Klarinet Archive - Posting 000048.txt from 2009/01

From: Juan Francisco Vicente Becerro <juanfran2@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Soundproofing
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:38:50 -0500

Hi all,

I think all of you are talking about changing the acoustics of the room,
not about sound transmission. Rugs, drapes and this things, even when,
yes, you can absorb *some* of the transmitted sound, are used to reduce
reverb, or changing frequencies where reverb happens.

So you will play in a drier room, but your neightbours will hear the
same (well, *near* the same).

The only way to reduce sound transmition is to isolate. Yes, you don't
want to get into construction, but the only way is a "box in a box". A
floor over isolation material, interior walls don't touching external
ones, ceiling hanging from special elements and so on.

Sound can be transmitted by air or by construction materials (concrete,
wood, brick), with a piano you have air transmission (walls, ceiling,
windows -all opens at this room, even tiny ones, work as a speaker- but
also through the floor (piano leg to the wood, wood to the concrete...).
With a clarinet you only have air transmittion.

To reduce sound transmitting through the floor without constructing you
need a rug with one or more layers of lead or other specific isolation
material under it (some specific foam might do the work also).

Walls and ceiling isolation needs air and something elastic that can
vibrate, thus absorbing and dissipating the sound as heat. Usually you
can screw some support with high density rubber -designed especifically
for sound isolation- then a "second wall", with laminated plaster, and
rock wool in the resulting air chamber.

Also you need to close the gap between your door and the floor (a rubber
with a spring), windows with double glass...

I now this is major construction, but is the only way to reduce sound
transmition significantly.

Rugs and drapes works, reconfigure the room acoustic (what you hear),
but speaking about transmitted sound, only in a minimal amount (unless
you fill all your walls, ceiling and floor with several layers).

Regards
Juanfran
(and sorry about my ugly technical english)

Fred Jacobowitz escribió:
> Jacob,
> I second the motion about rugs. The more floor it covers, the
> better. It doesn't matter if it's thin, thick, etc. If you don't mind an
> interesting look, you can put drapes, etc. on the walls (even where
> there's no window). Close them to practice and open them all other
> times. Putting up the necessary hardware isn't particularly difficult.
> You could also find some nice tapestries to hang. As for the ceiling, if
> you don't want to deal with acoustic foam (me neither!), you might
> consider covering large swaths of it with a light tapestry, such as a
> hand-made sofa cover/bedspread. We've all seen them at crafts fairs.
> Tack it up by the corners and let it sag down a little in the middle. It
> gives a room an artsy, funky, counterculture look. It has been my
> experience that walls are usually thinner than ceilings, and the people
> upstairs might very well have a rug, which will do part of the job for
> you. So walls are the big problem.
>
> Fred Jacobowitz
>
> Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
> Ebony and Ivory Duo
>

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