I have a drum set in my shop, and I like to play it loudly- my neighbors wish I didn't. I already moved it into the most central room in the shop, which cuts the noise down to 60ish decibels at the outside wall, and at that level they tolerate it but I'm sure they'd still prefer it to be gone. Potentially, I'd like to start playing with a band in the same space, but at the current sound insulation level they will definitely not be OK with that.
What can I do, on a low budget, to keep sound in? I don't care too much about the actual acoustics of the room, I just want to keep the neighbors from hating my musical choices any more than they already do. Presently, the drums sit on carpet, and have a drop ceiling above them, but the walls are block and there are windows which probably let sound through as well.
Can you put the blackout/sound deadening curtains over the windows?
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Home-Fashion-Insulated-Blackout/dp/B001A662BE
Or just really heavy/thick curtains?
Hang old carpets/area rugs around the walls?
How are Harbor Freight or other cheap moving blankets for this sort of thing?
In reply to Apexcarver :
That stuff is expensive! I wonder if there are any lower priced equivalents? Find a gymnastics place with a foam pit and steal it all?
RedGT
Dork
11/14/18 12:35 p.m.
Remainder carpet from one of the cheap places (ollies?) would probably be the best bang for buck to get the walls covered but I have to think the glass is what transmits the most sound through.
Egg crates were my first thought, that's what people building ghetto recording studios use. The easy targets would be heavy curtains over the windows and some kind of sound insulation on the doors.
$45, 48"x48"
$22, 80"x40"
Probably work almost as well.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:
In reply to Apexcarver :
That stuff is expensive! I wonder if there are any lower priced equivalents? Find a gymnastics place with a foam pit and steal it all?
Cheap mattress pads made of same material?
(toyman was faster on the draw!)
You could try to contain it, OR you could cut the sound at its source!
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/evans-soundoff-full-box-set-standard/j26701000000000?cntry=us&source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9KnDusTU3gIVjYvICh3l6wP3EAQYASABEgK1aPD_BwE
Drum mutes!
My son has these, and while it by no means makes a drum set quiet, every little bit helps, as they say!
I wonder how many big heavy quilts my local thrift shops have? Carpets too. These are good thoughts, thanks guys. I think it's going to be nearly impossible to stop lower frequency sound from getting out but I agree that something heavy on the walls/over windows and openings (I can just hang them up/take down as needed) and maybe a foam barrier would help.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Eh, if I wanted to do that I'd get electronic drums. I've played with those things, they suck most of the fun out of it.
bluej
UberDork
11/14/18 1:14 p.m.
for a drum set, you need mass to help dampen the sound. think more anti-fatigue mats, not threadbare blankets, from horrible freight. See how something like this fits your budget: https://www.jm.com/en/hvac/duct-liner/
covering the window will help.
where else are there openings in the "box" that is the room you're playing in? air gap = sound out.
look up:
- bass traps
- multifuser panels
Ive used comforters before to deaden sound, and most everybody has some old comfortors. If not walmart has had queen sized ones for like $7 recently. Acoustic foam and mattress pads are made of pretty different stuff but mattress pads would work well too.
They do a decent job, but drumsets are loud and many different frequencies. Ive played at slightly above breathing sound level with an electric kit and the kit sounded great.
I'm getting recommendations on this channel after watching the acoustic panels DMS speaker thing I linked in the traccord thread.
haven't watched it yet, but seems timely... maybe it has an option for you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqodnHxRJ7c
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
To cut down on volume what you really need are more air gaps between you and your neighbor. The best solution is two walls, both insulated & double drywalled on the outsides, with their studs offset from each other, and a 1”-2” air gap between them. The ceiling needs a similar treatment too. This obviously isn’t quick, cheap or easy. However, it may be worth the effort to do something similar on any exterior wall(s), and supplement with moving blankets/rugs - again, preferably in layers with air gaps between them.
Also, acoustic foam is really designed to reduce standing waves, so it has minimal effect at volume reduction.
Aside from acoustic foam, another thing that you can use to cut down the sound is something like this:
They work well in studio environments, but you'll likely need more than just that to cut the outgoing sound.
So the thing is- we're down to the 60db range externally already with just the drums. That's decently quiet, so if I can get just a little quieter then I think I will be safe adding other instruments. What if I make blanket/carpet/comforter hangers on the walls (with a bit of a gap behind them) and a few homebrew versions of this type of movable panel (using more heavy blankets/carpets/foam) to cover doors/windows/open spaces:
SVreX
MegaDork
11/14/18 3:50 p.m.
Low frequency sound waves are hard to control.
The acrylic drum shield may have a very useful application... The issue isn't stopping the noise from reaching your neighbors, the issue is that you like it loud.
If you could build a similar drum shield that could help magnify things for yourself, maybe you could in essence "turn it down" for everyone else.
So, how about a 4 sided drum shield with a ceiling and a floor? Make sure to get the drums off the concrete floor (concrete is pretty good at transmitting low frequency sound waves). Make yourself a personal containment box where you can be happy.
SVreX
MegaDork
11/14/18 3:53 p.m.
Electronic instruments (guitars, bass, keyboards, etc) are super easy to control. They are plugged in- turn down the sound to the speakers, and turn it up to headsets or monitor speakers.
Wind instruments are a little harder.
SVreX
MegaDork
11/14/18 3:54 p.m.
Contain the drums, hang anything soft on the walls, and seal the windows and penetrations.
That should do it.
java230
UltraDork
11/14/18 3:55 p.m.
Id go buy a few moving blankets from HF and try them on the windows at least. I use them to cover the pass thru on out truck, insulates pretty well vs open.
You can either reflect sound or absorb/attenuate it. Unless you can reflect your drum noise into a parallel universe - reflection won't do much good in a neighborhood situation.
As others have said - to absorb or attenuate noise you need mass - and soft, broken surfaces can't hurt. Moving blankets don't have much mass.
Another thing to keep in mind is openings will thwart much of your hard work. If you cover a wall with heavy blankets but have an open pet door or window - a high percentage of the noise will sneak it's way out that opening.
You just need to encourage his neighbors on the other side to make more noise than you. 
