Cheap alternative to SOUND ABSORPTION????

[Ysvn Em]

Hello everyone. I was wondering if there was a cheap alternative to dramatically reducing sound transmission from going into other rooms. Let me explain...

I like to work on electronic music during the day and night (power electronics, industrial, noise, experimental). I have been using a pair of Logitech Z4 speakers, that has a 12 inch sub. These speakers have lasted about 7 years so far, they still work like new and I am so happy with them and am 100% fluent in how they will translate from from monitor headphones and other stereo systems. So these speakers are not an issue. I mix using headphones, and usually check my mixes on the speakers with the volume dial a bit past quarter way. So it's loud, but nothing ridiculous. There may be a little bit of wall rumble, but it's not loud enough to knock paintings or other ornaments off the walls.

I will be moving into a bachelor apartment in a semi-old apartment building with 10 other bachelor units. My unit will be on the second floor. The floors are laminate, 7 foot drop ceilings with gypsum tiles. I will be between two neighbouring units which are divided by a concrete party wall. It is a very nice apartment, with an amazing affordable monthly price. Now here's the thing. When I am in the hallway, I can hear neighbours talking in their units, which gives me the impression that my neighbours will hear me when I am in my apartment, especially from the hallways. So my plan to help dramatically reduce sound from travelling out of my unit and sound travelling into my unit is the following....

I plan to install foam tape around the perimeter of the door, as well as a thick padded door sweep. I also plan to hang a few very thick regular blankets over the door using a rod. At least 10 inches of thickness, and I also plan to hang layers of blankets on the party wall. And I am maybe thinking about buying a "SubDude" for beneath my woofer, UNLESS there is a cheaper DIY alternative to isolate my woofer from vibrating the floor and walls. Now will this dramatically help reduce sound from travelling out of my apartment unit to the hallways? As well as help dramatically reduce sound travelling in? I am not looking to "sound proof", as I am fully aware it involves tearing down the walls and installing additional dry wall, rockwool and all that other stuff. I'm not looking into any construction modification. I just want to know if my above method will work in dramatically reducing sound transmission, especially for mid and high frequencies. Low frequencies are a whole other story.

Any advice and input is greatly appreciated. If there are any additional details anyone needs to know on order to further address these inquiries, I will be happy to provide them. Thank you for your time.

 

[Ripthorn]

Absorption only controls reflections and reduces reverberation, and next to nothing for sound transmission (at least when used alone). Controlling sound traveling out is sound proofing, just not what many people think of when they hear the term. The two main rules of sound isolation are mass and being air-tight. Your foam seals and door sweeps will help, but the only way to really control the amount of sound getting out is to add some mass. In your case you need removable/non-permanent, which means mass will get expensive. The best thing to do is do a sound test as soon as you get there and see just how much reduction you need. The concrete walls are good, but doors and windows are usually the weakest links. You could get some dead sheet and hang it over the door when needed, that is a very effective way to add mass in a removable fashion, but not terribly cheap. There is no silver bullet for your situation, but there are several things you can do to help. However, you are asking a question that has had thousands of pages written about it and some of us have spent years studying and researching.

Very high frequencies will get attenuated with absorption, mid not so much. You may be able to use moveable partitions with some success.

 

[Ysvn Em]

Great, thanks for the advice. So basically, I was looking at something along the lines of this concept, Soundproof Barriers - Vinyl and Temporary Barriers, Foam and Fiberglass Composite Soundproofing Materials, a soundproof barrier type wall that can be hanged along the wall, or is it absolutely imperative that the edges are to be "sealed" in order for the isolation to work very very effectively?