Double Bass Sound proofing material suggestions for new apartment

[Sean Riddle]

So I recently moved into a new apartment with my partner with fairly thin walls. Thankfully we're on the bottom floor and in a corner unit. While I've gotten no noise complaints yet, the apartment practice conundrum is still there. So, I'm wondering if anyone here may have some suggestions for materials/devices that would do well in at least dampening the sound of a bass and piano?

 

[Groove Doctor]

Don’t practice in a room with a wall adjacent to the neighbour. That cuts the volume 90%.


Best suggestion I heard here on TB was to pass the neighbours a note saying:

“I’m a professional musician and need to practice regularly. Let me know if you are a shift worker that sleeps during the day, & I can fit my practice around your sleep schedule.”

 

[Jay Corwin]

Sound proofing and sound absorbing are two different things. In my practice room I put bass traps in every corner and acoustic panels spaced out on the walls. It took care of the rumble. We have hardwood laminate throughout, so the bass coupled well to the floor and everything else. I put a rug down to play on. There's almost no reverb in my room now.

 

[AGCurry]

There is no practical (meaning inexpensive) way to insulate a space so that sound, especially low frequencies, can't be heard adjacent. The solution that works is to basically build a sealed room inside of a room.

@Groove Doctor has the best advice. That, and play softly (mute) and for short periods.

 

[CryingBass]

Really good Wireless headphones ( low clear bass, comfortable to wear ) and a line-out of good quality to the headphone transmitter base unit works for me when needed. I do not like wired-headphones while practicing so wireless helps. But cheap cans or a bad wireless setup is not so great.

I do agree with @AGCurry that you are fighting a losing battle to "sound proof" a room with a thin wall next to a neighbor. Good luck man!

 

[JKos]

Really good Wireless headphones

For DB?

 

[turf3]

There is no practical (meaning inexpensive) way to insulate a space so that sound, especially low frequencies, can't be heard adjacent. The solution that works is to basically build a sealed room inside of a room.

@Groove Doctor has the best advice. That, and play softly (mute) and for short periods.

This is correct. Most "soundproofing" materials sold are actually reverberation control materials and are not effective at preventing transmission of sound out of (or into) a room.

(for reference, I have been involved in the building of four different hemianechoic sound test chambers, two of which I designed and one of which was a clean-sheet design, so I have some direct personal knowledge.)

 

[jj.833]

There's also a theory saying that the endpin transfers the vibrations to the floor, which might act as an amplifier. The same way the small bridge resonates the big body. Depends on type of the floor, and how the dilatation between floor and walls is made. You might put something rubbery (folded sleeping mat?) under the endpin to lessen the construction resonation. You won't hear the difference, but the neighbour might. The only way to tell is to ask a neighbor to compare whether it helps or not.

 

[oldNewbie]

This is how you actually isolate a practice space, from Wenger Corp. Very roughly $200/ sq ft - see the case studies down the page , and cheaper than building it yourself [edit right not cheaper than DIY] . But the floor has to hold it . This is the basic concept though , a sealed room within a room , not attached by any fasteners.
https://www.wengercorp.com/Lit/Wenger_SoundLok Sound Isolation Rooms_BRO_LT0083.pdf

The DIY version is lay 1-2" of weed-control matting, looks like scotchbrite @turf3 probably has a better mat these days, then lay plywood and sheetrock on top.Build a room frame , put a few layers of sheetrock on the outside , then line the inside with sound absorbent materials - this bit of designs probably makes the Wenger engineered panels worth it themselves. Heavy doors with full weatherstripping and you're done. Except for needing some power and maybe a bit of air exchange that doesn't compromise the isolation.
IIRC Dap-Tone records did the building isolation part by stacking up tires filled with rags on a Brooklyn basement floor, up to the first floor level, then building on that. There are other low cost ways.

Anyone tried the recent suggestion of ankle weights on the bridge ? reducing the power at the source is far and away highest leverage.

 

[AGCurry]

There's also a theory saying that the endpin transfers the vibrations to the floor, which might act as an amplifier. The same way the small bridge resonates the big body. Depends on type of the floor, and how the dilatation between floor and walls is made. You might put something rubbery (folded sleeping mat?) under the endpin to lessen the construction resonation. You won't hear the difference, but the neighbour might. The only way to tell is to ask a neighbor to compare whether it helps or not.

OP states that it's a "bottom floor" apartment, so floor may not be a factor.

 

[AGCurry]

Remember that sound proofing is also very frequency dependent. It's nigh impossible to stop low frequencies from passing through wood, so I do the following to help with sound reduction in my wood framed condo:

• Use headphones as much as possible.
• If you have to use a speaker, use a high pass filter. The higher you go and the more aggressive the cut, the less you'll annoy the neighbors.
• Try to put your speaker in a room furthest from where you upstairs neighbors are most likely to be annoyed.
• Try to put your speaker furthest from the walls. Once those sound waves hit the walls, there's no stopping them. Moving your speakers away from the walls will cut some crucial dBs from the the energy before it hits the wall.
• The sound waves (especially bass) will create standing waves (including nulls and peaks) between your floor and ceiling at specific frequencies. Moving your speakers will change the peaks. So will damping the floor. I use thick rugs with the thickest rug mats I can find. It helps. Using some EQ to cut the peak frequencies also helps. Bass traps help with this too.
• Be on their good side... I bring mine cocktails on occasion.

I'd be very suspicious of any claims for soundproofing products. Soundproofing at 500Hz is WAY EASIER than soundproofing at 50Hz.

This is the double-bass forum. No speakers allowed.

 

[Opus_Pocus]

Ultra practice mute (torte mute won't cut it) and a pillow behind the tailpiece helps quite a bit.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Watch for when your neighbour takes their car out and practice then.

Offer them the times that suit YOU to practice and ask if that interferes with their sleep or work?

Or ask when their house is empty so you can practice then.

 

[Don Hergert]

Aside from all the foam padding and acoustic tile and various other familiar methods, the owner of the studio where we record lines his larger neighbor-adjacent walls with floor-to-ceiling full book cases. Extremely effective. He's a massive reader so most of the books are his, but we've actually contributed to his library also.

Ever walk through a library archive section??? Pretty quiet.

 

[jj.833]

it's a "bottom floor" apartment, so floor may not be a factor

This is true only if the floor is properly insulated from the constructions beneath or next to it. As an architect I've seen cases of both (in Europe). But I agree that insulating the endpin won't solve all the troubles.

 

[Papageno]

There's also a theory saying that the endpin transfers the vibrations to the floor, which might act as an amplifier.

There is no way vibrations transmitted from the endpin can be amplified by the floor (amplification would require some active device with some energy supply). Yet that does not imply transmission to the floor is not a serious concern.

What you can do about is build yourself some isolated platform: buy some blocks or plates of polystyrene (or styropore) about 3 to 5 cm thick, and glue them under a wood plate (about 1m2, 2cm thick) on which you stand while practicing. Vibrations transmission to the floor will be considerably suppressed. When not practicing, you can store it against a wall.

 

[MartinzeBassman]

I live on the top floor in my apartment building and I practice on my small amp on low volume, which works for me. I will get an amp plug-in so I can hear myself play through an amp but without disturbing anyone.

 

[AGCurry]

I live on the top floor in my apartment building and I practice on my small amp on low volume, which works for me. I will get an amp plug-in so I can hear myself play through an amp but without disturbing anyone.

Doesn't help a double bass...

 

[MartinzeBassman]

Doesn't help a double bass...

I didn't have double bass in mind, I am sorry for that brain-drain. To cite Homer Simpson:
"D'OH!"