[Glenn Kuras]

FlexRange Technology is GIK Acoustics’ unique patent pending system for providing the best in bass trapping and low end absorption.  Backed by research, development and testing, FlexRange Technology encompasses our proprietary bass trap design while offering customers a true choice to control the frequency range that’s absorbed.  Without a membrane, bass traps are broadband.  With a membrane, bass traps absorb even lower frequencies while the membrane has less effect absorbing upper frequencies.
Read more here.
http://gikacoustics.com/flexrange-technology-bass-trap/

Products with FrexRange Technology
http://gikacoustics.com/product/gik-acoustics-244-bass-trap-flexrange-technology/
http://gikacoustics.com/product/gik-acoustics-monster-bass-trap-flexrange-technology/

[Vulcan00]

Glenn:

Is there anything that can be done to our existing GIK bass traps to incorporate the FlexRange Technology?

[bpape]

Well, I suppose pending how old your existing panels are, you could ship them back and the membrane could be added.  By the time you paid for the shipping back, the membrane, new cloth, and labor, it'd probably be cheaper to just get new ones.

[guf]

You guys keep coming out with new stuff that makes my 1 year old "normal" GiK stuff ( non scatter plate, and non flexrange ) seem not so effective. 

You guys have a whole page dedicated to green technologies ( http://gikacoustics.com/greensafe/ ) so this statement seems inconsistent with the green way of thinking. "it'd probably be cheaper to just get new ones."  and then what throw away the old stuff?  NOT so green.
I appreciate innovation, and I LOVE buying new stuff. Especially something as effective as your acoustic treatments. But putting some effort into offering a retrofitting option, especially a home kit, would satisfy your current faithful clientele and show that you are dedicated to your new and old customers, and the environment.

[Glenn Kuras]

But putting some effort into offering a retrofitting option, especially a home kit, would satisfy your current faithful clientele and show that you are dedicated to your new and old customers, and the environment.

I here you!! When I buy a new cool phone and then they come out with one even cooler I am always wishing they had retro fit stuff for phones or anything else for that matter.

[sidders]

Hi Glenn.
         How about a simple scatterplate upgrade just by using velcro to attach it to an exsisting panel? The scatterplate could either be in different colours, or just  plain wood . Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm sure I've read somewhere that you were looking into a retrofit for the scatterplate? I'm no expert, but doing a membrane retrofit would seem to me far to difficult. I've actually had one of your new FlexRange monster panels for quite some time.

Tony.
     

[guf]

I was going to include an iphone analogy. Yes they also magically have a way of making your amazing, top of the line, best of technology, one year old phone seem useless, bulky and slow. Having free OS upgrades makes the non hardware upgrade process a little more tolerable. Being the innovative and progressive company that Apple is, they do offer a very impressive buy back program for us that would like to upgrade. Its not the cheapest option but the cheapest is not always the priority or best option.

I'm just saying - sell me some scatter plates, sell me some flexRange membrane! Offer it to me at a premium its ok. I want to feel like i'm being taken care of and a valued customer.  Include a simple instruction sheet. You guys are amazing! You are figuring out how to trap sound waves, and redirect good waves, dealing with nulls and voids and making my music sound great. You are doing really technical stuff. I'm sure you could figure out how to instruct me and others how to pull staples and restaple some fabric. Right?

or yes sidders's option is great. It would have to be a finished wood and look good. So worthy of a premium price.

[Glenn Kuras]

     How about a simple scatterplate upgrade just by using velcro to attach it to an exsisting panel? The scatterplate could either be in different colours, or just  plain wood . Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm sure I've read somewhere that you were looking into a retrofit for the scatterplate? I'm no expert, but doing a membrane retrofit would seem to me far to difficult. I've actually had one of your new FlexRange monster panels for quite some time.

I have looked into have them painted but no luck that makes sense. The other problem is velcro might work but then again it could fail. I just don't want t a "hit or miss" solution. I know for a fact we could sell TONS of scatter plates to go on the thousands of panels we have out there so it crosses my mind ALL THE TIME.

BTW guf that pretty much goes for the membrane. No way to have a "easy" slip in solution for something like this.

Bottom line is I am with you guys. 

