DIY soundproofing?

BOOMBOXNOTATOY

BOOMBOXNOTATOY

Junior Member
Hey there drummers! First off, I'm a Marine living on a Marine Corps base and I'm getting ready to move into apartment-like housing.

I'm looking to sound proof the room that I'll set my kit up in and I was hoping I could get some pointers from fellow drummers/musicians that may have had some experience in soundproofing.

I've never soundproofed a room before and there are a few restrictions on what I can do to the room (Marine Corps won't allow me to knock out walls to install insulation for example).

I'm looking more towards DIY basstraps and sound absorbtion that could be nailed/stapled to the walls or hung on the walls.

Any and every bit of advice is helpfull!

Thanks everyone!
 
Unfortunately, to soundproof a room to a great extent involves building a room inside of a room. Expensive and labor intensive!
That being said the only thing that you can do is to install things like thick padded carpet on the floor and thick foam pads and carpet on the walls. Seal all windows and doors also in the same manor.

Your drums will still be heard throughout the building!
You will be at the mercy of the other people who live in or around the apartment building.
At least you will be able to reduce the sound level.
You will still have to work out with your neighbors when and if you can play.
An electronic kit may be your only solution.
 
Most fellow Marines will understand my situation and I hope when I do get to meet my neighbors they will work with me.

I figured already that I'm not going to be able to block out all the sound. What about specific materials that could be used for making bass traps?

I found this video and I was thinking following it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYUpkpL0gw

Does anyone know how well this would work?
 
You need isolation. There is no such thing as soundproofing, only reduction of transmission. Get Rod Gervais book on Home Recording Studio. He pretty clearly spells out what works and doesn't work.

At the very minimum, you would need to rip the sheetrock off the walls, install iso clips and channel, and put a couple layers of sheet rock back on (after insulating the walls of course). If you leave the existing sheetrock on the walls (an unfortunate requirement if you don't own the wall) you lose around 10 dB of isolation due to a triple leaf wall system. And that's just for the walls. The ceiling gets the same treatment and the floor can be a real headache if it's someone else's ceiling (to paraphrase Paul Simon)

There really isn't any way to create isolation in a rented temporary space. You can absorb some noise, but it won't allow you to play the drums when you want.

I recently ordered a set of sticks and a trick beater that is supposed to sound fairly normal (better than hot rods) while producing brush like volume levels. When I get them, I'll post a review in the drums gear section.
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Most fellow Marines will understand my situation and I hope when I do get to meet my neighbors they will work with me.

I figured already that I'm not going to be able to block out all the sound. What about specific materials that could be used for making bass traps?

I found this video and I was thinking following it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYUpkpL0gw

Does anyone know how well this would work?
Click to expand...

Bass traps reduce the amount of bass that is reflected off walls. They do very little to prevent bass from traveling THROUGH the wall.

I've built two rooms before, and my 1st room didn't work out very well, and that was with tearing out the walls and starting from scratch. It's very difficult and expensive process.
 
Drums seem to cut right through an entire neighborhood. The only soundproofing that you're likely to be able to afford will be an electric kit. Putting soundproofing into an apartment that you don't own doesn't add up for most folks.

The video you posted won't help at all really. Those are used to control reflection, they won't do too much for silencing your set to the outside world.

An electric kit has many advantages, but like me you just might not be a fan. You could certainly make a nearly-silent drum set by stuffing the shells with fabric.
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Most fellow Marines will understand my situation and I hope when I do get to meet my neighbors they will work with me.

I figured already that I'm not going to be able to block out all the sound. What about specific materials that could be used for making bass traps?

I found this video and I was thinking following it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYUpkpL0gw

Does anyone know how well this would work?
Click to expand...

I would seriously think about electronic drums in your position.
 
i 3rd the electric drums! ive got a pair for my apartment, they are great!! yamaha has the most realistic sounds, that why i went with a yamaha, its important to me because i record with it and im more then pleased with the sound, on the other hand i prefer the feel of the Rolland's mesh pads more but i sacrificed the feel for the sound due to my circumstances.
 
Just spent nearly $2000 on a new acoustic set literally 5 days ago. :/
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Just spent nearly $2000 on a new acoustic set literally 5 days ago. :/
Click to expand...

