You're simply mistaking one effect for another. The place you'll hear or measure the most bass will always be directly in front of the speaker. If this weren't true how could you possibly mic a bass cab? Or a kick drum? How would headphones work?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Please help me keep the lows in my own house
- Thread starter Riff Ranger
- Start date
This! I see it in my own house. On a weekend afternoons when conditions, I can occasionally clearly hear a nearby drum kit. It's not loud, but it's noticeable...
I don't care about it, but it drives my wife crazy. Same when sitting at a red traffic signal and there's booming bass nearby. It's not really loud and I know it'll go away as traffic moves, but she goes batty.
Nix the short burst thing. That'll just piss them off. You play, then quit, they think your done, then you play again....I don't see that going well.
It's already been stated, your 500 isn't going to make a real difference, as I hope you've understood by now.
It's already been stated, your 500 isn't going to make a real difference, as I hope you've understood by now.
No, I woke up to five pages of replies and am still catching up, haha.
I put this same issue to rest by buying an acoustic bass. My Washburn AB-32 is loud acoustically and is an all around great playing bass. Back in the mid eighties I had a double walled - acoustic tiled practice room with a thick window insert and it couldn't stop the low frequencies.
I would just talk to the neighbor and work out a suitable schedule. Local noise ordinances specify the times you're allowed to make noise and the time it has to stop. You're entitled to make noise just as much as the neighbors are entitled to peace and quiet. At least they wrote you a note instead of calling the cops.
I would just talk to the neighbor and work out a suitable schedule. Local noise ordinances specify the times you're allowed to make noise and the time it has to stop. You're entitled to make noise just as much as the neighbors are entitled to peace and quiet. At least they wrote you a note instead of calling the cops.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,062
- 5
- 221,103
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
I think you are talking about the low frequencies reinforcing, but that comes with the equally challenging problem of desrtuctive interference.
In a studio setting, it is more practical to use selective absorption and reflection than in the OP's situation. Especially if the tracking room is large enough.
It's kind of like the statement "you are what you eat", which is not as accurate as Wavy Gravy's analysis that "you are what you don't poop".
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,062
- 5
- 221,103
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
For this to be effective at LOW FREQUENCIES, the drop ceiling would need to be a reinforced grid with 5/8" drywall tiles as "insulation" is transparent to low frequencies.
In a perfect senerio, Low frequencies need to be redirected and cancel them selves out
One can only wonder how to achieve this senerio with minimal funds .
Last edited:
but unfortunately, I seem to have really kind neighbors …
"please do not suggest turning down, using headphones, or radically altering my settings."
This is the real solution. Anything else is just being selfish...
This is the real solution. Anything else is just being selfish...
It does not surprise me to learn that I don’t have a realistic way of containing the lows, but I thought I would ask here before I went to more obvious and less satisfying solutions.
Listen to @agedhorse.
Sadly it's true, lows have a lot of energy and are difficult to contain.
Sadly it's true, lows have a lot of energy and are difficult to contain.
Lots of expertise here, I cannot add to that end but will share my real-world experience. Im my case, its not transmitting bass within my house (to keep my wife calm). We live in an old house, mostly all wood floors. When I practice upright bass, its with a big brass mute on the bridge and the endpin on a thick rug. Seems to mostly contain the sound to my practice room. Electric bass is a different story, I found that the only thing that works for me is a small speaker cab (RevSound 1-8") at low volumes, with bass turned way down and/or an hpf.
Now I'm only talking about practice here. If it was live music, playing with others at live sound eq, all bets are off. I can only do that when she's not home. In your situation, there are viable solutions for low-volume practice, but seemingly not for live playing/jamming.
Now I'm only talking about practice here. If it was live music, playing with others at live sound eq, all bets are off. I can only do that when she's not home. In your situation, there are viable solutions for low-volume practice, but seemingly not for live playing/jamming.
Agree with most everything already stated here. My story is an illustration of how challenging this is. I live in a rural area on a two acre lot on the edge of a cornfield. My closest neighbor’s house is more than 300 feet away on the other side of the road. I built a pole barn several years ago and decided to build a small studio space as part of the project. The interior size of the room is 16 x 20. The walls are 6” thick, the interior wall framing is separate from the exterior wall and the void space is heavily insulated. The interior walls are double layer drywall. The ceiling is framed like the walls and again heavily insulated. The room is well treated with acoustic panels, corner traps and two large bass traps. The floor is commercial carpet on a heavy rubber pad on concrete. There are two small windows for some natural light. There is a separate heat pump/AC unit for climate control. The door into the studio from the interior of the building is an insulated steel exterior door. I didn’t account for it separately, but the build cost of this space was between $12k and $15k.
