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DIY Auralex Gramma Pad-a-like


largo
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  • 10 months later...

You can get dense foam disc isolation pads for audiophiles, £40 a set, to put under the feet of your hi fi amp, speakers and cd player that achieve similar principle to this. I cut up circles from an old foam-backed mouse mat and improved the sound of my rich neighbour's expensive hi fi significantly for the price of a beer. Go DIY'ers!

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  • 2 years later...

Bought a Gramma. Used it a couple of times then made my own. Foam shop sold me equivalent density foam. Built a bigger base to fit a carpet tile approx 520 X 520. Painted the 9mm board with duratex, and glued on carpet and foam. Works a treat, just like the Gramma. Tested with a 6U rack case, 1 X 12 and 1 X 18 sub. Would have cut a monkey grip but was too lazy, works fine like this. Plain and simple.

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[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1253648848' post='606084']
But do you think you need Auralex foam? I would have thought that any foam would do; nothing special about Auralex, I think. I'm using offcuts from rubber stable matting one and a half inch thick strips. Works very well.
[/quote]

No definitely not, once you start buying something with auralex on it then you're paying over the top.
I bought some foam isolator pads from digital village for my studio monitors, they were something like £10 for a pair, they come in 2 parts so you can have them angled or flat, kind of like wedges. Anyway I compared them to a genuine pair of auralex and they're identical but without the auralex badge, and they're like £50 cheaper or thereabouts !

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  • 8 years later...

1807326012_zombiethread2.jpg.4d3065315e0bd662bb54d45417bce61a.jpg

 

 

There's been a length of the Auralex platfoam stuff lurking in a corner of my spare room/office for donkey's ages, so today I finally got my arris in gear and spent a very pleasant afternoon putting a DIY Gramma together. Turned out really well. 

Marine ply; foam; offcut of carpet; Evostik spray glue; staples/staple gun; corner plates; screws.

 

PSX_20220227_181408.thumb.jpg.7ca29484daf5c1bedf39a0c3f1167947.jpg

Edited by Rich
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2 hours ago, Rich said:

There's been a length of the Auralex platfoam stuff lurking in a corner of my spare room/office for donkey's ages, so today I finally got my arris in gear and spent a very pleasant afternoon putting a DIY Gramma together. Turned out really well. 

Marine ply; foam; offcut of carpet; Evostik spray glue; staples/staple gun; corner plates; screws.

 

PSX_20220227_181408.thumb.jpg.7ca29484daf5c1bedf39a0c3f1167947.jpg

 

 

Any issues with the Evostik spray? One of the foam pieces on my Gramma isn't as secure as it was (13 years of gigging so fair dos) and I could do with sticking it back down before moving it on. Was a bit worried about regular glue or spray adhesive reacting with the foam.

Edited by Rich
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No issues at all. This was the exact stuff I used, in fact it's the same can of glue I used to make my previous Grammabodge well over 10 years ago. The foam is still stuck fast to that one... well what's left of it anyway, since the mice got to it... :lol:

PSX_20220227_211127.jpg.12c0e8fbd6a6ece140ce5cc3b0647c36.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

I'm considering making an isolation pad to go under two Tecamp 12" speakers and a lightweight head, total weight of 27 kgs. I've been reading DIY threads on here and was all set up to buy an extra large bamboo cutting board, isolation foam, carpet tiles and adhesive. Then I stumbled across this at BAX: https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/monitor-isolation-pads/devine-mon-pad-03-monitor-isolation-pad-single?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces&srsltid=AR57-fBXA8ub5UwpwPR6zsDhWuoVBY3DGnsBDJe_ZYoINoeAr7Hx8v1QxpE

 

What do we think? Buy one and glue it underneath a chopping board (surface area of one isn't quite big enough to go under the feet of a speaker).

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2 hours ago, solo4652 said:

I'm considering making an isolation pad to go under two Tecamp 12" speakers and a lightweight head, total weight of 27 kgs. I've been reading DIY threads on here and was all set up to buy an extra large bamboo cutting board, isolation foam, carpet tiles and adhesive. Then I stumbled across this at BAX: https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/monitor-isolation-pads/devine-mon-pad-03-monitor-isolation-pad-single?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces&srsltid=AR57-fBXA8ub5UwpwPR6zsDhWuoVBY3DGnsBDJe_ZYoINoeAr7Hx8v1QxpE

 

What do we think? Buy one and glue it underneath a chopping board (surface area of one isn't quite big enough to go under the feet of a speaker).

 

they don't quote a maximum loading weight, only that it is for 6" to 10" monitor speakers, at a guess those will be under 10kg a side so with 27kg on it i'd expect this to be overloaded and possibly squashed fairly flat?

 

 

 

Matt

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I sold my real Gramma Pad a long time ago. There were a couple of places where my band played, where putting the rig on the Gramma Pad caused it to sway alarmingly in time with the action of the kick drum pedal, so I stopped using it at these venues. Strangely there was no difference in sound without the Gramma Pad, so I stopped taking to all of the gigs with no ill-effects, and finally sold it.

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22 minutes ago, Matt P said:

 

they don't quote a maximum loading weight, only that it is for 6" to 10" monitor speakers, at a guess those will be under 10kg a side so with 27kg on it i'd expect this to be overloaded and possibly squashed fairly flat?

 

 

 

Matt

Aaah, right. Good points. Thanks.

 

Plan B is to glue these under a carpet-covered chopping board: https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/monitor-isolation-pads/nowsonic-shock-stop-s-studio-monitor-isolation-pads-set-of-2

 

Plan C is to buy this: https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/AcouFoam-Speaker-Cabinet-Isolation-Pad-by-Gear4music-Medium/2F4R?origin=product-ads&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpO-In7GI_wIVEt7tCh0tqwjgEAQYBCABEgLYAPD_BwE

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Moose said:

Just bought one of these. It is very similar to my old Gramma pad but much more affordable.

I've gigged mine a couple of times, both on wooden stages. I think it's cut out a lot of boominess from my tone, however I've also been trying different EQ settings on my amp and mixing the pickups much more towards the bridge.

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  • 5 months later...

There seems to be two main components to these contraptions - a wooden board and foam. Is the board necessary from an acoustic POV? Or is it just there to create a solid platform?

 

I have a piece of very dense foam about 2” thick that I sometimes use under my bass cabs (2x Aguilar DB112s). It’s just the right size to fit between the feet of the cab. I’m wondering, if I glued a larger piece of carpeted plywood to it, so the cab’s feet sit on top of it, would it perform better sonically?

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10 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Prolly not as the foam you have is full surface, between the feet, and ss long as the foam it not compressed easy enough for the feet to contact the floor.

The board would be to ensure the feet don't just dig in to the foam...

Thanks, Paul. I thought as much. Saves me a job! 😃

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