You can also read Andrew’s review of the GIK Acoustics Scatter Plate HERE and Andrew’s review of GIK Acoustics Monster Bass Traps, Corner Tri-Trap and 242 Acoustic Panel HERE.

From Andrew-Robinson-Online:

I have always wanted to have my own outlet in order to discuss many of the topics that interest me day-to-day. I wanted this outlet to be personal but also unique and separate from my other online ventures. Andrew-Robinson-Online.com is that outlet.

But what is Andrew-Robinson-Online.com? Is it a review site? Is it a consumer electronics site? Or is it a film website? The answer is, it’s all of the above and more. The reason I decided to call the site Andrew-Robinson-Online.com had nothing to do with ego, but rather clarity. As a technical journalist, filmmaker and general nerd, my everyday interests span beyond mere home theater or the like. By choosing to have the site bare my name, it (my website) would never be boxed in and encompass any one topic or genre.

Will Andrew-Robinson-Online.com discuss topics pertaining to home theater given my affiliation(s) with other such publications elsewhere? Yes, yes it will. But rather than talk about home theater through the lens of mere reviews -though I’ll occasionally have those too – I want to broaden the scope of the discussion and thus hopefully enhance the dialog. It is my personal opinion that while reviews are an important part of the consumer electronics ecosystem, ideas, concepts and honest two-way discourse are equally important. Reviews are notoriously one-sided, where a person shares with you their opinion, often without a great deal of context, and then moves on. Sometimes there is a back and forth that results from the publication of a review, but more often than not, the review is heaped upon the populace and then dismissed. A review of a product or service can be good, even helpful, but only if the broader context is understood by the reader (and the reviewer). It is that knowledge that I want to focus on. Also, many review-oriented publications are often genre specific, meaning they tackle but once concept, which is something I want to avoid here on Andrew-Robinson-Online.com.

I believe everything to do with technology and film is connected, and rather than focus on but one aspect of the chain -i.e. home exhibition -I want to try and bring you a more complete story. This is why I will often talk about topics that many may see as being more pro or non-consumer technology oriented. This is also why in the very near future I will be sharing with you the ins and outs of the making of a feature film itself.

The post GIK Acoustics Products in Home Theater appeared first on .

Click HERE for the untreated room.

Click HERE for the room treated with GIK Acoustics products.

Audio examples were recorded in the GIK Acoustics test room.

Room Dimensions: 13′ x 17′ x 8′
Treatments used:
6 x GIK Acoustics Tri-Traps w/ Scatter Plates
4 x GIK Acoustics FRL Wedges (coming soon)
6 x GIK Acoustics 244 Bass Traps
4 x GIK Acoustics 244 Bass Traps w/ Scatter Plates
3 x GiK Acoustics Monster Bass Traps w/ Scatter Plates

If you’re having difficulty figuring out how to treat your room or if you’re not sure what product would be best or if you’re unsure of where to place a product within your room; GIK Acoustics is here to guide you through the process. Let one of our trained professionals give you the best acoustic advice for your room. Click HERE to complete our Acoustic Advice form which is sent directly to glenn.k@gikacoustics.com.  Or give us a call toll free at 1-888-986-2789 or in Europe +44 (0) 20 7558 8976 (UK).

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Most of us have seen frequency response charts before – maybe when looking to purchase a new microphone or a new set of speakers. But anyone that has listened to many speakers can tell you that the frequency response pictured in your manual or on the back of your speakers never really gives you much of an idea on what the speaker sounds like. Similarly, viewing the measured frequency response of a room doesn’t tell you much about how the room sounds. When someone suggests a room sounds “boomy”, “weak”, “boxy”, “reverberant”, “dead”, or “live” – they aren’t referring to the frequency response of the room, but instead referring to the decay times in the room. “Decay times” are a measure of the time sound takes to diminsh at different frequencies. Looking at waterfall graphs (or other similar graphs) can give you a much better idea of what the room actually sounds and feels like than frequency response alone, and can give you a great insight on what you need to treat the room.

