Got a noise complaint with E-kit

[concrete Building]

Just as the title says, that's exactly what happened. I know it's pretty reasonable considering it was about 12 AM that this happened, but now I'm searching for ways to make it so that I can play as much and as passionately as I can without disturbing anyone.

My main problem is that it's always a vertical problem, never horizontal. What I mean is that someone a few doors down won't hear me at all, but it's almost inevitable that I'm going to bother someone a few floors down. Back at the house, I kept hearing it transcended through to the basement, and very rarely was I told to stop when someone was bothered, say, across from my room or at the end of the hall.

Any ideas to help with this? I'm thinking of putting pillows where the pedals are, but I'm not sure if that'll hinder my playing.

[late8]

No win situation if you live above people. Only solution is to move to the bottom floor or make arrangements with your neighbors and play when they are not at home. The floor joists often act as ceiling rafters for the unit below in most multi-family dwellings which sends the vibrations down below. The load bearing walls which support the ceiling transmit the sounds through out the structure.



The load bearing walls are colored yellow.

[concrete Building]

I posted in the Facebook group about it, asking if there would be a scheduled time we can work out.

In the case that it's not going to work out, are there places that I could keep the kit and not have to pack it up, or would I end up having to give up playing altogether?

[Tin Toad]

it is probably just the bass pedal that is the problem. Yamaha makes a quiet bass trigger that takes all the thump thump out .. its not really the same feel but better then nothing. that is my only thought ..

[NPYYZ]

Just as the title says, that's exactly what happened. I know it's pretty reasonable considering it was about 12 AM that this happened, but now I'm searching for ways to make it so that I can play as much and as passionately as I can without disturbing anyone.

My main problem is that it's always a vertical problem, never horizontal. What I mean is that someone a few doors down won't hear me at all, but it's almost inevitable that I'm going to bother someone a few floors down. Back at the house, I kept hearing it transcended through to the basement, and very rarely was I told to stop when someone was bothered, say, across from my room or at the end of the hall.

Any ideas to help with this? I'm thinking of putting pillows where the pedals are, but I'm not sure if that'll hinder my playing.

Not trying to be a wise *** here but common sense would dictate not to play your kit at 12:00 am. Try and find reasonable hours to play like when other tenants are not trying to sleep. Or find a rehearsal space to rent, that's what I used to do when I lived in an apartment.

[CB700]

See if you can add sound deading material to the floor my help.

[marko138]

Not trying to be a wise *** here but common sense would dictate not to play your kit at 12:00 am. Try and find reasonable hours to play like when other tenants are not trying to sleep. Or find a rehearsal space to rent, that's what I used to do when I lived in an apartment.

Absolutely, that should be the first step. Stop playing when most ppl sleep. Period.

Second, it's the bass drum most likely, and Rich is right. There's not much you are going to be able to do short of moving to the bottom floor and working out a schedule.

[rmandelbaum]

Search the web on "tennis ball drum riser" They claim it works

[Pearl MCX Man]

This may sound stupid but maybe play without the bass pedal. Practice rudiments at that time of day this way you are not disrupting your neighbours .

This reminds me of a joke

My neighbour came knocking at my door at 2:00 a.m. and I thought how rude, the nerve of him. Lucky for him I was up playing my drums.

[concrete Building]

it is probably just the bass pedal that is the problem. Yamaha makes a quiet bass trigger that takes all the thump thump out .. its not really the same feel but better then nothing. that is my only thought ..

Is there a difference between a pedal and a trigger?

Not trying to be a wise *** here but common sense would dictate not to play your kit at 12:00 am. Try and find reasonable hours to play like when other tenants are not trying to sleep. Or find a rehearsal space to rent, that's what I used to do when I lived in an apartment.

To the first part of this, it was 12 AM, which meant that they could or couldn't be sleeping. My guess is that, since I didn't get an answer on FB, that they were sleeping (and maybe still are), but the fact was that I really didn't know if it was the case. 12 AM means anybody could be awake or asleep, especially with the recent release of Grand Theft Auto 5. The goal though, is to try and get it so that people aren't filing noise complaints during any period of the day.

To the second part of that, what are the steps to go through on that?

Search the web on "tennis ball drum riser" They claim it works

I might be able to work that out. Seems like the best solution to me, at least so far.

This may sound stupid but maybe play without the bass pedal. Practice rudiments at that time of day this way you are not disrupting your neighbours .

The problem will persist either way. If I'm thumping the floor with my foot, then they're still going to file noise complaints because of what late8 said. Also, the goal is to get it so that people don't file noise complaints whenever I am using the pedal (I might try Yamaha as Tin Toad mentioned), and again, during any time of the day. If the problem happens with my roommates and not people downstairs, that tells me that whatever solution I've come up with has worked, and at that point, it's really a horizontal problem. Which I'd be fine with.

