DIY Bass Traps? Yes or no?

AxeManDan said:
No. :) You can’t beat physics.
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I feel like I am on an episode of Big Bang Theory right now. ;)

Are you telling me that absorption has no effect, or just a minimal/negligible effect on transmission
of sound outside the space where it is being generated??
 
DallasGlenn2005 said:
https://www.quietrock.com/

I believe this can be installed over existing Sheetrock.
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Quietrock? Sheetrock? You rock! Thanks. :)

Easy install, cost effective. YES!



Does QuietRock really work?



Image result for quietrock

QuietRock can improve the soundproofing by 15 to 20 points on the STC scale, while it will take up to four sheets of drywall to have the same effect. If you're doing both sides of a partition wall, that's 2 sheets of QuietRock for 8 of the gypsum.
 
Cooper Carter said:
Bass traps are going to make the room sound better for you, not quieter for your neighbors.

Don't mistake treatment methods for isolation.

Isolating low end especially is incredibly costly and likely a fool's errand unless you're willing to do some serious renovation.
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Thanks! I kind of understood this going in. I am not looking for isolation so much as a reduction
in perceived volume outside the home. I think I can get results with some research and effort, coupled
with some experience from others. Just like playing guitar. I am not gonna be on stage with Metallica
anytime soon, but should that stoop me from enjoying my own efforts and having fun? No way!

I look at this the same way. I am not going for professional caliber isolation and room within a room
and tens of, if not hundreds, of thousands into a renovation. I am looking to achieve those 10 to 20
percent gains that most of us hobbyists/weekend warriors are aiming for. And that should be doable
and if it is, it will get me off of the new neighbor's radar. :)
 
Hi La noise,

The bass traps will tame bass frequencies that are bouncing around in your room internally. They may make the room seem quieter, but externally it will sound all but identical.
The bass your neigbours can hear has already escaped the room and will not be affected in the slightest, except perhaps a tiny (and I mean TINY) residual sound escaping from secondary reflections.

Try that Quietrock! :)

Interested to hear of the results.

Thank
Pauly

la noise said:
I feel like I am on an episode of Big Bang Theory right now. ;)

Are you telling me that absorption has no effect, or just a minimal/negligible effect on transmission
of sound outside the space where it is being generated??
Click to expand...
 
jclemensfl said:
What if he were to put something with a lot of mass in between his house and the neighbors? Like a cinder block wall or two?
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Do trees count?? :)

Part of the issue was the logging/clearing of a lot of trees since we moved in. I have planted a bunch on
that end of our yard/house...... should provide some kind of sound buffer in about 15 to 20 years. :)
 
pauly said:
Hi La noise,

The bass traps will tame bass frequencies that are bouncing around in your room internally. They may make the room seem quieter, but externally it will sound all but identical.
The bass your neigbours can hear has already escaped the room and will not be affected in the slightest, except perhaps a tiny (and I mean TINY) residual sound escaping from secondary reflections.

Try that Quietrock! :)

Interested to hear of the results.

Thank
Pauly
Click to expand...

Thanks, Pauly! That Quieetrock looks like a winner. I really only need to treat the 3 external walls. It won't eat into
my square footage much, if at all, either. :)
 
Smilzo said:
Impact noise is worse than aerial. Try to clap your hand, or hit the wall, and record the sound in the near room. Impact noise are generated when an instrument (drum, monitor, cabs...) touch a surface (floor, ceiling, walls).
The first thing to lower impact sound (that propagate OUTSIDE the room) is decouple. The simplest is the floor. If you want more reduction, consider to build isolated walls (starting from the decoupled floor), or isolate the entire room.

Give the decouple floor a try. You can add bass trap, but the audible effect outside will be minimal. In the room, a bass trap is gold.
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Thanks for info. :)

I put two layers of pad, carpet, and then 8" of safesound in the subfloor via the crawlspace.
It's resting on a concrete foundation. I am not going to be able to achieve the isolation that
so many keep telling me I would need. I am not looking for that level of reduction. Just not
feasible, for many reasons.

