I added these panels, and shows the overall progress up to now.

[@adelkharisov]

As you are in USA, can you try acoustic fields open cell foam, (they offer free return)? Their founder, youtuber Dennis Foley told it is better for voice.

[@IBuildIt]

@@adelkharisov I'm not in the US, but I'm very familiar with Acoustic Fields. Dennis is selling room treatment products, so of course he's going to say the stuff he sells is better, and his foam is better for voice.

[@bbfoto7248]

@@IBuildIt So what are the new piano black gloss floorstsnding speakers? Now all you need is a decently thick rug to kill some of the floor bounce off of the concrete in front of your listening position. And a miniDSP with DIRAC Live room correction. ;)

[@lio1234234]

@@bbfoto7248 Dirac live is overrated if you are good at doing it manually/DIY

[@CJWest]

Hey John do you have the measurements for the stands you made for them?

[@tylerhackman6832]

Older video I know, but these are the best looking absorption panels I’ve ever seen. Including the professional options. Nicely done! I’m envious.

[@robbiereed7779]

Love the "DVD commentary" paired video set. The other video is a fun build video and I like hearing your reasoning for each step in this one. Also, excellent build!

[@peterisaacmusic]

Like the narration because that's where the gold is! Details you give from your experience

[@LostWhits]

I really like these. It was a really nice use of splines to fit the fabric.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

Wow, I'm impressed that you built everything in the shop, including the table saw!

[@BruceAUlrich]

Fantastic edit on this one, John! Love how the panels turned out! It's crazy that I just build some acoustic panels for my house using rock wool a few weeks back. I wrapped them in walnut and hung them on the wall as art.

[@IBuildIt]

Thanks! I saw that video and liked the results. You deserve more views on your very well made videos.

[@BruceAUlrich]

@@IBuildIt Thanks so much, John! I want more views. ha ha

[@kerbyfab]

@@BruceAUlrich You just earned another one today! I checked out your channel and you content is A+

[@BruceAUlrich]

@@kerbyfab Thank you!

[@sorgunakkor1585]

Seeing this 47Hz sticking out of the waterfall, I guess your next project will be a Helmholtz resonator

[@saiancantin7667]

Hi john! Ive been a subscriber of yours for quite a while before i knew anything about woodworking. Because of people like you i developped a passion for woodworking and ended up making a career out of it, which is turning out very well so far😇 i wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the effort tou put into your videos. I recently noticed a growing frustration on yourpart regarding some comments and in general the youtube platform. I think people like you are putting great content out and receiving little appraisal for it, considering the effort that is put into it. For that i thank you very much. I thoroughly enjoy your content and hope you keep on with your nice work! (P.S. I really enjoy the audiophile part as well) have a nice day!

[@thedeloachsdoyoutube8377]

I can’t wait to see the room finished. I would love to do a little tour of your basement. I’m a long time viewer on all your channels. I know you’re busy man and you haven’t done any home improvements lately. Still would love to see your progress. Thanks for all the hard work you continue to put into all your videos. Make On Brother. ~Maker 238~

[@busomite]

Wow, those before and after measurements are more dramatic than I was expecting. Nice one!

[@erics.4113]

So... fantastic build. Excellent result. And that's not even mentioning the quality of the filming and production. Geez burgers! You got talents sir it's quite a mixed bag, I appreciated all aspects of this project and the documentation of it.

[@stevek8170]

Hi John. Another great vid. The cover photo for the video shows the panels with art on the front. I have been trying to figure out the best way to recover my panels with rocknroll art. How did you do it?

[@BillTiemann]

Excellent video. I would love to sit in this room when you finish and listen to some music. I bet it's going to be incredible.

[@jameshoverson7686]

I Love the design! That is really cool to see the results improving over time. Please keep these projects coming. I love all your projects, especially the audio projects!

[@Steve_Just_Steve]

Holy crap! How many different angle shot were in that vid?!?! It definitely makes for a fun vid to watch! Freakin crazy when YT has better videography than HGTV.

[@murphymmc]

Nice work on the frames. I've replaced a few window screens, hadn't thought about the fastening method being used elsewhere.......until now. ;-)

[@adamivy]

Beautiful work my friend!

[@SAZIZMUSIC]

You are handling rockwool with bare hands !!! ? 😳😳 didn't you suffered itching and allergy after that ?

[@rodpotts2666]

Do ya ever just put on some Pink Floyd drop some acid crank up the volume and lock the door to your sound room and leave this world for a few hours?

[@ferrencebeeb]

Amazing solution to the cover issue. Cutting that channel is gonna be tricky without that saw and bench though...🤔 Adapted floorboards maybe? Not as cheap but could work?

[@michaeltablet8577]

Very helpful. I am about to build some of these for my home recording studio and out of about 20 videos I've watched on how to build them this is the best!

