A soundproofing alternative please...

[Javo]

Hi, I'm making my homerecording studio in a bedroom. The bedroom has a carpeted floor, and the acoustics I think can be improved but I don't detect any standing waves or reverberation. The problem I have is that I live in a place in front of a river and there are many crickets chirping at night plus local frogs that make a damn high pitch chorus, there are too many... Ok, I'm considering buying a condenser microphone (large diaphragm) but I've heard about those mics, and it seems I need a soundproof alternative before attempting to record with a condenser mic. I forgot to tell that the room has a window about 7' x 5' where the sound enters, the window shades are metal, when I close them I have found that the external noise reduces by about 11 dB. But it still can be heard and my dynamic mic captures the crickets so a condenser will make a trash recording as I understand. How can I proceed? forget about condensers? Soundproof the windows? but how? record during the day?[no crickets (sorry can't do that)] Oh, I record in a computer also inside my bedroom will it be too noisy? if yes how can I silence the computer? Damn there are too many questions...
Please if someone can give me an alternative. I appreciate the suggestions given in these type of forums... thanks in advance.

[Alex W]

Javo,

Search the site on enclosures for computers--there have been several posts on that with various ways to do it.

For your window, build a series of plugs out of what ever you can get your hands on -- the more massive the better (i.e., dry wall, 3/4-in plywood, etc.). Attach insulation to it and provide a flange that can seal around the window casing. Get some rubber weather stripping and seal around the area where the plug and wall meet.

That's a pretty big window (7' by 5' ?!?) so you'll need to figure out a way to hold them in place--get creative.

Plan B would be to get yourself some heavy curtains. In general these don't do much for soundproofing other than at high frequencies; but for crickets it could be just the thing.

Alex

[wang191]

for the computer, you can replace the fans with quieter ones. A lot of the noies comes from the powersupply and CPU fan. Either replace that or get a PSU that is quieter.
Is it a PC or a Mac?
PC you can pop out the PSU fan and put in an 80mm panaflow fan (bout 10 dollars, 4 dollars at allelectronics.com if they still have them.) Do the same to the intake fan. If there is a fan on the processor it's probably a 60mm fan. Buy a converter from 60mm-80mm and put another panaflow 80mm on that. The 80mm panaflow should push just as much air as the 60mm on there now.

You want the Panaflow L1A fans...they have H1 and M1's too. They push more air than the l1a's but they are louder.

You could also go with a water cooled system and get rid of the fan on the CPU fan. Put the water pump inside a different room or inside a box to keep it quieter. (this is a lot more work and about 200 dollars to convert to)

I have no suggestions on MACs