# Soundproofing a room for guitar -with video demo of the results



## lando27music (Jul 21, 2016)

Hey everyone, a few years ago I researched and built a soundproof jam/recording room in my basement. 

I created a discussion video and photo album that shows everything I used. I also demo the room so you can hear what it sounds like with the soundproofing. 

discussion:





photo album:
Soundproof guitar jam room | Facebook


If you have any questions about a project like this, let me know. this one actually worked. 

enjoy


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

I refuse to visit fb, will check the video


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I put these in all my neighbor's mailboxes and then let nature take its course.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

lando27music said:


> Hey everyone, a few years ago I researched and built a soundproof jam/recording room in my basement.
> 
> I created a discussion video and photo album that shows everything I used. I also demo the room so you can hear what it sounds like with the soundproofing.
> 
> ...


You did an excellent job.


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## vokey design (Oct 24, 2006)

Awesome job, if any of my three children decide to take up music a room like this is in my future.


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## lando27music (Jul 21, 2016)

Steadfastly said:


> You did an excellent job.


thanks! it was work, but well worth it


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Thanks for the video!
Really interessing to see the difference between both doors open, only one and none.
If you don't mind, can you tell me how much it costs for the materials to build the whole room.
Feel free to answer or not.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Sorry, not trying to be a dick, but merely provide constructive criticism for anyone else thinking of doing something similar. It's a big investment and I do think what you've done will serve you well in this limited scope (guitar only), but wouldn't want people thinking this would do for anything more than that (you mention that in yer vid); their spouses would likely murder them. For full band jams (or even just bass or drums) one would need proper room-within-room with a floating floor (joists on top of and isolated from the original floor with neoprene pucks every few feet), but it's often easier to just build a cinder block outbuilding. ... or rent a space in an industrial building. Big props on the weatherstripping - people often forget about that detail. Also for the green glue as a constrained layer between double drywall - it's so simple, cheap (you don't have to use actual green glue, which is not so cheap) and rather effective, but a big warning to people trying to emulate this; think about the floor and ceiling, because you can end up wasting a lot of money and effort for little gain if you don't.

On to constructive criticism (pun intended). Since this is actually not room within a room (common floor and ceiling with rest of house or story thereof) you could have saved a ton of work and time not double studding the walls but instead using resilient channel there as you did with the ceiling. With the double drywall with green glue on top of the channel mount, it would have been just as effective in this case and you'd gain a few square feet of floor space.

Most of your sound transmission is going to be via the floor as there is nothing stopping it there. There are things you can do , even now after the fact. Probably the easiest and most effective (at this point) would be to use some sort of decoupling device under your amps and any other sound sources in the room (e.g. Auralex Acoustics | GRAMMA™ v2 but similar and just as effective devices are really simple to DIY). A less easy but effective thing is to ensure that the outer layer of drywall (the one floating on green glue) does not make physical contact with the floor (can't tell from your vid) - you can cut away the bottom cm-inch (because it's hard to cut away just a mm - you can cover the gap with baseboard but make sure it doesn't touch the floor). If you insist on leaning your amp back, put a gramma-like device between it and the wall as well.

As for the window, get some rock wool (like that Roxul stuff you used) and plywood and fill it in; easy (ply against the window, bit of natural gap there as the panes are recessed from the white frame, then rock wool, then drywall x 2 as with the rest of the room if you can). You can improve this with additional layers of ply or drywall and rockwool as well as more air gaps (not a bigger gaps, more gaps - more smaller gaps are more effective than one larger gap - there is sound intensity loss each time the wave has to change the medium it is passing through) - depending how much depth you have in there (pro tip - the pro Roxul is half as thick; like the panels you used but compressed, more rigid vs the residential version. you could fit more layers of that in there). You can also make it removable so that you can air the room out occasionally.

ETA: you mention the confusion between acoustic treatment and soundproofing - this is very important and I'm glad you mentionned it. I do however feel compelled to add, because egg crate came up - that it does nothing. Nothing at all for either acoustics or soundproofing. The egg crate shaped foam acoustic panels are another matter; I'm talking about actual cardboard egg crate (which I have actually seen people put up on their walls).

Incidentally, since Roxul came up, if you have any left over it makes excellent acoustic panels. Some tips on that in my audio blog: "grannygremlinaudio.tumblr.com/post/110653347288/on-bass-traps-this-has-been-talked-to-death-on" (sorry, can't make that a link because it keeps trying to make it embedded media and failing)


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## lando27music (Jul 21, 2016)

Ti-Ron said:


> Thanks for the video!
> Really interessing to see the difference between both doors open, only one and none.
> If you don't mind, can you tell me how much it costs for the materials to build the whole room.
> Feel free to answer or not.


no problem, I remember spending between $500-1000. I know that's a bit of a range, but it was about 5 years ago, and that's what comes to mind.


