Completely agree, this should be a last resort. But if you set something up like this, it takes some of the confrontation out of actually making/receiving that call. Maybe it's just me
... My main point was to talk and then talk some more.
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Please help me keep the lows in my own house
- Thread starter Riff Ranger
- Start date
Completely agree, this should be a last resort. But if you set something up like this, it takes some of the confrontation out of actually making/receiving that call. Maybe it's just me
... My main point was to talk and then talk some more.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,053
- 5
- 221,028
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
None of these are going to make any difference at low frequencies, especially LF TRANSMISSION through the walls, door and roof of what is an acoustically transparent garage.
there is a high difference between reflection and transmission, the DIFFERENCE is what’s responsible for the challenge the OP faces.
In my neighborhood a few times a week somebody drives by with an especially loud bass system in their car. My wife always flips out because you hear it get gradually louder for a couple minutes, then it shakes the windows, and then you continue to hear it for a couple more minutes. She's always like "why are they sitting outside our house doing that?" and I'm like, "they're not, they're just driving by, you can just hear that from a mile or two away." So, I would suggest a REALLY nice small amp to have fun with for $500. I got the Fender Rumble Studio 40 modeling amp to rock the suburbs, lots of sounds, effects, good headphone out, it is its own interface for recording, has a pedal with a looper - plenty of fun without bothering the neighbors.
SB106 – Traynor AmpsModerators: the Amps/Cabs forum seemed like the best fit for this, but obviously we have more to consider than amplification here; please move this to Live Sound or elsewhere if more appropriate, with my thanks and/or apologies.
Contributors: I have read a bit about this subject on TalkBass and elsewhere, but obviously do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the topic or what has already been said on TalkBass. I hope you will kindly provide advice with my specific circumstances in mind. I would strongly prefer to solve this problem by containing my sound rather than changing or eliminating it. In that light, please do not suggest turning down, using headphones, or radically altering my settings. I can figure out any of those approaches easily enough on my own if containing my current decibels and frequencies proves infeasible. I can probably spend up to 500 USD if necessary.
With the preliminaries out of the way:
2020 forced an unexpected and unwanted major relocation upon my family, but at least we landed somewhere wonderful. We moved from a very rural location to a relatively dense neighborhood of single family homes in a college town, and I have literally no complaints about my neighbors. I wish they could say the same about me! We found this on the door this evening:
View attachment 4032003
The care they took to put this as kindly as they did indicates just how good we have it with neighbors, I think. (I suspect that this would have come up in an equally friendly conversation if not for the ongoing pandemic.)
I DO NOT want to be “that guy” around here, but I would rather not retire my big iron. Can I contain my sound? If so, how?
I currently have things set up like this:
View attachment 4032008
Things I have tried:
•1x15 solid state 80w combo on a stand facing the outside wall. This seemed unobtrusive until that 30-year-old combo stopped working.
•Tube 200w 1x15 combo on floor facing outside wall, or solid state 200w head w/1x15 cabinet on casters facing outside wall. Perhaps not surprisingly, these setups seem to project into my neighbor’s home
Things I could do now but have yet to try:
•I could put my extremely heavy tube combo on the stand.
•I could face any rig in any other direction.
Fun things on the way:
•I have finally cracked and will receive a brand new 200w Class D combo with a neo 1x12 by the end of the week. I can easily put that on the stand.
•I also have a period correct 2x12 on the way, but unless I use it as a somewhat expensive platform for elevating other speakers, it won’t help matters.
Things I am considering that would require expenditures:
•Something other than a stand to elevate the modular solid state rig
•Gramma pads or similar
•furniture blankets hanging everywhere
•garage door insulation, if it would allow continued use of the garage door
•a (relatively) inexpensive drum booth
It also occurs to me that I probably haven’t thought of everything.
What should I do?
Thank you for any helpful suggestions (or clever jokes).
Oh: nobody playing but me just yet, but my son’s acoustic drums will likely enter the picture soon as well.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,053
- 5
- 221,028
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Neither of these will have any significant effect on low frequency transmission.
This. And here’s the other thing: When law enforcement gets a complaint, no matter what time of day or night or what the noise ordinance says, they are obliged to respond and investigate. Sooner or later they are going to get tired of responding to the same complaint. Then they’re not going to be so nice. Doesn’t matter what db you are playing below, or what time it is. People can hear it and you are annoying them.
Agree that $500 isn’t going to make any noticeable difference. You would have to modify your garage to the point where it’s not useful as a garage anymore. You may be okay with that, and spending the thousands that it will take to do it. But there’s no guarantee that it will solve the problem.
Part of the problem with this is that different neighbors will have different thresholds. If you do drop the cash to really insulate things, levels that sound acceptable to 80% of the neighbors may not be acceptable to the guy who wrote the note. You're the new guy in the neighborhood so you might not get a lot of tolerance.
I'd go with e-drums and headphones, just eliminate the issue. Make the compromise with yourself
. It's easier, simpler and probably way cheaper.
I'd go with e-drums and headphones, just eliminate the issue. Make the compromise with yourself
. It's easier, simpler and probably way cheaper.
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Completely agree, this should be a last resort. But if you set something up like this, it takes some of the confrontation out of actually making/receiving that call. Maybe it's just me
+1 Communication in time solves a lot of issues.
I moved into a new house in February. I share one wall with the next house, so I chose the room farthest away to be my 'music room'. As I was chatting to my neighbour I mentioned I play music, and took the opportunity to tell them that I try to not go crazy with volume at home, and that I only play in the room farthest from them etc, but that as I'm new here and I don't exactly know how sound travels in this house, if I ever bother them please let me know. They said they had never heard me, and that was it. But having approached the subject, if things get loud they can tell me without feeling they're nagging me, you know?