When my band started rehearsing in the studio, I wanted to see how loud it would be for my neighbors. I had one of the guys play my bass on a few tunes while I went outside for a walk. At 50’ away, I could hear most everybody, though it wasn’t loud. From my neighbor’s front porch, I could easily make out the entire bass line, the kick drum, and most of the snare hits. The SPL in the middle of the room was about 90dB, with transient peaks just over 100dB - pretty much our live performance volume.
I’m fortunate that my neighbors are cool and like the band. Even so, we’re rehearsing with IEMs, low amp levels, and we’re always done by 10PM.
As others have noted, you’re not going to fix your space, so its time to explore other options. Good luck - Let us know what you end up doing...
When my band started rehearsing in the studio, I wanted to see how loud it would be for my neighbors. I had one of the guys play my bass on a few tunes while I went outside for a walk. At 50’ away, I could hear most everybody, though it wasn’t loud. From my neighbor’s front porch, I could easily make out the entire bass line, the kick drum, and most of the snare hits. The SPL in the middle of the room was about 90dB, with transient peaks just over 100dB - pretty much our live performance volume.
I’m fortunate that my neighbors are cool and like the band. Even so, we’re rehearsing with IEMs, low amp levels, and we’re always done by 10PM.
As others have noted, you’re not going to fix your space, so its time to explore other options. Good luck - Let us know what you end up doing...
I understand about your Marshall Stacks assumption, I guess. But, still, you are attaching the info about the proper fire proof building materials onto what I said. Makes it seem to other people, that I suggested using non-fire rated, sub standard materials. Which I didn’t. I actually stated I hired a sound contractor to build it correctly. Maybe you got me confused with someone else. Thanks.
Based on what I could see in the photo is that your garage door is probably the biggest offender in your room. I have a garage door just like yours which is very common in most American homes. It's the most flexible wall in your room and is going to act as a passive radiator/woofer blasting the bass for your neighborhood to enjoy. I bet it isn't much quieter with it closed compared to it being open. Whatever you can do to stiffen and insulate that door will help some but it probably won't be enough. The next offender is going to be whatever you have for windows. Thin single pane glass is the worst.
I upgraded all the windows in my home a few years ago from thin single pane glass to heavy duty hurricane resistant dual pane windows. I expected a significant improvement in thermal insulation and it did that. But what I didn't expect was how much it improved sound insulation and reduced glare/solar heat penetration (Florida). Since I can now only hear the loudest outside noise I'm sure a lot of the noise I make in my own house stays mostly inside my house. However, hurricane resistant windows are expensive but may not be too bad if you only have to do one or two.
But unfortunately, like Aged Horse mentioned, it's going to take a lot of money in building upgrades to do it right. You may be in a situation where you'll just have to compromise. Do the best you can with the garage door and windows combined with backing off on the volume may be just enough to avoid the complaints.
I upgraded all the windows in my home a few years ago from thin single pane glass to heavy duty hurricane resistant dual pane windows. I expected a significant improvement in thermal insulation and it did that. But what I didn't expect was how much it improved sound insulation and reduced glare/solar heat penetration (Florida). Since I can now only hear the loudest outside noise I'm sure a lot of the noise I make in my own house stays mostly inside my house. However, hurricane resistant windows are expensive but may not be too bad if you only have to do one or two.
But unfortunately, like Aged Horse mentioned, it's going to take a lot of money in building upgrades to do it right. You may be in a situation where you'll just have to compromise. Do the best you can with the garage door and windows combined with backing off on the volume may be just enough to avoid the complaints.
Last edited:
That garage door is not helping you.
You need to play somewhere else in the house. Even at that, you may still have a problem.
The advice you're getting is your only hope. If agedhorse has chimed in, I don't even have to read it, whatever he says, do it!
I might add, even though you don't want anyone telling you how to run your gear, you did come here for help, and sometimes help comes in a form we don't want to receive, truth.
An HPF can help, you can lower those low frequencies that are traveling into your neighbor's quiet time
If it's really just practicing, learning songs, you don't need to do it at gig volumes. If you feel you need to play at gig volumes as if it's a dress rehearsal, then you might need to rent a practice place or play at another band member's house. That's all I got
You need to play somewhere else in the house. Even at that, you may still have a problem.
The advice you're getting is your only hope. If agedhorse has chimed in, I don't even have to read it, whatever he says, do it!
I might add, even though you don't want anyone telling you how to run your gear, you did come here for help, and sometimes help comes in a form we don't want to receive, truth.
An HPF can help, you can lower those low frequencies that are traveling into your neighbor's quiet time
If it's really just practicing, learning songs, you don't need to do it at gig volumes. If you feel you need to play at gig volumes as if it's a dress rehearsal, then you might need to rent a practice place or play at another band member's house. That's all I got
Last edited:
