Product Preview: Primacoustic Element Acoustic Absorbers

Aloha!

Companies have been selling acoustic absorbing panels for decades, but there has not really been much variety in what is available – just a few colors and any shape you want (as long as you want square panels). Primacoustic changed things up when they introduced their Broadway line of panels in a variety of colors, thicknesses, and shapes, and now they have gone a step further with their new Broadway Element shape.

Primacoustic is based out of British Columbia, Canada, and they produce top-shelf acoustic solutions for many applications, including studios, concert halls, workplaces, and residences. Even if you have not heard the name, you have seen their products before, and you are surely familiar with their parent company, Radial Engineering. I have huge respect for Radial, as you will see if you search this blog for previous reviews of their products…

The Broadway line of panels is made from high density 6lb per cubic foot glass wool, with up to six times greater density than typical foam panels. This glass wool is perfect for controlling primary reflections and flutter echo. Also, this material has been laboratory tested and meets Class-A/1 fire safety standards by meeting stringent ASTM-E84 and Can-UL S102 requirements for flame spread and smoke development.

Broadway panels are available in three different thicknesses (1”, 2”, and 3”), and in a variety of shapes – square, triangular, rectangular, and radiused; many of their panels come with a choice of beveled or square edges. Four colors are available: black, beige, and gray, as well as a paintable white version if you need to match a specific décor.

Element is the newest shape in the Primacoustic line-up, and it definitely more stylish. These are hexagonical panels that measure 16-inches across, and they come in the same colors as other Broadway panels. Element panels come only in a 1.5-inch thickness, and only beveled edges are available. This shape provides a new range of design possibilities, especially when it is combined with the paintable finish option.

These are high-quality panels, but with a street price of $279.99 USD for a box of 12 panels they are priced competitively with other products on the market and they are priced accordingly. If I get around to building a dedicated studio, I would love to pick up a few sets of these panels and create my own designs. If you are interested too, head on over to Primacoustic’s website to see what they have to offer – it is really cool stuff!

Mahalo!

MonoSystems Snapstrip SS26-P 6-Outlet Power Strip Review

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If you have anything to do with modern music, you are going to need some sort of power strip to plug all of your stuff into, and chances are good that most of the products out there just do not do the job very well for you. It does not matter if you are on the stage, rehearsing, recording, or fixing guitars on the workbench, most generic power strips have outlets that are too close together, so any device with a wall wart will hog more than one outlet.

I have grumbled about this for years, until I saw a 4-foot power strip with 12 outlets spaced really far apart; I thought it was cool, until I asked where they bought it. Turns out they got it from Harbor Freight, the world’s largest purveyor of dangerous and disposable tools. But I figured there must be other companies out there making similar products, and after a little searching I found the MonoSystems Snapstrip SSC26-P, and I like it a lot!

MonoSystems is not a fly-by-night outfit, as they have been around for 50 years serving electrical contractors, who are their main customers. Besides making all manner of things for electrical installations, they also have a good line-up of corded and hard-wired power strips.

The SnapStrip SS26-P is 26 inches long with 6 outlets and a 6-foot cord, and it is actually made of metal, not some sort of space-age polymer. The outlets seem to be good quality and they are arranged perpendicular to the strip itself. It has a built-in 15-amp breaker that I have not tripped yet, though I have heard that this may be a one shot deal – when it blows the strip has to be replaced. The biggest downside to this unit is that to permanently mount it to a surface, screws have to be driven into the surface and then the strip has to be hung from them. I would prefer tabs that allow the screws to be more securely driven through the unit, but I only use it to plug my studio amplifier into, so it just sits on the floor. It does not really add any noise to my amps, which is an added bonus.

Despite these few downsides to the MonoSytems SnapStrip SS26-P, I think it is still a good value, and that is because it comes in at a very reasonable price. These sell for about $25 at Lowe’s, and somehow they are more expensive from Amazon ($40), which does not happen very often. If you do order one, make sure you choose the one that has a cord attached, as they also make a cheaper hard-wired version for permanent installations. If you need something a little bit bigger, they also make a 40-inch six outlet version (SSC40) and a 52-inch eight outlet version (SSC52).

Mahalo!

Review: Post Audio ARF-68 Ambient Room Reflection Filter

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If you have done any vocal recording outside the studio, you know how tough it can be to get a clean sound with no background noise. Your voiceovers and podcasts have the unmistakable quality that make it sound like you recorded them in the bathroom or a tunnel. The Post Audio ARF-68 reflection filter is a tool that can give you a much drier recording for not a lot of cash.

