DIY light weight gobos for around kit

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joninc
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DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by joninc » Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:59 pm

I was fortunate enough to get a small pile of 4x8 foam (diamond pattern) that's roughly 3 inches thick and I'm wondering if any of you have ever made light weight frames of any kind to make these easy to build a fort around a kit ... I had used mic stands to support them but that's not a great solution and doesn't allow them to stand vertically really at all.

Yes I realize that these are not bass traps and won't to a lot to stop low end from passing through - but I think they do work at keeping the room out of the close mics (especially overheads). It's not meant to isolate from other players in the room, just to dry up the close sound a bit. My room is already fairly controlled but sometimes its fun to get SUPER dry drums.

I have some leftover 2x8 sheets of rigid fiberboard that I thought I could maybe fasten them to somehow (glue? large zap straps?).

Anyways - looking for some simple, inexpensive solutions and tips.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by losthighway » Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:37 pm

Hmmm. There are a few ways to attack this. The trickiest part is to get them to stand up reliably without adding a lot of weight.

I'm wondering if you were to use your 703 as the core, use construction adhesive to attach your foam to that. I've used construction adhesive to attach 703 to pegboard to make dual purpose absorbers/storage on hooks, it holds up pretty nicely. Then a really light weight frame/feet to hold them up. Maybe use 1" x 3" board as a base that extends a few inches on either side of your piece of 703. Maybe some small dowels, plywood scraps, or furring strips going up on either side of the 703 to keep it upright.

Or you could just work off the typical frames for hanging 703 with fabric. I build 2' x 4' frames out of one-by boards, put 703 in there and wrap with fabric. Instead of fabric you could use your foam. The outside edges of your foam could staple or glue to the frame and that would hold the 703 in. The only addition should be two pieces, a foot long each maybe (you'll have to mess with what's stable), of board to stand the frame on running perpendicular to the bottom piece of each frame.

Let me know if this doesn't make sense, I've had a beer or two and am mentally picturing my nail gun and some boards.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by joninc » Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:50 pm

Thanks for the response - just to clarify though, it's not 703.

It's more like a styrofoam insulation like this: https://www.rona.ca/en/insulation---pol ... 0941037--1
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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by losthighway » Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:59 pm

I wouldn't use the styrofoam insulation, too weak, and not beneficial acoustically.

I'd instead think of starting with some thin plywood. Maybe some hardware, brackets type of deal to attach some feet to it and get it standing up safely, then staple or adhesive your foam on to that. Thicker plywood is obviously going to isolate things a little more, but since you said you're mainly just trying to have a way to quickly and temporarily make a dry drum sound, lighter might be nicer. Get those gobos situated around the kit and make things sound a little more 70's.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by floid » Thu Mar 01, 2018 8:51 pm

What if you built a set of stands that are just a length of dowel or pipe teeing into an appropriately wide foot. Put your panels in 1x frames with velcro straps at top and bottom for lashing to the stands.
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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Fri Mar 02, 2018 4:36 am

When I moved into my last studio I inherited a bunch of diy gobos from the last owner. They were a bit dodgy but better with a minor rebuild. The basic design was a 1/2" x 1" frame ( or something like that) with a thin mdf sheet as a backing and then egg carton foam attached inside. They also have a plexiglass panel in the top 1/4. They were hinged together to make a 3 sided gobo that could be folded out around a singer or the front of the kit and folded back up for storage when they weren't needed.

When I rebuilt them I replaced the foam with 1/2" 703 and replaced the mdf with pine tounge and groove paneling. The gobos are heavier now but much stronger, more functional and still easily movable. You could add feet and pull the pin in the hinges to use them individually.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by roscoenyc » Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:12 am

come on guys, free or not foam is for pillows.
why even work on building something out of that?

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by joninc » Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:18 am

roscoenyc wrote:
Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:12 am
come on guys, free or not foam is for pillows.
why even work on building something out of that?
Because as mentioned, it soaks up the splashy reflections of the room from entering the close mics of the drums and helps make them sound drier!

I know these won't function the same as heavy duty gobos but if I can spend a few hours and $50 on a little lumber and make them more usable then that's another easy to implement tool in the toolbox!
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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by losthighway » Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:25 am

roscoenyc wrote:
Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:12 am
come on guys, free or not foam is for pillows.
why even work on building something out of that?
I think cause he's talking about pyramid foam, like auralex type stuff. It reduces reflections, drier sound. Wouldn't isolate an amp but it could affect the drum sound, or maybe tighten things up around a singer when you're tracking vocals.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by roscoenyc » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:07 pm

I know what it is.

It's still foam.
Pyramid foam is just marketed foam.
Weather Auralex sells it or not.
703 or ultra touch would be better.

In my experience even packing blankets perform better than that foam.

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by losthighway » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:03 pm

Yeah, I agree that stuff is overpriced for what it does, but when you get it for free....

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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:39 pm

Nothing looks more studioy than that shit though.

Except maybe a honkin' huge tube condensor on an Atlas stand with a pop filter in front of it.

Or a bearded dude holding a guitar with 7506's on.
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Re: DIY light weight gobos for around kit

Post by vvv » Sat Mar 03, 2018 12:57 am

Snarl 12/8 wrote:
Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:39 pm
Except maybe a honkin' huge tube condensor on an Atlas stand with a pop filter in front of it.

Or a bearded dude holding a guitar with 7506's on.
One of these things resembles me. :twisted:
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