Madfloyd
Hope this is of some help.
Going into this experiment I wanted a more home like atmosphere as that room serves also for company & casual conversation, as well as film and 2 ch.
The results exceeded my expectations… though I’m not done with it yet.
I tend to avoid dead rooms or those sufficiently dead. Movies seem to require a bit more lively atmosphere than does purely audio sessions… IMO
2:1 drapery ratio
If you drape a wall which is 120 inches… 10ft. using only 10 ft width of material there is no drapery effect, only a flattened piece of material hanging in front of that wall now. Bland looking, and likely not worth the trouble.
There will be little absorption of upper mids and top end energies, and no diffusion.
Pleating or folds in the drape material occur when more material is placed in the same space. A rule of thumb is at least 1.5 to 1. In the case of a ten foot wall, fifteen feet of material would be needed to provide a moderately fashionable look. 4:1 would just look busy and out of place most often
I did that exactly. Beginning with 1.5:1. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it didn’t look that great and didn’t perform too well either. This was my first trial with the now rear of room heavy curtain panels. Because they are panels, simply add more to suit.
Having to go with an on wall DIY screen required I drape that wall as well. The exp of the first effort showed me I needed less density in the material and more diffusion, yet the screen needs not be seen when the curtains are closed either.
So I went with 2:1 and lighter materials, rather than the 3:1 with thicker cloths on my front wall. I wound up with about a 2.5:1 ratio in the end.
The ratio past 2:1 is mostly preference and the material type chosen for the project. Thicker stuff makes for broader folds. Folds add fullness to the look and diffusion for the sound. As the density of the fabric attenuates various portions of the bandwidth when place in direct relationship to the loudspeakers, and less so at the sides. Always though, fabrics will have a decided effect on both, the freqs and reflections, being mindful of the quantity, degree of transparency of the fabrics being used, and placement..
Here’s one of the places where true transparency is not the goal.
Given drapery panels are thoughtfully chosen & placed they provide an alternative path to treating the ‘sound which professional studio’ acoustic panels routinely do not achieve unless they are customized specifically.
Given the cost of rails, rods, traverses, and the panels themselves, it’s no cheapy move, at least not in my opinion. But it sure has an influence and doesn’t look like architecture or science is controlling the space.
Naturally, with the regulation of the lengths of ‘stand offs’ (the posts to which the traverse is attached extruding from the wall where it is also attached at it’s other end) you can add to the sonic illusion of depth as well. Or simply cover up your use of dedicated acoustic devices such as 2 – 4 inch bass traps or diffusers too. thereby reducing the techy look.
The key really lays in the density of the fabric and the amount of it which is used. Neither is it a perfect or even necessarily predictable means to an end. But then just what room treatments are?
It is a sure help regardless, over that of untreated stark walls, and especially if the room must double as a stereo room too. and just who wants to see the screen when not in use anyhow? It’s a big one eyed reflector staring down at you.
Some trips back and forth to the store is going to be needed to fine tune the sound. True too unless you have them custom made your choices will also be minimized by the fabric selection itself. One will have the look you want, but not be right in density. And so on.
J. C. Penny’s has the greater assortment in ready made panels… and a great starting place in my area.
I suggest if you indeed go this route, begin with two sorts of materials, medium (not easy to breathe thru) and dense, harder to but doable… and soft. Avoid stiff materials altogether, unless only diffusing is sought.
Motorized traverses are all over the web. Nearly all will require ‘pinch pleated’ panels, NOT tabbed or threaded, and a ceiling mount is preferable, on wall are as well available. That search might be daunting and give way to a custom curtain making endeavor.
I compromised a fair amount in my own undertaking and still spent around $2K hung and done for both walls, front and rear. …even with the discounts I got as the results of my then dating the saleslady.
I knew zip going into this about curtains except it was curtains for the sound if something wasn’t done soon. I have no remote controlled opening or closing. Threaded panels on custom rods. I learned a lot too, and feel I’ve attenuated much of the nasties, although more attention is yet required.
There are fabrics too which are just like wall paper that are expressly oriented for acoustic treatments that claim to dampen as well as break up waves and eliminate reflections. There’s an ample selection and I’ll likely use that for my ceiling only… as I poorly chose to go with an off white pearlescent color. Dull yet too reflective for my screen material choice.
