rattling ducts

  • Thread starter Thread starter andyhix
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andyhix

andyhix

:dank:
[disclaimer - I hesitate to put this question in this particular forum, because what I have is just an unfinished basement, rather than something I would call a studio.]

I am hoping to get my basement up to a somewhat tolerable recording environment. However, just playing my guitar there, with the amp fairly loud, I noticed the supply and return air ducts to the rest of the house started rattling from the noise. It was pretty noisy - I think it's individual "walls" of the ducts rattling, rather than the whole duct moving. I'm looking for ANY suggestions.
 
Try wrapping them tightly with insulation. Then duct tape that tight.
 
That was my first inkling too. I just need to figure a way for it to not look too tacky. In a most places, the ducts are too low to completely conceal with any sort of ceiling, so they will remain exposed to the "studio."
 
I believe some people hang sheets on the ceiling. Tack them up as tight as you can to the ceiling. It'll definitely give the room a cleaner look.
 
Any type of fabric will do. Then you can do whatever you want to those ducts.
 
Duct tape all the joints where the ductwork fits together. The joints are the most common place for rattles to occur. Silicone caulk the hangers, they rattle too. Wrap everything with vinyl backed insulation and tape the seams well. This will not only help eliminate the rattles, it will also stop a lot of the boominess (resonance) which is sometimes caused by exposed ductwork.
 
Well you don't know for sure whats causing it to rattle. You should first try and find out whats happening by going around pushing and holdind in different places with your hands.

But what I do is just walk over and turn off the power to the furnace/ac during the part I'm recording, then just turn it back on again when I'm done. Its easier than anything else that I'll have to rip down when I (eventually) start building walls.
 
VSpaceBoy said:
Well you don't know for sure whats causing it to rattle. You should first try and find out whats happening by going around pushing and holdind in different places with your hands.
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True.

VSpaceBoy said:
But what I do is just walk over and turn off the power to the furnace/ac during the part I'm recording, then just turn it back on again when I'm done. Its easier than anything else that I'll have to rip down when I (eventually) start building walls.
Click to expand...
It's not that they rattle when the furnace is on, but rather when there is a loud noise in the basement pushing air around (drums, guitar amp, etc.) I shut the furnace/AC off to track as well, though. That can add a lot of background noise otherwise.

Oh, and thanks to all y'all for the tips. I'll be trying some of these ideas, when I get a chance. - starting with hunting down the specific noises.
 
VSpaceBoy said:
Well you don't know for sure whats causing it to rattle. You should first try and find out whats happening by going around pushing and holdind in different places with your hands.
Click to expand...
That's your best shot at narrowing in it down. Set up some different frequency sound sources (or hits maybe) and find out what's what. I would guess that wrapping the things might not do all that much to stop rattling but it could still help to tame them from ringing. You might end up needing to screw on some support strips. Thinking L-angle metal here.
Wayne
 
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