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Old 02-18-2012, 08:38 PM   #1
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Default ???cheapest way to soundproof with professional results???

cheapest way to soundproof with professional results???
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:42 PM   #2
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cheapest way to soundproof with professional results???
To get professional results there no way around it, you're going to have to spend some money for the materials. From there you can make your own panels and bass traps.

Google acoustic panels, there are probably several places to get info.

Edit> There are also many forums and places to get advice for most anything you need to know.
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:46 PM   #3
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Besides, sound-proofing is a different animal than sound treatment. Maybe you need both, maybe not. Do you need to temper and tame some frequencies? Isolate sound so it does not bleed into other areas or disturb neighbors or housemates? Both? Very different needs and solutions.
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:46 PM   #4
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'Sound-proofing' and 'Acoustic Treatment' are 2 separate entities.
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:54 PM   #5
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'Sound-proofing' and 'Acoustic Treatment' are 2 separate entities.
Great minds think alike. Lol.
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Old 02-18-2012, 09:59 PM   #6
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rockwool - mineral wool - firebatts - whatever they call it in your area.

get some, put it in a wood frame, wrap it in burlap

hang it 2 inches from wall

absorption win
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Old 02-18-2012, 11:19 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Brian Merrill View Post
rockwool - mineral wool - firebatts - whatever they call it in your area.

get some, put it in a wood frame, wrap it in burlap

hang it 2 inches from wall

absorption win
Exactly and look for superchunk for the corners. Cheap and easy. I made some with roxul.
http://www.radford.edu/shelm/acoustics/bass-traps.html
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Old 02-19-2012, 02:07 AM   #8
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i'm not sure how safe all this stuff is but some people wrap it in thin plastic first so fibers don't come out in the air and you end up with some lung disease.
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Old 02-19-2012, 02:42 AM   #9
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Soundproofing requires mass (lots of it) and air tightness.

Acoustic treatment (as others have observed) is a different game.

Wrapping your homemade bass traps in plastic is not reccomended, generally you need to wrap them in a permeable material (such as burlap). Making them airtight hampers their performance.

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Old 02-19-2012, 06:30 AM   #10
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Quote:
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i'm not sure how safe all this stuff is but some people wrap it in thin plastic first so fibers don't come out in the air and you end up with some lung disease.
This stuff is bad when you manipulate it. Installed with a fabric over I don't think it will cause any damage. The plastic idea will kill the absorption in the mid and high frequency range.
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Old 02-19-2012, 06:59 AM   #11
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The Comparative Safety of Rockwool, Fiberglass, and Organic Fibers (a review)

The GS acoustics subforums are a decent place to start learning about this stuff ... just be very careful who you take advice from ... Ethan Winer, Glenn Kuras, SAC, avare, DanDan, Jens Eklund, jhbrandt, Jeffery Hedback, Rod Gervais, Northward ... are reliable people.

And get some books Acoustics & Psychoacoustics by Angus and Howard is a good start that's not too complex. Fundamentals of Acoustics - Kinsler and Frey if you're good at maths.
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Old 02-20-2012, 04:42 AM   #12
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Also remember that the thickness of rockwool etc. is very important. If you get the better and more expensive stuff, you don't need it so much. But remember that you don't need dedicated "acoustic" panels, just thicker stuff. Also speaker placement, and absorber placement is very important. There are good articles about this. When I did mine, I got most info from Ethan Winer's site.
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Old 02-20-2012, 05:29 AM   #13
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want something really safe?

bonded logic cotton insulation.
http://www.bondedlogic.com/oem-solut...ical-solutions
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Old 02-20-2012, 06:38 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bogo View Post
Exactly and look for superchunk for the corners. Cheap and easy. I made some with roxul.
http://www.radford.edu/shelm/acoustics/bass-traps.html
Excellent project there Bogo, many thanks for the link.
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Old 02-20-2012, 11:04 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixeltarian View Post
want something really safe?

bonded logic cotton insulation.
http://www.bondedlogic.com/oem-solut...ical-solutions
Actually, based on this info http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-...rs-review.html cotton fibers are more likely to damage the lungs than fiberglass.

Fran
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Old 02-20-2012, 11:39 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran Guidry View Post
Actually, based on this info http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-...rs-review.html cotton fibers are more likely to damage the lungs than fiberglass.

Fran
Lol. Maybe we should start wearing clothes made from fibreglass?

MMMmmmmm.....Scratchy.
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Old 02-20-2012, 12:07 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran Guidry View Post
Actually, based on this info http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-...rs-review.html cotton fibers are more likely to damage the lungs than fiberglass.

