I don't need any practical advice from others to enact those solutions, so there's no point in suggesting them here. I never said I wouldn't use them if I had no better options.
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Please help me keep the lows in my own house
- Thread starter Riff Ranger
- Start date
Intended or not, that was very much the implication of your words/wording.
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Were you hip to an HPF? That can be a help but, it does add to the signal chain thereby suggesting practical advice from others that may interact with your sound?
Once or twice a week till 9pm perhaps okay? $500 probably not enough for garage - my first choice if there's a basement would be to move down there and attempt soundproofing. For what you show - a garage - my best advice would be to frame a soundproof room inside your garage with 10 inch thick walls with plywood on outside and 10" sound deadening material on inside and ceiling - they sell at home depot, I've bought it there and used in my basement in the ceiling and then bought sound panels that I put on the walls and never had complaints, but never played in garage. You need to frame 4 walls and the ceiling and then put in an a/c unit for ventilation. Likely not up to code so be ready to remove it when you leave. If you're handy you might be able to do yourself, but that's a lot of work. I've seen it done, but venture $500 not enough. Good luck!
This is smart—there's lots of good knowledgeable folks here on TB. I know it's a drag to find out that the solutions aren't what you wanted, but at least now you know. Good luck!
Hey I studied acoustic engineering in college! I learned that when sound waves encounter a surface they do some combination of 1) absorb, 2) transmit through, 3) or reflect. It's that simple. Bass waves have a great tendency to either transmit or reflect most of their energy when hitting low mass surfaces. The ONLY thing that has a low bass transmission factor is a high mass surface like cinder block.
Blankets and sound absorbing materials only really absorb and reduce reflection of higher frequencies improving room intelligibility. But the bass waves in this treated room mostly 1) transmit through and 2) reflect back. That makes the space boomy and not sound proof. Bass traps are designed to absorb the bass waves in the interior of the room and make it sound balanced. So, you can have a lovely treated rehearsal space that sounds good to the occupants but that bass just keeps transmitting to the exterior of the room. To make your neighbors happy you need high mass walls to stop the transmission. Tough to do in a converted garage.
I used to work in a large commercial recording studio and at 2pm every day we had to stop because a train came by about a mile away. Those low frequencies could not be stopped and would audibly leak into our fancy condenser mics.
Blankets and sound absorbing materials only really absorb and reduce reflection of higher frequencies improving room intelligibility. But the bass waves in this treated room mostly 1) transmit through and 2) reflect back. That makes the space boomy and not sound proof. Bass traps are designed to absorb the bass waves in the interior of the room and make it sound balanced. So, you can have a lovely treated rehearsal space that sounds good to the occupants but that bass just keeps transmitting to the exterior of the room. To make your neighbors happy you need high mass walls to stop the transmission. Tough to do in a converted garage.
I used to work in a large commercial recording studio and at 2pm every day we had to stop because a train came by about a mile away. Those low frequencies could not be stopped and would audibly leak into our fancy condenser mics.
Yep, I was just looking at my own situation as to why I don't have this problem.
It's mass. I'm playing in my basement. 6 inch poured cement walls, below ground, small windows, where the mids and highs can get out. You can still hear it if you're standing right outside, but, not so much if you move away. The bass seems to lose it's carrying factor to the most important places, my neighbor's indoor's
We've even checked it, loop, full silly volume, with PA support and checked out their homes. No problem but, it wouldn't be something to do at 3 a.m.
Back in my apartment days I would figure out the downstairs neighbor's schedule and work around it. I also was very clear with them that I didn't EVER want to disturb them and that if I got loud or at wrong time to let me know. In the several apartments I lived in, this was always effective. I also didn't play too loud.
Also, I never rented a floor or midlevel apartment. Always on top.
I live in total semi-rural suburbia and the smallest lots are over an acre. However, I have a persnickety neighbor here and have no doubt he would call the cops on me, so I never play above ground except for the occasional garage party.
Cardioid subwoofer
What is a Cardioid Subwoofer? Why Do I Need One? | Sweetwater
Your lows are doing this and traveling right through the walls.
By adding another sub, out of phase, with a little delay you can cut that back radiation and keep it where you want it
Recording studios, and FOH use Cardioid subs all over the place. You'll see then in FOH when you see a subwoofer from the FOH pointing back towards the stage. It's not there to add lows to the stage, it is doing just the opposite of cutting the lows.
With 4 subs there are all kinds of options to control the dispersion
Good watch:
You don't need to know the math or software you'll see how adding subs can actually be leveraged to reduce lows where you don't want them.
What is a Cardioid Subwoofer? Why Do I Need One? | Sweetwater
Your lows are doing this and traveling right through the walls.