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## lando27music (Jul 21, 2016)

Granny Gremlin said:


> Sorry, not trying to be a dick, but merely provide constructive criticism for anyone else thinking of doing something similar. It's a big investment and I do think what you've done will serve you well in this limited scope (guitar only), but wouldn't want people thinking this would do for anything more than that (you mention that in yer vid); their spouses would likely murder them. For full band jams (or even just bass or drums) one would need proper room-within-room with a floating floor (joists on top of and isolated from the original floor with neoprene pucks every few feet), but it's often easier to just build a cinder block outbuilding. ... or rent a space in an industrial building. Big props on the weatherstripping - people often forget about that detail. Also for the green glue as a constrained layer between double drywall - it's so simple, cheap (you don't have to use actual green glue, which is not so cheap) and rather effective, but a big warning to people trying to emulate this; think about the floor and ceiling, because you can end up wasting a lot of money and effort for little gain if you don't.
> 
> On to constructive criticism (pun intended). Since this is actually not room within a room (common floor and ceiling with rest of house or story thereof) you could have saved a ton of work and time not double studding the walls but instead using resilient channel there as you did with the ceiling. With the double drywall with green glue on top of the channel mount, it would have been just as effective in this case and you'd gain a few square feet of floor space.
> 
> ...


hey thanks for checking it out. ya I did mention low end frequencies are hard to block, and this only does a good job with guitar. I actually didn't use resilient channels because I read the failure rate is pretty high if you aren't careful. What I did run on the ceiling looks like resilient channels, but it's furring hat channel with whisper clips. Same concept I believe, but the clips are much easier to work with. 

I wonder how the whole egg carton/crate thing myth came to be. I remember people years ago telling me about using them. 

and thanks for the ideas for the window blocking, acoustic panels, and bass traps. it's something I may do in the future.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Great thread & nice job on the music room! Moving into a new (to me) home in exactly one month & I've managed to commandeer a small corner of the basement as my guitar room. I've would love input from others who have some experience with this before I spend a bunch money for poor results. My girlfriend actually enjoys my playing (she's a keeper) however my new neighbours appear to be somewhat elderly, so my chief concern is keeping the sound inside the house. Here's what I'm working with:

Room dimensions: 14' x 6'6". May not have space for drums & I'd like to maintain as much square footage as possible. Since building a proper "room within a room" is probably not an option, I was thinking about applying either Green Glue or Audimute's 3.2mm Peacemaker to the existing drywall on the ceiling & exterior walls then adding a second layer of drywall on top. 

Other thoughts include a suspended ceiling with acoustic tiles (could add Roxul R6 Comfort Board I.S. above the tiles if need be). 

Or building a second wall inside the existing exterior walls. I would leave a 1" gap, then frame with 2x2 and put Roxul R6 Comfort Board Insulated Sheathing in between those studs (vapor barrier on the exterior of the studs to keep the Comfort Board in place) and drywall on top. Could also do that on the ceiling, although it might be a lot of labour, esp. if I'm trying to decouple the new ceiling from the existing drywall. 

The interior walls will be moved to add closets to the adjoining rooms, so somewhat of a clean slate there. I was thinking to stuff Roxul Safe & Sound bat insulation in between the studs and call it a day. Green Glue/Peacemaker + double drywall could be done if needed.

Will replace the current hollow door with a solid door (approx. $150 from Home Depot).

Would prefer to leave the existing carpet & underpad.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Roryfan said:


> Great thread & nice job on the music room! Moving into a new (to me) home in exactly one month & I've managed to commandeer a small corner of the basement as my guitar room. I've would love input from others who have some experience with this before I spend a bunch money for poor results. My girlfriend actually enjoys my playing (she's a keeper) however my new neighbours appear to be somewhat elderly, so my chief concern is keeping the sound inside the house. Here's what I'm working with:
> 
> Room dimensions: 14' x 6'6". May not have space for drums & I'd like to maintain as much square footage as possible. Since building a proper "room within a room" is probably not an option, I was thinking about applying either Green Glue or Audimute's 3.2mm Peacemaker to the existing drywall on the ceiling & exterior walls then adding a second layer of drywall on top.
> 
> ...


Looks like you have it pretty much covered Jason. We redid our basement a couple years ago and one suggestion is a good quality regular insulation is just as good and cheaper (or better according to my contractor) than the safe and sound. The solid door makes a big difference as well.


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## Guyfrets (Aug 20, 2012)

My understanding is that acoustic room treatment is not so much about soundproofing but rather sound shaping, specifically controlling frequencies. That said, my particular reference is recording acoustic guitar rather than sparing the neighbours from the excesses of an enthusiastic rock band jam session.


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## scotth (Mar 26, 2012)

Thanks for posting this, dude!


There's so much info on the net regarding sound proofing, but you're the 1st guy with a comprehensive results video.

What's the noise level like in the room above?

Any chance you could do the same video with someone playing a drum kit. (a example upstairs would help too!)




lando27music said:


> Hey everyone, a few years ago I researched and built a soundproof jam/recording room in my basement.
> 
> I created a discussion video and photo album that shows everything I used. I also demo the room so you can hear what it sounds like with the soundproofing.
> 
> ...


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