How much can neighbors in a neighboring apartment building hear my playing?

[gene12586]

I'm in a basement apartment of my several story townhouse apartment building. The next building over (also a a several story townhouse apartment building the same height as our's) also has a basement apartment. The two buildings touch and so the other basement apartment is directly next to mine. Both buildings seem to be a combination of red brick and concrete.
I'm playing electric guitar and singing through a microphone (no other instruments). I usually don't turn the guitar amplifier (fender deluxe reverb) up past 4-5, but the singing gets louder than that. Assuming both buildings aren't sharing the same wall (i.e., they each have their own exterior, but the exteriors are against one another), how much do I have to worry about disturbing the person in the other basement apartment?

Thanks!

 

[RFR]

Might want to ask your neighbors?

 

[gene12586]

Might want to ask your neighbors?

I'd frankly prefer not to because it's a totally different building and I don't want to even draw attention to it if I don't have to.
I edited my question to just ask about the other basement apartment as I'm pretty sure the other floors can't hear anything or don't hear much if they do.
What's your best guess about the person in the other basement?

 

[RFR]

I’d imagine the basement walls are concrete and upper level brick. That’s a good start.
What about your ceiling ? (which would be someone’s floor) Or do you have the whole structure to yourself?

I’m no expert, but bumping your thread will give it some attention. Sure others will chime in.

 

[rob aylestone]

As sound is two-way, if they can hear you, then you can hear them. Pick a time of the day when they will be active - feet, music, TV, kids etc and then listen and consider what you hear from them. Low frequencies are the usual killers - so if you hear feet thumps, but cannot identify voices, then they will hear/feel bass but not higher stuff. Consider that if you hear a voice at their normal conversation level, then the same in reverse happens. If you hear silence, it sounds good. If you hear anything from them, they'll hear you - and repetetive sounds are the most annoying.

 

[gene12586]

As sound is two-way, if they can hear you, then you can hear them. Pick a time of the day when they will be active - feet, music, TV, kids etc and then listen and consider what you hear from them. Low frequencies are the usual killers - so if you hear feet thumps, but cannot identify voices, then they will hear/feel bass but not higher stuff. Consider that if you hear a voice at their normal conversation level, then the same in reverse happens. If you hear silence, it sounds good. If you hear anything from them, they'll hear you - and repetetive sounds are the most annoying.

Excellent, thanks so much.

I’d imagine the basement walls are concrete and upper level brick. That’s a good start.
What about your ceiling ? (which would be someone’s floor) Or do you have the whole structure to yourself?

I’m no expert, but bumping your thread will give it some attention. Sure others will chime in.

Thanks so much! that's reassuring to hear.
Walls above are neighbors in my own building. I've already talked to them. So no issue with them.

 

[gene12586]

As sound is two-way, if they can hear you, then you can hear them. Pick a time of the day when they will be active - feet, music, TV, kids etc and then listen and consider what you hear from them. Low frequencies are the usual killers - so if you hear feet thumps, but cannot identify voices, then they will hear/feel bass but not higher stuff. Consider that if you hear a voice at their normal conversation level, then the same in reverse happens. If you hear silence, it sounds good. If you hear anything from them, they'll hear you - and repetetive sounds are the most annoying.

Thanks so much for the reply! I don't hear anything coming from over there; so definitely making me feel a lot better about this!

 

[mjbphotos]

A Fender Deluxe at 4-5 is pretty loud, and if you've got something with your amplified voice even louder..... Just turn it down a bit.

 

[LearningTheBasics]

I'm in a basement apartment of my several story townhouse apartment building. The next building over (also a a several story townhouse apartment building the same height as our's) also has a basement apartment. The two buildings touch and so the other basement apartment is directly next to mine. Both buildings seem to be a combination of red brick and concrete.
I'm playing electric guitar and singing through a microphone (no other instruments). I usually don't turn the guitar amplifier (fender deluxe reverb) up past 4-5, but the singing gets louder than that. Assuming both buildings aren't sharing the same wall (i.e., they each have their own exterior, but the exteriors are against one another), how much do I have to worry about disturbing the person in the other basement apartment?

Thanks!

I record with headphones on so this helps with guitar, bass etc...

I record my drums on an electronic drum kit and despite the noise of the drums only coming through the headset.. I had no idea how loud the hits travelled... even listening to myself on mute/headphones off the hits don't sound all that loud in the room... but when I went downstairs and got my neighbour to just constantly hit the snare pad... the bang was like someone hammering on a wall.

I even tried using rubber sticks... putting a gym mat under the drums... etc to try and dampen it but to no avail.

I now just record drums using addictive drums and midi.... annoyingly longer and tedious but no noise now except from bashing my keyboard.

