soundproofing a garage

[lynch1]

My band is going to be practicing in my garage. I live in the borough of Hollidaysburg and people there are pretty touchy for the most part. I am looking to soundproof my garage but don't want to lose its functionality. I park my car in the car port. The only thing in the garage are some tools, a grill and my mower. Any suggestions

[Punkinhead]

For them to really not hear anything, you are looking at nice chunk of $$$.

You need several of a couple of these:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/rec/navi ... 001+305220

But, if you can get an assload of thick mattresses for the main walls, you might save some cash.

[lonewolf]

One way to soundproof is to build a new stud wall (and ceiling) with a 1" air gap between it and the existing wall. Might be a little overkill and you'd have a problem with the garage door. You could do it on 3 walls and use mattresses on the door, like Punkinhead said.

If the studs are still open on the inside, you will want to insulate them with sound quality insulation and finish the walls with sound deadening material. If the walls are already finished, you don't have many options except the stud wall (1st paragraph) or putting sound deadening material on the existing walls. You may as well go to Ollies and pick up some rugs and hang them rather than spend huge bucks on studio foam.

[songsmith]

Yep. The studio foam would smack down standing waves and attenuate high-end response, but you'd still be able to hear pretty much everything outside the garage. It takes either mass or distance to stop all the sound, hence adding a seperate studded wall inside the other one. I'd even double the sheetrock, it tightens up low-end, and stops sound leakage. You also have to remember the ceiling/roof area as well... if it's a drop ceiling, the sound simply leaks out there, so you have to add mass there.
The rugs are a good idea if you're on a budget... they help a bit, and more importantly, they show any cops that you're making an effort, which in my experience, goes a long way when there's a complaint.
Incidentally, the easiest thing to do is turn down your amps, and get a cheap headphone amp for monitoring. That's my goal... a practice system that leaves no outside sound except vocals. Of course, I'm picking bluegrass now, and old people seldom complain about bluegrass.---->JMS

[onegunguitar]

Move to the country.

[SpellboundByMetal]

OR just dont care what your neighbors think.
We jam until about 10pm here, and HAVE jammed until almost 12am a couple times.

[Charltor]

Move to the country.

I hear ya, I live in the borough too..If I turn my half stack up to 2 the neighbor is calling the 5-0. IT SUX for the taxes you pay to live here.

In Baceman's old crib, we had an awesome sounding jam room that retained alot of volume by covering the walls double thick with moving blankets and staple gunning cardboard egg crate flats all over the walls. The sound was really tight in there and it drastically reduced the volume escaping to a dull tone.

The time of day when you are practicing may be the key to avoiding complaints if you try to go the cheaper route. Afternoon- early evening, not at 10 at nite. Good Luck

[BDR]

If a band practices in a garage in the middle of the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

r:>)

[floodcitybrass]

You could try this stuff
http://quietsolution.com/html/quietrock ... gQodrjYuBw