Cancel noise from neighbor with loud bass

[lmsmedley]

TL;DR Summary

Got an uncooperative neighbor whose bass is too loud and need a DIY fix.

Hello Physics Folks:
Having gotten a C in college physics, I figure you're better equipped than I to solve this problem, and I also imagine I've made it far
more complicated than necessary.

SCENARIO: I live in a house in LA. 100 feet away in my backyard is the property line, separated by a wood fence about 5.5 feet high.
On the neighbor's property, set 6 feet back from the fence is a shack made of wood.
The rectangle face of the shack facing my property is about 8 feet high x 15 feet long.
And therein lies a neighbor who plays his bass at night and it's annoying as heck.
The bass mostly seems to emanate from the left of the shack, meaning the sound mostly comes from an 8’ x 9’ area.
According to an iphone spectrum app, the bass is putting out chords between 65Hz and 130Hz at about -70db directly outside the shack wall.
Multiple requests to the neighbor to lower the volume or install bass traps have been ignored.
We'd rather not file city complaints and start a war, and LAPD doesn't care anyway.

Hence, a DIY solution is needed. Here's my thought and perhaps y'all will improve upon it.

The good news is the back of the shack faces my property and the 6 feet between the shack and the fence is pretty much inaccessible from THEIR side due to overgrowth on both side of the shack. But I can access that area.

I understand that “mass-loaded vinyl” dampens bass. What if I were to get some MLV, mount it on three thin pieces of waterproofed wood (each measuring 8’ x 3’) and just lay them flat against the back of the shack?

He'd never know it was there. The question is will MLV work and if so, what thickness?

I've attached a highly professional sketch of the scenario. The red lines are the area I'd aim to cover.

Your help is appreciated!!!

 

[Baluncore]

You cannot really cancel or absorb low frequency noise. Build a heavy 90° 'V' shaped, or a curved wall, close to the noise source, something that will reflect the noise back to their property.

If they cause a noise nuisance, then you have no choice but to file a complaint with the City. That is the process you must go through if they will not voluntarily abate the nuisance they are causing. You are not starting a neighbourhood war, they are.

 

[Klystron]

If the bassist plays solo, they could wear headphones saving others from unwanted loud sounds from speakers.

On your side of the fence, noise cancelling headphones work reasonably well at damping the frequencies you sampled but, as stated above, you may still feel low frequency vibrations and reflections.

A sound barrier could help depending on local building permits. CalTrans and DOT build sound walls around highways and post related publications.

As a software engineer, I worked with a physicist on electronic methods to cancel aircraft engine noise but within a cockpit, not in the open air. The system dampened sound in human hearing range quite well; visceral vibration, not so well.

 

[marcusl]

You cannot really cancel or absorb low frequency noise. Build a heavy 90° 'V' shaped, or a curved wall, close to the noise source, something that will reflect the noise back to their property.

Emphasis on “heavy”. You need a wall (concrete or cinder blocks, e.g.) that will not vibrate from the bass noise that you are trying to reflect.
BTW, won’t trespassing onto their property put you on the wrong side of the law?

 

[Baluncore]

BTW, won’t trespassing onto their property put you on the wrong side of the law?

It should be easy to stay on your side of the boundary fence, which is 6' from their shack, and 100' from your house.
Build a 'V' shaped, or a curved wall, so it is rigid, and does not vibrate.

 

[Bystander]

..., however, refraction of low frequencies becomes problematic, see single "woofer" stereos, and may require major acoustic engineering; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleph... range,rumble visualised with acoustic camera.

 

[berkeman]

Wait, is this your neighbor? If so, they just posted here in the DIY forum too!

TL;DR Summary: Can Mass-loaded vinyl be used to reduce bass volume?

If I play bass guitar, what can I do to the exterior of my studio to dampen the volume of the bass emanating from it?
I don't want to put anything on the interior.
The bass frequency range is between 65Hz and 130Hz and is-70db at the source.
Would mass-loaded vinyl attached to the outside of my studio do any good?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[berkeman]

Wait, is this your neighbor? If so, they just posted here in the DIY forum too!

Oh wait, it's you! How can you have a pesky neighbor and you yourself be playing bass?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Oh wait, it's you! How can you have a pesky neighbor and you yourself be playing bass?

My solution: the two of them should play duets.

 

[berkeman]

 

[lmsmedley]

My solution: the two of them should play duets.

haha -- yes, sorry -- I thought this post had been deleted by the admin so I rejiggered it.

 

[berkeman]

haha -- yes, sorry -- I thought this post had been deleted by the admin so I rejiggered it.

Well, so can you please clarify what is going on, and what your *real* question is? Are you the person trying to figure out how to attenuate the loud musical noise from your backyard neighbor, or are you the loud neighbor, trying to be a good neighbor and add some quieting to your listening room/studio? The best solutions depend on which one you are.

 

[lmsmedley]

Sorry! Yes I'm the neighbor trying to deal with the bass.
P.S. How do I delete that other thread?

 

[berkeman]

Which neighbor?

 

[lmsmedley]

The one trying to have some peace and quiet.

 

[berkeman]

Whew. Okay, I'll delete your other post where you claim to be trying to be a good neighbor and quiet your practice studio. Whatever.

So what do you think of the suggestions in this thread so far for attenuating the sound from your backyard neighbor? Do you own that home or are you renting (and hence cannot build any sound walls)?

 

[lmsmedley]

Thanks and sorry for the confusion.

These are all fine ideas and I'm a renter but the landlord won't mind. The problem is I'm not a terribly handy guy and building walls are not exactly my specialty.

Barring some construction miracle, I guess we'll have to take the administrative route....or set up a boom box that pumps out heavy bass right back at the shack and mucks up his playing.

 

[berkeman]

Are you the only neighbor with an issue? Have you had a friendly talk with each adjoining neighbor? Are the offenders renters or owners? Which of you moved in first?

 

[lmsmedley]

Haven't surveyed the neighbors yet, and that was going to be my next idea. I don't know how long the offending party has lived there, or if they rent or own, but the house's last sale was in 2014. The bass guitar started about 3 weeks ago. I will look into these great questions.

 

[jrmichler]

I had a similar call about loud music that was rattling pictures on his wall. The call came to me because I'm on the town board. He said that multiple requests to turn it down were ignored. There is no noise ordinance in this area, but there is a disturbing the peace law. My advice was:

1) Survey the neighbors. If they are not bothered, then you are out of luck.
2) If they are bothered, ask if they want to take action.
3) If they want to take action, approach the noise person as the representative of a group, and politely ask for quiet(er).
4) If no luck, write up a written complaint, and get signatures from the group.
5) Take that written complaint to the police and ask what can be done. Discuss noise laws and disturbing the peace laws.
6) If the police tell you to call the next time, make the call from the property line with the phone set to speaker mode.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Emphasis on “heavy”. You need a wall (concrete or cinder blocks, e.g.) that will not vibrate from the bass noise that you are trying to reflect.

Problem is that low frequency sounds will diffract around any wall - however heavy. There are two solutions here. You have to enclose either your neighbour or yourself in a continuous wall in a massive box.

You could buy some good noise cancelling earphones - several times the price of anything you already have, probably.

But my son managed to work the Environmental Health System in Clapham (London) A pub on the row of shops on St John's Hill where he lived in a flat was making very loud and very late noise. The locals caused such a stir with the council that the pub closed up and moved away (to some other poor devils, no doubt.) So it's not necessarily an impossible situation.