Room Treatment, GIK Acoustics & Bare Traps

GIK Acoustics is selling bass traps for $60 http://www.gikacoustics.com/products.html and the specs look very close to RealTraps standard bass traps.  Now RealTraps has come out with bass traps for $100 each (Bare Traps).  It appears that the difference between BareTraps and their standard MiniTraps is that the Bare do not have holes in the frame sides and lack stand mounting hardware.  GIK uses wood frames rather than aluminum, yet all three appear to have the same absorption capabilities.  These prices are getting to the point that if you don't have good building skills or time or patience you're better off buying than DIY.  Has anyone used GIK traps or Bare Traps, and how well do they work?

"These prices are getting to the point that if you don't have good building skills or time or patience you're better off buying than DIY."

GIK has been selling bass traps for $60- for at least 7 years that I recall... and I expect that they were at it before I became aware.

I was always under the impression that they learned how to make them by reading the DIY stuff at Nathan's site...

Why don't you read the Real Traps web page?

That's the page where Nathan more or less says that if they are made of similar materials... they are all the same.

Are you nit picking about the extra surface area (or lack of) on the sides because of the choice of frame?

Mike, 

I just saw your response in the Hardware forum on cheap acoustic treatments.  That's exactly the sort of information I'm looking for, although the question here is more limited.  I haven't looked at the Ready Acoustic site yet but will.  How easy or difficult are the Ready Acoustic bags to work with, finish and place?

Craig,

Now that I understand the nature of your question... I think it really depends on how you care to mount the traps.

You have asked a good question. I do not have first hand knowledge so I am just speaking generally. 

There are a few options for any type of construction and all are fairly easy.

You can hang them like picture frames with a few hanger screws or you can mount them off the wall with standoffs... if you do that the hard frame models will be easier to work with.

I have some Ready Acoustic bags hanging on walls. A bunch of the same stacked in corners and a few hanging on gobo frames that I can roll around.

The bags are neat and tidy but do not have a perfect edge.

The more expensive framed versions seem to look nicer. They don't seem as versatile. Some do not have as much surface exposed and as such don't take full advantage of the materials.

I think I would be happy with any of them.

I think shipping is the greatest expense... whether it's built in to the price or charged separately. That's why I go to the place where they get their insulation on a train... it's cheap.

I hope someone comes along that can be more specific.

There is no magic involved in acoustic absorption. If a $60 device has the same absorption as a $100 device, and is as easy to hang, go with the lesser-priced product. Just make sure you're comparing apples - different vendors may use different methods for measuring absorption, sometimes for the purpose of obfuscation.

BTW, as a baseline my DIY panels cost me about $30 apiece to construct. At that price, even if I was inept with power tools I could have hired someone with the requisite skills and still been money ahead.

David - I'm not bit, but I will elaborate some if you like.  I intended to put up some pics of us building the traps, but I never have done it.  might be a good thing to do soon.  RobertB helped me build them.

I'll also have to defer on the total cost each because I never did figure it out, but I still have my receipts so that one day I can!

anyway, I used 1x6" lumber as the frame and used 2x4" pieces to help hold the OC703 in place.  there's no outer lip to hold it in place, just friction with the frame since they fit so snuggly into the frame, but the 2x4" pieces are to keep it from going too far back into the frame and allow the front of the OC703 be flush with the front of the frame (making a cavity behind the OC703).

I used burlap to cover the OC703 and my lovely and talented wife used yarn to sew the burlap in place.  the front of the OC 703 was covered smooth and the back was sewn in a "cinch" style from top to bottom zig-zagging across the back to keep the burlap in place.  Note, we also had to stick a cut piece of burlap on the back to cover the hole that was formed - that way we didn't have to make the burlap for the main part of the OC703 so huge that it would cover both front an back - that would make the corners of the burlap very bulky and heavy.  instead, there was just enough burlap to cover the front, sides and 1/4 of the back.

this is easier to see in the pics.  I'll see if I can't get the pics up soon.