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How to play bass in a condo? Please help!
- Thread starter scottm
- Start date
Hey, congrats on retirement ! ! and downsizing your home!! I have a few more years to go, but then I just mainly change careers work 3 or 4 days/wk. I have to have some type of responsibility or I will be a fat alcoholic!
I like the idea someone said of taking the cab off the floor. Floor coupling seems to make the house shake!
I like the idea someone said of taking the cab off the floor. Floor coupling seems to make the house shake!
Wait... GIVE it away?
If that's the case, just lemme know and I'll make the drive your way lickety-split, lol.
You know, I think the ampless idea will happen a lot.
Thank you.
These have all been great suggestions everyone. I think I am going to end up trying a little of everything.
I got a pretty fat check coming to me once we close... so the wife gets the fancy new place and I'll be getting new gear.
-ScottM
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
My cardiologist installed a monitoring gizmo in my chest (that's connected to my phone via bluetooth). She never mentioned anything about magnetic fields, nor did I find anything in the instructions that came with the device. Now I'm curious. Hmmmmm...
@scottm, I use a small cab with one 8" driver (Mike Arnopol Crazy8), sitting atop an upholstered ottoman facing me - about 3-5 feet from my face. I can hear it very clearly, and my wife says she can't hear it when she's not inside.
I find that, as long as I keep the background music down to a reasonable level, I don't need to turn up my bass loud enough to bother others.
When I need to be very quiet, I listen to the background music through a very small bluetooth speaker which puts out so little below about 100Hz that I can't hear the bass on the recording.
It's only when I need to be exceptionally quiet (e.g., visiting grandson taking a nap) that I listen via headphones. I choose sealed headphones when I don't want anyone else to hear the bleed from my 'phones; open-backed phones annoy my wife because she can hear only the bleed, and she'd prefer to hear me AND the music I'm listening to.
Good luck!
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Here ya go. Mount it on foam or something. You can peek through the glass at the TV lol.
They made quite a big deal about it with my dad, and not just relative to magnetic interference. Specifically they called out phones, tablets, routers, modems, Bluetooth devices, etc. all of which are signal transmitting/receiving devices and are a pretty obvious thing to avoid. The specific call out for magnets was the one that initially surprised me. Perhaps a combination pacemaker and defibrillator capable of delivering an electrical shock that will (according to the doctor) "feel like you got kicked in the chest" merited more scrutiny than your monitoring gizmo
I live in a condo, and you will definitely get yelled at if you play your bass amplified at all, even if it isn't as loud as your neighbor's microwave. It is frustrating.
In fact, if they simply see you moving your gear in and out of that place your neighbors will start thinking they hear you using it even when you aren't.
Couple tips:
1) if they don't already exist in the bylaws, discuss "quiet hours" being agreed upon times when you don't amplify your bass (and they don't hammer nails in the wall at 6 am)
2) get a good mixer and set up a practice rig you can amplify with headphones... for me that is my usual pedalboard into my Axe-Fx (modeled to sound like my gigging amp), my Vocal Mic, and Garageband running into a 6 channel yamaha mixer into Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones. Even though I gig with in-ears I find the over-the-ears superior for home practice, especially with nothing in the room (drums, etc.)
In fact, if they simply see you moving your gear in and out of that place your neighbors will start thinking they hear you using it even when you aren't.
Couple tips:
1) if they don't already exist in the bylaws, discuss "quiet hours" being agreed upon times when you don't amplify your bass (and they don't hammer nails in the wall at 6 am)
2) get a good mixer and set up a practice rig you can amplify with headphones... for me that is my usual pedalboard into my Axe-Fx (modeled to sound like my gigging amp), my Vocal Mic, and Garageband running into a 6 channel yamaha mixer into Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones. Even though I gig with in-ears I find the over-the-ears superior for home practice, especially with nothing in the room (drums, etc.)
I know you were joking, but for the sake of being pedantic and avoiding someone actually buying one for this purpose; Zenbooth products are only optimized for STC and would do little to prevent transmission of bass frequencies, especially when considering they don't have an isolated floor which would do nothing for the downstairs neighbor. Also, foam does nothing for transmission loss.
I had someone on a local Facebook bass player's group reach out to me about one of these products asking if they were viable for use in her house. I did some research for her, and determined that in her specific case they might be (playing in an attached garage on a concrete slab) but the STC emphasis made me question if it would still do the job of preventing transmission into the adjacent kitchen which was annoying her husband and kids. In the case of the OP, it's a big no.Well you're no fun...
Also... yes... I'm no fun
Which is? I'm thinking it's not South Texas College or many other things Google suggests that are definitely not relevant.
Edit: Sound Transmission Class.
Haven't read all 5 pages but have a few thoughts - I live in a SF home but often my wife is in the next room so I often practice silently. I use the Waza Air Bass setup, got it initially as a good way to be able to play along with tunes that I am learning (bluetooth connection to my iPad, and use Amazing SlowDowner if I need to learn parts). In your situation, I might also look at a really small amp and keep it off the floor. One that caught my eye is the Phil Jones Micro 7: P: M-7 Combo Amp | Phil Jones Bass
And looking at your first post, I'd probably pick one amp/cab combo that I like the best and sell the rest. You'll probably find a band or 2 to play in, and 1 or sometimes 2 cabs would do it. For me, it would be one of the Mesa heads and a 112 and 115.
And looking at your first post, I'd probably pick one amp/cab combo that I like the best and sell the rest. You'll probably find a band or 2 to play in, and 1 or sometimes 2 cabs would do it. For me, it would be one of the Mesa heads and a 112 and 115.
My recommendation for your needs would be high quality open-back headphones like these Beyerdynamic DR 990 Pros. This style of headphones should sound great and let enough sound in to enable multitasking between practice and TV. The only downside is that some sound will also leak out, which may or may not be a nuisance to anyone sitting nearby while you practice.
Yes, Apple earbuds. It will probably require some adjustments on your preamp compared with traditional style headphones but the low end sounds surprisingly good thru them.
