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megalith6 18 March 2011

Hi,

Newb.

Have a 'sound-dampened space' type studio, pint-sized but cool for audio acoustics (no echo funilly enough). Although I built natural ventilation into it (like 'air bricks' sort of thing) it gets kinda hot in there after about 20 minutes singing. I have experimented with a small DIY extractor fan at a distance from the studio but the hum of the motor is a problem. Is there a better, quieter way to ventilate my space please?

Thanks,

Ric

Comments

megalith6 Fri, 03/18/2011 - 14:25

Thanks :)

Hi,

Yeah,

It was probably a rubbish fan (sigh). I will try again - there is 15 foot length of 4" diameter hose to the out window side of the flat, I will position a quieter fan right at the end of this hose (soft stuff). I already experimented with a DIY box-muffler unit but it wasn't that good, with the fan about 5 to 7 feet away. Maybe the extra distance + quieter fan will do the trick (hope)?

;)

Thanks,

Ric

megalith6 Fri, 03/18/2011 - 16:42

Link555, post: 366598 wrote: What was your muffler design? Can you post a pic or drawing?

Gladly - in a couple of days (away from pc just now)

Built a box made of hardboard surrounded by pva foam board, box lined with bubble-wrap. This was a vent with a grill which covered an 'out' pipe to the extractor fan, which was also housed in a DIY container. The muffler did have a slight dampening to the fan drone but decent mic's are so good these days the level of backgound noise was unacceptable.

Don't laugh: on a good windy day the ventilation is great and really works, but in the middle of a high pressure spell of weather when the wind drops to nothing I get no through draft. I have to find a fan solution. It ought to work - the hosing is flexible so shouldn't transmit sound vibration. Might try for a quieter fan positioned further down the hose.

Thanks,

Ric

megalith6 Sun, 03/20/2011 - 12:46

Link555, post: 366598 wrote: What was your muffler design? Can you post a pic or drawing?

 

The far long and wide side of the baffle box was affixed to the ceiling. The whole thing was surrounded by thick polystyrene. Inside was coated in bubble-wrap. The angled pipe section connected the box to the out hose with extractor fan box connected about 7 feet / 2 metres down the line. Air sucked into the baffle through the grill at the top of the picture.

May have another go. A YouTube vid said inserting dampening material inside ventilation spaces was very effective at knocking out sound, so I would shape several pieces of polystyrene and glue them inside the box, making sure that air flow was unrestricted. I have some spare hose now so can leave the hard plastic angled pipework out of the equation, screening out even more unwanted sound.

The fan will now be twice as far away from the studio - I will be amazed if the motor drone travels back up the hose against the flow of air and beyond the baffle: if so I will just have to search for a quieter fan unit.

Thanks & fingers crossed,

Ric

Attached files

megalith6 Mon, 03/21/2011 - 10:22

Link555, post: 366751 wrote: The mufflers i have made all had "rat maze" inside, every internal wall had sound abortion material on it. Seemed to work. Anyway post back and let us know how it goes.

Well that extra 2 metres of convoluted hose seems to have done the trick.

 

There is not a great movement of air out through the baffle but there is some. Baffle at top and boxed extractor fan at bottom. The fan is at the end of 15 feet of hose which twists in and out of rooms, which will also baffle out motor vibrations. The fan connects to an open ventilation window about 2 feet of hose to the right of the bottom picture. THere is now no motor drone at all inside the tiny studio. By opening a 'service hatch' in the baffle and sticking an ear inside you can just hear the faint purr of the ventilation system.

I may also try to extend the 'air in' arrangement so that it is nearer to the vocals spot in the studio. Definitely getting there.

Of course a more powerful extractor is going to improve the through movement of air but that is also going to up the motor drone stakes.

;)

Attached files

megalith6 Mon, 03/21/2011 - 15:43

megalith6, post: 366780 wrote: ~ I may also try to extend the 'air in' arrangement so that it is nearer to the vocals spot in the studio ...

 

This means vocals can be recorded inbetween gulps of fresh air - in fact a constant draft of outside air with the extractor fan turned on - the pictured hose exits the mini studio and connects directly to a vent window.

Air was always entering this portal but at the far end of the studio, so you often didn't experience much of it, this way I can concentrate the O2 source on the vocalist; the hose can be repositioned for other work, the electronic drums for example. All I need now is a mic boom.

There is very little noise from the outside world (air supply) even though it is right on a busy road. If things ever did start getting out of hand I would insert a large piece of shaped polystyrene into the air intake to buffer out outside sound, leaving plenty of leeway for the air itself to get in; I'd prefer to keep the air vent as unobstructed as possible though.

Attached files

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