Suggestions for Soundproofing

[Hiro]

I keep most of my listening to the corner of my place-
A small space-
(used to be an old elevator shaft)

Noise complaints have me less than comfortable in what is usually
my most comfortable place...

Does anyone have any suggestions for how I may fix the room up a bit to lessen the noise?

Speakers are on spikes-

The complaints are coming from upstairs.

The room is about 8 x 8 w/ 12 foot ceilings. (brick & concrete)

Are my neighbors simply too sonically sensitive?

[Weishaupt]

Originally posted by Hiro


Are my neighbors simply too sonically sensitive?

YES!

[filthydave]

i've got the same problem and it doesn't make me feel very comfortable anymore
constantly worrying about the volume doesn't exactly allow you to let go and get into what you're doing

the only real way of sorting it out is by creating false walls, floors and ceilings with rockwool (heavy duty loft insulation) behind
a room within a room, nice and toasty in the winter, an oven in the summer!
it is possible to get soundproofed plasterboard these days
its thicker than normal
its the same plasterboard as normal but with a soundproofing material behind
the combination of the two should sort it out
the only problem is your space is reduced

unfortunately i don't have this option as my space is too small to start with and it's rented - my landlord would go nuts

you might find moving things around would help
if you've got your stuff in an old lift shaft it'll be acting like a massive horn and propelling your sounds up and down

good for you, not so good for your neighbours!

another one to try is hanging heavy blankets about 6inches from your walls and ceiling it'll dampen the sound a bit before it reaches the walls but it will mean your room won't sound as 'bright'
an acoustically dead room is not necessarily a bad thing but one to remember when mixing down

failing that turn it up until your neighbours leave!
then the next ones will have to accept its always been like that and like it or lump it!

it's working here nobody lasts for more than about 4 or 5 months where i live!

but seriously i don't like the idea of being a nuisance neighbour either
if they'd only come and ask me to turn it down i'd be only too happy to oblige
they don't and instead complain to my landlord - bastards!

[grobelaar]

How about a 'brown' noise generator - there's some sub-audilble frequency, I think about 7hz that causes people to have involuntary bowel movements simply set the device up to switch itself in when you are out... :-)

______________________________ ______________
Hey Dave, you wanna watch it that boat looks a bit unsteady!!!

[pille'ocheoni]

4hz

[d-stroy]

move

[filthydave]

just done a bit of trawling round on this
it is actually 7Hz
apparently there's rumours of saturn 5's rockets producing this in abundance and sending loads of the test engineers running to the loo

there was some swiss scientist who was working on a crowd control thing for football hooligans til it was realised the police would shit themselves as well

the problem with this is that 7Hz is the resonant frequency of the human body
and while at a sufficiently high level of sound pressure it does indeed make your bowels move it also does a very nice job of completely rearranging your internal organs with consequently dire results (there's also a few reports of 'accidental deaths' among those engineers)

not something i'd like to put anyone through hooligans or not

this makes interesting reading - Acoustic Trauma : Bioeffects of Sound (http://www.schizophonia.com/installation/trauma/trauma_thesis/)

[pille'ocheoni]

well i think the professor was wrong and about the whole full sail college too.im just going on the imfo giving to me by my trusted freinds at this fine production school.but anyways the note is really low and shit happens at that rate.the only bad thing is that the sub's that have to push that sound are so expensive it will be cheaper to buy your own house.

[Irrungenwirrungen]

Originally posted by filthydave

this makes interesting reading - Acoustic Trauma : Bioeffects of Sound (http://www.schizophonia.com/installation/trauma/trauma_thesis/) [/B]

Dave, I bet you've been reading this before building your speakers.
Sonic Warfare, Sonic terrorism more like, when they are in full pelt.

[filthydave]

Originally posted by Irrungenwirrungen


Dave, I bet you've been reading this before building your speakers.
Sonic Warfare, Sonic terrorism more like, when they are in full pelt.

just got hold of the first two drivers for the start of the next half!
it's gonna start gettin loud now
'n i've got my eye on some 24" cones for some proper sub bass as well

better make sure you've been to the loo before you come out!
we don't want any unnecessary accidents in the blueprint now do we?

[owain_k]

Indeed, as mentioned above...you do indeed need to create a room within a room which can be very costly (or not if you are a dab hand at DIY!).

Alternatively, I have seen heavy duty insulation foam which cost around £15-20 per square metre, you could try and cover the walls with this (or something similar), then use some cheap carpet over the top (often find rolls in skips...he he!), certainly helps reduce the bass resonance which is usually what all the fuss is about....thud thud thud thud........ believe u me, I've had my fair share of complaints !

This may sound crazy but EGG BOXES are also very useful too, I knew a drummer who covered his garage walls with a layer of carpet and then tacked the whole place from top to bottom with them and it certainly made a large difference.

Alternatively......evict your neighbours ;) !

[grobelaar]

Yeah we did a module on sound insulation when I was trying to study architecture and civil engineering at college. You can block mid to high frequency with absorbant materials. However, low frequency travel through the materials of the building (absorbant or not). So you have to isolate the room, preferably with a vacuum between the inner and outer walls...

______________
Buy a Macintosh then!!

[alex cortex]

an easy rule is: the thinner and lighter the material used is, the higher is the threshold value of the absorbed frequency range. eggboxes thus will only absorb quite high frequencies. the thickness of material used on walls does play a role, but also the room left between wall and material, the room inbetween does function as absorbing chamber. a rule here is: material thickness + distance between wall and material is one quarter of wavelenght lambda that will be absorbed or dimmed. using a carpet in order to absorb 60hz needs about 5,5 meter distance between carpet and wall (lambda=sonic velocity c / frequency f). and always to remember: insulation is not absorption. you can absorb with eggboxes but hardly insulate. look out for illrocks. they do work really good. and you should build some bass traps. i´m sure you can find building instructions on the internet.

[Hiro]

Thanks very much for the suggestions-

I'll keep you all posted (before I go postal) on the neighbour situation.

(re: Loo-levels... I always thought it was 11Hz... Though, I am going to take your word for it- and _not_ reach on physical proof).

[wheezer]

hehe hiro, so you hang out on techno.ca as well huh? :)

[Hiro]

I do, at times- (though moreso when the talk is interesting- and not just a bunch of mac vs. pc / mills vs. hawtin banter)

..and sorry for the repetition- (though I assume loops aren't so frowned upon in your world... ;)

I am in dire need of solving this one...

Insomnia keeps me most productive during the late hours-

(although, the complaints aren't limited to 23h + time)

You in Toronto as well?

[sport casual]

if you stick any tiles or rockwall up, use silicone II from a tube around the edges of the tiles etc and attach when the slilcone bead has dried. This type of silicone stays soft so dampens, and creates a tiny air gap.... small enough, but anything helps.