How iso can an iso box be?

[abt]

I know, how long is a piece of string. I want a 1x12 isolation cabinet, build or buy TBA. Something like this kind of thing http://www.grendelsound.com/.

I know that you will still hear sound coming from the iso box but I'm wondering just how quiet, for want of a better term, can you get it. Does anyone have experience with this? Could you get it low enough to use in say an apartment? Late at night?

 

[Norris-wf]

I'ma give this a bump as I too am interested in this. Might head down to B&Q someday and just get a pile of wood to get started. They seem like a great solution...

 

[Wolfeman]

I built one one time. I made it very thick, and used lots of dampening material. I'd say it did a good job at killing 300hz and up, but the low end was still very loud coming out of it no matter what I tried. And it's that low end loudness that pisses off the neighbors in an apartment, so I eventually just ditched it all together.

 

[Norris-wf]

I built one one time. I made it very thick, and used lots of dampening material. I'd say it did a good job at killing 300hz and up, but the low end was still very loud coming out of it no matter what I tried. And it's that low end loudness that pisses off the neighbors in an apartment, so I eventually just ditched it all together.

Ah, thanks for your reply, this is also what I was thinking, the low boom would be very hard to tame

 

[shred101]

what about if you built a more efficient box? I.e. incorporating rockwool as well as an air gap to increase the efficiency of the absorbtipn or maybe the industrial foam-lead-foam composite sandwhich inside the box?

 

[Wolfeman]

Ah, thanks for your reply, this is also what I was thinking, the low boom would be very hard to tame

Tad liked it for sure, but it wasn't my thing at all. Too much boom.

 

[Norris-wf]

Lol, good ol' Tad does love the boom. Did you try spikes to help isolate the low frequencies?

 

[Wolfeman]

Lol, good ol' Tad does love the boom. Did you try spikes to help isolate the low frequencies?

I tied all sorts of raising, lifting, dampening, etc... But the low end would still make it to the floor. Maybe using a ton of OC703 or something of that nature would help.

 

[Norris-wf]

I tied all sorts of raising, lifting, dampening, etc... But the low end would still make it to the floor. Maybe using a ton of OC703 or something of that nature would help.

Ah ok, and having a huge pile of that isnt exactly feesible either. Would you say there was still a reduction overall, or even in the middle of the day, would it still cause a disturbance Eric? It would be a shame to go and build one only to find that you still cant use it without getting a knock on the door

 

[abt]

Tad liked it for sure

Yeah but only if you steer clear of Pro Tools.

but the low end was still very loud coming out of it no matter what I tried

A had a feeling that would be the case.

 

[BLUElightCory]

You'd probably be better off getting a good DI and going the amp-sim route. It'll be easier, quieter, and you'll have a lot more flexibility in terms of tones.

 

[Harry Hughes]

You'd probably be better off getting a good DI and going the amp-sim route. It'll be easier, quieter, and you'll have a lot more flexibility in terms of tones.

+1.
What you lose in tone, you make up for in the things you mentioned

 

[abt]

You'd probably be better off getting a good DI and going the amp-sim route. It'll be easier, quieter, and you'll have a lot more flexibility in terms of tones.

I already do this, but I want real amp sound. Looks like I'm going to have to keep paying for reamping.

 

[Harry Hughes]

I already do this, but I want real amp sound. Looks like I'm going to have to keep paying for reamping.

Move in with me man. Just gotta provide me with beer. Lots of it.
I get to blast my Bugera 120 watt head any day of the week as long as no one is home and the neighbors don't give a shit

 

[abt]

Move in with me man. Just gotta provide me with beer. Lots of it.
I get to blast my Bugera 120 watt head any day of the week as long as no one is home and the neighbors don't give a shit

Cool brother, sounds like a blast! Bit of a commute though!

 

[Wolfeman]

Ah ok, and having a huge pile of that isnt exactly feesible either. Would you say there was still a reduction overall, or even in the middle of the day, would it still cause a disturbance Eric? It would be a shame to go and build one only to find that you still cant use it without getting a knock on the door

Yeah there was a reduction overall, but with the bass problem, I still found myself setting the MV at a bedroom level. So it kinda defeated the whole purpose. I should mention that this was a huge ISObox for a 4x12, so I don't know how different it would be with a single 12.

 

[abt]

I don't know how different it would be with a single 12.

You'd have to assume a 1*12 is not as loud as a 4*12, probably too loud still. I assume a 1*12 would sound pretty much the same as you only mic one cone anyway.

 

[BLUElightCory]

You'd have to assume a 1*12 is not as loud as a 4*12, probably too loud still. I assume a 1*12 would sound pretty much the same as you only mic one cone anyway.

The size of the 4x12 cab will create a lot more low end than the 1x12; the 1x12 should be easier to isolate (though the tone won't be the same as you'd get from a 4x12).

 

[Torniojaws]

I tied all sorts of raising, lifting, dampening, etc... But the low end would still make it to the floor. Maybe using a ton of OC703 or something of that nature would help.

You simply cannot feasibly block low frequencies, because their wavelength is so damn long. Here's a few examples:

(343 = the speed of sound in dry air at +20 ºC, or the average room, in meters/second)

300 Hz: wavelength = 343/300 = 1,14 meters (= you need at least 1,14 meters of dampening material to stop the full wave)
150 Hz: wavelength = 343/150 = 2,29 meters
100 Hz: wavelength = 343/100 = 3,43 meters

And just for fun, here's some other key frequencies for guitar:

800 Hz: wavelength = 343/800 = 43 centimeters
2 kHz: wavelength = 343/2000 = 17 centimeters
5 kHz: wavelength = 343/5000 = 6,9 centimeters
12 kHz: wavelength = 343/12000 = 2,85 centimeters

But of course, the density of the material also affects it. But common materials are not dense enough for practical isolation of low frequencies.

 

[Wolfeman]

You simply cannot feasibly block low frequencies, because their wavelength is so damn long. Here's a few examples:

(343 = the speed of sound in dry air at +20 ºC, or the average room, in meters/second)

300 Hz: wavelength = 343/300 = 1,14 meters (= you need at least 1,14 meters of dampening material to stop the full wave)
150 Hz: wavelength = 343/150 = 2,29 meters
100 Hz: wavelength = 343/100 = 3,43 meters

And just for fun, here's some other key frequencies for guitar:

800 Hz: wavelength = 343/800 = 43 centimeters
2 kHz: wavelength = 343/2000 = 17 centimeters
5 kHz: wavelength = 343/5000 = 6,9 centimeters
12 kHz: wavelength = 343/12000 = 2,85 centimeters

But of course, the density of the material also affects it. But common materials are not dense enough for practical isolation of low frequencies.

haha yeah those number pretty much confirm what I experienced. That damn box cost me around $120 to build, just to end up in the garbage when I moved out.