band practice... in an apartment??

[metdistortion]

After complaints of us being too loud from neighbour's, we now use an electronic drum kit with one of my bands. We put all the instruments (via electronic drums, 2 electric guitar amps, and my bass amp) into a 8 track vocal mixer, and then put the output into the drummer's stereo speakers. We can then play at ridiculously quiet volumes, no louder than it would be if you were playing the songs off a CD. The noises made by the drummer hiting the electronic drum pads are too quiet to worry about.

 

[mikeswals]

Are there any rent by the hour practice studios where you live?
Around here there are a bunch of them, they charge 15 to 20 dollars an hour. And so far, all the ones I've been to were furnished with adequate amps and a basic drum kit.

But back in my younger days, we used to use shop space after hours, or rent a storage garage, or somone in the band always had a relative with an unused garage or shed.
Apartment practice never worked, the sound always travels through the walls.

 

[totallybacan]

My band found a cheap Roland e-drum for $300. Not studio quality, but great when acoustic drums are too loud. We found a used Kustom powered mixer without speakers for another $80, and you can get a decent headphone amp for around $30. Just add in headphones and any additional parts you want from radioshack, like volume dials to control your own volume, and you are set for a bit over $400. As a college student, I know that this is quite easy to achieve if you want it. Offer to clean houses for a quick $50 or $100 a week, and if the other members do the same you could get the funds for this within 2 weeks

 

[metdistortion]

Even if you have an electronic drum kit, the drummer stomping down on the kick can carry through the floors and walls. You might have to isolate it from the floor, too.

Speaking from personal experience, that is not true. With the electric kit the drummer in my band uses, none of the drums are loud when hit, even when stomping on the kick drum. It just sounds like someone banging against rubber, which is what it pretty much is.

 

[therex]

Are there any rent by the hour practice studios where you live?
Around here there are a bunch of them, they charge 15 to 20 dollars an hour. And so far, all the ones I've been to were furnished with adequate amps and a basic drum kit.

But back in my younger days, we used to use shop space after hours, or rent a storage garage, or somone in the band always had a relative with an unused garage or shed.
Apartment practice never worked, the sound always travels through the walls.

yes and the price is about 5$ or 7$ the hour we used to practice in those place before we won a mixer and a drumset but we dont want to return there, we ended up spending lots of money there

 

[therex]

My band found a cheap Roland e-drum for $300. Not studio quality, but great when acoustic drums are too loud. We found a used Kustom powered mixer without speakers for another $80, and you can get a decent headphone amp for around $30. Just add in headphones and any additional parts you want from radioshack, like volume dials to control your own volume, and you are set for a bit over $400. As a college student, I know that this is quite easy to achieve if you want it. Offer to clean houses for a quick $50 or $100 a week, and if the other members do the same you could get the funds for this within 2 weeks

50$for cleaning a house?? where do you live UK? usa? where i live i cant work until i am 18 and even then i would get about 150$ for cleaning a house for a month
things are quite diferent here

 

[Stumbo]

....any ideas of how to avoid neighbors complains and keep the music just inside the room?

None that work and the others arent' free.

.....yes and the price is about 5$ or 7$ the hour we used to practice in those place before we won a mixer and a drumset but we dont want to return there, we ended up spending lots of money there

So if you can't afford to rent a space, can't afford e-drums and you can't keep practicing at your parent's house or find another rehearsal space at some other relatives/friend's house, are you going to attempt to practice at the apartment with acoustic drums and full amps/vocals?

Or maybe you can move with your parents and start another band wherever they live so you can still use their garage?

 

[JmJ]

Speaking from personal experience, that is not true. With the electric kit the drummer in my band uses, none of the drums are loud when hit, even when stomping on the kick drum. It just sounds like someone banging against rubber, which is what it pretty much is.

Earlier model V-Drums had that neighbor hating kick drum pad.
They redesigned it so neighbors won't complain.

 

[Lexicon]

Earlier model V-Drums had that neighbor hating kick drum pad.
They redesigned it so neighbors won't complain.

If you're talking about the rubber surfaced KD8 kick pad, there are still models that come with that. Personally I prefer it to the mesh head kick pads because it has a more natural feel to the rebound. The mesh head kick pads, while being a little quieter, have a really bouncy rebound I can't get used to.

 

[TheHegemon]

Can all go acoustic and give the drummer some bongos!

 

[MatticusMania]

Yes it can be done. However, an electric drum kit will be necessary. What you do is use a mixing board and plug all intruments into it. Then use a headphone splicer (not sure of the proper name for it) so that each person gets their own headphones. Its actually quite good as each person can control their individual volume etc.

Aside from that you will get evicted from your apartment if you actually rehearse with amps and an acoustic drum kit.

I've done the mixer board thing and it worked quite well. The only thing anyone besides the band will hear is the singing.

You could also do the above, but rather than have to splice 4 headphones out of one jack, just have your board go out to a PA/amp that you can set at a low volume.

 

[pklima]

If you're talking about the rubber surfaced KD8 kick pad, there are still models that come with that. Personally I prefer it to the mesh head kick pads because it has a more natural feel to the rebound. The mesh head kick pads, while being a little quieter, have a really bouncy rebound I can't get used to.

I rented a room to a band with one of those "louder ones" for a few months. Even two floors lower in a brick house it carried quite clearly if it wasn't further isolated from the floor. Of course a different drummer might stomp more gently...

 

[roceci]

The e-drums & headphone splicer set up is fantastic. Was doing this in my own front room for a while & the bonus was as it was all going thru the pc, we'd have a nice little recording of each session to boot. Get some cheap e-drums & a half decent computer & you'll never look back.

In fact, if you could patch it through online, you may not even have to all meet up for practice?!!!

This is probably a whole nutha thread...but has anyone ever been successful with this? Jamming over the internet? By definition there's always gonna be some degree of lag between locations, so I'm thinking it's impossible with technology as it is right now.

If it worked tho, how great would that be?

 

[therex]

The e-drums & headphone splicer set up is fantastic. Was doing this in my own front room for a while & the bonus was as it was all going thru the pc, we'd have a nice little recording of each session to boot. Get some cheap e-drums & a half decent computer & you'll never look back.



This is probably a whole nutha thread...but has anyone ever been successful with this? Jamming over the internet? By definition there's always gonna be some degree of lag between locations, so I'm thinking it's impossible with technology as it is right now.

If it worked tho, how great would that be?

there was a webpage that offered the service, i found it 2 years ago, it had "jam" in the name maybe jamonline.com i cant remember but it seemed like a good idea

 

[Lexicon]

there was a webpage that offered the service, i found it 2 years ago, it had "jam" in the name maybe jamonline.com i cant remember but it seemed like a good idea

My brother told me he knows someone who has used this and likes it:

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[xgator4u]

Be sure and try it when the least number of people are around. Find out what your neighbor's schedule's are and work around that.

THIS ^ talk to the neighbors, If you are going to have problems, do not practice there, period.

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

In such a small space the electronic drums are the only way to do real practice as a band. I own a Roland TD-6v and run it in stereo through a Yamaha mg102 mixer. I run the bass into a Zoom b2 and out to the mixer. Guitarists can do the same through a POD or other processor. From the mixer I run a Livewire 4 channel headphone amp. Works like a charm in my house which is admittedly a little easier than an apartment. My son can be sleeping up one floor and over one room and not even notice the sound beyond some moderate thudding. As someone has already said there is the issue of the stomping on the bass drum pedal. If you were on the second floor it would be a problem for the people below and possibly even above depending on the construction of the building.

As far as sound quality goes, I prefer practicing this way myself. You can easily control the mix and everyone can adjust their own master volume with the headphone amp. On top of that the Vdrums have the ability to really micro manage the sound. Cymbals too loud? No problem. Turn them down. I've recently jammed with two guitarist who were shocked at the quality of the Vdrum sounds through a good set of studio headphones.

Tons of info here:

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Of course, the problem with this is that when it comes to performing live you dont always have the "crutch" of actually hearing each other properly. I played a gig recently in a very small pub where the keyboardist was on the other side of the drummer and the stage and guitarist was right beside me. The result was that I could *barely* hear the keyboard amp....although the mix was good up front. In this situation there was no PA except for vocals and no monitors. If you're in a gigging band you'll find this situation come up often. I know I have.

I guess what I am saying is when you are 'spoon-fed' everything at practice it wont do you any favours when it comes down to the real gig. At the gig you have to be ready and able to make the best out of a less than ideal situation.

 

[Lexicon]

Of course, the problem with this is that when it comes to performing live you dont always have the "crutch" of actually hearing each other properly. I played a gig recently in a very small pub where the keyboardist was on the other side of the drummer and the stage and guitarist was right beside me. The result was that I could *barely* hear the keyboard amp....although the mix was good up front. In this situation there was no PA except for vocals and no monitors. If you're in a gigging band you'll find this situation come up often. I know I have.

I guess what I am saying is when you are 'spoon-fed' everything at practice it wont do you any favours when it comes down to the real gig. At the gig you have to be ready and able to make the best out of a less than ideal situation.

I absolutely agree with what you're saying about playing live but the original poster was looking for a solution to practicing in an apartment. What I've suggested does give you an ideal "spoon-fed" mix but his only other alternative is to not practice at all. In a live situation you always have to adapt to the conditions but this is about practice. In this case the headphones are the FOH so having them sound good is the way you want it.

 

[megadan]

One of my current bands jams in an apartment. We use a small (but acoustic) drum kit and a small guitar combo and bass amp, and run keyboards, drum machines, and vocals through the PA.
We have a V-drum kit but so far haven't found it necessary. These are flats so it's just two apartments, one above the other. We're on the top unfortunately. The only noise that is an issue is the kick drum pedal. Try and put some padding under it, and use a lighter pedal with a light touch.

As a drummer (I play drums, bass, and guitar in this band) it's a good exercise in volume control and dynamics.

That being said, my other band is much, much louder (large bass full stack, guitar half stacks, very loud drummer), and we could never practice in an apartment for even a second. We rent rehearsal space downtown.

The first mentioned band plays experimental/noise/drone/pop that can easily be done through the PA, the second band plays loud instrumental rock that just doesn't work quietly.

 

[ClassicRock55]

For any of you guys who play upright bass and live in apartments, what do you guys do for practice? Is a single upright bass too loud for an apartment?