How can I soundproof this little room for playing music?

February 6, 2016 11:59 AM

Small room in the house that is 9' x 9' with 8' ceilings. Want to practice instruments and singing without disturbing neighbors.

Out of the 4 walls in this room only One is shared with a neighbor. The floor and the ceiling is also NOT shared with any neighbors. So the main concern is perhaps that one wall.

Although there is also another wall that has a window and below the window is the fan/vent for the electric heater/air conditioning units in my apartment, so that wall leaks a lot of noise from the outside world. This is a concern, but Less of one than the neighbor issue. Though I'd ideally like to keep sound from going out and coming in- I'm MUCH more concerned about keeping sound from escaping out.

I was wondering if putting large custom sound panels like these on the wall that is shared would be enough to keep my neighbor from hearing any noise. Or would the ceiling and other walls have to be treated anyway just to keep them from hearing anything? 100% coverage of that wall with panels would cost me almost $900 which I'm willing to pay IF it gives me the significant sound blockage I need. As for the other walls I CAN afford to give them the same treatment, but since those walls are shared only by my own apartment I'm hoping I won't have to. (I would like to have at LEAST 90% sound blockage so that I can not be heard by my neighbor at all unless they actively try to hear us.)

Since I own the condo, there is also the option of doing some construction to create the sound blockage I need, but I'm assuming the costs for that would probably be exorbitant even for a small room. The room would be used as a rehearsal space for saxophone, piano and singing.

posted by manderin to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

I wonder if expensive acoustic foam is what you need. Those panels are designed for sound absorption, not sound blocking. You'd use them, for example, to reduce echoes in a conference room or auditorium. They are designed to minimize reflected sound, not sound passing through.

To block sound, it's probably more effective to add heavy 5/8" sheetrock. The mass of the board will cut a lot of sound transmission, and the material cost for a 9x8 wall should be cheap (under $50). You should probably also seal any holes, like light switches and outlets.

I don't know if this will be enough to block heavy percussion instruments like pianos and drums, but I suspect not. It's more likely to work well with the singing and saxophone.
posted by ryanrs at 12:12 PM on February 6, 2016

Note that you might need sound absorbing foam to make the acoustics in a 9x9 room sound ok, but that's a separate consideration from sound blocking.
posted by ryanrs at 12:13 PM on February 6, 2016

As noted, those panels aren't designed to block sound; they're just designed not to bounce it around the room.

Materials that are good at soundproofing need to be both heavy and limp. Think of the properties of that lead apron they used to drape over you when doing dental x-rays. Rigid, lightweight materials are awful. An extra layer of drywall is at least heavy and, mounted in such a way that it's not rigidly connected to the existing wall surface, could help... but it wouldn't do the job by itself.

A search for mass-loaded vinyl will turn up more of the kinds of materials and methods you're looking for.
posted by jon1270 at 12:32 PM on February 6, 2016

I would like to have at LEAST 90% sound blockage so that I can not be heard by my neighbor at all unless they actively try to hear us.

This probably cannot be done. You say the floor and ceiling aren't shared with neighbors, but since they're attached to the wall -- which is shared with the neighbor -- they are very likely shared, acoustically-speaking. The piano is going to vibrate the hell out of the floor. That's going to travel straight to the wall and come out in, say, a power outlet. A light switch. You'll have better luck with the sax and voice, but I still don't think it's feasible. Soundproofing is really hard.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:41 PM on February 6, 2016

I'm sorry- I said piano, but what I meant was keyboard. And the keyboard isn't really an issue because that can easily have headphones attached to it. The sax and the vocal are the primary issues.
posted by manderin at 3:36 PM on February 6, 2016

I asked this question and i think the answer from markblasco has a lot of good information including this:
The two best sources for acoustic discussion I've found are the John L Sayers forum (I don't know how active this is currently, I haven't been there in a few years), and the gearsluts.com acoustic forums (don't be put off by the name, gearslutz is one of the best sources for info about the music recording industry).
posted by metahawk at 5:17 PM on February 6, 2016

This isn’t easy. I know, it seems like it should be and everyone wants it to be, but it’s not. You’re either going to have to consult with a professional or do a lot of research on your own. A lot. And then do a lot of work.

It is totally doable, and I’m not saying this to discourage you, I’m saying this so you don’t waste time and money. Because all the simple and cheap things you try are just that.
posted by bongo_x at 11:06 PM on February 6, 2016

Though I'd ideally like to keep sound from going out and coming in- I'm MUCH more concerned about keeping sound from escaping out.

Same thing, really - sound is transmitted either by moving air molecules or vibrating surfaces, in vs. out only determines who is bothered by noise leakage.

I was wondering if putting large custom sound panels like these on the wall that is shared would be enough to keep my neighbor from hearing any noise.

Seconding that despite the somewhat-confusing name, panels like that are designed to change the acoustic properties of a room in the room and don't really affect sound leakage.

Although there is also another wall that has a window and below the window is the fan/vent for the electric heater/air conditioning units in my apartment,

This could easily be just as much of a problem as the wall - since sound is essentially "moving air molecules", once the sound is outside it could go in all sorts of unpredictable directions, depending on airflow (both in the immediate vicinity and general wind) and reflecting off buildings.


Essentially, "soundproof" = airtight and physically isolated or inert (which is where the mass-loaded vinyl or double-drywall ideas come in, they help reduce sound transmission via vibration.) How much of a major construction project this is would, I think, depend a lot on how your condo is constructed in the first place. Googling "recording studio construction" or "home studio construction" will get you a ton of info on the various ways people attempt to reduce sound leakage. (And, again, while studios are attempting to prevent sound getting in, the same physics and principles apply to your problem of sound getting out, so you'll be interested in the same techniques and materials.) You might find some useful budget ideas to try, again, depending on the construction of your condo.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:57 AM on February 7, 2016

Foo Fighters have created a page for this kind of thing to help bands who need to practice at home without noise complaints.
posted by rhizome at 1:24 PM on March 23, 2016