[@pocketdweller3771]

Wow, I’ve been making panels since the beginning of CoVid as a side hustle. These designs are next level though 🔥. How long did the entire process take it on average how long does would each one take to complete from start to finish? Beautiful job man

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

Thanks for the video. Can you post the REW .mdat file? It is to see the RT60 ( Topt, T20, T30 ), ETC, Filtered IR before and with acoustic treatment. What wool do you use as padding for the panels? It is to see the value of the passage of the air flow. written with translator Greetings

[@BeatsByEndless]

I’d love to know how you made those beautiful stands!

[@Enzo-d8q]

John, love the video and use of spline to adhere the fabric. You are a REAL craftsman. How did you make the spline? Did you start with 3/4" solid wood and cut to size with your table saw?

[@Groove81TV]

You are a real craft man . Enjoy seeing this !

[@wric01]

Rip out the sheet rocks and replace insulation it with rockwool and a cloth all over wall. Better option i think.

[@planespeaking]

Hi John, just going through some of your videos now. What cloth would you recommend? Any concerns of having rockwool in a home environment? Like your thumbnail I had the idea to fabric print stylised designs on them to add interest. I love the spline fixing and the stands.

[@zacpajak2353]

Nice! Where did you get these stands to make them freestanding? They look great!

[@dadowns100]

John, can you share the angles you used to cut the material for the stands? I'm going to make a set so my panels can be moved around. Also, killer project and great looking video work!

[@dannywilsher4165]

Always a pleasure watching your videos!!!!!

[@nukreativemusic]

Do you have a link to the Rockwool you used? This looks like more than 3 1/2" thick.

[@thefuzzboxx1018]

Did you really get those album covers on the fabric? If so how?

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

Yup, liked it shot in your traditional manner too!

[@KLYDE4104]

Show us how to make the stand please 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@jimcoogan1529]

Great improvements to the room with the panels. I love the use of splines for the fabric. Will need to play with that on a project I have coming up. By the way, both version of this video, just music and the narrated were great.

[@greganikin7003]

Install them bot further than 1 in off the wall. Better option is to mount them sealed on the wall and have an air gap inside so the low end performance increased.

[@xanderguldie]

That wool sliding in there looked so satisfying

[@patrolduty8715]

Thank you for your video. What is rockwool density you use?

[@ryanglassman4932]

anywhere i can find more detail on your method for cutting the joints and grooves?

[@BishopEddie5443]

Where can I buy some quality panels like yours?

[@nogoogleplus]

Awesome work, I would buy these in a heartbeat!

[@cgsmithinnola]

Can you tell me if using SL620 ROCKWOOL would get good results?

[@DeceasedONE]

I would have to hear it in person. :P This entire project is interesting, absolutely. Thank you for taking it to another level. I bet it is going to sound better than I think. I would love to hear an entire movie in a room built like yours is going to be.

[@RigsbySmith]

Did you make your stands or do you have a link for them? Thanks a lot.

[@gbunag3]

Nice work! What fabric did you use?

[@joseescudero6388]

Claro con todas las herramientas que tiene se puede hacer

[@araghazarossian289]

I think you should start make a business with these panels they are perfect impeccable quality

[@LessTalkMoreDelicious]

Wow… your wood working, channel and info on it is amazing! 👏 (Just discovered it)

[@mrpres17]

Dang, you definitely chose "Expert mode" for these panels lol they came out looking great!

[@JakeThompson]

Awesome .. Boards like this really do work better than expected. 👍👍

[@josiasgaspar6233]

The best I've seen until now!! Very well made!! Unfortunately you don't live in Brazil, so I can't buy it for you. Congrats!!

[@b.powell3480]

Good video, but I'm skeptical about your materials! Plywood is still near $75 per sheet, and the rock wool panels aren't much cheaper! Will wait for a while longer to see how much more prices come down! Lumber is around $435 per 1,000 board feet at this point in time!!

[@MixmasterMegz767]

Can i get the dimensions of the panels , thanks

[@BlakePizzey]

Hmmmm wishing I saw this one week ago! I love the way you secured the fabric. Too bad I'm half way done.

[@hometheaterfever5]

Very nice. Is rockwool better than fiberglass? should I use rockwool vs fiberglass for sound absorption panels? Thank you

[@boedillard8807]

Thanks? Why do they do it in seperated modules? Seems like you'd want all the walls covered? Maybe not - I don't know so I'm asking.

[@ImBatman83]

Why plywood instead of furring strips? Just curious. About to venture into building my own. Most worried about warped wood

[@andrewv5104]

Narrated version with music is better. I Installed 750 sq feet of denim insulation in the celing of my shop to reduce echo but also attenuate noise leaving. It's kinda creepy having a conversation in a room that doesn't have any echo. My shop is in the basement of our house.

[@billchris107]

what kind of fabric is this that you use

[@gRosh08]

Uncle Remus said, Cool...thanks for sharing.

[@MillerIndustriesInc]

Can you stuff rockwool in the back of paintings to get a similar (obviously smaller) effect?

[@downloader842]

Really nice wood work and beautiful design. Specially liked that canvas fixing details.

