Cheapest bass traps vs home made

At 95 quid delivered (for one) These are the cheapest bass traps I have found for 120cm X 60cm panels 10cm thick with dense Rockwool slab cores: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166414782278?var=466061407394

The equivalent GIK B4 Panel would cost £127.80

So how much to make one?

-60kg/m3 Rockwool slab £40 - (but usually can't purchase singles, this assumes I buy pack of 3 @£120)
-Wood - £5  (this is for a 4.2m length of 25mm x 50mm from my local merchant for the frame, no idea if this is all I need)
-Fabric - £5 
-Nails/screws/hardware £10?

So I'm up to about 60 quid before factoring in my time. Now given I loathe DIY and its really not in my skillset, probably don't have all the tools (staple gun for tacking on fabric??) and I'm basically self employed so time  = money, 95 quid starts to sound pretty Ok.

Thoughts? Cheaper sources than the above?


Comments
octatonic Frets: 34552
13 Dec, 2024
I guess I've made around 50 bass traps.
The thing is that you will probably make the first few quite badly.
Stretching the fabric evenly can be tricky to do.
It takes a bit of time to get your eye in.

Fabric will be more than £5, if you are using something decent.
Don't go and get something from any old place.
I usually buy GIK's own fabric when making them myself: https://gikacoustics.co.uk/product/camira-fabrics-by-the-metre/

B4's are on the GIK site for £99 at the moment.
Why are you looking at B4's versus the 244 Bass traps?
The great thing with GIK is they will spend some time with you and suggest what you actually need for your room.
When I did latest room I used an acoustician.
For the most part GIK suggested the same things that the acoustician did.
It isn't an obvious upsell technique.
They take it seriously and are professional.
The problem is a lot of the time people are trying to do it on the cheap and underestimate how much they need.

Pro tip- this will be useful regardless if you make your own or buy GIK.
Buy french cleat's to hang them.
Don't use wire.
It is impossible to get them even with wire.

Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07C8433B5

FWIW, when I did my current studio I bought about £3k worth of GIK corner traps and bass traps, rather than make them myself.

I had a look at the eBay link.
Personally I would avoid- there doesn't seem to be any performance related calculations for that product.
They might be great but they aren't especially that much cheaper than GIK.
BillDL Frets: 9939
13 Dec, 2024
Cheaper sources than the above?
Old single mattresses from fold-up beds ?  ;)

Personally I would buy the ready made ones and get a couple for the discount, but check first to see whether the shipping is per item or as a total consignment.
octatonic said:
I guess I've made around 50 bass traps.
The thing is that you will probably make the first few quite badly.

Another reason not too attempt it ! :-)
B4's are on the GIK site for £99 at the moment.
Why are you looking at B4's versus the 244 Bass traps?
The B4 is £127.80 with postage.
The 244s are 10 quid more.

octatonic said:

Pro tip- this will be useful regardless if you make your own or buy GIK.
Buy french cleat's to hang them.
Don't use wire.
It is impossible to get them even with wire.

Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07C8433B5

FWIW, when I did my current studio I bought about £3k worth of GIK corner traps and bass traps, rather than make them myself.

I had a look at the eBay link.
Personally I would avoid- there doesn't seem to be any performance related calculations for that product.
They might be great but they aren't especially that much cheaper than GIK.
Ok thanks for all this, much appreciated. I am waiting for a call back from GIK after completing the form.  I'm just looking to reduce some of the boom in the most cost effective way in my tiny studio (see https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/275774/whats-size-monitors-and-recommendations#latest)

 If a few hundred quid doesn't do that, its really not worth doing,