Frequency Response Chart

Decay Time Waterfall Graph

The Waterfall Graph gives us more information than Frequency Response Chart.

Decay times show us what happens in what we call the “time domain” – simply put: decay times illustrate what sound does in a room after the initial sound is played from speakers. Certain bass problems in a room like room modes and standing waves cause certain bass notes to resonate or “ring out” in a room. In other words, the sound is still present in the room even after the speakers stopped producing it. In a typical room, multiple bass notes will resonate past a half second. There are similar high frequency problems in rooms as well, like flutter echo. Flutter echo is that annoying “ping” that you can hear when you clap your hands, and it is present anywhere there are two parallel hard surfaces. A clap is quite a short sound, but the echoes stay in the room for a much longer period. Flutter echo and room modes are both examples of problems that happen in the time domain, and we can examine their effects with waterfall graphs.

We mentioned the terms some people use to describe a room like “dead” or “boomy”, but what do these terms mean? Untreated or improperly treated rooms have longer decay times at certain places, and shorter decay times at others. Imbalances of these decay times can sound strange and uncomfortable. For example, a room with long decay times in the bass range can sound “muddy” or “boomy.”  Instead of hearing the bass for what it is, it just sounds as if the bass is wet with reverb, making different notes smear together. Muddy rooms make it difficult to distinguish notes clearly. Take a look at the decay time of a room that is treated with carpet, blankets, or foam on the wall. Treatments like these shorten the decay times of treble only, leaving us with imbalanced decay times, furthering us from an accurate and comfortable room. Rooms where the high end dies out quickly are usually noted as sounding “dead” or “muffled”.

Controlling decay times is important for anyone interested in improving their room acoustics. In a home theater setting, controlling decay times is important for clarity of dialogue, clearing up the low end to give your sub more impact, and alleviating localization problems common with surround sound systems. In a two-channel listening room (or any general listening space), controlling decay times is important for bringing out the exact sound of your speakers, so you can hear the reverb that was recorded with the crisp hiss of a ride cymbal or the body of a resonant cello with the least amount of artifacts from the room. In broadcast and education, speech intelligibility is extremely important. The reverb of a large hall, the resonation of a small recording area, or the flutter echo in a classroom are all damaging to vocal frequencies and need to be controlled for clear and concise speeches, lectures, and interviews. Audio engineers in control rooms and post-production rooms need to be able to hear the sounds, instruments, and vocals they are mixing clearly. Without controlling decay times, it is easy to over- and under-compensate with compression, EQ, effects, and end with a product that just doesn’t translate well to other systems. Recording engineers know they have to record the exact sound they want on the record, which needs to be free of any unwanted reflections and resonances.

Listen to the recorded audio of two different songs in the same room, each recorded once before treatment and once after treatment. Audio comparison of untreated and treated room.  Notice how the long decay times effect the clarity of the low-, mid- and upper- frequencies.

There are many types of acoustic treatments, and they all affect decay times differently. Broadband absorbers like our GIK 242 Acoustic Panel, GIK 244 Bass Trap, GIK Monster Bass Trap, GIK TriTrap, and GIK Soffit Bass Trap work over a wide range of frequencies and will reduce decay times from bass up through to the treble range. Thicker broadband panels will work to a lower frequency. If wide control is needed, but the high range doesn’t need as much absorption, the GIK Scatter Plate can be added onto most of our broadband absorbers to reflect & scatter hi-mids and treble, giving you further control of your decay times. Tuned bass traps, like our GIK Scopus Tuned Bass Traps, can be used to reduce decay times of specific frequencies, so we can dampen any specific modes and resonances without affecting the rest of the room.

The following waterfall graphs illustrate decay times of a room before and after treatment.

Before

After

Diffusors serve a different function than absorbers, but their use can still relate to decay times. Flutter echo and other harmful reflections need to be dealt with, but in some rooms absorption would make decay times further imbalanced. Diffusors allow reflections to be spread out with very little to no absorption, meaning we can achieve controlled acoustics while preserving decay times from mids and up.

