help soundproofing my room. (Pic)

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http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member Since: Nov 27, 2007

Hey hey hey my fellow music gods!
Well as the title suggests, i want to, as best i can without going completley nuts, soundproof my mixroom.

Basicly i want to do my vocals in there, so i want to block as much noise getting out as possible.

I have made up some framework to fit perfectly in the existing framework of my window in the room. (which unfortunately takes up 95% of its wall)

the framework is 50mm wide so i can shove in some (at this stage) 100mm thick soundscape rockwool sheeting.

What i wanted to ask was, given this info and more importantly the pic, is should i use rockwool to shield the noise?

Im assuming this isnt gonna be the right material to use so i need to work out what is.


http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/8100/dsc00214wl.jpg



If need be i can leave about a 50mm (2inch) air gap between the glass of the window and the newly built framework filled with whatever i fill it with to help break up the spill.

so, i need some suggies on what to fill this framework with to block the noise from escaping.

Cheers all.

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EBONY AND ACE's
Member
Since: Jan 05, 2009


Jan 11, 2011 10:16 am

whats coming in is going out.

try to seal any hole or leaks where air can come in or get outside.
the windows and doors are usually the weakest points. even the keyhole can be a big issue.

in your case it will propably leak through the frames. the best would be to cover the windows with two layers of 12.5mm overlapping plasterboard. behind the cardboard put some dampening stuff, the thicker the better like heavy curtain or mollton theatre cloths. and make it generously bigger than the windows itself. maybe you can build a removable frame for that.

the best solution would be to build a room in room construction with the plasterboard, standing on rubber feet stamps with felt underneath to prevent any direct contact to any other wall or the floor.

doing this you can easily get down by some 40-60 db and help to keep sonic peace in your neighborhood.




http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Jan 11, 2011 07:59 pm

Hey Joerg thanks mate,
Yeah unfortunately buildin a room isnt an option, how cool would it be though, i'd have a field day.

on the sealing all the gaps, i thought that was the case here, wasnt 100% sure.

What do you think about gyprock/plasterboard to cover the frame front and back?
and shoving 100mm thick rock wool inside it? That would be squashing the rockwoll down to about 2 inch or 50mm. this could be good for the soaking up of bass etc in the room also.

I already have bass trapping inside, and doing this would give me a whole front facing wall covered in rockwool.

I have to make 2 other smaller frames, like the one in pic for the outer frames of the window section, so its gonna be a mission, but i need to do it.

Its that or im stuck in a closet the size of a small cubicle for vox.

**** that i say!

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Jan 11, 2011 11:17 pm

ok started the frame today.
decided to go with plywood to sheet the face.
not gonna bother with the back part just gonna strap the rockwool inside the frame and fit the whole thing into the window cavity.

Just gotta make 2 slightly smaller ones to fit in the other windows drop my hemp sheeting over the top from the curtain rod and BAM! should be alot better.


http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3558/dsc00216dh.jpg


http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Jan 12, 2011 02:57 am

ok, just another update on the insert. Im thinking this could be useful for anyone in my position.
(in a rental home. No mods, screws or nails at all in the exsiting room. Just cut to fit snug inside the window cavity.)

here's another pic of the finished product, rockwool stuffed inside behind the plywood.
no need to secure the rockwool at the back as its pressed up against the glass.

But to stop the rockwool from saggin under its own weight i used a few long screws thru the font of the plywood at the very top so they would stab thru the rockwool and hold it there.

this has been very cost effective, not that im really worried about cost to be honest, more from laziness, and not wanting to go overkill on things as i normally do.

the wood batons: 20 metres for 20 bucks. (from a slavage yard) More than enough with spare.
the plywood: 2 sheets full size (3mm) cut to size in the shop for 29 bucks.
soundscape rockwool = 65 bucks a bag of 5x4inch sheets.
Should do all 3 windows.


http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/416/dsc00218sx.jpg




http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Jan 13, 2011 02:35 am

well i finished the other 2 inserts and put down the curtain.

definately made a difference to the leakage a fair bit.
i can now do vocals in that room without anyone hearing thats for sure.

inside it really does seem like im hearing only just monitors, its kinda wierd. but really cool.

i think when i put the bass traps back in, the room will be almost completly dead but not quite.

this room is as good as its ever gonna get now.

hope this thread was helpfull or gave some ideas.

if not, then i have just annoyed everyone for a few days, so either way i acheived something.

EBONY AND ACE's
Member
Since: Jan 05, 2009


Jan 14, 2011 08:42 am

hey dematrix

was not online for some time, anyway , ow, you have a nice room, wish i would have that space available as well.
as far as can be seen the neighbours are quite in a distance. why you want
to soundproof the room, for mixing and mastering it should be fine?

the basstrap will improve the resonance and sound of your room itself, it has
no influence on whats leaving to the outside. anyway, you have your plan made
up already, go for it and see how far it works. the simple rule is that the
dampening material should be as thick and heavy as possible and in best case
resonance free - like plasterboard e. g. or sandbags. wool has a high volume
proportion of air - and air is the medium the noise is travelling on. wool
in any kind is good for thermo insulation.

maybe you have a small closet or restroom nearby - good for dampening it for
the voice recordings?

good luck ;-)

ps try to get some before and after impression with a spl meter or similar

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Jan 14, 2011 08:31 pm

hey Joerg,
I needed to soundproof the mix room because i wanted to let rip in there with the singing and screaming, so i can monitor the pre amp levels without going back and forth every five seconds from room to room. Even then i never really knew where the pre levels were at as i could see them.

I used to have the vocals set up in a closet in another room but, it made them sound lifeless somewhat, but more than that, its sooo soo hot in there in summer man, just not a real option at the best of times. we're talkng 40deg C. hot "outside," let alone in the closet.

so i thought this would be a good idea, belive it or not it has made a huge diffrence to the sound leakage.

so i have the inserts, which have almost air tight snuggness, plus a set of venetian blinds over that then a small space (6 to 7 inches and then a thick hemp curtain drapped down over all that.

its not soundproof as such, but is perfect for the vocals.

it really has dampended the room as you say inside too, i can really hear things heaps better too with the other bass traps adding to the dampening.

i will post this pic as the finished product so you can see.
its not rocket science by any means but it does the job.
I didnt want to go spending a **** load of money. i already had the soundscape rockwool and the wood etc cost me $50.

Hemp sheeting covering

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6070/dsc00219jz.jpg



blinds under hemp, under the blinds are the new inserts

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8418/dsc00220uu.jpg


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