You really should have asked questions before the purchase. To put it bluntly, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that you'll be able to quite an acoustic drum kit to the extend that will satisfy other tenants living in the same apartment complex, unless they are deaf. Your drum sounds will emit in every direction, especially through the floor. I don't know how many units are going to be in the complex that you're moving into, but if it's only a duplex, you may be able to drum while the other tenant is away. This is a job for either an electronic kit or suitable communications with your neighbors prior to a possible breaking of the lease agreement because of excessive noise.

Many people still have problems with their neighbors using an electronic set of drums when living in an apartment because of noise being transmitted through the floor. I really dislike being so negative but these are the facts when living in close quarters to other individuals.

Dennis
 
unless you want to build a room inside of a room, electronic drums would probably be the quickest, cheapest answer. you could get mufflers for the kit you just got, but the feel won't be the same.

if you go about building a room inside of a room, you have many variables to consider. you'll need to think about various materials which absorb different frequencies the best, to layer between the original walls/floors/ceiling and the walls/floors/ceiling you'll need to construct. also, there are ventilation issues to address, as sound will pass through air ducts/vents. moreover, there is a consideration about power...where to put electrical outlets and so on. doors in and out of the room need to be sealed, as ANY gap will let sound through.

if time, expense and manpower aren't an issue, there are many books available through amazon that cover studio acoustics and design...
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Just spent nearly $2000 on a new acoustic set literally 5 days ago. :/
Click to expand...

Then you should look into renting a practice space. Having built three sound proof rooms myself, I'll back up what audiotech said: there is no way you're going to be playing an acoustic kit in an apartment-like situation without disturbing your neighbors. What you'd have to do to that apartment to achieve even moderate success would be extreme, expensive and is surely prohibited by the building's management.

Even an electric kit with mesh heads is pretty a non-apartment friendly scenario. Find somewhere else to play.
 
Great comments. Definitely take the advice here. I used to live in base housing myself. I'll tell you it isn't all it's cracked up to be. When you move out of base housing, they expect you to return everything back to it's original condition as when you moved in. much more anal than a normal apartment would be. For me, this included painting walls back to their 'approved' colors. I didn't think white was a bad choice... Anyways... Not to mention having someone come by once a week and measuring your grass with a ruler.

Is there any way you can rent a house somewhere as opposed to the base housing option? Otherwise you may have invest in an e-kit or rent a practice space.
 
I just noticed your address says Kailua. Are you at Kaneohe MCAS? I grew up just down the street. My dad owns the Willow Tree restaurant in the shopping center at Aikahi Park right outside the gate.

You should check with the local music stores (I used to work at Easy Music) to see where cheap practice space is available. There's a store in Kailua which I think is mostly acoustic guitars but they may know something. Got to be lots of storage locker type places. Folks in Hawaii are looser about things like that then on the mainland. Just approach folks as a musician, not a Marine. There's kind of an unfortunate anti-service local bias from the few yahoos that get off base and don't respect the local culture.
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Just spent nearly $2000 on a new acoustic set literally 5 days ago. :/
Click to expand...

Wait wait :) there is many creative tips I can give you:
- first to practice most of the times u can use pads on the drum. After all u don't need to hear yourself over and over playing double on snare with no pads..
So only when u want to try something new that u want to hear normally remove the pads( it will sum up to one hour MAX a day)..
- if u don't want to use pads or want to play more with out them use rots , they are less powerful then sticks, much stronger then brushes, and have wonderful sound!( this is how I play most of the times).It doesn't make so much noise.
If that doesn't help u can always transfer the heads of the kit to triggers and use electrong console, don't sell them!!! :) hope that helped
 
BOOMBOXNOTATOY said:
Just spent nearly $2000 on a new acoustic set literally 5 days ago. :/
Click to expand...
I feel your pain on that one. When I was stationed in San Diego, I bought a new Tama set and couldn't find anywhere to play it. I managed to set it up for a day here and a day there but for the most part of 3 years, it sat in storage. Good luck!
 
I think I'll check into renting a practice space. It makes the most sense to me. Perhaps I can have others chip in if I decide to start a band again one day ;)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I appreciate the help!
 
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