annoyed people

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NationalSandwic

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Hi there

I'd like to know opinions on how to soundproof a band rehearsal area on a shoe string budget.

Someone has recommened that I use big slabs of styrofoam (which apparent;y isn't expensive) and build a "room".,,, but I can easily imagine it getting VERY hot it there, and effectivly useless.

I rehearse with my band, which isn't heavy stuff, but we DO play loud. and neighbours get uptight.

any ideas?
hey... if you tell me a way to do it where it is PORTABLE (move to differennt venues when tempers flare) it would be great ;)

thanks!
NS
 
NationalSandwic said:
Hi there

I'd like to know opinions on how to soundproof a band rehearsal area on a shoe string budget.

Someone has recommened that I use big slabs of styrofoam (which apparent;y isn't expensive) and build a "room".,,, but I can easily imagine it getting VERY hot it there, and effectivly useless.

I rehearse with my band, which isn't heavy stuff, but we DO play loud. and neighbours get uptight.

any ideas?
hey... if you tell me a way to do it where it is PORTABLE (move to differennt venues when tempers flare) it would be great ;)

thanks!
NS
Click to expand...


First, do OWN the place where you practice?

There's really no such thing as "portable soundproofing".
If you're trying to keep the neighbors from hearing you, you're talking about MASS, which means some major construction in many instances ..... okay, MOST instances.

It might be cheaper for you to find a place that is in a business district to practice.

Styrofoam is generally a waste of time.

Tim
 
Yes. I do own the place where we practice.

I am not 100% sure of the legal implications of making a lot of noise. They CAN call the police and say that we're "disturbing the peace", but only at certain times.

Is there ANY material that we can use? a triple glazed glass cube?

thanks :)
 
NationalSandwic said:
Yes. I do own the place where we practice.

I am not 100% sure of the legal implications of making a lot of noise. They CAN call the police and say that we're "disturbing the peace", but only at certain times.

Is there ANY material that we can use? a triple glazed glass cube?

thanks :)
Click to expand...

Describe the room for us (more people will read this).
I take it that the sound is going out through a window.
Is this in a bedrrom, or a basement, a garge? whre is it?



Tim
 
I'm in agreement with Tim about the styrofoam... useless, unless you want to help insulate the room temperature-wise... There is really no way to properly soundproof a room on a "shoestring budget"... The most common way, is to drywall every surface, including ceiling with at least 2 layers, and 3 would be optimal.. You have to seperate the layers, with resiliant channeling.... I guarantee, if you try and do soundproofing half-assed, you will waste your money, cause, in the end you will not notice much of a difference, and wish you didn't do it at all...Joe
 
The room is a about 15 meters by 4 meters. A long rectangle. Around 3 to 3 and a half meters high.

On of the long wall is just glass doors & windows.
The other wall is brick (I think double) with 2 small, high windows.

The short walls are just brick.

It is an outside room, seperate from the main house.

I thought the polystyrene wall idea was a little odd!

I have also thought about building a small recording booth, for some demo recording.

Is it an idea to run all instruments (which are obviously amped), through a small mixing desk out to some head phones, and build something around the drums (to keep that down as well). we don't have the equipment to mic a whole drum kit.

we are a small band without much cash. I do not intend renting the place out as a rehearsal venue or a studio (yet! lets wait till I have some cash to buy the equipment I need). We all tend to work best in the late hours of the night and the wee hours of the morning, which is why the neighbours will get upset (we are yet to start all-nighters)

thanks
 
Why play so loud

The only suggestion to offer is to not play so loud. there are two things to consider. The obvious is the whole reason behind this post. The second concern would be, based on the room you describe, it sounds like there would be a lot of sound bouncing around with all that brick. I would be afraid of blowing out my eardrums. Since you are just practicing, why does it have to be so loud.

One other possible solution would be to run everything through your board and out of your pa system. If you have stage monitors, you can place them close to you so you can get the whole mix. That way, you would not need to be so loud. The only down side to that would be tone from having an amp turned up loud. You can work on tone when it is a more appropriate time. But for just getting down your licks, volume is realy not needed.

The best thing about my suggestion is that it is not going to cost you ANY money.

Peace
Joe
 
playin loud

we don't actually play that loud, and are yet to have complaints from the neighbours.
the reason for dampening the sound is to avoid those confrontations and play without having to worry about who we are disturbing.

the idea of finding a venue in an industrial area has occured to us, but we live in Johannesburg, South Africa, and NONE of us is comfortable taking our equipment into industrial areas. these areas are located either in the city centre, or on the far outskirts. the outskirts are not worth the effort, and the city centre is rife with crime /= (

what we ultimately want to have is a space where we are not in contact with other people :) and can avoid making contact with them... breaks the focus too much.

cheers
 
A friend of mine tears up a lot of old carpet and such. They have hung layers and layers of the stuff (4 or 5) on the exterior walls of their practice space. You can hardly hear anything outside, even from the windows. They play until all hours of the morning and never have had a complaint yet. Its important to have some air space in between the layers of carpet though.
 
glass doors and windows

You should worry most about the wall of glass that you described. On a "shoe string" budget, your only option seems to be blocking that sonic gapeing hole.

I would build a partition wall about 3 feet in front of said wall and hang lots and lots of carpet padding and some carpet over that.

For the other windows, I have used pillows held in place with carpeting with some degree of success.

Beyond that, I'd have to agree with JC LIVES and consider turning down a bit.

Ron
 
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