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View Full Version : How to cut off some freuency from Rythmik subwoofer



rsmt2000
01-07-2013, 01:44 PM
Hi

I am a newbie and would like to know how to cut off certain low end frequencies from the rythmik F15 sub from going to my neighbor's apartment. I think some one told me that 40HZ-60HZ is the most annoying frequency for neighbors/common walls. I know I will be losing a lot sound wise but I want to be a good neighbor and try as much as I can atleast.

I already tried GIK and acoustimac and they honestly told that theiy cannot provide any simple acoustic panels to solve my problem. Complete construction projects are out of my financial reach at this point.

Thanks

Dark Ranger
01-07-2013, 03:46 PM
Hi rsmt2000,

I admire you for considering your neighbor's request. GIK and Acoustimac offer acoustic treatment panels for controlling sound reflection, absorption, and diffusion within the room. What you're talking about is more like sound proofing, which requires a whole different set of rules and technology, not to mention higher cost.

For a no-cost experiment, you could try using the PEQ control on the back of your Rythmik. This will allow you to reduce a swath of frequencies that may help the problem. Here are the instructions (http://www.rythmikaudio.com/amplifier_controls.html). For the quick and dirty version, first set the GAIN knob to 0 dB, and then turn on the PEQ control. Turn the BANDWIDTH control to MAX, and then set the FREQ knob to about 50 Hz (the dot around 1 o'clock). Slowly, rotate the GAIN knob clockwise to reduce the level of these frequencies.

You may have to experiment with the centering frequency. I'm not sure about the 40-60 Hz thing since it also depends on construction materials, resonant frequencies, and distance. Perhaps your neighbor can help you with this task by giving feedback as you experiment.

You might also try just turning down the sub much more than usual. It would still be there for all frequencies, but at a MUCH lower volume. Maybe that would help. Otherwise, if I were you, I might consider giving up the subwoofer in this case. My reasoning is that if I have to neuter the bass output that much (and basically create a huge hole in the low frequency output), why bother having one at all? I would probably just run my mains full range for regular music, and then use a low-cut crossover when I watch movies to avoid bottoming out the woofers with excessive LFE.

Another option might be to only play the sub when your neighbor is gone. I guess if it were me, though, I'd probably give up the sub.

I will let you know if I come up with any other ideas. Good luck. What a sad situation to be in. :(

Brannigan
01-13-2013, 10:21 AM
If it's before 10pm tell them this is america and they can call the cops if they feel like being laughed at.

Blutarsky
01-13-2013, 08:26 PM
I used to feel this way too. Wound up before a judge, and pleading a disturbing the peace charge, with an expensive lawyer in tow.

If someone complains more than once, the police will get serious. They have better things to do.

B.

rsmt2000
01-14-2013, 04:09 PM
Our county noise law is from 11 PM to 7AM. cop came once and asked to play whatever before 9 PM. He was laughing his @@@ out for the complaint.

BTW I am not a teenager and dont have the wish for ear bleeding bass. some of the complaints were when we were watching Finding Nemo with our 2 yr old. go figure :-)

Blutarsky
01-14-2013, 04:20 PM
I wouldn't push it too much.. Finding Nemo is pretty hardcore. Try this instead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyBWLALFLQ

B.

Brannigan
01-14-2013, 10:22 PM
I don't know why some people need to be fun police. There's nothing wrong with cranking it once and awhile as long as you're being reasonable. Keeping people from sleeping isn't nice but if it's between 10am and 10pm and you're not blasting it all day every day people need to relax. Maybe you should go yell at them when they're mowing their lawn or you hear their kids playing to see how they like being harassed doing what THEY think is normal.

Blutarsky
01-15-2013, 07:47 AM
I am a guy who has always enjoyed Rock and Reggae played at concert levels. We now have 5.5 acres and I have no reasonable limits.

As I mentioned previously, I got cited once for playing music too loud. It was in early evening and the complainant was 100 feet away. The police came twice. I got huffy because I felt that "I Had the Right"

I am a Registered Nurse who did a lot of shift work. Anyone that has worked night shift will know how precious even 4 hours of sleep can be. Basketballs, and Big Wheels were my nemesis.

