Drums at home - sound-proofing Q....

[Michael]

I hope to move into a detached home at some point and would love to take up the drums....

...I think it would be amazing banging away (on the drums) and singing at the top of my lungs to some pink floyd in my living room.....

However, Im really not sure if double glazing windows when closed will actually contain the noise of a bass drum enough that I wont annoy the neighbours while they sit in their gardens. In saying that if they are sitting outside enjoying the sun (which is rare) and one has some music up loud (windows shut) they shouldnt really be bothered by that eh? ...and that could be just as loud as drums...or could it??

Is this just one bad idea and i'll need a completely isolated house?

[dezzy]

You could get an electronic kit and headphones

[Kev]

I made an agreement with my old neighbours, i.e. wont play after 1930. Sometimes it all depends how your neighbours are, I’ve been really lucky. I also got a set of silencing pads, basically rubber mats, which are great, used them all the time in my old flat. It won't just be the bass drum you have to worry about

[SteveCowen]

Simple answer - drums are REALLY loud and need loads of soundproofing if your proposed house is anywhere near other houses. I played drums (in a heavy metal band, mind) for nigh on 20 years and always had issues with soundproofing. I built a studio at my last house, which could have saved my life had there been nuclear warfare, and the noise STILL got out. No real surprise, the SPL of a snare drum can be 110-120dB. The only answers are serious soundproofing, buying a house a long way away from other houses, or an electronic kit. I recently bought a Roland TD-20, which is superb. If I was still playing seriously I'd probably be using this anyway, it's that good. Oh, or the other answer would be to take up guitar instead. You'd get all the royalties then... (not bitter about the guitarist in the band having made all the money as you can tell)

[Corranga]

Buy a 360 and Rock Band instead

Na, seriously having been on the other side of this (girlfriends mum lived in a flat adjacent to a guy with drums) the noise they make really is loud, and this was travelling from opposite ends of 2 buildings, that were not attached!

Chris

[graeme]

You could get an electronic kit and headphones

Nah, completely different feel to a proper kit. Practice pads (rubber mats that sit on top of the skin and kill the sound) would help but will kill the feel too, so might as well buy an electronic kit instead of going down that route.

If you get a real kit, get some old carpet (or ask a carpet shop for some old samples) and put a couple of layers under the kit. Put lots of heavy furnishings in the room too (cushions, thick curtains etc). Put a thick blanket like a travel rug or even a single duvet in the bass drum (so when shopping for a kit, get a bass drum with a hole in the front skin to make this easier). If you're really keen to keep the noise down, take the top skins off and put a towel inside the snare and each tom, but that's a pain because you have to retune every time you put them in or take them out. You can stuff a yellow duster into the hi-hat and lay a small towel on each cymbal too. Beyond that, you're stuffed really - it's going to be LOUD.

Do not put gaffer tape on the drum skins and cymbals to dampen them. It's a pig to clean it off again and any solvent will trash the skins (frickin' recording studio sound engineers...) and it'll dampen them a bit but not really get rid of much volume anyway.

Just go for it. Buy a reasonably cheap second hand 5-piece kit and you won't lose much if you need to sell it again next week. If you spend £1000s on a pro kit, it might be harder to shift, but there are always kids looking for cheaper kits so get a simple one until you know you're sticking with it, then trade up.

Also, if you try different styles you can keep the average noise down. You wouldn't play swing/jazz as loud as heavy rock for example.

Plus, initially you will spend most of your practice hours learning rudiments and coordination, and you can do that on a table top or practice pad.


G

[jen]

I made an agreement with my old neighbours, i.e. wont play after 1930.

I agree. Alan practices his guitar every night and you can hear him down the street. Prob best to consult your neighbours. If you get on reasonably well and they dont have any young children, you wont have a problem.

Put lots of heavy furnishings in the room too (cushions, thick curtains etc). Put a thick blanket like a travel rug or even a single duvet in the bass drum (so when shopping for a kit, get a bass drum with a hole in the front skin to make this easier)

Agree with this too. The more furniture, the better!!

If your thinking of buying drums, please invest in some decent ear protection. Im 25 and have little hearing left due to playing in orchestras/bands/teaching brass instruments to children in the smallest room the school can find etc...... wish I had done this a long time ago.

Driving a car like a lotus probably doesnt help either, mind!!!

Jen

[Jamie84]

I had my yamaha maple custom absolutle kit up for sale recently for around 1.2K , had a few offers but ended up rejecting them as I felt I couldnt part with it .Dont have the time to play anymore and gave up giging a long time ago but having had a shot of a few high end electronic kits I would say for sheer fun and practicality splash out on some V-drums

Okay so they arent quite the same but the technology is getting better all the time and unless your playing really intrequet, precise and extremely difficult soft offbeats etc. you wont have any grumbles using electronic over original.

Add the fact that every kit sounds superb thus making you sound 10 times better , Sound wise with standard kit, you wont be happy with what you got untill you have spent a fortune on equipment just lusting for a better sound . It can become an expensive hobbie.

Decent v drum kit with mesh heads for realistic feel around 1.5k second hand I think , somthing like this but I think your after the td12 module.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROLAND-TD9KX-V-EL ... 1|294%3A50

[Michael]

Hmmm. I knew it would be loud but not that loud....hmmm.
All that has given me real food for thought.

I'd like a really long living room, drums at one end....

Would you say drums with windows closed is the equivalent of someone having a stereo on but with the windows open? Cant be ar$ed with an ASBO.....

Aaaaaahhhh...really want drums....this is gonna need some amount of planning...

Cheers

[Michael]

Oh, and that TD20 looks incredible..... I take you still have the feel with it...? Do they need serviced?

[Jamie84]

When I played the roland Vs I was very impressed , the synthetic mesh pads can be tightened to suit and in my opinion allowing you to play better faster and easier. Great fun and so many sounds to play or play along with.

I think the td20 is the one with the latest Hihat stand and improved cymbals and deeper toms ? 4k ?

do it

I dnt have the space in the new place or Id be chopping my yamaha in for a set .

[tut]

Move to Old Deer.

Average age 85 and deaf aid salesmans heaven.

tut