Drapes for Acoustic Treatment

soulforged · « **on:** 18 Jun 2018, 02:59 pm »

Hello,

Any recommendation on the kind of drapes (material, brand, thickness...anything) that I could use to minimize the effects of glass windows?

My system is in the living room so lot of windows

and high priority on WAF

Thanks!

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jun 2018, 03:11 pm »

When I was married the significant other liked drapes, so I took the opportunity to muffle the room that had a very lively sound and put on double curtains. The external curtain should be thin and white, the internal should be a heavy, dark and opaque fabric.

For lively rooms this is the recipe.

kernelbob · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jun 2018, 10:22 pm »

Hi FullRangeMan,

Did you find any drapery sources that had a better selection of product that was especially well suited as sound treatment for a large room with an excess of reflective surfaces and numerous large picture windows?

Thanks,
Robert

Bendingwave · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Jun 2018, 10:51 pm »

There are different degrees of drapes that block out sunlight....you want the one that blocks out the most sunlight.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Jun 2018, 10:57 pm »

Of course no, I dont tell nothing to the salesman or to my wife, the internal cloth was called juta, the external I dont remember as I let she choose. The result looks like this image below.
https://www.google.com.br/search?q=juta+para+cortinas&dcr=0&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiq5duIo97bAhULgZAKHe7ZCV4QsAQIMg&biw=1024&bih=678

JLM · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Jun 2018, 11:50 am »

Drapes are minimally effective as absorbers, period. It's been awhile since I looked this up, but as I recall some studio drapes did the best (still very poor). What frequencies do you have compliants about?

My mom had 'insulating drapes' that had a rubber backing that were probably relatively good absorbers. Shears or anything that lets light through is probably going to be extremely ineffective.

FRM - in english it's called 'jute'.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Jun 2018, 02:03 pm »

I have drapes. The window is very wide, and the drapes always opened. They are lined and pretty heavy.
With them open, and the nearby walls with shelving nearly to ceiling, the corners are sort of acoustically treated.
Sort of.
My Magnepan 20.7 are rather far apart (60"all space) in front of the window. And out 42" to 59" being tilted in, tweeter 'in' rather than out.

richidoo · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Jun 2018, 03:47 pm »

This site looks interesting.

youngho · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Jun 2018, 04:30 pm »

From Floyd Toole's Sound Reproduction:

As shown in Figure 21.4, drapes can also be effective sound absorbers if they are of the right kind, and that is simply described as “heavy.” Heavy velour, the heavier the better, is probably the most popular choice because in its draped form it constitutes a resistive absorber of signifi cant thickness. Other heavy fabrics with the right porosity/fl ow resistance also work well, but lightweight, open-weave fabrics (easy to blow air through) are useful only for decorative purposes.

FIGURE 21.4 A fuzzy curve showing approximate absorption properties of heavy velour drapes, draped to one-half of their fl at area. The drapes should be hung on a track located 4–6 in. (10–15 cm) from the wall to ensure good low-frequency absorption.

Bill O'Connell · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Jun 2018, 07:02 pm »

My wife & I moved last year and we have some beautiful Restoration Hardware drapes we will be selling .
Ask your wife if these would have the WAF . Really a nice quality lined drape to say the least. They are in a beige/camel color if
that is what you might be looking for.
We are just looking to get a little something out of them, not trying to make a killing.
Let me me know in PM if possible interest, I can send photos.

RH.com

If you go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=mu3BTqJANPQ you can see drapes at the 37 second mark ,1:13 mark( Pewter Grey in color ) & 1:30 mark on the video if your wife wants to check it out.

Regards,
Bill

John Casler · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Jun 2018, 12:25 am »

At a Price/Performance consideration THESE worked out well for me

The BLACK also served well for significant Light Reduction.

They are THICK, HEAVY, OPAQUE, and QUIET.

Price is not bad either for a functional drape that also reduces reflected sound.

Bendingwave · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Jun 2018, 12:46 am »

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/904503-sun-zero-baxter-95-inch-rod-pocket-extreme-blackout-window-curtain-panel-grey.html

Like I said before the curtain that blocks out the most sunlight.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Jun 2018, 12:50 am »

Incredible low price, cant believe.

radarnyc · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Jul 2020, 05:54 pm »

Any additional thoughts on this topic or thoughts about these? https://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/acoustical_drapery/acoustical_curtains.htm

Mr. Big · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Apr 2023, 04:06 pm »

Curtains can work as long as they have some thickness and weight. Also blinds when titled up a bit makes for good defusion, so together they work pretty well. Bass traps are still helpful as well as side wall treatments of some sort. I wanted a decent room but also one that looked good and not like a studio.

He a few pictures of the same room with 3 different systems as I treated them.

The current one is the Spatial open baffle speakers, even when I added the lamp with the large shade added so tighter middle imaging.

jtcf · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Apr 2023, 05:00 pm »

I was recently visiting someone in the hospital and took notice of how really effective the curtain between the beds was at blocking and absorbing sound.I could hear nothing coming from the hallway or the people chatting in the next bed.I think something like that would work very well in front of windows with a more decorative drape over it on the room side.Perhaps Google hospital acoustic curtains and see what you could find out ?

js1955 · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Apr 2023, 05:27 pm »

One of my sidewalls is wide glass patio doors and windows. I'm assuming that regular heavy drapes won't be sufficiently effective, so I wonder if these would tame my nasty echo / reverb problem (NRC of .8 suggests they would) :

https://vocalboothtogo.com/product-category/acoustic-sound-blankets-sound-absorption-panels-producers-choice/

My first thought was to mount on a rod and use them like regular curtains. But the span is 15' wide and 8' tall, and I think it would be too weighty and bulky. I'd probably mount them on 2 or 3 rods or lengths of wood.....which I'd suspend from the ceiling using chain and hooks.....and simply detach the rod and drop them to the floor when not seriously listening.

I think I'm OK with that because they'd be hidden behind the couch (see photo). But my hesitation is all the work to hang / drop them each time.

Any thoughts / suggestions?

Thanks....John

Charles Xavier · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Apr 2023, 06:17 pm »

Darko posted this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzEh_sfpD00&t=370s

js1955 · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Apr 2023, 09:14 pm »

I had seen that. I seriously doubt they will do anything. Too light and flimsy. Darko himself says to his ear they do nothing, as do many of the comments below the video. And his measurements effectively show no change in the FR, with the reverb time actually getting worse in some areas of the FR.

Not based on anything scientific, just gut and logic, but I believe to be effective curtains need to be weighty with a substantial NRC. The professional sound studio curtains I linked have these properties.

JLM · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Apr 2023, 12:40 pm »

Acoustical treatments must be judged by the numbers, not appearance although if you can see through them they can't be acoustically effective.