How to sound isolate a garage?

[Chunk-O-Funk]

How did you do the ceiling?

There are products you can buy that are a type of suspended ceiling. The system has minimal contact to the beams above. There are also acoustic ceiling tiles and sound proofing types of insulation available. All pretty expensive stuff, though.

 

[Ori0n]

We've dealt with this issue twice now. Was at a rental house for a year with a nice 2 car garage, before we even began practicing there, we did a full on room inside a room construction. standard wall, about 7' tall to not touch the existing ceiling, standard studs, no staggering (mainly for cost and we did not drywall the outside) and did a double layer of 1/2" drywall on the inside of the room, with a layer of green glue (this stuff works GREAT but kinda expensive, highest cost of the whole build) between, and a 2 layer ceiling. With standard r-19 pink insulation. All materials (minus greenglue) bought at Home Depot Standing outside the garage you could hold conversations at normal volume and our neighbors never said a THING, we asked many times.

Then we moved and our singer bought a house with a workshop in the back yard.
We tore down the previous practice room (boo!) and reused the frame, and even extended it by 2 feet. Reused the insulation as well.
Did 2 layers of 5/8" drywall on the inside, staggered seams with one layer horizontal, and one layer vertical, and used 2 tubes of green glue between each sheet of drywall.
Only did 1 layer on the ceiling with the 5/8" drywall as the room had an existing ceiling that was already insulated and had sound panelling.

We haven't fully tested it, but it seems to be pretty quiet.. you can tell someone is playing when you walk around the yard, but not loud by any means.

Will probably have to seal the door a bit better as it seems to have become off kiltered.

Where is a good place to get those curtains you were talking about?
Thanks!

 

[Phalex]

Vacuum.

 

[ksandvik]

I've heard that egg cartons work well as a low-budget sound insulator. The old-school (gray paper/fiber) kind, NOT styrofoam.

Hehehe, the egg cartoon urban myth is out there again.

You are battling with lower frequencies, bass and kick. Those propagate through most materials unless you have a double wall or something similar. That's the best. Easier to use electronic drums -- as mentioned -- and eq out the lower frequencies. Same with bass.

Helps closing the garage door, too.

 

[Frettage]

To give you an idea of how loud you can play, pick up a cheap sound level meter, set it up outside your garage, and play until you hit whatever the legal noise limit is in your area. I think you'll be surprised how loud your playing may be.

Best suggestion I've heard so far is a digital drumkit. Someone suggested nerve gas, which is also a good plan--your band will be much quieter if they're all dead. But I'd opt for the drum kit myself.

 

[steveksux]

Better off in the basement rather than the garage, unless you guys don't have basements... That's a midwest thing.

Electronic drums and in ear monitors might be the only way to do it if you need to practice in the garage and people want to park cars in the garage. Plus that will come in real handy if your goal is to play out. No monitor issues to worry about, just need mains for pa. The money you'd waste on GAS for gear now is spent on PA...

Randy

 

[Drop-the-One]

THIS is your answer

http://www.jamhub.com/

 

[Stumbo]

A few links to check out:
1 Sound proofing/reduction
1 Sound proofing/reduction
Invalid Link Removed
Build Recording Studio book- for pros or DIYr's

 

[Spinal Tapper]

Low wattage amps + mics/DI on everything + a headphone board/mixer = quite and accurate rehearsals.

 

[joegeezer]

Move way out in the sticks, like I am. No neighbors=no bitching.

 

[fdeck]

To give you an idea of how loud you can play, pick up a cheap sound level meter, set it up outside your garage, and play until you hit whatever the legal noise limit is in your area. I think you'll be surprised how loud your playing may be.

Depends on where you live. Every locale has its own ordinances. Here in Madison, the limit is if it annoys your neighbors.