Our Look
| Clean lines |
| Practical sizes |
| Road worthy |
Our DESIGN
Our Acrylic is strong - 17x stronger than glass! We’ve identified the best acrylic to give the best strength, scratch prevention, clarity and flexibility. Our Acrylic MMA (Methyl Methacrylate monomer) liquid is injected into a mold made from two sheets of glass. The mold is then submerged in warm water and the process of polymerization takes place. The final surface finish is as smooth as glass, unlike extruded acrylic made from acrylic pellets, which cause wavy lines. Our acrylic has 92% light transmittance through the 1/4” thicknesses of the baffle (which has better clarity than glass).
Each Baffle is laser cut with extreme precision. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser beam into a predetermined path. The focused laser beam is directed at the Acrylic, which then melts, burns, or vaporizes away, leaving an edge with a high-quality smooth surface finish. The finish is better than any CNC Router (which leaves a frosted edge). We add a finishIng touch to our baffles, while it is on the laser bed, by etchIng the Drum Baffle logo above and below the center hole.
The Laser Cutter makes a 11/16” hole in the center of the Drum Baffle, after which we add a Rubber Grommet with an inner diameter hole of 7/16.” The rubber grommet has a tensile strength of 870 (PSI) and is a Buna-N rubber material. Why do we use a rubber grommet? Well, the rubber grommet is a shock absorber - it protects against cracking the center hole when the baffle is torqued beyond it’s breaking point. We'd rather you break the rubber grommet than break the Drum Baffle.
Our Math
TERMINOLOGY:
Diffraction involves a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around a barrier in their path. Diffraction occurs when the sound wavelength is larger than the object it is hitting.
Refraction is bending the path of the sound waves - it involves a change in the direction of sound waves as they pass from one medium to another.
Wavelength is calculated by velocity of the wave, divided by the frequency.
The 3-10 kHz range of a cymbal attack (i.e. the initial hit of the drumstick) propels a tidal wave of sound of which moves at ultra-sonic speeds. The wave length of a 5 GHz cymbal crash is 6 cm, which converts in kHz to 0.00000236 inches wide. A common 16” crash cymbal produces 16” of horizontal sound in all directions. The lateral wavelength measurement of a 16” cymbal projection towards a vocalist or audience member is 0.000038 inches wide. Our 30” Drum Baffle is 793,749x larger than the initial linear wave of sound. Our baffles refract the sound (which means “a change in the direction of waves”) - the size of our baffles do not allow the initial sound waves to diffract around the baffle.
Our Psychology
People will perceive that drums are quieter and managed when there is a protective barrier between them and the drum set. Within 20’ of a drum set, Drum Baffles are effective. Remember, Drum Baffles create a levy for the sound waves to hit before enveloping over them. If an audience member is 30’ away from the drums, he will hear the refractions of the drum set with clarity and strength. This audience member will feel more secure having a protective barrier between him and the drum set, when in actuality he may not be hearing the benefits of Drum Baffles, since he is so far away from the source of sound. His prejudices and expectations from what he is seeing is telling his ears that he is safer with Drum Baffles than without them. This psychological rationalization is called psycho-acoustics.
“Psycho-Acoustics”
noun
the branch of psychology concerned with the perception of sound and its physiological effects.
The term "psychoacoustics" also arises in discussions about cognitive psychology and the effects that personal expectations, prejudices, and predispositions may have on listeners' relative evaluations and comparisons of sonic aesthetics and acuity and on listeners' varying determinations about the relative qualities of various musical instruments and performers.
Our DISCLOSURE
Drum Baffles don’t isolate drums. Drum Baffles won’t make grandma happy. Drum Baffles refracts the initial wave of sound of which will envelop naturally over top the acoustic levy.
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*We made up that stat about fatalities