As much as we like our music, the reaction to it will always be subjective, and our right to playing it, will always be superceded by the right to peace and quiet by other people.

Blutarsky

hearing specialist
01-15-2013, 02:40 PM
Hello there, the first things that came to mind when reading the post was placing rolls of carpet standing on end up in each corner. When I was doing some audio work in recording studios we use to use this almost all the time when trying to control sound, bass frequencies. The cool thing is that they can easily be adapted to room decor but my .02 is that bass traps are your answer. You want the corners to absorb the bass, while still enjoying those sounds. Also, sometimes church's love to give away their old partitions on wheels and those make for great sound absorbing pieces that can also be covered to blend into room. Just remove the feet and wham bam, there you go. Our church has the curved ones about 5' by 5' i'm guessing and a bunch of them. Would look super nice using all those along each wall and super dead room to boot.

rsmt2000
02-27-2013, 12:56 PM
Well, things took a bad turn or a good turn may be last night. My neighbor called cops day before yesterday and cops asked me to turn it down a bit. Yesterday my neighbor came in and was yelling at my front door and promised me that I will be put in JAIL. I asked him to go ahead and do that :-)

As much as anyone would think that the guy causing the noise is an idiot, I do not know which of us is the idiot. I keep seeing folks in forums who run the subwoofers hot and play over volumes around -10db and windows/wall/photo shaking. We dont play louder than -25db at best. Never saw or felt anything shaking. I tried to check the db level with an iphone app and it shows the average as 75db at the loudest and the peak as 88 db or something.

I spoke with 3 or 4 sound proofing companies which all recommended different things but all of them cost over $1500 -$2000. I called both the Dept of code compliance in my county and the local police who just say that we just have to keep playing the game. My neighbor has a right to call police if they think I am loud and the cops will verify their claim and give me a citation if they find that my neighbor's complaint is genuine. so far the cops have come twice and did not even warn us. Just asked us this last time to turn it a bit low. They do not enforce a strict db rule but I found something on the county's website which says any sound louder than 55db from the outside boundary of my property or inside my neighbors property is considered as loud.

I am honestly tired of playing a gentleman any more. I just need your suggestions. should I shell all that money and hopefully see a happy neighbour or ask him to pitch some money because really he is the one who is having a problem not me. BTW most of the sound proofing companies say its the guy who is at the receiving end who calls them to sound proof their place not the guy who is making the noise. I dont know if this guy will even be happy after I do all the sound proofing.

Just such a bad luck I guess.

P.S I volunteered to go into his place while I am using my system to see what really is going on his side. wondering if what I see is reasonable to me and not reasonable to him?

curtis
02-28-2013, 11:12 AM
Remember....


I keep seeing folks in forums who run the subwoofers hot and play over volumes around -10db and windows/wall/photo shaking. We dont play louder than -25db at best.

Those numbers are arbitrary, and don't really mean anything unless you have an SPL to correlate them to.


I tried to check the db level with an iphone app and it shows the average as 75db at the loudest and the peak as 88 db or something

The iphone app has been shown to be inaccurate.

Depending on how the place in constructed, bass levels of 88db could be pretty bothersome.

Hopefully your neighbor will let you experience what he is hearing.

Brannigan
02-28-2013, 12:46 PM
There should be special neighborhoods for people that work at night or can't stand other people having a good time. Jeez.

Blutarsky
02-28-2013, 01:01 PM
Those darn night workers, spoiling our fun.


B.

rsmt2000
02-28-2013, 01:38 PM
What would be a fairly accurate SPL meter that I could use when I go into his property? I tried Radio Shack meter but returned it back as a lot of folks said it is erronous.

I am working with Ted White from soundproofingcompany.com and have to admit he is really amazing. I did not spend a dollar on his company or products but I am mighty impressed with his knowledge and service.

Anyway he thinks that the problem could be a few resonance frequencies that could be the real culprit and if I can identify those, I could save my money just by cutting them out completely - which was the initial purpose and title of this thread.

