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Sign friends and musicians.... will this work?

G

GypsyGraphics

New Member
[FONT=Geneva, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]I sure could use some advice before delving into this project...
from sign folks who could advise me on large sheets of acrylic (8’ x 4’), specifically connecting them for free standing use... and from musician's, if this idea will even do what I’m hoping it will.

The room with our musical equipment, has three large openings on one wall, that I’d like to make some kind of sound muffling, non-permanent wall for. I’m not trying to sound proof the room, but do wanting to block a considerable amount of the noise from the rest of the house. Initially I thought I might use panels like those used for office cubical. My problem with that is, the three opening are over the entry hallway and can seen from below, so looks matter. Which is why clear would be idea! See wall opening in first photo.

Yesterday I was at Guitar Center and saw a free standing acrylic wall surrounding a drum kit, and thought, if I could make a much larger version, it could be a good solution for me. The panels were connected with, I think silicone, strips that run nearly the full height. Anyone know where I could find something like that? See photos.

My first concern is stability, considering the area I need to cover. Which would be a combination of 8 ft tall panels, in either three 2 ft wide sections or two 3 ft wide sections. My other concern is, WILL IT WORK? Do you think an acrylic wall can offer much, in the way of sound reduction?

Also, if anyone has a better solution, I'd sure like to hear about it.

Thanks -gg
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radiohead223

radiohead223

New Member
we use rolls of underlay or sound deading material here at our work for sound proofing of our CNC machines. works really well but just doesn't look to great at times. you can get the stuff from any carpet layers by the yard
 
BadAss

BadAss

New Member
Hey GG,
Well I can tell you that the plexi/Lexan that is used for drum particians doesn't actually muffle the sound. It is used to redirect it so that when in a smaller area the drums don't over power so much to make it hard to hear the rest of the gear. As far as in a home such as yours if you were to place it at those openings it would reflect a lot of the instruments back at the musicians and make the room very difficult to actually hear when trying to practice. We did a large area for rehersal and wanted to seal off a lot of the sound from the outter areas but still wanted to be able to see back and forth from controll room, so we did the wall with panes. So kind of sealed the wall with sound deadener and had 4' x 4' panes all the way across the wall. Looks great inside and out. But it is more of a permanent install instead of a temp one. Not sure on that side... M*
 
D

davidcarr87

New Member
i use to own a retail direc tv office, and we also did home theatre installs and a few other custom jobs,
the cheapest way is to go to a hardware store and buy the insulation foam board..like this----- http://www.insulationdepot.com/ -- you could paint it and get a frame so you could put it up and take it down,
there are more options..just depends on how much you want to spend..and how often you will be putting it up and taking it down..you say you dont want it perm..

maybe something like doors that open to the inside of the room..that would have something like this board mouted to it??
just an option..
 
D

davidcarr87

New Member
oh, and sorry, as for something clear..not sure if you know this but there are speaker boxes made from a clear plexi glass??
 
ddubia

ddubia

New Member
The acrylic around the drums does what a2z said, redirects the sound. It also helps to keep them from bleeding into the mics. Also, as a2z says, I would use the insulation panels. It's an inexpensive solution. To make it look better on the stair-side you could hang a nice curtain across each section.

To deaden the sound you have to stop the frequency wave. Anything hard, and flat, will simply cause it to bounce around. If you're used to playing in there now with that open wall, anything hard and flat you cover it with will have the waves bouncing around so much it'll sound muddy as crap vs. what you're used to hearing.

I'd hang a second curtain, have used blankets before, on the inside of the room. The more pleats the better. That would sandwich the insulation between two curtains. That would not only serve to block a lot of the sound from the main part of the house but the pleating of the inside cloth would cause the wave to hit and bounce around within the pleats effectively deadening the sound in the practice room which is always desirable.

Don't expect that Marshall stack to be intimidated by anything.:rock-n-roll:

We have a small basement studio with block walls. We made a make-shift stud wall half-way up. We filled that with fiberglass insulation and covered it with a thin black cloth just to make it look nicer and as a barrier for the fiberglass. Above that short wall we covered it with acoustic ceiling tile. Ceiling tile also on the ceiling. (One of the guys was a contractor and had been piling up leftover ceiling tile from big jobs). We also had carpet on the floor. That room was so dead it took a few minutes for your ears to adjust to it. It felt odd just hearing yourself talking in there upon entering.

That sound deadened room makes each instrument stand out on it's own without muddying up with everything else. It's especially sweet if you're doing acoustic guitars and vocals. It allows you to hear more of the nuances of what you're doing.

Unfortunately for us, that room got flooded twice as the home's sump pump died twice during a heavy rainy summer a couple years ago. We lost and not yet replaced the carpeting. Our solution, since we are not a gigging band, was to put everything into headphones. We have a Yamaha electronic drum set and now use no amps in the room. I use a POD on my guitar, mics for the acoustics and run the bass direct. In the headphones we sound like a recording. That solution won't work for you guys since it looks like you're a working band.

Soft surfaces will eat the sound and deaden it. Hard surfaces will only serve to make it bounce around the room.

