Soundproofing music venues can be tough. Music venues are meant to be loud, attracting fans for a lively and fun listening experience. However, if your venue is surrounded by other business or residences, noise complaints are often a negative reality. To avoid fines and unhappy neighbors, read our simple yet effective ways to soundproof your venue.
Absorption Panels for Music Venue Acoustic Treatment
Music or performance venues should be properly treated for acoustics, otherwise the listening experience can be negatively impacted. You need a good balance of sound absorption and sound diffusion anywhere music will be played, especially if there are low bass instruments involved.
Absorption panels are hung on the wall and most effectively absorb echo and reverberation in a single room. These are offered in various fabric wrap finishes or even custom art to perfectly match the decor and style of your venue. They also increase speech intelligibly and will make the quality of the music clearer.
Along with acoustic wall panels, it may also be necessary to hang acoustical diffusers in music venues. While acoustic panels are meant to help absorb high frequency echo, it’s hard for many products to really absorb the low frequency echo. Diffusers are made of a rigid plastic that diffuses the low frequency echo, and helps it to dissipate since it can’t be fully absorbed. Using acoustic panels and diffusers together results in a more balanced music sound.
Acoustic Stage Materials
Using materials that absorb rather than deflect sound on stage can make a huge difference in the amount of noise coming out of your venue. Carpet on the stage will absorb and trap echo and reverberation, increasing the sound quality and decreasing excess noise disturbances for neighbors. The thicker and plusher the better! If carpeting the entire stage is not possible, placing a carpet square just under the drum set will also be effective at just keeping the stage from vibrating too much.
Another option for acoustical treatment on the stage is to hang thick, heavy curtains behind and even below the stage area. For behind the stage, this will require separate curtain rods for hanging the acoustical curtains. These will help to absorb sound that would otherwise reflect back out to the audience from behind the stage. You can also place heavy curtain material around the lower perimeter of the stage using Velcro, and this solution can also keep any wires or equipment under the stage hidden.
Treating Basements for Band Practice with Acoustical Wallpaper
Consider some DIY options for soundproofing a music venue, especially if you’re performing from a basement or garage. If you’re performing or practicing in one of these, chances are you’re bothering the people who live in your house and any neighbors you have. In this case you’ll need to consider some soundproofing materials rather than acoustical materials.
Some people may refer to mass loaded vinyl as “acoustical wall paper”, which can be somewhat true, but it should never be left on a wall by itself. When using MLV over existing drywall, you will always need to cover it with a new layer of drywall to permanently hold it in place, and to get some sort of sound reduction results.
MLV is commonly used to soundproof walls in commercial projects, it prevents sound from traveling through the walls into adjacent spaces. Be considerate of your housemates and neighbors, and consider treating your band practice venue with mass loaded vinyl. It transforms thin walls into sound suppressing structures, reducing sound from leaking out of the venue and disrupting neighbors.
Soundproofing Doors for Concert Venues
A lot of noise can escape the venue through doors, but this problem can be easily solved with the proper soundproofing products. Door sweeps are placed underneath the door, effectively closing the gap between the door and the floor so that no noise can leak through it. Door seals lock around the perimeter of the door, containing noise to the inside of the venue so that it does not transfer outside through the door.
Soundproofing and Acoustically Treating Music Venues
In summary, we recommend treating your music venue with acoustic panels and diffusers for superior sound quality. If sound disturbing neighbors is the main sound issue you’re experiencing, consider soundproofing the music venue walls and doors using mass loaded vinyl, door sweeps and door seals.
Did any of these tips work for your venue, making for more satisfied concert goers and neighbors?
If you are interested in learning more about soundproofing music venues, read this case study by our sister company, Commercial Acoustics.
