Making your basement tuba-friendly

[Dylan King]

This company is about 1/4 of the price of auralex, and basically the same stuff. It has worked well in all of my studios for deadening the sound and getting rid of bounce and echos.

http://www.thefoamfactory.com/acousticf ... cfoam.html

[Rick Denney]

I am also relegated to practicing in the basement. My practice spot is right underneath my wife's baby grand. She is a pro and has to practice a lot, so it wasn't unusual for us to both need to practice different gigs simultaneously. The only thing that worked for me was the Yamaha Silent Brass. Probably not the answer you're looking for, but it will allow you to practice at 4 in the morning without the neighbors complaining.

Not that acoustically altering a room so that it sounds better within the room and soundproofing it are two entirely different propositions. Aurelex and the like are modifiers, not soundproofing. And soundproofing materials often make terrible modifiers because the limp mass that is heavy enough to damp transmission is too heavy to provide the damping needed for modifying reflections. Sheets of lead are pretty good for soundproofing, while lightweight blankets might be sufficient to damp an echo.

If you need both soundproofing and modification, you'll need separate treatments.

Rick "noting much discussion of soundproofing in the archives" Denney

[Stefan]

I practice in a finished basement with carpet and very thin ceiling tiles. Standard painted drywall. I don't really have a problem with my sound based on the room. I am usually more concerned with my actual progress. Soundproofing has been mentioned a few times which of course is a different thing. For me that concerns me more. I have an unfinished room in my basement that I plan on double drywalling with green glue in between. Disturbing others is more of a concern for me. Sorry - I don't have much to add regarding your actual question. But you may get some good advise from an acoustics forum or even a home theater forum. Application of absorbers, diffusers and bass traps is probably what you need.

Stefan

[Rick Denney]

I have an unfinished room in my basement that I plan on double drywalling with green glue in between. Disturbing others is more of a concern for me.

Stagger the wall studs so that the drywall is not mounted to anything with a structural connection to anyone on the other side of the wall. Likewise the ceiling--hang the ceiling from a set of ceiling joists mounted to that inner wall, and not connected to the existing ceiling. Mechanical coupling will transmit our low frequencies very effectively, even if covered with four layers of carpet. Providing air circulation that does not transmit sound is the biggest challenge for all frequencies.

Rick "who decided it was cheaper in the long run to move to where the neighbors were far away" Denney

[Doug Elliott]

Double 1/2" drywall with greenglue in between did quite well on the ceiling of my shop. I also put in unfaced fiberglass insulation, I think it was R-11 or R-13 laying on top of the wiring, between the 2x10 joists. There is almost no sound transmission to (or from) the room above, which has a grand piano in it.

After reading about the effectiveness of Greenglue, I decided not to use any other decoupling like a second set of joists. Although Greenglue isn't cheap, I'm glad I didn't waste the time or material to build a second ceiling.

[Stefan]

Thanks Doug for that comment. Other than the glowing reviews the green glue site gives I hadn't heard about any real world results. Rick - not to discount your comments, but I would rather just keep it real simple. It doesn't have to be perfect, just quieter than usual. Yeah, I also live far from neighbors, but it's my family I am trying to protect .

Stefan

[Doug Elliott]

If you want to see how I did it, look here:
http://foamcorefantasy.blogspot.com/201 ... chive.html" target="_blank

[OldHorn]

This is how to make a basement tuba friendly: Take all the junk out of the living room and move it to the basement. Move the tuba and chair and music stand to the living room.

[peter birch]

Might it not be easier to make the basement "wife friendly" and keep the tuba upstairs

[JJJimmink]

This is my Tuba-friendly addic. Due to my other music hobby I let the room treated by a company specialized in acoustical room treatment. See the picture:

[JJJimmink]

Now the hifi equipment is gone, but the acoustical treatment is still there. It appeared to be a very good acoustic for my tuba playing. And it sounds less loud when you are not in the room, for inastance downstairs. It is a pretty small room, with a low ceiling but it plays like a big room.

[Lectron]

I agree on using diffusers, but all the absorbers will only make the sound dead and boring.
They'll hardly interfere with the lower frequencies that causes the problem anyway.

If you have some tones leaking more than others, and you probably do, a bass ( or two) trap is worth a try.

The best solution thou would be a floating room with the acoustic of choice...