Drumming In HDB how to deal with "noise"

[Diehard]

druming in HDB how to deal with "noise"

Woh - a real interesting forum. Looks like Rudimental Drummer you are all fired up with your predicament. BTW, noise is noise; irrespective of instrument. When living in urban Singapore, good neighbourliness must prevail. There is always another way to do the same thing to achieve the same desired result. With your passion (5 drum set in HDB -POWER) surely you will fine an alternative instead of beating your head up the wall. Your thread, full with humour and imagination shows that you have the creativity that will set you apart to rise above the occassion...I am certain of this. Good luck.

 

[suns]

= BLofeld

You are right to say HDB wall being too thin. If the problem is your next door neigbor you can isolate that wall by building a single stud partition 2" away, stuff it with 4" 80kg/cu m rockwool, and 3x15mm gypsum with green glue damping. For floor, place a rubber sheet dimple type and thick carpet( stack them up using old ones ha). False ceiling as required, double layer. For door, load it with a heavy panel, put in door seal.

Maybe set up a sticky material resource list!?!

yea: drum likein heaven and wont cost like hell!:mrgreen:

 

[Blofeld]

You have got to effectively insulate all 6 sides of the room, including (very important) the thin HDB doors. This will not be affordable to many..and even if one does it, you can at best cut out only about 65 percent of the noise transmitted. I have done this exercise many times in CCs and clubs where the basis construction and design are more amenable to sound proofing, but have only averaged about 65-70 percent reduction...measured professionally by meters.

 

[lepak]

there will be no end to this for us HDB drummers, just depends on ur neighbours. Compensate is the only way.

 

[suns]

Just getting window isolate well by cutting the air borne sound already benefit many neighbor alone. Critical area do need to isolate even playing at low intensity drumming so a wall, window or door seal must help.

The point here is to identify and built the correct sound barrier eg. putting in panel to block sound rather than adding absortive material rather than none that could help in the sound isolation.

 

[lepak]

that sounds good, but the prob here is the walls are too thin, the vibrations will still go through, and some of our neighbours are just so damn pety. They even complain about my Ekit when I use headphones....

 

[Blofeld]

You make it sound too easy.

Do you have any idea how much solid barrier (the denser the better) it takes to cut down and average dB level of 95 (with peaks that exceed 105db) ..the noise level of a drumer in practice?

It's pretty futile in the context of an HDB flat unless you are prepared to spend in the region of $60K and lose up to 10-15 percent of volumetric space.

That's why they have those crabby little drum studios you can rent for $15 an hour...

 

[beboptang]

Hi All,

I have to agree with Blofeld. It costs too much, even for thicker private housing walls. Plus the extra ducting for the aircon and, plus there's insulation around the aircon unit, which is sometimes where the sound leaks. Renting studios still works out to be cheaper.


Peace y'all!

 

[suns]

60K for a standard HBD drum room?! - please do enlighten us on your construction to provide a acceptable sound level for neighbor.

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

With 60K... (to be rational), I better use the 60K to buy myself one of the Best Drums In The World ..... Hahahahah and I still have left-over $$$$. At the end of the day the 60K use up in Sound-Proofing ends up with not much of a Value and you can't sell them later-on right?.

Anyway, it was very kind of Mr Lim Boon Heng, he offered me at anytime in the evening to drum at the CC for free...such a nice man....

I mean If I've the 60K (which I dont have of course) - I can still buy a Pearl Master Kit and put it at the CC, and buy myself another Custom-Made Pearl and place it at home..I will still have balance money with 60K...isn't it?

I mean just to soundproof a room for drumming spending 60K is not rational, unless, you want a Jamming Room, but the HDB room is small and will be very clamp...so no point...anyway I dont think one need 60K to soundproof a room. 10K is very good enough already.

 

[Blofeld]

=RudimentalDrummer

Now at last you are getting the idea !!

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

OK I've finally received the letter from HDB.

Thanks to MP Mr. Lim Boon Heng (from Jurong Green CC), who had made a representation on the playing of drums for me at my flat about my passion on playing drums.