Fran
sure, but I don't think the cotton fibres break off into the air...
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Old 02-20-2012, 12:36 PM   #18
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check out the KNAUF line of 'ECO' products.

This is what we used in my recent Control Room build for the
acoustic treatment.

For insulation between the studs, we used 'John Mansville' product.

Both were much nicer to work with. Less dust, smell, and itch.

Covering any pf the panels, we used 4oz polyester batting ... and then a
nice 'breathable' fabric for the finish.
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Old 02-20-2012, 02:32 PM   #19
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Sound proof? No shortcuts that I am aware of. Bass travels, end of story.

SafeandSound Mastering

Last edited by SafeandSound; 10-08-2013 at 12:46 PM.
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Old 02-23-2012, 02:19 PM   #20
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Define what "professional results" means.

Absolute 100% sound proofing is impossible.

What decibel level is acceptable at what frequency range?

If you are just wanting to knock the volume down a noticable amount, then adding an extra layer of drywall, hanging heavier doors or windows, sealing leaks, etc... those could be done relatively easy with not much money.

If you want more soundproofing, you may end up needing to construct a room within a room, "floating" off the floor with special pads, special HVAC systems, MANY layers of drywall or brick walls, etc... lots more money.

Money depends on the size of room.
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Old 02-23-2012, 02:26 PM   #21
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From what i have read, very thin plastic does not hamper the performance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rothchild View Post
Soundproofing requires mass (lots of it) and air tightness.

Acoustic treatment (as others have observed) is a different game.

Wrapping your homemade bass traps in plastic is not reccomended, generally you need to wrap them in a permeable material (such as burlap). Making them airtight hampers their performance.

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Old 02-23-2012, 06:06 PM   #22
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Quote:
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From what i have read, very thin plastic does not hamper the performance.
air doesn't move through plastic,
rock wool works best inside walls to absorb MF and prevent resonant cavities.
high density fiberglass (the hard yellow stuff) is used for wall treatment.
a sound proof room needs to be floating on neoprene, and even that wont always work.
wall treatment does not sound proof anything.
only mass (more sheetrock and particle board in alternating layers) will help attenuate the offending vibrations. It's about raising the resonant frequency of the structure. also, mind the gaps because sound travels on moving air.

walls and floors diaphragm in response to bass, and will transmit that to anything they are connected to, especially adjoining rooms and upstairs downstairs neighbors.

sound proofing was (part of) my job working with Frank Comentale, namely, for many moons.

Last edited by josh gura; 02-23-2012 at 06:41 PM.
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Old 02-24-2012, 06:46 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachz View Post
From what i have read, very thin plastic does not hamper the performance.
That's not true Coachz, however:

Quote:
Originally Posted by josh gura View Post
air doesn't move through plastic
I'm not sure this is correct either or at least the correct way to explain it. The problem with plastic is that if it's stretched tight and in contact with the insulation on one side and the fabric on the other it will reflect certain higher frequencies rather than absorb them. I think a better way to put rather than "air doesn't move through plastic" is that the plastic doesn't move with the air. That's not exactly true either, if the plastic is not in contact with either the insulation or the fabric it will then become a membrane and have it's own sympathetic vibrations, which will absorb certain frequencies but that's not a practical approach either.

It's common knowledge so I'm sure it's been mentioned but if not, the way absorption works is that the tiny particles/strands in the insulation move (vibrate) with air generated by the frequencies and are dissipated as heat.

Quote:
a sound proof room needs to be floating on neoprene, and even that wont always work.
Also let's not forget to cut the floor around the walls too, at least if it's concrete.

Quote:
also, mind the gaps because sound travels on moving air.
I think a better way to put it is that sound is moving air.

Not digressing with you at all josh, you made very good points. I've pursued knowledge of acoustics most of my life and I can't help but envy the position you're in.

Last edited by Tod; 02-25-2012 at 10:12 AM.
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Old 09-14-2018, 10:02 AM   #24
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Quote:
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cheapest way to soundproof with professional results???
Pay a professional.
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Old 11-15-2018, 08:26 AM   #25
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To block reverb/echo on the cheap, put a blanket over yourself and mic when doing vocals. Put mattresses up against the walls for drums etc. It's better than nothing!
If you got big windows (like I do) I close the curtains too 'cause sound can bounce off the glass.
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Old 02-21-2019, 08:48 AM   #26
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Do you mean "sound treatment" or "sound proofing"?

The former (making a room sound good inside) can be done smartly and affordably.

The latter (prohibiting sound from entering/leaving) will involve rennovations to your house.




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cheapest way to soundproof with professional results???
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