 

[Papanate]

I'd frankly prefer not to because it's a totally different building and I don't want to even draw attention to it if I don't have to.
I edited my question to just ask about the other basement apartment as I'm pretty sure the other floors can't hear anything or don't hear much if they do.
What's your best guess about the person in the other basement?

Talk about ridiculous - just ask them -

 

[grimtraveller]

I had no idea how loud the hits travelled... even listening to myself on mute/headphones off the hits don't sound all that loud in the room... but when I went downstairs and got my neighbour to just constantly hit the snare pad... the bang was like someone hammering on a wall

I had an electric kit back in 2004/5 and I could not believe how loud the kick drum was. It was a TD6 and looked pretty much like this. It was a tiny thing, but what a noise it made ! It was like someone constantly thumping the wall or the ceiling. I thought, "the idea of going to an electric kit isn't looking so clever now !" The rubber pads weren't much better, and I preferred an acoustic kit, so that's what I went back to.
Noise-wise, I just got to know my neighbours better and they were generally great. I did supplement the kit with an electric kick, but that was more for control of mixing the drums and lessening bleed. Even now, with my electric kick, when a drummer is playing, and I go downstairs to hear the noise, it's the thud of the kick I hear, way more than the acoustic toms, snare and cymbals !

just ask them

You've got little to lose. If you play and sing like a trooper, and they hear you, and it bugs them, you're going to have to talk to them anyway.

 

[ecc83]

I would not raised their awareness and I shall tell you why.

Several years ago my old firm was looking at new premises and found something way out in the sticks. "our" bit was some 50mtrs from an office building across a courtyard. MD gitist had setup a 100W amp and a 4x12 and was giving it large. I was in charge of the SPL meter and we got 100dB ish in the room with the amp. this fell off as we got to the offices and when we got to their room opposite we could barely hear MD. In a corner of that room was a large photocopier and I pointed out that IT was putting out AS much noise as the guitar, i.e. not a lot. "but we can still hear him" said the boss of the office! Bottom line: They just did not want these "rock and roll people" next door!

So long as the noise levels AT the other building are reasonable and at reasonable times of day AND don't go on for hours at a time I doubt they will have any case against you...IF that is they ever discover your existence!

Dave.

 

[spantini]

As far as drums and neighbors go, does anyone have any experience with electronic drums with mesh heads? They're supposed to be much(?) quieter than rubber heads.

 

[Papanate]

As far as drums and neighbors go, does anyone have any experience with electronic drums with mesh heads? They're supposed to be much(?) quieter than rubber heads.

I have a Mesh Head kit - quieter? - I guess a little - but outside a room I don't think people will hear the difference - if they hear the drums heads at all.

 

[grimtraveller]

I would not raised their awareness

I get what you're saying, but on the other hand, if they cannot hear it, there'll be no objections, even if they don't like rock'n'roll people. Whereas, it's goodwill to let them know if it's bothering you, and it clearly is bothering the OP.
Going completely against my advice, in two places I lived where the acoustic drums were played, I didn't say anything to the neighbours. The circumstances were different, though.

In a corner of that room was a large photocopier and I pointed out that IT was putting out AS much noise as the guitar, i.e. not a lot. "but we can still hear him" said the boss of the office! Bottom line: They just did not want these "rock and roll people" next door!

So, what was the outcome ?

So long as the noise levels AT the other building are reasonable and at reasonable times of day AND don't go on for hours at a time I doubt they will have any case against you...IF that is they ever discover your existence!

One person's "reasonable" can be someone else's "nightmare."

As far as drums and neighbors go, does anyone have any experience with electronic drums with mesh heads? They're supposed to be much(?) quieter than rubber heads.

My TD6 became something of a Frankenstein {rather like my current Arbiter Flat-Lites kit, now I come to think of it} as I got a TD10 brain {it had about 10 separate outputs} and one of the things I was determined to try was a mesh head snare. It wasn't actually because of the noise ~ it was because rim-shots were meant to be far more easily accomplished.
It was a little quieter, but in a tinny kind of way. It certainly never reached the level of the kick against the ground !

 

[ecc83]

The outcome Grim was that we did not get the premises because it was a condition laid down by the owners that if anyone objected then no go.
But this was a commercial situation. I don't know the OP's circumstances but in this country you are allowed to make some noise! It is only when that noise becomes excessive and at unsocial times that the 'law' steps in and even then it is quite a protracted process to prove nuisance and get it stopped. "What they don't know won't hurt them" to some degree.

Of course, if our friend is running a studio business and generating serious SPLs outside then he could be in trouble but then he will also get in bother with the planning officer unless he has got "change of use" for his premises.

Old army term, whispered in ears..."Tell 'em nothing" But of course ALWAYS be charming and polite!

Dave.

 

[dogooder]

I am coming in here late without reading the comments. My assessment is crank it up till they knock on your door and complain, then crank it up some more.
If they call the cops, then you can turn it down a little.