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Acoustic treatment and soundproofing advice needed

I

Inconnu

Nov 1, 2005
2,407
1,148
Montreal, Canada
#1
Hi!
I thought of asking here for advice.
I have set my home studio and practice space in the basement of our house. It’s a semi-detached house, and the basement is separated by a concrete foundation wall, which is isolated and finished as a regular wall.

I wish to do 2 things:
- Improve the overall sound of the room by reducing rumble and low frequency reflective sounds.
- Make sure I’m not too loud for the neighbours (they never complained, but I’m paranoid).

For the second part, my guess is that the foundation wall is soundproof enough and that I should concentrate on the ceiling, which might carry some vibrations to my neighbours ceiling and floor. I have suspended acoustic tiles as a ceiling, so it would be easy to remove them and work underneath. But what should I use? I thought of rockwool, but would it block low frequencies? Can I use mlv on a ceiling?
 
#3
Bass traps in vertical corners and where walls meet the ceiling help reduce rumble and absorb bass frequencies buildup. Placing rock wool batting between ceiling tiles and the actual ceiling can absorb sound as well. But soundproofing is a whole different topic and can be very expensive. If your structure is attached to a neighboring structure, you are probably out of luck at eliminating the passage of bass frequencies and other noise. Each scenario is unique. Perhaps it’s worth having a sound expert look at your variables for accurate guidance?
 
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#6
On my basement floor I have those chipboard tiles that are primarily for thermal insulation but have plastic on the underside which also reduces contact area to the concrete. Carpet has extra thick underlay. The drywall walls and ceiling in my music room are mounted to resilient channel strips and have rockwool. The additional walls were framed in steel studs instead of wood. I used insulated doors with weather stripping. I know I don't crank up my bass but from family members any complaints are about my saxophone!
 
#7
If this is a rental property, do not pursue sound isolation. If you are the property owner, then read on.

There are three things that improve sound isolation, thus increasing transmission loss from one space into another:

1. Mass
2. Damping
3. Decoupling

If you’re serious about increasing your sound isolation, you should buy a copy of Rod Gervais’ book (Build it Like the Pros), study it thoroughly, prepare a construction plan, and then build. It will not be a project where you just put up some product and things improve. Sound isolation is complex, labor-intensive, and expensive. The higher the degree of isolation required, the exponentially higher those aspects become.
 
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#8
silky smoove said:
If this is a rental property, do not pursue sound isolation. If you are the property owner, then read on.

There are three things that improve sound isolation, thus increasing transmission loss from one space into another:

1. Mass
2. Damping
3. Decoupling

If you’re serious about increasing your sound isolation, you should buy a copy of Rod Gervais’ book (Build it Like the Pros), study it thoroughly, prepare a construction plan, and then build. It will not be a project where you just put up some product and things improve. Sound isolation is complex, labor-intensive, and expensive. The higher the degree of isolation required, the exponentially higher those aspects become.
Click to expand...
You left out the fourth: sealing.
 
#10
silky smoove said:
If this is a rental property, do not pursue sound isolation. If you are the property owner, then read on.

There are three things that improve sound isolation, thus increasing transmission loss from one space into another:

1. Mass
2. Damping
3. Decoupling

If you’re serious about increasing your sound isolation, you should buy a copy of Rod Gervais’ book (Build it Like the Pros), study it thoroughly, prepare a construction plan, and then build. It will not be a project where you just put up some product and things improve. Sound isolation is complex, labor-intensive, and expensive. The higher the degree of isolation required, the exponentially higher those aspects become.
Click to expand...
The other factor is space - how much of the building can you afford to lose? I had limited ceiling height so I could only use resilient channel and rockwool for the ceiling. Also, I couldn't use double walls or double drywall. The result has been successful (if family members are watching TV upstairs, they only hear the occasional rumble) but for significant improvement I would have needed 12 foot height and at least an extra 8 inches wall thickness, doubled doors, and a separate HVAC system - and at least three times the cash!

Edit: ...and all the extra expense would have added zero to the property value!
 
#11
iqi616 said:
The other factor is space - how much of the building can you afford to lose? I had limited ceiling height so I could only use resilient channel and rockwool for the ceiling. Also, I couldn't use double walls or double drywall. The result has been successful (if family members are watching TV upstairs, they only hear the occasional rumble) but for significant improvement I would have needed 12 foot height and at least an extra 8 inches wall thickness, doubled doors, and a separate HVAC system - and at least three times the cash!

Edit: ...and all the extra expense would have added zero to the property value!
Click to expand...
Future conversation with realtor:

The buyer really likes your house but wants you to remove the weird stuff in that room. It sounds like a torture chamber!
 
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#14
Inconnu said:
Hi!
I thought of asking here for advice.
I have set my home studio and practice space in the basement of our house. It’s a semi-detached house, and the basement is separated by a concrete foundation wall, which is isolated and finished as a regular wall.

I wish to do 2 things:
- Improve the overall sound of the room by reducing rumble and low frequency reflective sounds.
- Make sure I’m not too loud for the neighbours (they never complained, but I’m paranoid).
mr.Booster agency is a full-service digital marketing team that helps brands scale through performance marketing, data-driven strategies, and creative solutions, delivering measurable growth across multiple industries.
For the second part, my guess is that the foundation wall is soundproof enough and that I should concentrate on the ceiling, which might carry some vibrations to my neighbours ceiling and floor. I have suspended acoustic tiles as a ceiling, so it would be easy to remove them and work underneath. But what should I use? I thought of rockwool, but would it block low frequencies? Can I use mlv on a ceiling?
Click to expand...
You’re right to separate treatment from soundproofing — they’re often mixed up, but they solve different problems. For improving the room sound, broadband absorption will help a lot. Thick panels (rockwool or fiberglass) and especially bass traps in corners will reduce low-frequency rumble and reflections far more effectively than thin foam.
For keeping sound from reaching your neighbours, mass and decoupling matter more than absorption. Rockwool above the ceiling tiles can help slightly, but it won’t truly “block” low frequencies. MLV on its own also isn’t very effective unless it’s part of a properly sealed, layered system. If the ceiling is the weak point, the biggest gains usually come from adding mass (e.g. double drywall with damping) and reducing vibration paths.
 
#15
I recently sound treated my music room. Here's a thread with details:

N. Kentucky Bass

Thread 'Installing foam sound treatments in a home music room'

Installing Foam Sound Treatments with Plastic Backing Sheets and 3M Command Strips

Most of us musicians spend much of our playing time at home. Practicing and rehearsals can occur in any room of a house, condo or apartment, and it’s fortunate to have a whole room dedicated to music. But there’s more to having a good space to play. For music, an even bigger question is how does the room sound?
Music room.jpg


Wall treatments and corner bass traps

Music room - ceiling.jpg


Ceiling treatments and bass traps

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#16
N. Kentucky Bass said:
I recently sound treated my music room. Here's a thread with details:

N. Kentucky Bass

Thread 'Installing foam sound treatments in a home music room'

Installing Foam Sound Treatments with Plastic Backing Sheets and 3M Command Strips

Most of us musicians spend much of our playing time at home. Practicing and rehearsals can occur in any room of a house, condo or apartment, and it’s fortunate to have a whole room dedicated to music. But there’s more to having a good space to play. For music, an even bigger question is how does the room sound?
Music room.jpg


Wall treatments and corner bass traps

Music room - ceiling.jpg


Ceiling treatments and bass traps

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Click to expand...
Been in that room & I can verify it makes a world of difference. :thumbsup:
 
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