When you open the box, you will see that the filter is made of molded ABS plastic with 1-inch sound-deadening acoustic foam around the inside face; the mounting brackets are aluminum. The whole thing measures about 18” x 12” x 6” not counting the bracket. By the way, save the box, as it makes for a nice place to store it when it is not in use. The box also contains an instruction sheet that will come in handy, as it might be hard to figure out where all the pieces go when installing it on your microphone stand.

Build quality is good, though there was a bit of adhesive that got schmutzed onto the foam on mine. It still works fine, though. It looks like it should last for a good long time.

With the instruction sheet, installation is straightforward. Take the book of you stand (if equipped), thread the longer barrel nut on to the stand, put the bracket over the barrel nut, and then install the shorter barrel nut on top to sandwich the bracket into place. Then you can install the microphone mount over the second barrel nut, adjust the filter (up/down and in/out) and you are set to go.

With its plastic and aluminum construction it is not super heavy so it is less top-heavy than other reflection filters I have seen and it does not require a special stand. It has enough vertical movement (5-inches) that you will be able to center your microphone easily and without tools – there is a clasp and lock on the back of the assembly that can be worked by hand. In actual use for a voiceover with my Shure PG42-USB microphone I did an A/B test with and without the filter, and the tone was much cleaner with none of the strange thuddy tone I had before. Sibilance was reduced and external noises were almost completely mitigated. I am a fan of this thing!

The Post Audio ARF-68 Reflection Filter does everything it is supposed to do and it will not break the bank. It comes in at around $70 on Amazon (the last time I checked) and it is worth every penny. If you are doing podcasts, voiceovers, or other vocal recording at home you should really look into getting one of these. Trust me!

Mahalo!

The Great Garage / Studio Remodel of 2011

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When I do a project, usually one thing leads to another, and then everything just gets completely out of hand. This is how my garage/studio ended up the way it is.

A few summers ago, my old wooden garage door broke and I decided that it was appropriate to get with the times and purchase a sectional steel garage door. This is how it all started.

The garage door salesman came out, took one look at the garage and told me I had to tear out the heavy-duty wooden shelves and loft that I built 15 years before, as there would be no place for the garage door tracks to go. After he left, I looked around my garage and it was a cluttered mess. It was dark, and my drum set, tool boxes, bicycles and motorcycles took up a lot of real estate. I figured it was time to get a fresh start and just fix the place up a little.

I moved everything out to a nearby vacant garage, and went about demolishing the shelves and loft, which was a huge deal because I wayyyy overbuilt them. Then I looked at the crummy plaster firewall and tore it out with the intention of replacing it with drywall, and that would be the end of things.

Then one of my friends came over, and when he saw the exposed studs and tarpaper all over the garage he advised that while I has everything cleared out, I should really do the job right. He has a beautiful 1,000 square foot garage, so I value his opinion. My wife concurred, and I plunged straight into the abyss.

First off, he had me order the insulated garage door, so it would be quieter and look nicer on the inside. This was a wise choice, and the guys from Mesa garage doors had it installed in just a few hours. I elected to not install a new garage door opener, as I rarely open it to the street.

Then, on his advice I ordered drywall for the entire garage, not just the firewall. This meant that I had to pull half a million nails out of the studs so it would lie flat. I guessed how many sheets I needed, then ordered it from Lowe’s and had the stack delivered to my driveway. The $75 delivery fee was the best money I ever spent.

My buddy actually showed up to help me hang the drywall, and amazingly enough there was none left over. Then he asked when I was going to tape it and paint it and I said that I had not planned to do that. He shamed me into calling his nephew’s pot head friends that do drywall, and they showed up one evening to give me an estimate. I think they were drunk when they arrived. When I told them what I was looking for they said they could do the job that evening, and they headed off to buy materials and beer. They knocked the job out in no time.

After I sanded and painted the walls, the electrician came out and ran conduit all over the garage (I love exposed conduit!) and installed new fluorescent fixtures and power outlets everywhere. It is amazing how much brighter it was after the walls were painted and the new lights were in.

Then came the shelving. This same friend has a contact that deals in surplus warehouse equipment, so I purchased pallet racks with wire grate shelves. They extend from floor to ceiling and cover three of the walls. These are the strongest shelves I could find, and they are rated for 10,000 pounds per shelf.

From then on it was just moving most of the stuff back in and doing the final finishing. I mounted a half dozen of the Hercules guitar wall hangers, put up my disco ball and spotlights, and it was good to go.

I am glad I took my friend’s advice, as the garage is a lot nicer place to practice, not to mention just hanging out. Remember, if you are going to do it – do it right the first time because you might not get a second chance!

Mahalo!