I'd use the curtain/insulation solution in your case.

Good Luck and rock on!
 
omgsideburns

omgsideburns

New Member
Plexi would be better than nothing, but MASS is the only thing that will stop sound. It's still going to travel through the floor and everything else if you block off those gaps.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Over the years when I played in bands, there were those occasions where we had to be quite while practicing..... one of the easiest and probably most eye appealing would be simple 'Acoustical Board'. Its composition will keep the sound inside great and stop almost all sound from going through based upon the thickness you choose.

If it looks hideous from the outside or downstairs.... put another backer on it and make a vinyl digital print for it.

Don't mount them permanently, but put a few butterfly wing-nuts in the wall and slide your panel in when practice starts and you can enjoy television downstairs while the kids.... beat their heads silly. :covereyes:
 
ericmitchell29

ericmitchell29

New Member
What they said is right. That will not muffle the sound, and actually it makes the room the instruments are being played so much louder. The noise is all redirected back into the room. As someone who has tried this method, you'll create more issues than solving problems. I'm going to want to hear if someone has come up with a good looking solution as I still haven't solved this issue myself.

Eric
 
G

GypsyGraphics

New Member
YIKES! Boy am I ever glad I asked before even attempting to do one section in the plexi. I'd have gotten one done, thought it looked great and not know till spent $1,000, that it was a terrible solution!

I'd be better off with iSigns idea!
 
G

GypsyGraphics

New Member
BadAss said:
We did a large area for rehersal and wanted to seal off a lot of the sound from the outter areas but still wanted to be able to see back and forth from controll room, so we did the wall with panes. So kind of sealed the wall with sound deadener and had 4' x 4' panes all the way across the wall. Looks great inside and out. But it is more of a permanent install instead of a temp one. Not sure on that side... M*
Click to expand...
BadAss, can you clarify what you mean by "small panes." Do you mean sealing off part of the opening and only leaving a small section open?

a2z graphic solution said:
i use to own a retail direc tv office, and we also did home theatre installs and a few other custom jobs,
the cheapest way is to go to a hardware store and buy the insulation foam board..like this----- http://www.insulationdepot.com/ -- you could paint it and get a frame so you could put it up and take it down,
there are more options..just depends on how much you want to spend..and how often you will be putting it up and taking it down..you say you dont want it perm..

maybe something like doors that open to the inside of the room..that would have something like this board mouted to it??
just an option..
Click to expand...
Looks like those panels would do the trick, if i can find a way to make them look good. i'm guessing that once the panels were in place, i'd be the only one who'd bother to take them down.

Those opening can be seen from my office, during the week when i have clients here, i'd want it too look nice. so probably open during the week and closed on the weekends.
ddubia said:
Anything hard, and flat, will simply cause it to bounce around.

I'd hang a second curtain, have used blankets before, on the inside of the room. The more pleats the better. That would sandwich the insulation between two curtains. That would not only serve to block a lot of the sound from the main part of the house but the pleating of the inside cloth would cause the wave to hit and bounce around within the pleats effectively deadening the sound in the practice room which is always desirable.

...looks like you're a working band.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of the curtains, could have a kind a theater look. But how would i get the panels in between? If i make something like two swinging doors, i'd have a three foot door going into the room and blocking the only walking path in the room.

oh and NO, we're not a working band... it's just for fun. everyone else has been playing for years. i'm the only one who new to this and i'm the one who sucks and i'm also the one making the most noise. :Big Laugh

Gino said:
..... one of the easiest and probably most eye appealing would be simple 'Acoustical Board'. Its composition will keep the sound inside great and stop almost all sound from going through based upon the thickness you choose.

If it looks hideous from the outside or downstairs.... put another backer on it and make a vinyl digital print for it.

Don't mount them permanently, but put a few butterfly wing-nuts in the wall and slide your panel in when practice starts and you can enjoy television downstairs while the kids.... beat their heads silly. :covereyes:
Click to expand...

Great, here's another possibility! Hey, I could even take photos of the room, all tidied up, and mount the prints on the outside!

I've put up with their noise for 8 years, since we moved here, and now that i want to make a wee bit of racked, when i practice... sound is an issue. I think it's just a case of the... a bunch of boys can make noise... but one girl has to be quite. I won't be kept down or silenced by "The Man."

ericmitchell29 said:
What they said is right. That will not muffle the sound, and actually it makes the room the instruments are being played so much louder. The noise is all redirected back into the room. As someone who has tried this method, you'll create more issues than solving problems. I'm going to want to hear if someone has come up with a good looking solution as I still haven't solved this issue myself.
Eric
Click to expand...
I do think the solution is going to be a combination of several peoples ideas and experiences. I'm not thinking this is going to be quick and easy, probably a lot of trial and error.

signgal said:
GG you'd be surprised what budget blinds has to offer... i'd go to www.budgetblinds.com and look for someone in your area to come out and see what they can offer.
Click to expand...
Like wood blinds or simulated wood blinds? Visually i think that would be great... if it offered enough sound reduction.
 
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