To make things clear, the reason why I'm doing this is that I've had noise complaints not just here but back at the house with the family when people were awake, and just trying to watch TV or something. So it's obvious that it's still a problem that needs to be figured out.

[Tin Toad]

it is the Yamaha beaterless silent kick. it is a self contained unit that is pedal and trigger all in one unit. I have heard its not as responsive is using your normal kick but if it lets you practice when you have time it might be worth it.

[late8]

Any ideas to help with this? I'm thinking of putting pillows where the pedals are, but I'm not sure if that'll hinder my playing.

Pillows won't work. Not enough stability. Here's a possible solution. I cut and pasted from another drum website. It's the tennis ball platform but it can only help under certain conditions.

Cut and paste from VDrum forum:

Quote:

"For some of you... a tennis ball platform may not solve all your neighbour noise disputes. It will only near-elliminate noise through floors (impact noise)... not through walls (acoustic noise). And while the former is definitely number one for complaints, the latter (which some neighbours will still complain about) can only be solved by sensible kit placement (away from walls) and sound-isolating the room the kit is in (potentially quite expensive)."



"Ultimately, I went for the 'classic' two board design using 2 x 18mm Medium Density Fibreboard sheets cut to 1700mm x 900mm (MDF is cheap, easy to cut and has a good balance of strength and flex). I cut the holes using a 38mm hole saw. The image below shows the 'base board':"



"I used 13 x Dunlop Fort All Court tennis balls (I got loads of them cheap from a local sports shop. Now, you could use any tennis ball really. They're all fit for this purpose and worst case - even in the unlikely event of deflation - it's easy enough to replace them. I would however, recommend using the same make/type of ball as they can (to my surprise) vary in 'pressure'... for want of a better description."






"Tip:- Don't use juggling balls (too soft) or dog 'throw and fetch' balls (too hard)."

"The image below shows the 'surface board' laying on the bed of tennis balls. The 'surface board' is identical to the 'base board'. Mark out and hole cut each board individually. It's the most time-consuming part of constructing this platform... but don't try to 'cut corners' or time save by attempting to cut both boards together. You'll get alignment issues and you might burn out your drill. Clear the cut hole piece from the saw after each hole is cut... and allow the hole saw and drill to cool down periodically."

[late8]

continued...

Cut and Paste from VDrum Forum:

"I've added a 20mm gymnasium mat as a layer to minimise acoustic noise. It's firm enough to play on without making a KD-8 for example, move laterally or pendulum but absorbant enough to stop the board potentially resonating. It's also acts as a covering surface for the surface board ball holes. I've also used 6 x cable-ties on the edges (not shown) through the gymnasium mat and the two boards to hold it all together... which will make it easier to move it as a unit should I need to and will stop the surface board potentially rolling off the bed of tennis balls)."



"The underside of the base board has 8 x 15mm deep heavy duty rubber feet to further 'point isolate' the whole platform and to prevent potential sag if stood on. It also raises it enough so that you could run cables underneath it if required."




"Here, you can see the layers used (from Top to Bottom):-Protection Racket Drum Mat (folded back) - 20mm Gymnasium Mat - 18mm MDF - Tennis Balls - 18mm MDF - 15mm rubber feet"

"End quote"

[concrete Building]

It seems like the tennis ball platform is going to help greatly with my main problem. Again, it's usually not a case of lateral complaints. It's always a case of through-floor complaints. I also saw a picture of one of these risers on soft blocks. Would that also be a good idea?

I'm seriously considering this option. So for clarification, this will help mostly, but not entirely with through-floor noise, but it obviously won't help when it's on the same floor as the complainer?

[concrete Building]

it is the Yamaha beaterless silent kick. it is a self contained unit that is pedal and trigger all in one unit. I have heard its not as responsive is using your normal kick but if it lets you practice when you have time it might be worth it.

Couple questions about this, then.

1. Can you do DB?
2. Are you sure this is going to work with Roland?

If the answer to both of these is "yes", I'm totally up for it. It also means I don't have to constantly move the bass or any of the pedals.

[marko138]

Rich, that is genius.

[late8]

Rich, that is genius.

Can't take credit for it...just cut and pasted but thanks just the same!!

[marko138]

Can't take credit for it...just cut and pasted but thanks just the same!!

Well, you're a valuable source of information around here, you know that. I'd never heard of or seen that before.

[late8]

It seems like the tennis ball platform is going to help greatly with my main problem. Again, it's usually not a case of lateral complaints. It's always a case of through-floor complaints. I also saw a picture of one of these risers on soft blocks. Would that also be a good idea?

I'm seriously considering this option. So for clarification, this will help mostly, but not entirely with through-floor noise, but it obviously won't help when it's on the same floor as the complainer?

