Drum Isolation Problem

[Jack Russell]

First some back story: I have a friend who lives in an apartment. He has played drums there for years and has gotten along well with the other residents below (he lives on the top floor). However, a new person has moved in below him and she is not able to deal with the drumming.

So, he has painstakingly assembled himself an electronic drum kit, with triggers and pads and a drum brain. He played it with headphones. All was fine, then....

Still, the person below was bothered by one thing: the steady tap, tap, tap of the drum pedal, the sound of which is being transferred through the floor.

Thus, I'm looking for a way to eliminate this problem. One option is raising the entire kit up on a drum riser, placed on some metal cones. The cones would contact the floor only with a small point. Or an option would be to raise the riser with rubber chunks.

Any ideas???

[Jack Russell]

I forgot: another option would be to march downstairs and tell the new renter to put in earplugs in go to hell.

haha.

[Track Rat]

Save killing the downstairs neighbor, the drum riser thing with maybe small sand bags to sit on. Or lead shot. Something like that for some isolation.

[Jack Russell]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

Save killing the downstairs neighbor, the drum riser thing with maybe small sand bags to sit on. Or lead shot. Something like that for some isolation.

Thanks. Sounds like a plan.

Other possibilities:

1) suspending the drum riser from the ceiling on wires.
2) stop being a drummer and play something else.
3) pay off the person below.
4) hire the person one floor below the irritated neighbor to blast ACDC as loud as possible to mask your tapping.

[Track Rat]

The more I think about it, a 3/4" 4'x8' sheet of high density partical board and the sand/lead shot bags would probably go a long way. Couple that with the AC/DC thing.

[Jack Russell]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

The more I think about it, a 3/4" 4'x8' sheet of high density partical board and the sand/lead shot bags would probably go a long way. Couple that with the AC/DC thing.

Yeah. That sounds doable. I'm thinking 3/4" sheets with 2x2 boards between them, screwed together, with some insulation in the space, then that placed on sand bags or rubber. The two layers and boards would make it sturdy enough to stand on without bowing.

[Dani Pace]

Your friend might try getting a couple of heavy rubber runner mats (like restaurants use behind the counters) to place under his set.
Another possibility would be to lay his stereo speakers facing the floor and crank up some AC/DC whenever he wants to play through headphones. Even if the neighbor downstairs complains and the super comes up, it wont be that loud in the upstairs appartment. Yes this idea is cruel but isn't revenge sweet?

[Jack Russell]

Here is yet another option.

Camp for hours on the stairwell just outside the apartment of the tenant with supersonic hearing. As soon as she makes the slightest noise, begin banging on her door and yelling at the top of your lungs:

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

Or simply stand for hours peeping into her peep hole, until she looks out.

That should shake her up a bit.

[Jack Russell]

I am closing in on 450 posts. Yahoo! I've been in the Cave way too long.

[Hart]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

Or simply stand for hours peeping into her peep hole, until she looks out.

You must like getting visits from Officer Friendly and McGruff.

[timboZ]

A while back someone posted photos of a drum riser/pad made of plywood and tennis balls. If I find the link I will post it.

[timboZ]

Found it.

http://www.dtxpressions.com/platform/

[Jack Russell]

Originally Posted by timboZ

Found it.

http://www.dtxpressions.com/platform/

Hey, thanks! That is an interesting solution.