Soundproofing...... Boom Boom Boom

[Mike Turco]

I'm sure this is a karmic payback of some sort. My son took up drums. Its getting difficult to handle, for me and the neighbors. I can buy him an electronic drum set for two grand or so, all told. Or, I can do some level of soundproofing in his room. According to the research I've done, the cost is probably about the same and the results won't be perfect, but will probably be good enough.

According to the experts in the music studio industry, who sell soundproof rooms and the like, there aren't any real shortcuts. These folks also claim that the use of egg cartons and the like simply don't work.

Anyway, I need to solve this problem and I have to do what I have to do. I thought I'd take a shot asking, here, whether anybody can suggest a practical, less expensive solution to cutting down on the noise.

Thanks,

Mike

[xrongor]

soundproof the drums themselves. put pillows in the bass drum and do something like this:

is simply what came up first in my search engine attempt..

im sure from even a glance at the picture you could buy some material and get the scissors out and make something for less than 20 bucks. or you can search and find lots of kits available.

randy

[xrongor]

ya know, i was looking at that auction, and at the sellers feedback, and he's 'replied' to all the feedback with comments making it look like the buyer posted them (to the novice ebayer) and saying how great his products are.

how funny.

randy

which is simply what came up first in my search engine attempt..

[spamfree]

Some farmer would probably rent him a space in a barn for $50 a month. Find a farm way out in the boonies.

[m Ransley]

Even spending 2000 you wont make it quiet maybe for 3000, 5000 for all new doors Floating walls - floors- ceiling. Electronic drums quality units start at 700. I just sold my old set . The length of the bass wave is up to 4 feet long, high frequencies 1/4 " and drums have alot of energy . Dont let your kid rule your life , get him a used cheap set of electromic ones for practice.

[Joseph Meehan]

It's all a matter of degree. For a few hundred you can add a layer of drywall, weather stripping on the door and make some accommodations to any heating or A/C vents and returns to greatly reduce the noise.

That a look at:

For more ideas.

[j.duprie]

you can get drum silencers at any decent music shop. They're basically rubber disks that sit on top of the skins and deaden the sound. They don't change the feel of the drums (much) - certainly not enough for a beginner to notice. When you want to make real noise, you just pick them up and out them on the floor or something. They just sit on top of the drumhead, so putting them on/off is easy.

I don't remember how much they cost, but its not too much - probably under $50 to cover a basic set. They're standard equipment at the studio where I used to teach (bass).

--JD

[Mike Turco]

Ah.... this is the ticket. A google search turns up quite a few links, and like you say, this stuff isn't too expensive!

He has a practice pad to practice his sticking technique, the muffled drums will let him work on his coordination, and he can take the mufflers off once and a while if he wants.

Great solution! Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Mike

[Pop Rivet]

3000, 5000 for

my old set .

frequencies

rule your

practice.

I'm sorry, but that's just plain wrong pricing AND attitude. Not going to offer anything positive, because this poster didn't. Pop

[Pop Rivet]

took up drums.

neighbors. I can buy

told. Or, I can

the research

results won't

who sell

shortcuts. These

like simply

what I have to

anybody can

down on the

can add a layer of

accommodations to any

noise.

I agree with this post. As someone said, it's a matter of degree, really. Even fiberglass insulation will do a lot of sound deadening; the hard parts are the floors and windows. Our upstairs uses only fiberglass insulation (2 x 6 joists) upstairs and you cannot hear a thing from up there unless it's really loud. Oustide though, or if the windows are open, you can hear a lot more.

Pop

[do_not_spam_me]

Soft materials, like curtains, carpets, foam, and fiberglass, block high frequency sounds but let the bass go right through. So you need some dense material, like drywall or concrete, but it's much more effective when it's mounted on shock absorbers, like metal acoustical channels attached horizontally to the wall studs. But always seal any air leaks because a 1" hole will transmit about as much sound as 10 sq. ft. of average wall.

Some people may tell you to build walls made of staggered studs (half the studs touch one side of the wall, half touch the other side), but they aren't as effective as a conventional wall with horizontal acoustical strips and may only slightly better than a conventional wall made with metal instead of wood studs.

Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings:

30 loud speech audible and intelligible 35 loud speech audible but unintelligible 40 loud speech barely audible 45 must strain to hear loud speech 50 loud speech inaudible

STC for various types of walls:

37 2x4 wooden studs on 16" centers, fiberglass insulation, 1/2" drywall on each side 45 2x4 steel studs on 24" centers, fiberglass insulation, 5/8" drywall on each side 46 2x4 wooden studs on 16" centers, fiberglass insulation, 7/8" drywall on each side 48 2x4 wooden studs staggered on 16" centers, fiberglass insulation, 1/2" drywall on each side 50 2x4 wooden studs on 16" centers, fiberglass insulation, horizontal acoustical channels on one side, 5/8" drywall 55 two completely separate walls of 2x4 wooden studs on 16" centers, fiberglass insulation, 1/2" drywall on both exterior sides

[JerryMouse]

Earplugs all around. Fifty cents a copy. You could fix up the whole neighborhood for $50.00.

Absent that, you'll spend several thousand - either in soundproofing or noise-abatement fines.