By adding another sub, out of phase, with a little delay you can cut that back radiation and keep it where you want it
Recording studios, and FOH use Cardioid subs all over the place. You'll see then in FOH when you see a subwoofer from the FOH pointing back towards the stage. It's not there to add lows to the stage, it is doing just the opposite of cutting the lows.
With 4 subs there are all kinds of options to control the dispersion
Good watch:
You don't need to know the math or software you'll see how adding subs can actually be leveraged to reduce lows where you don't want them.
Cant we just build some kind of opposite phase noise cancellation system for him? Like maybe put a Pratt & Whitney turbo fan jet engine in his driveway?
Ok, let's flip the question around. We know it won't be perfect, but what is the most sound absorption you can make for $500? OP will need to be willing to turn down, unwillingness is a non-starter. Tape on the cymbals - free, a couple old moving blankets on the garage door - cheap, other things that won't make it perfect, but may get the SPL down to the point where the neighbors won't mind if it happens before 8:00pm. Basically, showing some effort will go a long way. Well, assuming the band doesn't suck. Heh.
Moderators: 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.
Why not sell all your gear and and buy a set if IEM's that the pros use. You could also afford an electronic drum kit for your son. (Neighbors are Far less forgiving about the pounding of drums)
Had a band mate once who did that in his garage. Worked like an absolute charm, but I can't even begin to imagine how light his wallet was afterward.
Here's what I did, which is the minimum needed to play at rehearsal volumes in a city at any hour of the day or night without upsetting the neighbors.
My New Studio Build (perhaps overly detailed)
Full disclosure: Money spent on construction was just over $56,000 (USD). Not joking. I could have cut that down to the high-40s if need be. It's complicated, difficult and expensive.
addendum: Those costs exclude interior furnishings. You're building into an existing space, so you can cut $25,000 off the top. That will still paint a scary picture of what's involved.
My New Studio Build (perhaps overly detailed)
Full disclosure: Money spent on construction was just over $56,000 (USD). Not joking. I could have cut that down to the high-40s if need be. It's complicated, difficult and expensive.
addendum: Those costs exclude interior furnishings. You're building into an existing space, so you can cut $25,000 off the top. That will still paint a scary picture of what's involved.
Moderators: 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.
Vibrational Harmonics are always a constant, as not every combination of sound mitigation can be directly tested.
Your only viable option without spending thousands of dollars is to turn down.
I have a detached studio at home which has bessa block walls on the outside, then 3" thick styrofoam insulation and 10mm wood panels inside and on the ceilings. All windows and large double doors are double glazed. I have 5 large bass traps in the corners of the room.
My current band is a blend of folk/rock styles and our drummer uses brushes or rods most of the time. I use a small Schertler B10 which is a 10" combo that is rated at 300w which is usually set at only half gain and half volume at the most. The guitarist uses amp modelling and goes straight into the PA so I have control of his volume. The neighbours don't complain at all however despite all this one neighbour who is around 50m from the studio has said he can occasionally hear the bass in his backyard but not inside.
Now, if I were to use my GK 212 at even one quarter of it's capability I may not get complaints (mainly because the previous tenants were rowdy, constantly partying 25 year olds and compared to them we're the neighbours from heaven), but they sure would hear it. If we had a full drum kit and guitarist with even a small amp it would be rude to play after 9pm.
Now, I'm lucky that the studio was already built when I bought the place but if I was to have to do the garage-to-studio conversion I'd be very surprised if it didn't cost well in excess of $10,000.
There is no way you will get much bass volume reduction outside your garage for only $500.
I have a detached studio at home which has bessa block walls on the outside, then 3" thick styrofoam insulation and 10mm wood panels inside and on the ceilings. All windows and large double doors are double glazed. I have 5 large bass traps in the corners of the room.
My current band is a blend of folk/rock styles and our drummer uses brushes or rods most of the time. I use a small Schertler B10 which is a 10" combo that is rated at 300w which is usually set at only half gain and half volume at the most. The guitarist uses amp modelling and goes straight into the PA so I have control of his volume. The neighbours don't complain at all however despite all this one neighbour who is around 50m from the studio has said he can occasionally hear the bass in his backyard but not inside.
Now, if I were to use my GK 212 at even one quarter of it's capability I may not get complaints (mainly because the previous tenants were rowdy, constantly partying 25 year olds and compared to them we're the neighbours from heaven), but they sure would hear it. If we had a full drum kit and guitarist with even a small amp it would be rude to play after 9pm.
Now, I'm lucky that the studio was already built when I bought the place but if I was to have to do the garage-to-studio conversion I'd be very surprised if it didn't cost well in excess of $10,000.
There is no way you will get much bass volume reduction outside your garage for only $500.
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