How to Not Annoy My Neighbor

[monsterthompson]

Have you fired the drummer yet?

 

[zubrycky]

I play bass everyday without an amp since 1992.

 

[dune]

As much as I dislike practicing under headphones, it sounds to me as though the only solution that is going to mollify your neighbor is for you to forgo the amp altogether and use headphones.

 

[Depechionista]

I'm surprised playing hours haven't come up. Unless your neighbor works third shift, switching to headphones between 9pm and 9am is generally the polite move. Make sure you're not playing at times that would wake them up so ask if they work super late or early. As you're keeping it at reasonable hours and the eq settings aren't shaking the walls, you've done your part and the rest is up to them. You already got a stand. Maybe a rug, but beyond than that, there's only so much you can do in a shared living situation.

 

[0260n25]

I don't understand these types of posts. Apartment (i.e., connected walls/floors) means headphones or tin can sound at very low volume unless your floors/walls are sound insulated.

Logic (and physics) says that if your neighbor hears you at low volume already, there is no fix other than headphones. Why try to make an amp work?

 

[Ginger Bug]

You have one option in an apartment situation, which is headphones. It's not his job to give you feedback, that's just annoying. Headphones are really the only way.

It's called being a good neighbor, but he's the opposite of that.

 

[SkylineFiver]

Play this opening line loud with distortion before every practice…..


That should do it…

 

[g-dude]

This is why I faked my own death and moved to the middle of nowhere.

 

[dune]

As you're keeping it at reasonable hours and the eq settings aren't shaking the walls, you've done your part and the rest is up to them.

The downfall in this seemingly reasonable assumption is in that it seems to assume that the neighbor is going to be in any way reasonable.
Excepting of course, if what is meant by "the rest is up to them" is that the neighbor will simply continue to complain as he has been doing.
Then it's spot-on.

He might be like this guy:

 

[oranje]

Sounds like the type that is going to complain no matter how quiet you play. Perhaps an SVT through a 8X10, on 11, playing "Running with The Devil". You can always say you couldn't hear him knock

 

[PotsdamBass8]

Carpeted room, amp on the bed, that's probably about as isolated as you could reasonably get.

I used to hate practicing with headphones, but I got a pair of open back AKG240 recently and I have to say it's much more enjoyable. Much less fatiguing both on the outside of the head and the eardrum. It feels more like you're playing live in a room.

 

[Gopherbassist]

My downstairs neighbor started banging on the ceiling while I was playing the other day. That's not how adults handle things, so shag them. Banging on the ceiling doesn't bother me.

 

[dune]

My downstairs neighbor started banging on the ceiling while I was playing the other day. That's not how adults handle things, so shag them. Banging on the ceiling doesn't bother me.

When I was living in apartments, it had to be pretty over the top loud before it became an issue for me, but when it did, I'd knock on the door and politely ask them to turn it down. Once. When it happened again I'd simply call the office and let them deal with it.
That always seemed to get lasting results. I always assumed that if they didn't keep it down after the office called once or twice, they'd call the cops and let them deal with it.

 

[sunbeast]

I've been fortunate when I've lived in apartments to have either isolated rooms or neighbors who were rarely home or were friends and very accommodating to reasonable practice. That said I've had friends/girlfriends who lived with neighbors who were very much the opposite and complained about any peep (my friend in Paris for example has a downstairs neighbor who will leave long notes of woe if she so much as hears a floorboard creak after 11pm- mind you in a building with wooden floors built well over 100 years ago), or on the opposite end some with terribly obnoxious loud and inconsiderate neighbors who would keep us up late (and I am someone who certainly wouldn't be bothered by the normal sounds of life). Unfortunately that is somewhat luck of the draw unless you seek out rare places with rooms that don't share walls or floors with neighbors or neighbors who you are friends with and can talk to openly.

It sounds like headphones are your best bet. I have those same Beyerdynamic phones and they are a great choice that I used to use all the time for tracking with bass, though for the last few years I've been using these Blue Mix-Fi headphones that have an active/passive preamp internally that has a bass-boost setting and they are much more fun for me to play bass through and the only phones I ever use for tracking anymore as I can always hear myself well regardless of mix (they also don't seem to have any peaks that bother my ears for long sessions unlike the Beyers that had something in the mids that hurts after some time): Blue 0359 Mix-fi Powered High-fidelity Headphones With Built in Audiophile Amp for sale online | eBay

 

[poochiecheeks]

This has become a war of attrition-
You need to metaphysically dominate your neighbor into submission

Buy the cheapest 18" sub you can find on CL. Find the floor plan for your building and determine where your downstairs neighbors living room would be, run it face down all hours of the day permitted by your local noise ordinances. Go on spotify and search for 8h EDM/Nightcore and brutal death/slam metal compliations and set it on repeat. Completely decorate your car and dwelling with anything bass related you can find including your front facing windows
to serve as a constant reminder of your bass mastery. Vacuum your floors as much as possible, tell your wife/gf to only wear high heels inside and put a window air conditioner in and point the condensate drain right over his front windows

Only then will he find your occasional bass practicing acceptible

 

[oldcatfish]

Maybe it's not the noise that he's complaining about, it's your playing. I'm just kidding….I agree with the others, headphones are your best bet.

 

[alembicbones]

Headphones! When the pandemic hit, we had three of us 24/7 in the house and I set myself up with a really good headphone system. Was some of the best money I ever spent. I can play at any time of day or night, with great tonal response, and not bother anybody.

Bones

 

[Gilmourisgod]

You already know the simplest solution, and a good set of headphones and any amp with an Aux in allows you to play along, though usually only in mono. This is not only courteous to neighbors, but headphones reveal all sins, which will make you a better player long term. They are pretty overpriced, but I haven't heard anything better than the Waza Air , which is wireless, but very little latency. Dealing with the various cords can be a PITA. Lots of headphone amps and multi FX units that allow for stereo aux in too, don't cheap out.

 

[mdogs]

I am never use why people are surprised when their neighbors complain about the noise, I would complain too. I have been practicing with headphones for the last 15 years at least. You will never be able to dampen an amp to a suitable level, period end of story.

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Low frequencies are the most able to penetrate structure. Use headphones.

This is the answer. I think a low E soundwave is like 10 feet or something, which means It's blooming perfectly from any amp, downstairs right into your neighbors ear. (I'm not an engineer or scientist so correct me if this is wrong).

I think it's hilarious that you asked your neighbor which amp settings are worse. It's like asking which brand of cigarette's stink the least- who wouldn't be annoyed at that question hahaha