In general, frequency response can give us some clues, like nulls that need to be dealt with, but decay time graphs give us a much better view into the room and the problems that need to be addressed. Controlling decay times are important for any room to be comfortable and workable. Many GIK Acoustics products were designed with the importance of decay time control in mind, and are tested to ensure you know exactly where they perform best.

At GIK Acoustics, we strive to bring solutions for any room while meeting all of your needs and preferences at an unbeatable price.  Complete our Acoustic Advice form for free personalized recommendations for your room today!

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If you need acoustic treatments, but want something unique or if you’re looking for top-notch acoustic panels but want to make a decorative statement – we have just the thing for you – the GIK Acoustics ArtPanel.

The standard ArtPanel is professionally constructed with a thin 2” profile (or 5cm) and can be custom built to any size frame that fits your specifications. The ArtPanel is completed with your custom artwork – you can submit either your own art or select from thousands of choices at istockphoto.com or Shutterstock.  We’ll have our graphic artists work with your selection to guarantee the highest quality image possible.

The result is an ArtPanel that blends with your existing décor making it the perfect option for restaurants, home theaters and recording studios.

GIK Acoustics employs state-of-the art dye sublimation process to transfer an image onto fabric.  Dye sublimation is a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid stage.

The biggest advantages of dye-sublimation over other methods are that the images are permanent, the colors are brilliant and the continuous tones are equivalent to photographs.  The ArtPanel is a great way to show off your photos AND treat your space.

The ArtPanel is completely customizable, so you can determine not only the image, but the size.  We can create larger panels or smaller panels. It’s your choice all the way!

As with all our products, the ArtPanel employs ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

The post GIK Acoustics ArtPanel Product Video appeared first on .

Many professionally designed studios, control rooms and tracking rooms utilize wooden slats along the walls. The wooden slats are installed in a mathematical sequence in front of broadband absorption to give an even balance of absorption, diffusion, and scattering. The result is an even decay time from low to high frequencies, coupled with the necessary absorption to flatten the frequency response. This means the room will remain natural sounding throughout, but with controlled acoustics.

GIK Acoustics has taken this concept and created the Scatter Plate. The Scatter Plate is a wooden plate crafted with a mathematical sequence that adds one dimensional scattering to any of GIK’s standard size broadband absorbers. It’s an add-on option that customers can select to have built in between the fabric and the ECOSE Technology absorption material on GIK’s 242 Acoustic Panel, 244 Bass Trap, Monster Bass Trap, Tri-Trap or ArtPanel.

The illustration in this video is a diagram – the scatter plate will not be visible.

Scattering is an optimal solution for controlling ambiance. In a control room setting, the Scatter Plate can be used anywhere that isn’t a direct first reflection returning to the mixing/seating position. For those areas (also called early reflection points), you’ll want to stick with broadband absorption. In a recording environment, the Scatter Plate added to our broadband absorbers will absorb resonances, standing waves, and will remove harmful reflections without removing the necessary reverb and ambiance in your take. In a home theater or two channel listening space, adding the Scatter Plate to our broadband panels will keep the room sounding natural while providing the necessary low frequency absorption to clear up muddy dialogue and boomy or thin low frequencies.

The Scatter Plate is also ideal as an alternative to a diffusor when absorption is needed more than diffusion.

Our full line of GIK Acoustics’ broadband bass traps and acoustic panels offer great performance with an attractive price, and when coupled with diffusion and scattering can give your room a completely balanced sound without over-dampening high frequencies. The GIK Acoustics Scatter Plate sequence prevents periodicity, while giving great scattering from 2.5 kHz up to and above 10 kHz.

Having a Scatter Plate built into any of our acoustic panels or bass traps is easy.

