The Song Fight Bulletin Board

OK, so my studio is moving into the elevator foyer...from the closet. Yeah, I put carpet down, and it will be a nice space, but there are two open doorways (no doors) and one elevator door. I need to hang insulating curtains to soundproof as best I can so that I can record acoustic guitars and vocals in the middle of the night without too much concern. Does anyone know of good supliers of such stuff? Or have better suggestions.

It's a difficult place to photograph...but some sort of quilted roll-down or hang-over material to cover that elevator door, and also to hang in the open doorways should work:



I'm just trying to make it as quiet as possible, not eliminate all noise. I'll call the elevator so the box will help stop some sound going up and down the shaft (only 5 units here so it doesn't move at night).

Here are places I've checked so far. Nothing jumps out yet:
http://www.soundproofing.org/index.html
http://www.soundprooffoam.com/links.html[/img]

This seems to meet your criteria. I'm not sure what you're wanting to spend so if that's too much, go to a thrift shop and get some cheap blankets.

*waiting for Blue to suggest getting used futons from Craig's list*

The only thing that stops sound is mass. So the densest material you can find will be the best. How about some heavy velvet curtains? What about buying a solid core door and installing it? I suggest you make some broadband absorber panels that you can stack up and fit in the doorway, that way you get sound proofing as well as some sound controlling.

Ken

ken wrote:The only thing that stops sound is mass. So the densest material you can find will be the best. How about some heavy velvet curtains? What about buying a solid core door and installing it? I suggest you make some broadband absorber panels that you can stack up and fit in the doorway, that way you get sound proofing as well as some sound controlling.

Ken

I'm going to start with Dan-O's link. This is very central in our living space, so major installation is out. I'll see how those panels work hung across the doors. If I need more I can make something I bring up from the basement, but I hate having to build something each time I want to make noise.

Thanks, though, for all recommendations.

did you see this?

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/curtains.htm

Yup, that link was in my original post. From what I see, those drapes are more about deadening sound rather than soundproofing. And they're bad ass ugly. I think a douve cover will spruce things up...no, I'm actually not worried so much about how they look, just seemed the others were better suited for keeping the sound local.

Up at my club, there's the main room/dancefloor, and a back room for smaller jazz combo/cocktail-type events.

The only real thing between these rooms is a ~20-ft hallway, and 3 heavy curtains. Granted, the walls between them are thick and multi-layered, but the hallway was the biggest sound problem before the curtains went up. The curtains are nothing special, but they are a little heavier than you'll find in the average home, I suppose. They do a fantastic job. The only thing that tends to penetrate is low frequencies, and only at a negligible level.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but uh, curtains are good.

neoprene!


and by neoprene, i mean used neoprene futons from craigslist.

Too late. I expect eight units of Dan-O-matic material from eBay via FedEx. Will post pictures and results.

sew some neoprene onto those shipping blankets and it'll stop sound, too.