[guf]

I'm sure you have thought about this. 1/4 finished plywood , router or cut in into slats, attach a lip of some sort and place in on the trap like a lid on shoe box. clip it on some how.  simple! I'm happy to mock one up for you with my simple carpentry skills. or sell me the scatter plates and i'll figure it out how to get them on there. 

thanks! glad you are with us on this because working together will benefit everyone.

[sidders]

I accidentally placed a panel with velcro on the back of it, on a 244 and it stuck really well. At the very least, it would be great if Gik gave the option to buy a scatterplate and leave the customer with the problem of fitting it. No comebacks for Gik Then. Personnally, it wouldn't bother me just having the wood showing and even I could stick a bit of velcro on to the back of the scatterplate. Can't really see how that could be a problem. If anything, the scatterplate should be cheaper as no fitting by Gik would be required. The membrane thing is more of a problem and I personnally wouldn't attempt that. Besides, I already have a flexrange panel.

[Glenn Kuras]

You all bring up good points so let me give it some thought. The lip idea I have though of but still not a 100% sure it would stay. The thought of one coming down 
Needless to say can we celebrate the FlexRange and beat me up later? 


BTW I am flattered you all believe in our products,  so much that you push us to do other things. 

[Alex Reynolds]

You guys have a whole page dedicated to green technologies ( http://gikacoustics.com/greensafe/ ) so this statement seems inconsistent with the green way of thinking. "it'd probably be cheaper to just get new ones."  and then what throw away the old stuff?  NOT so green.

No one said to throw away the old stuff! I'm sure there's still great places to move existing treatment to in order to help with the sound. What could be a good, easy option though is to resell your current panels, and then buy new ones with the Scatter Plate or with the Range Limiter. As long as the panels aren't very dirty, they hold resale value pretty well - and we provide support to second-hand owners of GIK products all the same.

I appreciate innovation, and I LOVE buying new stuff. Especially something as effective as your acoustic treatments. But putting some effort into offering a retrofitting option, especially a home kit, would satisfy your current faithful clientele and show that you are dedicated to your new and old customers, and the environment.

Believe me, whenever we come out with a new product or option, we do think about all this extensively. Retrofitting isn't always a plausible option, though, for many factors - a lot of which are important to us (like safety). The range limiter is simply not possible to retrofit at home. For the Scatter Plates, we'd have to use entirely different materials, with finished wood that's edge-banded, metal clips to secure the panels, etc which are all not very "green" to produce in comparison to how we do them at the shop at all - and the costs of implementing this would be much higher than economical for our customers. If you want a custom option for retrofitting and want it to be green and don't care about the cost...send me an e-mail, and we'll figure it out.

For the record, the standard Scatter Plate is 1/2" wood (and has to be at least as thick). It's quite heavy.

you could figure out how to instruct me and others how to pull staples and restaple some fabric. Right?

Haha...I'm not so sure about that!

[sidders]

To be honest, I don't even have a working room yet and have no idea about acoustics. What I can say though, is no beating up required as I would only have positive things to say about Gik. I got all my Gik stuff from the UK and the service has been brilliant! Congrats on your new product. As I said. I already have a monster with the membrane. One of these days I'll find out what it does.

[Vulcan00]

In defence of GIK:

I contacted GIK about changing the color of my products and Christina spend a lot of time and effort in helping me with the amount of new cloth I would need and instructions on methods and options for changing the fabric. My question to retro fit with the new technology was not a slam at all, it was simply to find out what would be involved. Guf's point about making upgrades for products is a good one. The GIK personnel I have dealt with are always pleasant and willing to help.

[kwarny]

Are these the same as the FRL traps posted on facebook and AC a few months back?   Any success with implementing the membrane on your tri-trap or soffit trap?  Was not sure if the membrane was more difficult to bond to the fluffier insulation since these probably have lower gas flow resistance. 

[Glenn Kuras]

Are these the same as the FRL traps posted on facebook and AC a few months back? 

It is close to what we had before but I changed it to increase the low end absorption a bit. Part of the reason it took so long to get to the market.

   Any success with implementing the membrane on your tri-trap or soffit trap?

Sure give us a call or email and we can price it out for you.