Quote form VDrum forum:

"The platform will work at it's best if it is, for it's given size, made completely symmetrical and optimised for the kit only. I've noticed that some of the drummers on here have platforms that include them on it as well... and if that works for you, then that's cool... but the potential problem with that is that you'll inevitably need more balls where the player sits (to support the weight)... inbalancing the platform surface... adding more rigidity... and therefore taking away from the isolating properties that you're after. The imbalanced surface board can also potentially act as an 'amplifier' or a 'soundboard' to the impact noise creating increased acoustic noise, requiring possibly unneccessary additional mats/rubber surfaces to dampen it. And providing a less stable surface to play on."

"So... with all this research, experimenting... and with the help of my neighbour monitoring the results in the apartment below... I have finally got a solution that works. For me. I say 'for me' because this post is in no way attempting to be a 'definitive'. And I know there are lots of you out there who have alternative platforms that work really well too. For all you newbies out there... use the search engine and take a few days to read everything."

Martin~

End quote-

[late8]

Well, you're a valuable source of information around here, you know that. I'd never heard of or seen that before.

Thanks Mark! I appreciate the kind words!

[late8]

Here's the orginial posters kit who created this tennis ball platform:

Quote from VDrum forum-

"And that's what it all looks like. Well... actually, it's all hidden under the Protection Racket drum mat (essential to stop the velcro'd pedals and KD-8 sliding). Note, drum throne not on platform. You know when you've made a good tennis ball impact noise isolating platform... when you hit a pad rim full-on... and you can feel the slight 'after-vibration' of the rack through your feet... you know the balls are working."

Martin~

End quote:

[wolvie56]

Looks like a cool project. But would a smaller, localized rendition of the tennis ball construct that just encompass the bass pedal area work just as well? But going back to the original problem, in my mind, it hasn't been addressed properly yet. 12AM is 12 midnight. Most people are sleeping at this time. Not playing video game unless your living in a college dorm. Besides, that is a late enough time for people to complain about the noise just on basic principles, even if it doesn't actually bother them. Work out another time to play, man.

[concrete Building]

Okay, for clarification, I'm not going to be playing any time past 11. I've vowed to do that. However, the goal of the project is to make it so that people downstairs aren't filing noise complaints, period. That means at 12 AM, that means at 9 AM, that means at 3 PM or 4:58 PM. Whatever time of the day it is, it doesn't matter. I simply don't want noise complaints. The situation I had could have easily happened at a reasonable time such as 3:45 PM, since you can file noise complaints at any given time of the day, for whatever reason. Maybe your toe hurts or maybe you just had a bad day. Oh, look at that. Someone's aggravating me even more with whatever that noise is. Time to file a noise complaint at 6 PM. Yes, there are people that bad in this place. Whether or not the people below me are like that, I have no clue. But I don't want to be "that guy" aggravating anybody at any given time of the day. So yes, while I'm promising not to play after 11, it still applies to times such as 12 Noon, or 5 PM, or 10 AM, or whatever. It could be the most reasonable time of the day, and there's a potential for me to receive a noise complaint.

It's also not possible for me to play during times such as 3 PM, since I'm at school then. I get home late enough as it is, at about 7 at the earliest. And I'm in a college dorm. Kind of. I'm in a student apartment complex, that basically acts as a third-party dorm.

As for the first part of your question, I suppose you could do that, but your feet would be elevated at an abnormal height. Not to mention that any shockwaves that go through the kit from playing on toms, cymbals, etc. also get transferred through the floor because you're hitting top-down. So just putting the entire drum kit on an elevated surface with enough cushion to dampen the noise that would normally get transferred through the floor, while at the same time being solid enough to hold a human and a drum kit stably seems to be the best option.

[Tin Toad]

I think if there is space for it the tennis ball platform late 8 posted is probably your best bet. I built a very similar platform once using closed cell foam sandwitched with ply for a little mini sound dampener and it did wonders.

the Yamaha beaterless bass trigger . (i think its the Ku100) will most likely work with roland I cant assure you but it is a piezo so it should work with most modules. two do double with it you would have to buy two. and the only place I can find it on the yamaha website is an option on the entry level e kit so take what you want out of that. still it might be the answer just find a local store you can try one out maybe, that is if you decide to go that way.

enjoy play have fun .. keep us informed .

[wolvie56]

Looks like to me that it wouldn't matter what sized version you decide on, it's still going to be at an unnatural height regarding your foot position. Both versions will be higher than the floor, right? Although the full version has it's merits as well. As far as weather or not someone will complain about noise coming from another dwelling. Pretty much every city, county, village has a noise ordnance stating that the time outside of the times between 9 AM and 9 PM will be deemed quiet time. In between those times you can do whatever you want noise related within reason. And the thumpity thump of a bass drum pedal and some muffled tom hits would definitely fall under the within reason category. So between those times, even your pissy neighbors can't do a thing about it. There's a lot to be said about communication and cooperation between tenants. Follow the rules of the community and you'd be immune to whatever hair might be up someones azz. Just saying.