1. Select the products you wish to order and add them to your cart.
2. Select the number of Scatter Plates you want and which product you want them built into (242 Acoustic Panel, 244 Bass Trap, Monster Bass Trap, Tri-Trap or ArtPanel) and add to your cart.
3. GIK Acoustics will construct your panels with the Screen Panel built-in

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

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A gobo refers to a movable acoustic isolation panel. Gobos are used to control the acoustical properties of a room by absorbing and diffusing sound waves to treat unwanted reverb or to separate two or more musicians so they may play in the same room at the same time while being mic’d separately.

GIK Acoustics offers our DO EVERYTHING panel, the Screen Panel Gobo. The applications for the Screen Panel are virtually endless:

• When it’s unfolded it behaves like our 242 Acoustic Panel, which makes it perfect as a vocal booth, around a drum kit or guitar amp, used in early reflection points of the room or help eliminate slap echo from side walls.
• When it’s folded it behaves like our 244 Bass Trap ideally straddling the corners or mounted on the front wall.
• Fold it into a “V” shape and put it on the back wall to help manage nasty low end peaks and nulls.

It will truly do it all. Since it’s free standing it’s ready to go when you are; no extra mounting hardware or stands are required.

The dimensions of the Screen Panel is 32″ x 72″ x 3″ thick or 815mm x 1830mm x 76mm which is a whopping total of 16.8 square feet or 512 square cm of treatment. Compared to other portable booths on the market, the GIK Acoustics Screen Panel provides two to four times as much area.

As with all our products, the Screen Panel employs ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

The post GIK Acoustics Screen Panel Gobo Product Video appeared first on .

If you’re looking for a package that addresses room acoustic issues and fits within your budget, GIK Acoustics offers Room Kits that take the guess work out of the process. We have carefully created four kits that will help get you started, yet provides flexibility to add more GIK Acoustics products in the future.

Room Kit #1 contains
• (3) 242 Acoustic Panels
• (4) 244 Bass Traps
• (1) GIK Monster Bass Trap

Room Kit #2 contains
• (6) 242 Acoustic Panels
• (4) 244 Bass Traps
• (1) GIK Monster Bass Trap

Room Kit #3 contains
• (3) 242 Acoustic Panels
• (4) Tri-Traps
• (1) GIK Monster Bass Trap

Room Kit #4 contains
• (6) 242 Acoustic Panels
• (4) Tri-Traps
• (1) GIK Monster Bass Trap

All GIK Acoustics panels are manufactured with only the highest quality materials with a unique two-part framing system that maximizes bass trapping performance, gives a professional look and makes mounting extremely easy.

Kits can be purchased with all panels in the same color and fabric or can be mixed and match to fit your decor. Please contact us if you would like to order in multiple colors/fabrics.

All our products employ ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

The post GIK Acoustics Room Kits Product Video appeared first on .

The main goal of acoustic treatments in most rooms is to control bass decay and improve frequency response without over-damping the upper frequencies. We recommend starting with broadband bass traps for overall decay time, frequency response and reflection control.

Once broadband control is applied and overall decay times are mostly in order, problems can still remain in the lower frequencies. The Scopus Tuned Bass Trap was specially designed for these specific issues.

Our line of Scopus Tuned Bass Traps provides targeted absorption using a membrane design with an air tight chamber. Think of them like a drum in reverse. When you strike a drum, it makes a sound based on the mass of the head and the size and depth of the drum body. In the Scopus Tuned Bass Trap, the sound strikes the ‘head’ and causes the membrane to move, absorbing the energy based on the mass of the membrane and the depth of the sealed cavity.

Scopus Tuned Bass Traps work in a desired range, leaving your mid- and high-end frequencies intact instead of deadening a room.

Scopus Traps can be tuned to center frequencies of 40Hz, 70Hz, and 100Hz and are a perfect addition to rooms that already have broadband control, but still require targeted control without absorbing above 125Hz. GIK Acoustics also offers the option to build the Scopus Tuned Bass Trap to target whatever center frequency is required for your needs.

