bringing monitors into an apartment?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Converged
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Converged

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Hello. Quick question..

In about a month, I will be moving into a 3rd floor apartment. I currently own and mix with a pair of KRK RP8's.

I never lived in an apartment, so I don't know exactly how thin the walls or floors can be (the apartment building is fairly modern). I was wondering if I should just go ahead and sell my monitors (as I could use the extra money) or go ahead and bring them along with me?
 
If you took them into the apartment, what would you do with them? Normal listening levels probably wouldn't cause a problem I would think, but typical mixing levels may. Hard to say though. Ask the building manager what the STC ratings of the walls are or what the construction of walls and floors are like. He might be able to give you some insight on how well they keep sound from transmitting..One thing you could do to keep structural transmission from occuring is decouple the monitors from the floor by supporting them on small rigid fiberglass or foam pads or neoprene cones. Even if they are on furniture.
 
Thanks for the response..

For the most part, they will be used for mixing. I don't typically mix at loud volumes but it is still probably enough to be heard. From the reviews on the apartments, it seems to be on of the best when it comes from sounds from neighbors. I will definately ask questions when I go to see my apartment. I only got to see a basement apartment last time I went to check it out.. sure wish I could of grabbed that one.
 
Hey Converged,

It all depends on the building of course, but sometimes in those basement apartments your recordings can easily have 13 sugar crazed kids doing backflips off the sofa in the apartment above you, the main entrance door slamming, the dryer door slamming in the laundry room, ppl yelling up the stairwell and a whole host of other basement related noise issues.

Sometimes in larger elevator buildings (6 floors and up) the basement will have the landlord or live-in maintence guy's work room and no doubt he'll begin wailing on something with a pipe wrench a nanosecond before you hit record.

If you are moving into the standard 6 unit (3 floor) walk-up type building, then in my experience the top floor is best. (That is if you aren't trying live drums or singing at 2 am)

I'd keep the monitors. When it gets too loud someone WILL let you know.
 
$ .02

you said modern building right? meaning concrete construction?? then noise from above or below should be minimal.... any chance you can mix in a room that dosn't share a wall with adjacent apt?
 
The apartment that is open as of right now is 3rd floor (of 9). The place was totally reconsturcted about 3 years ago, so I assuming is has decent cemented floors. Yes, I can get a room that is not next not adjacent to a nieghbor.. but of course that happens to be the smaller room :(.

I am probably gooing to go ahead and keep them for the time being. If I find out that it is bothering people downstairs and I can't find a time when they are away from home.. I will sell them and go back to mixing with headphones like the old days.
 
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