[@scottiffanimccord1509]

Wow you did a wonderful job, everything came out perfect thx for sharing. Scot M.

[@bartgiles1068]

Black and white art work makes it

[@llamah]

Just feeding the Google(KZbin) overlords by commenting. Love your stuff John!

[@gordthor5351]

This is the first video I watched of yours and I subscribed because I like your consistent logic and reasoning.

[@gregmislick1117]

Okay, have now seen them both - totally different "felling" to the vids even though the film is the same. Interesting. Like them both Thank you agian,

[@kphillipsmusic]

Could you use the spline technique to make your own studio fabric wall?

[@emo65170.]

Beautiful. At 6:41 what's being plotted on the y-axis where it shows a peak between 30 and 40hz?

[@warpspeed9877]

Excellent built. I have seen that plaster board exists with specific holes in it ( various diameters and shapes for different frequency damping). Could these be used in movable panels for the same reason? I am thinking something like a base on rollers to move them out of the way when not needed.

[@chrissnyder7968]

I just subscribed and getting caught up, just love this video content. If I may, where did you get your artwork for your panels and how was the art work incorporated? Thank you, Chris

[@KipdoesStuff]

Thanks for making two vidoes, I couldn't get more than 30 seconds into the other one, lol. not a fan of that much editing.

[@IBuildIt]

It's the same video, Kip. Just this one has narration instead of music.

[@donaldmumaw]

Lol

[@milesparris4045]

Thirst!

[@Unpreeeedictable]

John, where have you been all my audiophile life? Awesome channel, including excellent video production!

[@velocityacoustics]

Those stands are awesome. On the front of the stands, how far do the legs extend past the face of the panel? or are they flush? How stable are the panels on those legs?

[@willierants5880]

I've had that same experience with this Chinese produce (at least in my case) plywood. The veneer was so thin that you could see through it and heaven forbit you needed to sand it. If you did you would be presented with the glue or underlayment. It was only suitable for paint. Home Depot refunded me the purchase of this plywood after explaining my issues with it and the impacts it had on my project. Be very careful when buying your plywood.

[@danpalooza]

What's the usual protocol between putting absorption vs diffusion on the side walls?

[@jaymitchosky]

John, I can watch this over and over again. Beautiful job and technique.

[@magnusdanielsson2749]

Very nice. And good results. If one have holes in the sides theyd get even better damping from the panels if placed freestanding

[@usa6530]

Is the fabric you're using an acoustic transparent cloth?

[@MattHill303]

You made a lovely job of those, I had to laugh when you commented on the quality of the plywood because I was thinking that it looked way better than most of the wavy and void filled stuff the stores around me stock.

[@FOH3663]

Very nice design! The fabric attachment is sweet. Another approach can elevate performance up a few notches; implementation of a frame design whereby the all six surfaces of the panel are open, ie., leaving as much total area permeable and thus increasing absorption effectiveness regardless of angle of incidence. I've seen before/after measurement comparisons and with nice thick panels such as these the ∆ was more than one would think. I believe it's ~80% more permeable area with a wall mounted 6" panel. Your design with the spline keeper for the material is beautifully elegant ... and that renders what I'm referring to as a non-starter. I've never seen that approach, and I can't say that very often!

[@adam1st-]

What cloth/ material would you recommend for the front and back so no particles go through the material?

[@northeastcorals]

I had never though of using splines, nice :)

[@TheEndlessVariables]

Hey John, would inserting these panels into a drop ceiling have any effect on improving sound quality for a home theater? or even just a living room with TV

[@jonlanghoff]

When you hammered in that piece of wood to tighten the fabric… Oh my god, so neat.

[@whiskeyweekly7533]

I love how everything's made of wood. Even the mic boom arm. lol

[@pg-mtl8815]

Two questions John Is the sound better to you ears and what do you listen to?

[@kanedNunable]

i just watched this and the techno version. kudos. very cool.

[@mekkohara8266]

so beautiful.

[@litoboy5]

Cool

[@act.13.41]

I was curious as to how you decided what size the splines needed to be to get a tight fit and not split the layers of plywood. Well done. To play it safe, I would have gone to the store and grabbed a roll of the rubber spline for screen frames. It would not have looked as nice though.

[@hughho9532]

Great work John. Have you considered Owen Cornings 703 and 705 as the sound absorption ? What are the "acoustic" effect of 700's vs rock wool insulation? Thanks.

[@nicholasmullins3693]

As someone who has done a lot of my own research, they act similarly. The difference in their performance is not enough to pay more for one vs the other. So use what is most affordable in your area, so long as it has the appropriate density.

[@robburgess4556]

I love the idea of using splines! You leave the wood exposed for a classier look. (makes mental note for next set of panels)

[@3dprintperfection672]

too cool for school with those measurements graphed in 3D.

[@j.m.castilla7150]

Great job, thanks for your videos

[@satorizero5448]

You did the cleanest job for sure.

[@abernest559]

badass!!!