Decoupling a floor: would this work???

[Executioner213]

I read this on the Toontrack website, I guess the guy got the idea from a dude on the Pearl forum...

Ok, so this is being implemented to use an e-kit upstairs and not bother the people downstairs. Heres *MY* question: in regards to soundproofing a room, when it is mentioned that the floor should be de-coupled from the rest of the
house/room/whatever, would this be the poormans way of doing it? Would it be efficient enough?

(here's the original: http://www.toontrack.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=34983)

 

[006]

That looks pretty interesting. I'd like to see what others have to say about it, looks like an easy fix, I would say as a temporary solution.

~006

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, intriguing - my only worry would be that if all the balls weren't always being equally compressed, you'd have some potential for bounciness...what materials are those panels, drywall?

 

[Metaltastic]

I like how they are "decoupling" the floor for an e-kit. Genius.

~006

Hahahahahahahahaa, yeah, that occured to me as well, but my singer (who is also a drummer) always gets bitched at by his downstairs neighbors cuz the "klacka klacka klacka" of the kick mechanism pisses 'em off (and they have a newborn baby, ugghh)

 

[Joematthews]

I think the better solution for a drum riser is to have a rigid board over some glass fibre, as I can see your solution creating a big resonant area betweeen the balls, like a drum head.

I can see it working if the top part was VERY rigid but probably not if it wasn't.

Joe

 

[006]

Doesn't look like drywall at all, it appears to be regular 1/2" plywood to me. With some covering/paint/veneer on the faces. Drywall would be a horrible thing to use for this application too, it would crumble.

~006

 

[Metaltastic]

Really? I admit I'm a construction n00b, but that does NOT look like plywood to me, I'd guess MDF if anything...

 

[006]

If you look closely you can see the plys. I was Building Materials Department Supervisor for quite a while at HD I'd say the faces do resemble MDF quite a bit, but the plys are there, and I never heard of/saw any MDF with plys in my time making orders for home building contractors or anything. I have seen plywood with similar veneers though..so that could the case. MDF would have uniform color and consistency over all faces and edges. Unless it's MDF on the face plys and OSB/regular ply in the middle layer. Who knows...

Looking at the original thread for this guy, he is located in the UK, so it's possible they have some goofy sheets over there.

~006

 

[Executioner213]

(Original post on Pearl forum)

"i originally bought 2 8"x4" sheets that were a half inch thick. most of that went in the bin. my riser is about 4ft X 5ft approx but you'd need to make it bigger for the tripod legs if you used stands"

It looks like particle board to me, but that wouldn't do either I don't think. No way is it drywall. Then, it looks like some sort of wafer/fiber over lay, the green stuff. Then it looks like theres a blanket or something covering the rest.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Hockey pucks will work as well.... and they don't roll.

 

[Metaltastic]

Or compress, more importantly - good call Oz! (of course the Canadian suggests hockey pucks )

 

[Executioner213]

Makes for less cutting of wood and they can be placed more evenly as well as stacked higher. Cost between puck vs. ball comes into question though...

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Pucks aren't the cheapest option, but you might be able to buy a bag of used ones from your local hockey organization.

 

[KeithTidd]

Tennis balls lose air over time, so i don't think those would be a good solution.

 

[Let it burn...]

IIRC, The Galaxy studios in Belgium (the biggest in continental EU) use a similar technique to raise their floor except that they actually use springs.

Edit: Check out their 80 channel API Vision studio

 

[MetalJonesy]

that looks like chipboard to me, interesting idea, but i cant see it doing much if its intended for recording in that room..