Scopus Tuned Bass Traps can be mounted directly in the corner to help with low end decay or can be mounted or stacked in “hot spots” to tame nulls and peaks.

The dimensions of the Scopus Trap are 24” square (or 610mm). The depth depends on the frequency to which it’s tuned. The T100 and T70 are narrow panels at only 4.25” thick (or 108mm). The T40 targets maximum low end control and is a thicker panel at 10.25” (or 260mm)

As with all our products, the Scopus Tuned Bass Trap employs ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

The post GIK Acoustics Scopus Tuned Bass Trap Product Video appeared first on .

The word soffit describes the corner where the ceiling meets the wall. The designers at GIK Acoustics created the Soffit Bass Trap which mimics a soffit that would be built in the upper corners giving a more natural and stylish appearance.

Not only can the Soffit Bass Trap be mounted along the ceiling, but it’s perfect in wall-to-wall corners either free-standing or stacked floor-to-ceiling.

And the effectiveness is outstanding as laboratory tests have shown true effects at 50Hz and below. The Soffit Bass Trap has been effectively designed to absorb more low end; but also does an excellent job of absorbing the high end, creating smooth sound absorption from 50Hz to 5,000Hz. Installing Soffit Bass Traps will help balance the room response and decay times.

The Soffit Bass Trap’s dimensions are 17” square and 47.5” tall or 430mm square and 1200mm tall. The Soffit Bass Trap weighs 22 pounds (10kg). There are multiple orientation options as the Soffit can rest free-standing in corners or can be mounted along the ceiling. And installation is a snap with a built-in keyhole slot.

Our exhibitor’s space was selected the “Best of the Best” at the 2012 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest by the guys at AudioCircle. They said, “EVERY vendor should be a GIK customer (and every audiophile should too, for that matter). They are the Rolls Royce of room treatments. Putting their stuff in your room is like upgrading your DAC, your amp, your preamp, your cables, AND your speakers, all at one time.”

As with all our products, the Soffit Bass Trap employs ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

The post GIK Acoustics Soffit Bass Trap Product Video appeared first on .

The GIK Acoustics Tri-Trap is one of our most effective products for controlling low-end frequencies that build up in corners. The Tri-Trap is constructed with a solid core, which makes it freestanding and able to support up to 50 pounds in weight. Since we recommend treating as much of the corners as possible, the Tri-Trap is also stackable allowing full floor-to-ceiling coverage.

The Tri-Trap’s dimensions are 23” x 16.5” x 16.5” or 580mm x 420mm x 420mm which fits snuggly into any corner making them virtually disappear into the room. Each Tri-Trap stands 47” or 1195mm tall. The Tri-Trap weighs only 15 pounds (6.8kg) which means it’s lightweight enough for corner mounting as well.

We’re frequently asked how our products compare to foam wedges that can be found on the internet. Not only are foam bass traps unattractive, but they are far less effective in sound wave absorption than acoustic panels.  The Tri-Trap has been effectively designed to absorb more low end, but also does an excellent job of absorbing the high end, creating smooth sound absorption from 50 Hz to 5000 Hz. Visit the product page to see the full test results from Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories.

In his review, Tom Andry of Audioholics says, “The GIK Tri-Traps are a no-brainer for the enthusiast that is serious about making their room sound better.”

If you want absorption coupled with scattering, you can opt to have the GIK Acoustics Scatter Plate built into your Tri-Trap to further balance out the room. When ordering on our website, simply place the Tri- Traps into your shopping cart, then go to the Scatter Plate page and select “Tri-Trap” as the product you want the plate added to.

As with all our products, the Tri-Trap employs ECOSE technology which is easy on air quality for your room, the environment, and your budget.

At GIK Acoustics, we offer quality, Eco-friendly products and provide our customers with custom acoustical advice. We take a holistic approach in helping customers understand the acoustical issues in their space and then present a practical approach to addressing the issues. Just click on “Acoustical Room Advice” and let us know how we can help.

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