Best that than waiting until someone is upset.
You need to keep your neighbours happy. Having bad neighbour relations is too stressful.
Want something cheap and Works? I have done this in the past. I put semi deflated air mattresses from Walmart ($8/11) around my rehearsal space. I lived in a Mobile home at the time. You can even face the amps at the velour side Of the air mattress and it will absorb it. You can hang them from the ceiling. Lol! Also get a set of low volume cymbals. I turned up the PA and walked out did it sounded like a small radio in the distance. Remember this was in a thin walled mobile home. When done you can put the AM away. I know but it actually works. EatSModerators: the Amps/Cabs forum seemed like the best fit for this, but obviously we have more to consider than amplification here; please move this to Live Sound or elsewhere if more appropriate, with my thanks and/or apologies.
Contributors: I have read a bit about this subject on TalkBass and elsewhere, but obviously do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the topic or what has already been said on TalkBass. I hope you will kindly provide advice with my specific circumstances in mind. I would strongly prefer to solve this problem by containing my sound rather than changing or eliminating it. In that light, please do not suggest turning down, using headphones, or radically altering my settings. I can figure out any of those approaches easily enough on my own if containing my current decibels and frequencies proves infeasible. I can probably spend up to 500 USD if necessary.
With the preliminaries out of the way:
2020 forced an unexpected and unwanted major relocation upon my family, but at least we landed somewhere wonderful. We moved from a very rural location to a relatively dense neighborhood of single family homes in a college town, and I have literally no complaints about my neighbors. I wish they could say the same about me! We found this on the door this evening:
View attachment 4032003
The care they took to put this as kindly as they did indicates just how good we have it with neighbors, I think. (I suspect that this would have come up in an equally friendly conversation if not for the ongoing pandemic.)
I DO NOT want to be “that guy” around here, but I would rather not retire my big iron. Can I contain my sound? If so, how?
I currently have things set up like this:
View attachment 4032008
Things I have tried:
•1x15 solid state 80w combo on a stand facing the outside wall. This seemed unobtrusive until that 30-year-old combo stopped working.
•Tube 200w 1x15 combo on floor facing outside wall, or solid state 200w head w/1x15 cabinet on casters facing outside wall. Perhaps not surprisingly, these setups seem to project into my neighbor’s home
Things I could do now but have yet to try:
•I could put my extremely heavy tube combo on the stand.
•I could face any rig in any other direction.
Fun things on the way:
•I have finally cracked and will receive a brand new 200w Class D combo with a neo 1x12 by the end of the week. I can easily put that on the stand.
•I also have a period correct 2x12 on the way, but unless I use it as a somewhat expensive platform for elevating other speakers, it won’t help matters.
Things I am considering that would require expenditures:
•Something other than a stand to elevate the modular solid state rig
•Gramma pads or similar
•furniture blankets hanging everywhere
•garage door insulation, if it would allow continued use of the garage door
•a (relatively) inexpensive drum booth
It also occurs to me that I probably haven’t thought of everything.
What should I do?
Thank you for any helpful suggestions (or clever jokes).
Oh: nobody playing but me just yet, but my son’s acoustic drums will likely enter the picture soon as well.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I doubt you're offending only one neighbor. First step is to find out what the laws are in your municipality and HOA. The noise ordinances here are pretty strict and essentially nail you if you make noise louder than a conversation outside. People usually aren't jerks about it, but they could be if they wanted to and the law would be on their side. I don't know where you live, but I'm envisioning 10-12 homes in the "danger zone" around you and you'll need to make all of them happy, not just the neighbor that left the note. Your solution is to spend a lot of money or get a rehearsal space. I didn't get the feeling that you would want to turn down to acceptable levels from your earlier post.
He's slightly knowledgable when it comes to things that make acoustic waves. Just a little.
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Add that drum kit and everyone is going to get a lot less nice very quickly. I've done that dance.
I also did the sub-$500 garage treatment. First visit the cops were reasonable. Second visit they took all our gear and gave us a citation. That was a lot more than $500 to clear up.
We got a rehearsal room. You're going to have to.
Sweet Jesus, he probably designed your amp. Yes he's tried it and everything else. He's not wrong. This is not a situation that can be fixed.
I also did the sub-$500 garage treatment. First visit the cops were reasonable. Second visit they took all our gear and gave us a citation. That was a lot more than $500 to clear up.
We got a rehearsal room. You're going to have to.
Sweet Jesus, he probably designed your amp. Yes he's tried it and everything else. He's not wrong. This is not a situation that can be fixed.
My vote for understatement of the year. And in 2020, that's a bit of an honor.
When I or my band played in my garage, I insulated the garage door, hung blankets, installed sound absorbent materials, and then, I talked to the neighbors let them know it was going on, and we were not just punk kids making noise. We also stopped no later than 9 PM. This was because, even with the steps taken, the sound was still quite apparent. I also used the HPF on the amp.
I now practice bass and/or drums in a back bedroom that faces a backyard and an open lot. I play bass through a 40 watt combo most of the time, but I think the drums would be more noticeable outside.
No issues as of yet.
We also stopped no later than 9 PM. This was because, even with the steps taken, the sound was still quite apparent. I also used the HPF on the amp.I now practice bass and/or drums in a back bedroom that faces a backyard and an open lot. I play bass through a 40 watt combo most of the time, but I think the drums would be more noticeable outside.
No issues as of yet.
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used it when I was making my music room
the real way to do it right and what I did was a room inside the room which keeps you away for the homes walls and floors but that'll break the budget
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