I'm too loud for my neighbors.....HELP!

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-- I'm too loud for my neighbors.....HELP!
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Posted by seven.dj on Jun-02-2004 16:52:

Nem you always give the best, most mature advice...

Heh, same thing happened to me at the beginning of the year. I got a note that read exactly "We cannot keep dancing all day and night your dance music. Please shut off." We have several minority neighbors (mainly Indian kids who come over to go to college over here) and apparantly they weren't used to the crazy scene a college has to offer.
A little offended by his lack of confrontation (rather than knock on my door which faces his door and ask me to turn the music down he writes 3 different rude scribbled notes shoving them under my door), so I wrote him and the rest of my neighbors a formal letter stating that I apologize in advance for any disturbance my dj music or television volumes may cause. I explained how I am hearing impaired and I sometimes don't understand exactly what volume I am playing something at. After all I'm deaf remember! I ended the letter with saying that please don't hesitate to knock on my door (of course I probably won't hear it :P ) and ask me to turn it down. My neighbors never complained again!

Ha I'm probably one of the few kids that can use a cop out like that but Nem is right you have to respect your neighbors. If you wanna keep playin music the way you like it you should confront your neighbors first and very nicely talk to them about reasonable times and levels you can play at. Everything works out nicely in the end

Matt

Posted by razzi on Jun-02-2004 17:08:

i hvae gotten complaints from people in apt building.. i try to mix in my headphones or really just kill the bass on the speakers. also, just record your set while mixing in headphones so its basically silent around you and listen in the morning. (or later in your headphones)

Posted by Scottaculous on Jun-02-2004 17:09:

quote:
Originally posted by Nemesis44
As some of the other posts have said, just have a little respect for other people. Even go around and apologise to them if you have to. You will be surprised what that can do, you may even find them willing to compromise in some way.
In most countries there are some really strict laws against how much you can harass your neighbours with sound especially at night. In most cases you can be evicted quite easily.

Just something to think about.

Cheers
Nem

Adding to what Nemesis said, go ahead and meet your neighbors. Introduce yourself and sincerely apologize. Tell them you're practicing to be a DJ while trying your best not to disturb them and then go ahead and give them your phone number. Tell them if your music disturbs them, have them give you a call and work something out.

Posted by dukes on Jun-02-2004 20:21:

in response to bass traps... they will do more for you than they will for them. infact downstairs or upstairs or along side will not even notice the diferance with them installed. they are to prevent reflection and reverb of the sound around the room.

the cause of downstairs problems are due to 2 things vibration and the actual sound traveling through the air (technicaly a vibration). to solve the problem you neer to aply some form of shock absorbtion for the vibration. for the actual sound it neads to be reflected by some solid material and absorbed by some porus material.

most of the mats and tiles you can get out there will act as shock absorbers and sound absorbtion so you dont need to think too much about vibration absorbtion (but do keep it in mind). as for sound reflection you will require flat hardboard (like chipboard). your floorboards could be adiqute providing there are no large gaps and it is wood (yes you do get cocrete floors). the reflective layer has to be undernieth the absorbtion layer or you are waisting your time.

you can get soundproffing and vibration proofing mats/tiles which can (if you get decent ones and do it properly) reduce the effective volume for downstairs by one half (technical terms: will drop transmition by 10Db). half of the volume is a significant drop but it could set you back �100-�200. the tiles will replace your existing (if any) carpet.

ideal (for cheapness) would be

1. soundproofing mat (very thin)
-------------------------------------
2. | soundproof tiles layer |
-------------------------------------
3. | soundproof underlay |
-------------------------------------
4. |flat hardboard (used as floorboards)|
--------------------------------------

this will be aprox 2inch thick not including the hardboard.

a quick lowdown of what each layer does:

1. the soundproofing mat to be honest is not really needed but every little helps and these things do a suprising amount of vibration and sound absorbing. these things are pretty cheap and even on thier own could make a reasonable diferance

2. the soundproof tiles are sound and vibration aborbers. these are pretty expensive and if you dont want the mats since they are not totaly necisary can be obtained slightly carpeted (limited colours) and are very hard wearing.

3. the underlay does pretty much the same as the tiles but also is there for the same reasons as normal underlay. this can be reasonably expensive too.

4. the hard board is reflective of sound. any sound not absorbed by the previous layers gets reflected back and absorbed more. obviously some will get through. pray that your floorboards are ok for this as this has the potental to be very expensive if you plan on replacing your currant floorboards with new flat ones (tends to be old buildings that dont have adiquite floorboards). a cheaper solution to replacing them is to attach the new hardboard on top. it should be butt jointed to the floorboards for maximum effect.

this is the cheapes way of doing proper soundproofing and like i said can reduce sound transmition through the floor by up to one half or possably slightly more. the half volume drop does not sound like much in words but it is a significant drop in real terms.

if you want a better and very more expensive way of fully soundproofing the entire room including info on walls, cieling, doors and windows (effectively making a room in a room) or just want more info feel free to PM me as i have extensively reaserched soundproofing.

if your not willing to splash out a few hundred pounds (uk) then do as nem said and speak to the nieghbours and they will probly be up for sorting something out with you.

Posted by lucaslight on Jun-02-2004 21:31:

thanks for all your input....what I did is write a note with their note attached saying that I was sorry and asked them to contact me so we can do a "sound test".....I'll throw on some hard trance and find the level where they can't hear it. My speakers (just bookshelf) were in my huge cabinet, so I took those out and stacked cardboard boxes on either side of my setup (it looks very ugly....a vacuum cleaner box, vinyl mail-order boxes, etc). So now the monitors are a lot closer to my ears so I can hear the beat easier without it being so loud. I did have the police called on me awhile ago....it was a sexy lady cop i have a pcv275 so it only has split cue, so for practicing beatmatching, its okay (yawn), but I record my mixes and listen to them at work the next day. I do recall pounding on the wall friday night when I was playing especially loud, however, there were 2 girls getting ready to go out changing in my bathroom, and they needed a "full length mirror" so I had them stand on chairs, and I thought the pouding was them getting on/off the chairs? yeah, i know it sounds stupid, cuz it is, but after x number of beers, things make sense easier...as far as soundproofing, thanks for the input, but I can't spend money on that right now, plus my lease is up soon. or maybe I should get some tweeters and string a wire into their apt so they can hear the treble along with the "thump, thump, thump"??

Posted by Freak on Jun-02-2004 21:48:

This is why i will never live in another apartment again.
When i lived in london used to hear music, stairs, walking,talking, f*cking- the whole lot through the floor and ceiling.
Used to wind me up loads

Posted by djtrinity on Jun-02-2004 22:00:

i just wanted to share a funny story while on this issue.....i used to have an apartment in the west village in nyc.....friday night we used to go to twilo and after that 6/7/8 am realm we would all go back to my place and have after parties....of course the decks were set up and i kid u not.......would pump that shit in the apartment @ those early hours in the morning.....u would go outside and hear the shit down the block.........

oddly enough no one ever complained.....one morning we got a knock @ the door and 2 people were there from a upper floor apartment...

not to complain.....but to introduce themselves and join the party...one freak was even a news broadcaster....no joke..

Posted by D Dubya on Jun-02-2004 22:10:

Damn Trinity,
that sounds like a good time. I had a blast clubbing in NYC, but we never really went to any good afterparties except for the ones the promoters we were with knew about.... And most of those were just gatherings afterhours at a closed club. Lots of drinking, but no loud music or lots of gorgeous girls. More laid back....

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