Wanna build a jam room in the basement...but it has a dirt floor.

[aweeeezy]

So I'm moving into a new place next week and I wanna sound proof the ceiling and put the 3,000 watt pa speakers w/ sub down there along with all my gear and my room mates guitars. Moisture is an obvious concern with the dirt floor, so I was thinking of buying a few hundred 16x6x2 concrete top caps from home depot running .80 each and laying that down and maybe pluggin in a dehumidifier.

Do you think this would be sufficient? Are there any easier/cheaper alternatives?

-Alex

[stainless]

Welcome Alex

unless you seal the concrete "caps", they will remain porous and while it might slow the rate of moisture movement from the ground into the air, I suspect that once an equilibrium between the moisture holding capacity of the caps relative to the source (dirt) you'll be pretty close to back at square 1.

Summer may be OK, but winters will surely become a greater problem.

Also, I suspect that you'll need a great deal more "sound proofing" than you may anticipate with a 3000 watt PA and especially the subs as the ceiling represents a really large surface to resonate

Good luck!

[aweeeezy]

Right, maybe I can get the landlord to assist in paying to have concrete poured. I'm not quite sure what the proper placement for bass traps and acoustic paneling would be for the basement, but I'm guessing above the speakers, in the corners of the room that the speakers are facing? Between that and filling the wall space (and maybe ceiling) with expandable foam, that should keep the neighbors complaining. What do you think?

[stainless]

a concrete floor would be an improvement over pavers stuck in the dirt

bass traps typically in the corners (and this could mean ALL corners), panels to take some of the mids out opposite the speakers, and I'd alternate diffusers on the opposing side walls.

how much, and where is hard to say (and you don't want to kill the room).

if the ceiling is adequately  treated (good place for baffles) then I'd leave the floor mainly bare (reflective)

as to the neighbors... how good's their hearing???

good luck

[aweeeezy]

I won't know the details until move in day (the 30th) but I imagine I'll have to work out times to play music when the neighbors are at school/work. I don't know if the ceiling is tall enough to hang baffles, that's why I was interested in expandable foam for treating the ceiling.

[stainless]

I think you may get better sound absorption from mineral wool or rigid fiberglass instead of the foam (I'm assuming your talking about Aurelex, etc?)

[aweeeezy]

no, i was thinking of the spray foam insulation

[stainless]

I do some research- you may get better "bank for your buck" (and be able to take it with you) by using the mineral wool or RFG....

even though (perhaps) less to cover a larger area, while it may dampen the sound, it may not keep the low freqs "low" enough to please the neighbors

kick, bass and snare (especially pics) are hard to "kill" and keep from the outside world

plus that expandable foam is messy, sticky stuff

but it could give you a cool cave vibe!!!