There’s nothing better than a good jam session with the band, where you can lose yourself in the music and practice nailing your drum solo. However, one thing’s sure – while you guys might be having a blast rocking out with some sweet tunes, you don’t want to risk rocking the boat with your neighbours. And no-one wants their jam to be interrupted by a visit from the cops following a noise complaint.
One of the trickiest things about being in a band is finding the right place to rehearse in. Whether it’s for your room, garage or a designated practice space, you don’t want to be disturbed or disrupt anyone around you too much.
When you play, you create reverberations that bounce off the floor, walls and ceilings in your music room and create an unwanted echo. There are ways to stop these unwanted echoes, improving the room's acoustics and providing a better listening experience.
Here at Melbourne Music Centre, obviously we’re passionate about our music, and we want you to get the best out of your experience. Here we’ve compiled a few tips on how to soundproof your space so you can keep playing on without disturbing your neighbours.
Why Should You Soundproof Your Drum Room?
Soundproofing your drum room means you’ll benefit in the following ways:
- Better music quality: Soundproofing your space will reduce the amount of feedback and reverberation, meaning you’ll experience better acoustics and a much sharper, clearer beat.
- Practice whenever you like: Up until now, you’ve probably had to be overly conscious of scheduling your practice sessions so they don’t disrupt as many people. By soundproofing your playing space, you’ll be free to practice any time of the day or night, stress and guilt-free!
- Less noisy: You’ll be able to control the amount of noise you create, therefore cutting down on the number of noise complaints!
- Debut some sick beats: Your music’s going to have much more of an impact if no-one’s heard it before, right? Imagine the reaction of the crowd when you debut that new song for the first time, previously unheard.
How to Soundproof a Room for Drums
When it comes to soundproofing your drum room, dampeners are used to reduce the noise and impact you create when hitting your drum kit.
Here at Melbourne Music Centre, we provide high-quality solutions that can help you to counter this – but in an affordable way that won’t break the bank. You may not be able to fully soundproof the room, (that can be an extensive process), but you can at least reduce the level of noise you create.
Here are just a few of our ideas for effective solutions.
1. Using Foam as a Buffer
Tried and true, the use of foam in your band room is perfect for reducing the level of. If reverberation is the source of excess noise, you can eliminate this by changing the surfaces of your room to prevent waves from bouncing back and forth.
Acoustic foam is generally made of studio-grade polyurethane, which provides an effective means of noise reduction. It has a special cavity structure that captures and traps soundwaves so they don't travel further than the location of the music source. The most common acoustic foam looks like pyramids. If you’re on a budget, these are highly cost-effective and give you noticeable results.
2. Seal Your Doors and Any Leaks
Check for any gaps or leaks in your doors, as this is the easiest way for noise to escape. Weather stripping or foam is great for this.
If you knock on the centre of the door, you might hear a hollow sound. This makes it easy for your drum beats to get amplified and spread outside. You might also check for airflow around the edges of any doors, windows or walls.
You can either block the space under your door, or pad the frame with a seal to make it harder for noise to escape. We recommend using either silicone or aluminium when you do this:
- Silicone is soft and acts as a great buffer against noise, even in tiny areas.
- Aluminium is strong enough to provide you with a good seal, yet lightweight enough to slide easily into small openings.
Application is a quick and easy process that requires a few simple tools.
3. Floor Mat, Rug or Underlay
Having a rug or mat on the floor will help to soak up some of the noise. You can make your space more soundproof by either using a floor mat or underlay. These mats are usually made with rubber, which will help to absorb any noise generated. It will help to keep music from traveling between floors.
If you live in a house with hardwood floors, then you may want to consider upgrading to a different kind of floor that minimises any unwanted sound.
4. Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are a great solution for acting as a buffer and reducing unwanted noise through your walls. They’re often made with foam or mineral wool. These materials are great insulators as they have tiny fibres that trap the soundwaves and absorb the energy they create.
These panels can be installed as a floor-to-ceiling partition, placed on top of walls or around doors and windows. To further jazz up your space, you can choose panels with a bright and colourful design to complement the look of your existing area.
5. Hanging Baffles
Noise can also escape through the ceiling. To stop the music from traveling up and out of a room, you’ll want to invest in some hanging baffles. These hang from your ceiling using a durable chain, and act as a further buffer.
Top-Notch Music Equipment Online
Here at Melbourne Music Centre, we specialise in providing our customers with high-quality audio equipment and solutions, along with a great range of instruments. From guitars to djembe and cajons, we have instruments to suit players of any skillset – whether you’re a beginner just starting out, or a fully-fledged professional musician.
For all your music needs, check out our range available in-store or online today. You can visit our showroom at 525 North Road, Ormond, or give us a call on (03) 9578 2426. Our experienced staff are all passionate musos, and we’re here to offer further tips and advice when it comes to all your audio and equipment needs. Have a chat with us today to get started.