Not everybody likes Rics

[tennis_nick]

I got lucky. My neighbors on one side enjoy the music, and the one on the other side thinks I'm fantastic, so during the day, I'm free to roam the vast fields of my musical world

[ozover50]

I had a similar situation with my previous band. We'd practice in the singer's garage on Sundays between 1pm and 5pm and were never very loud. However, one biddy who lived two houses away complained to the local council and that was the end of it. Mind you, these people seem to happily put up with lawn mowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws all day.........

With my current band we just hire a rehearsal studio. $60 for up to eight hours - works out at $12 per head. Excellent PA with quality mics and stands, foldback, airconditioning, great lighting and large rooms.

At my home I can make as much noise as I like - never had a complaint. Maybe I've deafened them all......

[rick_ovic]

I once lived in an apartment where my neighbours would start up at 7.00am Sunday morning with this awful cheesy keyboard, you know the kind with the ****** "boom-chi-chi-boom-chi" drum beats. It drove me crazy for a number of weeks, every Sunday, same time. It was the last thing you wanted to hear after arriving home in the early hours of the morning after a gig.

Even though I played guitar, I hardly ever practised with an amp and I was always respectful of the volume of my TV and stereo.

Once Sunday morning, around 4.00am, I decided some payback was necessary. I hooked up both 100 watt Marshall plexi heads to their respective 4 x 12 speaker cabs, positioned cabs facing right into the shared wall, plugged in my guitar, rolled all the knobs up to ten and proceeded to play "Star Spangled Banner/Purple Haze" Woodstock version. You could feel the air moving in front of the cabinets and dust and stuff was shaken from the walls.

I never heard the keyboard again, ever.

True story.

[johnallg]

Sometimes the medicine can be pretty bitter.

[johneek]

Darren....Too, too funny!!!!

[rickenbrother]

In the mean time, get a smaller amp for practicing at home. Keep it off the floor and don't place it in a corner of the room.

I think that's what you meant, right?

Yes, that' missed word is from looking at a computer screen for too long!

[basjac]

Scott, your commentary: Remind them how loud you could be made me laugh outloud. I think I was driving at that by playing in the courtyard! Joey, I do have a smaller practice amp 15w that I turn up to 1 (oMG) that was two loud too! I guess I should have figured that a 100w amp at 1 would be too loud too! I believe it is the neighbor next to me. Not all of them. When they write those things they lie to make you feel guilty as possible. Darren, Great story! I think I will turn this into a positive though and look at it as an adventure and that maybe something in the universe is saying it's time to move. Say What kind of materials change the bass so that it doesn't travel so far?

[mdeayton]

A headphone amp (eg. Cafe Walter) or Tascam mp3 bass trainer is a simple solution to the home practice issue, and band practice at a rented rehearsal space solves the band noise issue.

[alanz]

Around here disturbing the peace happens at any time of day, not just after some arbitrary time.

If you don't have good relationships with your neighbors you are asking them to carry part of the cost of your band when you practice at someone's house instead of in a practice space. I am very lucky that my neighbors are cool with my various rehearsal stuff, but if they weren't I'd immediately get a rehearsal space. I need my neighbors and want to maintain good relationships with them because here in ex-urbia we are packed in tight and everyone has to to live with everyone.

[rickenbrother]

Joey, I do have a smaller practice amp 15w that I turn up to 1 (oMG) that was two loud too! I guess I should have figured that a 100w amp at 1 would be too loud too!

I was in a situation once with neighbors like that. Just knowing you're playing music annoys them whether it really is annoying them or not.
Best to keep your amp raised off the floor and away from any corner of the room.
Mark's suggestion of a headphone practice amp is a great idea also. I have the CD version of the Tascam Bass Trainer it's a nice practice tool. The new mp3 version is even better.

[jps]

I use a Raven Labs PHA-1 with AKG K401 headphones, no complaints yet!

[johnallg]

+1 for the Tascam Bass Trainer. Mine is also the CD version, but the mp3 would be really handy and portable (use a lot less poser then the cd version). Then you COULD play in the courtyard and no one would hear more than the pluck of the unamplified strings! The Bass Trainer also lets you shift the speed of the songs for learning without changing the pitch.

[vin*tone]

This kinda thing is even killing off band venues in Melbourne (Australia).
Apartments are going up around venues- then the new residents start complaining.


http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/ ... 93534.html

I believe the Empress of India is not booking bands anymore.
The last gig I played there- they had a 90db limit or something. I could even hear the phone behind the bar ringing from on stage. The bright side is that I could use my B15 Ampeg.... and it didn't even need PA support for the room!

[jps]

This kinda thing is even killing off band venues in Melbourne (Australia).
Apartments are going up around venues- then the new residents start complaining.

Same thing happened to Riverside International racing track. It was there long before all the development and then people complained about the noise and crowds. What were they thinking?

[basjac]

I forgot to mention that our band consists of 1 acoustic guitar and me on bass. Alan you hit the nail on the head. When she moved in 6 years ago I tried to have a neighborly relantionship with her but she wouldn't have any part of it. I figured she was just one of those people who doesn't want to know her neighbors, so I left it alone. Joey you are right too she is simply annoyed at the thought of music coming from our apartment.

How many for you home record? I know there are materials that change the sound waves of instruments to create a dead room. Is there a way to deaden the sound so that it doesn't go through the wall?

Thank you for all the wonderful stories and sugesstions. I know that I am not alone.