How to cut off some freuency from Rythmik subwoofer

[rsmt2000]

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]

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. 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]

If it's before 10pm tell them this is america and they can call the cops if they feel like being laughed at.

[Blutarsky]

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]

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]

I wouldn't push it too much.. Finding Nemo is pretty hardcore. Try this instead

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

B.

[Brannigan]

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]

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]

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]

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?