There were actually numerous complains from my neighbours (according to HDB) and that the noise from my drums is unbearable and that it had caused disturbance to my neighbours..as stated in the letter.

So, HDB seek my co-operation on this matter with the co-operation of all the residents in the block that a harmonious living environment can be achieved...........also stated in the letter

The above is what the letter states....so I asked the Council People "Does that means I can drum or Cannot Drum"...They say"Did the letter here states you can't drum". "I say No" - so it means you can.

But from the above letter as stated by HDB, I myself must (automatic lah) - meaning - close my main door, try not to play with too much energy (that a Rock Drummer will have to), must control and play softer in a reasonable way I guess coin as Jazz-Rock myself - and most importantly don't play till too late (which I never did-cause I'm pretty lazy so to say).

This is the final outcome of the complain.

PS: - Drumming is really loud cause my family cannot tahan it also especially me wify - now that I can continue drumming - she must have feel a little dissapointed, besides my neighbour - But I will be good - control playing too loud. I realise the person playing the drums don't feel it's loud, but those besides not playing can feel it's damn loud.

so.........HAPPY DRUMMING again....

Eric

Now that durian is bery cheap (season mah) , better buy some durian give neighbour eat (so maybe will paiseh to complain me again)........talking about durian, I am really damn "suah" last nite....someone choosing durian "shake-shake" the durian besides me and accidentally knock it onto my face...and it bleed, and it's swollen and still painful now - - blady fool got a few lobang more on my face...damn angry man me...this is not a joke.

 

[Blofeld]

You have come full circle and the outcome is essentially unchanged.

There is no law that says you cannot own or play your drumset in your HDB apartment.

But there are laws against creating disturbance to others dierupting the peaceful existence of other households.

Play all you want, but as long as you don't disturb your neighbours. A tall order...unless you insulate or play it elsewhere...or get a noiseless practice kit.

I can see your problems are unlikely to go away anytime soon.

 

[0lancelot0]

lol everything said is true, but im one of the luckier ones. believe you me my neighbour is also a drummer haha

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

lol everything said is true, but im one of the luckier ones. believe you me my neighbour is also a drummer haha

Hahahah Olanceloto - u mean you are one of my drumming Neighbours (one of the 3 of us) izzit at Blk4##, st 41 ??? Kekekeke !

 

[charles]

cop trouble?

ive gotton worse man..im a guitarist and i use a marshall jcm800 stack amp...2 4x12 cabs and i play it at 3/4 volume cos i like my music loud..<zeppelin influenced person> cops used to come 5 times a month<i live in a terrace> and they say that they can hear my amp about 500meters away..so i couldnt take it anymore and i got my dad to sound proof my room and then they only came once after that..the one time was that the police man asked me if i wanted to sell my amp cos his son wants the amp...obviously i declined! but sometimes music is music and you have to live with the fact that not all people appreciate music like you...

 

[plainsman]

hahhaa !!!! nice one to start my day.... LOCK NEVER DIE !!!

 

[Blofeld]

=RudimentalDrummer



So much hot air on this subject..but it boils down to own thing : Common neighbourly decency.

Everyone has the right to peace, quiet and privacy. No one has the right to do anything that causes unreasonable hardship or duress on their neighbours...whether it's noise, smells or intrusion of privacy.

Go play your drums piano guitar whatever...but be mindful of the fact that your neighbours may not enjoy your performance so keep the noise level down. This obviously gets very hard when you live in a densely packed estate.

Quoting the law can only help so much...there are many ways neighbours can make life hard for each other without the law being involved. (Eg the Everitt Road saga)

Be cool....not loud.

 

[underaged]

Got my first police visit today. Planning on getting hotrod sticks. Thats the most i'll do. i've already stuffed my bass with pillows. I use O rings for my drums but for the cymbals i do nothing about it. Anyway to reduce cymbal noise?

 

[BiGMac]

haha i got my first complain today . it kinda make me disapointed .
but it finally started me reading on this thread ,