Being a newbie, my plan is to play the test frequencies on my laptop connected to my system using a HDMI cable and listen on the other side to see if any of the frequencies pop out as annoying instantly. I do not know any better way to do this and you guys can help me here.

Is there a particular master volume at which I need to play the test frequencies? In my super enthusiasm to help my neighbour, I dont want to muck up my expensive set up.

Thank you


No they are not night workers nor do we play our system at night. They do not want us to play anything on our side at any time if they can listen/feel it. I will come to know what is really going on at his side pretty soon.

rsmt2000
03-02-2013, 09:32 AM
Time for an update.

I went to my neighbors place today and had my wife play the music at the same level when the cops came the other day. I did not hear anything at all. But he said he was able to listen to everything. Then I asked my wife to play the u571 depth charge scene at -20db which we never played at that level so far and I could barely hear the explosions and I am expecting to hear something. It was very much muffled. Then to make sure that I have not gone deaf I asked my wife to go in to his place and I played both music and movies.My wifes observations has been the same. she could not listen to any music at all and barely heard the bass notes in the depth charge scene.

Then we asked to guy to come over and see my set up. I showed him the recommendations I followed like moving the speakers away as much as possible from the common wall, plug the woofer cones behind the speakers, move the subwoofer nearfield, use only LFE setting and not LFE+Main, set xover to 120Hz, xover for speakers to 80Hz. He asked me show the subwoofer level which was set to -1.0 db. ( He was expecting to see this at +10 db and was surprised). I also turned the sub off completely and just played the same music through my L+R speakers and he could not identify any difference thanks to my Rythmik sealed sub which has ZERO BOOM. ZIP NADA NOTHING:-). He could not say anything else.

I politely but firmly said that I did what I could do on my own and honestly cannot bend over any more. He said he is ready to take it next level I asked him to do what ever he feels like and reminded him that cops came thrice and didnt even warn me a single time. He said he will speak to his wife and let us know.

Bottom line, I was imagining that I am rocking his house and blasting his ears but looks like he is just making a mess of things. I do not want to judge him but looks like he ( actually I honestly think it is the she that is the problem) is really very super sensitive.

There was no need for a calibrated spl meter or spectrum analyzers or anything. These guys need to chill out a little and adjust to a normal routine life in a multi-family situation.

so peace for time being before the next storm. sad situation.

Blutarsky
03-02-2013, 10:09 AM
Time to buy some good headphones, or quit using the Sub until you get a place without shared walls.
The power of the law, unfortunately, belongs to your neighbor.

Is it possible that his feelings were ignored by continuing to play the music loud, until he reached this point?

I understand your frustration. I chose the same battle once. It can't be won.

B.

Brannigan
03-11-2013, 08:59 PM
Start making up stupid stuff about him that annoys you and see if he likes it. I bet the human voice is audible through the wall too. Tell him he needs to stop talking at full volume with his wife between 12am and 12pm. Also that he smells and needs to make his place air tight so you can't smell his filth any more.

rsmt2000
03-19-2013, 01:09 PM
some peole are like that. They cannot let some one enjoy what they dont enjoy. I bet if they ever come to this side and listen to what I am listening they may realize what they are missing. This statement can be easily misunderstood. I am not bragging or judging them. once some one crosses a certain age, the listening abilities start going down, enthusiam to try new things goes down and hard habits/opinions and judgements sink in ( including this one). It always looks like the other guy is an idiot.

It is just my plain bad luck that I got very noise sensitive people as my neighbors. But I hope everything gets resolved soon. I will try not to play anything even reasonably loud after 9 PM and hope they will let me enjoy my system in the day time atleast.

Blutarsky
03-19-2013, 01:49 PM
There is always something. My pet peeve is Off Road Vehicles. We live in a gated rural community, and I am the Troll for insisting that The CC&R's prohibiting the use of OHV's is enforced. Sitting on our deck, and enjoying the mountain views is a lot nicer without the noise. But, the law is on my side....

B.