sound proofing foam

[chilievans]

Simple question, does it work?

[Mr. Foxen]

Foam won't sound proof things, its more for treatment. Need mass and friction for actual sound proofing, like sand or dense matting.

[Dood]

Funnily you should ask about sound treatment. A couple of people I know are manufacturing custom panels. I've a few coming myself and was thinking about doing a little review here. They'd asked if they can advertise offering BassChat a discount in the Affiliates Marketplace. I'll be sure to arrange that as I know that many of us want to treat studio / teaching and rehearsal spaces without breaking the bank.

[skankdelvar]

As Mr Foxen says, foam will [i]not[/i] stop the sound getting out of the room. It makes the room sound nicer when you're inside but your neighbours will still hate you.

A mere £4.49 on Amazon buys you 'Basic Home studio design' by Paul White [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basic-Home-Studio-Design-White/dp/1860742726"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basic-Home-Studio-Design-White/dp/1860742726[/url] which will give you as much as you need to know at this stage.

In short, think rockwool, false walls and door seals. If you search HappyJack's topics, you'll find one devoted to his rehearsal room build. Most instructive.

[elephantgrey]

Foam is used for sound dampening. It is mainly used to disperse lower frequencies, as they get 'caught' between the cones in the foam.

@Mr.Foxen ive always been taught that layers of porous and solid material diffuses the sound best. (well other than sticking another room inside your room with a vacuum in-between). I wouldn't discount foam though, it does help, but not completely.

[chilievans]

Ill drop the foam idea then. Thanks for saving me some cash Mr Foxen

I'd be very interested to read your review dood

[Mr. Foxen]

What is it that you are trying to achieve? That's where the difference between proofing and treating comes in. Sound proof a studio space involves twin walls with sand between and suchlike. But treating a room so it sounds nice can help with outside noise, because you can be a lot quieter to not cover bad sound with volume.

[chilievans]

Im looking to lower the noise heard upstairs in my house.

So I'd be better off putting in a false ceiling with sound proof board?

[Mr. Foxen]

False ceiling and something between, you need to convert sound energy into something else, so rockwool or coconut matting is good as the vibration rubs the fibers together and makes heat instead of conducting sound.

[skankdelvar]

Easier than hanging a false ceiling downstairs is laying a false floor upstairs. Gravity is your friend.

Lift the floorboards and see if the ceiling below will take the weight of rockwool stuffed between the joists. If you can, do so. Put the existing floorboards back and - if the house construction will take the weight - lay underlay, then a second floor of tongue and groove chipboard (less air leaks than conventional floorboards). Thick underlay over the second floor and re-lay your carpet.

It may help, but excessive vibrations, noise, etc, will always travel through the house's structure unless you isolate all surfaces in your music room and seal the openings. You'll never, ever get the noise down to silent, but it can make a reasonable difference.

Edited March 22, 2013 by skankdelvar

[chilievans]

Maybe I'll just use my head phone's :-)

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='chilievans' timestamp='1363980966' post='2020595']
Maybe I'll just use my head phone's :-)[/quote]

Or mount your speakers in a box that fits over your head. Double-lined with coconut matting and a neoprene seal round the neck. Don't forget to double-glaze the eye-holes and fit an extractor fan connected to an outside wall with soundproofed trunking.

[icastle]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1363985580' post='2020699']
Or mount your speakers in a box that fits over your head. Double-lined with coconut matting and a neoprene seal round the neck. Don't forget to double-glaze the eye-holes and fit an extractor fan connected to an outside wall with soundproofed trunking.
[/quote]

...and don't forget the pictures...

[elephantgrey]

Disclaimer: this is purely theoretical, i've not actually tried this, but the theory is sound. (i kept meaning to try this out in the studio, but the whole time, everyone i was recording whilst i was there had good enough headphones.)

You could aim two ams at the spot you'll be standing, and reverse the phase of one of them. With some careful positioning (about 90 degrees from each other) this could cancel out the noise elsewhere, whilst you should be able to hear it fine.

Edited March 22, 2013 by elephantgrey

[Dave Vader]

I carefully screwed bits of wood into all the walls in my garage, and then nailed carpets to them. Even did the doors and windows. I couldn't do the roof, as I needed to be able to get in there and get the stuff in it, so I just nailed some curtains up.
It made bugger all difference, but it does look nice.

[mcnach]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1363987219' post='2020719']
Disclaimer: this is purely theoretical, i've not actually tried this, but the theory is sound. (i kept meaning to try this out in the studio, but the whole time, everyone i was recording whilst i was there had good enough headphones.)

You could aim two ams at the spot you'll be standing, and reverse the phase of one of them. With some careful positioning (about 90 degrees from each other) this could cancel out the noise elsewhere, whilst you should be able to hear it fine.
[/quote]

unless I misunderstood... what you can do with that approach is have a spot where you don't hear (much - it's never perfect) but you'll still hear a lot everywhere else...

[elephantgrey]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1363991471' post='2020803']

unless I misunderstood... what you can do with that approach is have a spot where you don't hear (much - it's never perfect) but you'll still hear a lot everywhere else...
[/quote]

Ah yeah, my bad. That does makes sense. I did say i had never tried it out >.>
I guess it works for recording because you put your mic in the deadspot.