Rug window blind

[Paul Smith]

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3044.JPG

This project started with an east-facing window in my recording studio that, because we are pretty far north (Washington State, US), gets a significant blast of morning sun around 4am in summer. I have nice accordion blinds in the windows but the light that comes through, though diffuse, is still strong enough to wake you right up, and this room doubles as a guest room. Nothing messes up a recording session more than working with a musician who was awakened at 4am.

So I had an idea to hang a rug in front of the window that could be easily taken on and off, and this Dokhtori Qazi was the perfect size. Not only that, but this wall already has a couple of nice old Baluchi-group prayer rugs already hanging on either side of the window, and the little chanteh face over the window, so I liked the look, too.

I pitched this idea to Rich Larkin, and he wisely counseled me that it would be extremely bad form to end up light-fading the back of a fine rug with the light that came through the accordion blind, so the first step was to get a piece of opaque black cotton fabric the size of the rug and a hem stitched on all sides (this is lighter than regular canvas, but still pretty heavy). My wife is skilled in the ways of needle and thread, and she did hemming duties as well as stitching the velcro on this rug for hanging...

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3036.JPG

I made three wooden hooks and glued the loop part of the velcro to a slat of trim. The hooks have to curl around like a question mark, I discovered, because otherwise they hold the rug out too far from the window and the apparatus too easily falls off.

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3038.JPG

A wood screw goes through the slat-with-velcro, through the black fabric and into the hooks.

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3039.JPG

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3041.JPG

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/IMG_3042.JPG

...and then the rug is attached to the velcro...The whole thing pops right off the window and is easily rolled up in a few seconds.

[Filiberto Boncompagni2]

Blind, but good-looking... :groucho:
:cheers:

[Dinie Gootjes]

Hi Paul,

Neat idea! I have a candidate for that treatment. Only thing is, I would have to add something to the top of the window. My window trim would never hold any kind of hook. But that should be manageable.

And I still love that rug ;-).

Dinie

[Rich Larkin]

Hi Paul,

Excellent! I take no credit, but the whole business looks great. No doubt, the D-i-Q PR establishes an atmosphere in the studio conducive to superb performances. :party:

Rich

[Paul Smith]

Actually, Rich, I am intrigued with the sonic dampening effect here. The accordion blind that fits inside the window already had a significant effect--there are three windows in the room and if all the blinds are up it is significantly brighter in both light and sound. I often manipulate these blinds, depending on what sort of recording I'm doing. I didn't expect this rug apparatus to change things much (there are already two large main carpets and three other Baluchi-group prayer rugs on the walls, two rugs on the floor, and others draped on furniture and musical instruments), but the resulting surface is significantly more absorbent to my ears--the accordion blind, and the canvas, and the rug seem to have a cumulative effect. I have a singer coming in this weekend, and I am going to record in front of this, instead of my usual spots, because it really seems to cancel out any reflections, which ought to make a clearer vocal. Let's do science!

:steve:

[Joel Greifinger]

I have a singer coming in this weekend, and I am going to record in front of this, instead of my usual spots, because it really seems to cancel out any reflections, which ought to make a clearer vocal.

Hi Paul,

Whatever the effect on the acoustics, that Baluch line-up can't fail to heighten the inspiration of your vocalist. :bravo:

Joel

[Donald Ruyle]

Paul:
Very clever of you! :thumbsup: As a cabinetmaker, I appreciate simple devices that do the job intended. And I agree with Joel that those three are good for the eyes and they couldn't fit your window better. I will probabably manage to find a way to fit a couple of windows easily before winter.

Thanks,
Don

[Patrick Weiler]

Paul,

Just what the Doktor ordered!
Will your guest be singing the Balues?
:cool:
Patrick Weiler

[Paul Smith]

Well, the trial recordings with the blind have come and gone. To be honest, it doesn't sound any different on the recordings. There was already enough textile sound absorption going on in that room, I suppose, but it looks cool and that matters. And musicians were not awakened at 4am, so everyone had a much better time. And, yeah, ba-lues were sung, as a matter of fact... More surmey than sky blue...

Of course, now that I've proven the utility of covering windows with rug blinds, I can make the case to my patient wife that we need to substantially expand the collection to cover all these windows (I just pitched this theory and the response was laughter, so I guess that means that she is giddy with delight, right?).

:applause:

[Paul Smith]

I finished my second rug blind today, for an odd little mat (Ersari? Chaudor?). This one was simpler, lacking the velcro. So the rug and black fabric backing are held together and nailed with T-pins (heads nipped off) to the wooden strip.

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/WoodenFrame.JPG

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/FabricBacking.JPG

http://www.turkotek.com/show_and_tell/FinishedBlind.JPG