I am going to try and think of ways to decouple the biggest low-end generators from the floor,
and hopefully, a bunch of incremental gains will add up and be enough to allow me to continue
to enjoy playing/creating music here at a volume I enjoy. :)_
 
For what it's worth - in order to provide isolation on the low end, it is important to understand that low frequencies will leak out to adjoining spaces or outdoors if there is any air movement between spaces. Even a seam around a door is enough to allow the low end to escape. Acoustic isolation requires airtight isolation as well as isolating the structure from transmitting vibrations.

So just keep in mind, where air can penetrate, so will low frequency audio, and that is likely the larger component.
 
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la noise said:
Quietrock? Sheetrock? You rock! Thanks. :)

Easy install, cost effective. YES!



Does QuietRock really work?



Image result for quietrock
QuietRock can improve the soundproofing by 15 to 20 points on the STC scale, while it will take up to four sheets of drywall to have the same effect. If you're doing both sides of a partition wall, that's 2 sheets of QuietRock for 8 of the gypsum.
Click to expand...
Friend of mine had contractors install it in his theater room. He said it worked for him.
 
NeverTooManyGuitars said:
For what it's worth - in order to provide isolation on the low end, it is important to understand that low frequencies will leak out to adjoining spaces or outdoors if there is any air movement between spaces. Even a seam around a door is enough to allow the low end to escape. Acoustic isolation requires airtight isolation as well as isolating the structure from transmitting vibrations
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Thanks. :)

Caulking and a new door seal are on the docket!

I am also finding that tuning the low-end (as I like to monitor with live volume while also
recording in isolation---as it just feels more live and fun to me) is part of the solution. I am
looking for that optimal frequency where it still sounds punchy, but without a lot of resonant
bass.

I feel like the results will be better for me, and it will sound tighter in the room here, not as
loud (although not totally quiet) outside the room.

Appreciate all the feedback!! :) 🍻
🍻 🍻
 
Also, have a look at helmholtz resonators. They are very very effective.
[
QUOTE="la noise, post: 2179346, member: 78415"]
Thanks. :)

Caulking and a new door seal are on the docket!

I am also finding that tuning the low-end (as I like to monitor with live volume while also
recording in isolation---as it just feels more live and fun to me) is part of the solution. I am
looking for that optimal frequency where it still sounds punchy, but without a lot of resonant
bass.

I feel like the results will be better for me, and it will sound tighter in the room here, not as
loud (although not totally quiet) outside the room.

Appreciate all the feedback!! :) 🍻
🍻 🍻
[/QUOTE]
 
As others have said, bass traps will improve the sound in the room, but not isolation.

A wall or structure is not feasible, as it would need to be huge to prevent diffraction at low frequencies from making it useless.

If the offending frequencies are confined to a low and narrow range, an active system consisting of an inverse phase speaker with the proper time alignment can work wonders at one specific listening location (your neighbor's house). It's complicated, but it can work. Feasible? Probably not.

My only practical suggestion is to get a quality electronic bass drum trigger and use a professional drum library for the kick.

If you research your local ordinances and use test equipment to verify that you aren't breaking them, your neighbor is out of luck.
 
That Quietrock looks like two sheets of standard gypsum/sheetrock glued together with
some kind of sound absorbing polymer.
 
steadystate said:
My only practical suggestion is to get a quality electronic bass drum trigger and use a professional drum library for the kick.

If you research your local ordinances and use test equipment to verify that you aren't breaking them, your neighbor is out of luck.
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Yeah, the Police didn't seem too bothered. They were actually very friendly. Said they
were obligated to stop because a complaint was made, but that if they could not hear
it from the road they wouldn't have to come and knock. :)

I am already using an electronic drumset sent to my DAW via MIDI and then monitored
live through dual 15" speakers on each side. I like to feel it when I play.

Maybe I am the problem. ;)
 
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