Do Soundproofing Materials Really Live up to the Hype? $40 DIY Sound Test

Ever been confused by the number of soundproofing options available? Ever wonder if expensive products hold up to the hype? Ever wonder if there are more affordable alternatives available?
In this video, you'll see how several different sound dampening materials compare side by side, and how to conduct a sound experiment at home yourself for less than $40. All you need is a laptop, the materials you want to test and:
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
amazon.com/dp/B07PJZRJ8X/ref=...
4 CONCRETE BLOCKS
www.lowes.com/pd/Cap-Concrete...
SPRAY FOAM
www.amazon.com/dp/B07GLG7B3Z/...
FOAM TAPE
amazon.com/dp/B08XKB7K3G/ref=...
In this video we test concrete blocks, R-13 Insulation, Rockwool Safe n' Sound Insulation, 1/8" mass loaded vinyl, charcoal, carpet glue, outdoor carpet, Green Glue, 5/8" Type "X" drywall, and 3/4” MDF.
LINKS:
TONE GENERATOR
www.szynalski.com/tone-genera...
GREEN GLUE
www.greengluecompany.com/
MASS LOADED VINYL
amazon.com/gp/product/B087WV5...
ACOUSTIC FIELDS CARBON ABSORBERS
www.acousticfields.com/shopping/
ACOUSTIC FIELDS CHANNEL (DENNIS FOLEY)
/ acousticfields
00:00 - Intro
1:14 - Testing Method
6:42 - Testing Materials
14:30 - Findings
16:05 - Final Thoughts
Don't forget to hit "Like" and "Subscribe" to keep up with JOAM!

[@trenthorton9532]

I've spent probably close to 10 hours online trying to figure out cost-effective DIY methods for sound reduction from our basement and this is by far the most helpful video I've come across. Thank you.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome! That while searching for hours process you’re talking about is exactly what inspired the video. Glad it could help!

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

Two layers of sheetrock of different thicknesses.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@nonyadamnbusiness9887 interesting thought. Obviously the assumption is the more mass the better, but perhaps the different thicknesses and densities would affect frequencies differently.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

@@JackofAllMinistries More mass is always better. But with layers it's better if they are different. High end window makers sandwich two different thicknesses of glass to reduce sound transmission.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@nonyadamnbusiness9887 Good to know!

[@almnk]

Thank you a lot for sharing it, I wouldn't have done it more scientifically. Probably, best recommended video on the subject so far.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Wow, thanks so much! I definitely think the test served my purposes and that's all I could hope for. I know not everyone sees it that way and I'm okay with that. Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@joejtunes]

Damn good video! Thanks for demonstrating way cheaper ways to do it, and including the reality check that no matter what you do the results won’t be perfect, so lower your expectations. You deserve way more channel support than you have, so I just subscribed. Thanks for such valuable content!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for the compliment and the subscription! I’m doing my best, and hoping I can keep decent content coming your way.

[@jaimslaw]

Apartment owner here trying to reduce sound between adjacent units (back to back bedrooms/bathrooms). This 1953 apt has rockrool as soundproofing material. Looks like in 70 years time, not much soundproofing advancements. My biggest takeway from this video may be the importance of “leakage” (ie, addressing poor/shoddy insul. install). Your vid was inspiring in many respects. Oh yeah, get yourself an agent …and monetize your impressive narrative skills.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

LOL thanks so much - definitely a first on the narration compliment! Yeah, mass is mass. I’m always thinking about possible replacements. Stuff that’s cost effective but works. Maybe some genius will think of something someday, but until then, it’s all Rockwool and MLV.

[@chris-C8]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very informative. The studio/audio world is filled with so much marketing hype that it sometimes gets confusing/annoying to navigate.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

you’re welcome! Glad I could help navigate the mess.

[@shifterverse]

Fantastic video, appreciate the non biased approach and the admittance of possibly compromised results! So many "miracle" products out there and the truth is it always comes down to 2 things, find the source of primary transmission and then put as much mass between the 2 as you can. Keep up the good work!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! You’re right, so many things promise to be the ultimate cure, so I think a little honest God a long way. Thanks for watching!

[@liborlepka4240]

For a non-laboratory test, this is absolutely amazing and detailed. You saved me a lot of money for green glue. Thank you.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome! If I can save you money I feel like it was worth the experiment!

[@asencyel]

such an amazing work, kudos to you. not leaving a single detail behind when it comes to sound cancellation as well as absorption

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Quite the compliment!

[@thefuzzman9833]

There you go, 200 subscribers for you, your information and delivery is fantastic, you need to get out there. Thanks for the info! I was actually looking at ways to make an enclosure for a generator and came across your site. Haven't decided which way to go but i am definitely in a better position to plan.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for the compliment and for subscribing! I'm working on it and I feel like I'll get there eventually!

[@levtauber9582]

Very comprehensive and helpful video...NO BS just the straight facts! Well Done!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! That’s my motto right there. Nitty gritty…

[@kroneditor9266]

Excellent video and thanks for taking the time to produce and share it. Very interesting findings which I can incorporate in my own noise reduction projects - Cheers from the UK!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for watching, even across the lake! So glad I could help, even if it’s just a little.

[@byronjones5713]

Best sound proofing video I've found. Building a house and was wondering if I needed more than r-13 batt insulation on the inside walls. Sounds like that is well more than enough. I love you scientific approach to it and removing all of the marketing fluff. Thank you!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for watching and got the compliments! From everything I’ve read, R13 is better for soundproofing than higher R ratings. The one caveat I’ve never checked into is whether or not that rings true at lower frequencies. I only know that to be true in the STC scale which doesn’t go very low.

[@JasonRigden]

Wow! Awesome work. We need more folks on here testing the woo of these products.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! I agree, it was so hard to find something like that and that's actually why I ended up making it!

[@thevainestknives4843]

Really glad I found your video. I'm about to finish my garage for a rehearsal space and was considering all kinds of expensive soundproofing materials.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help! It’s a very easy thing to waste money on for sure.

[@chrisfuller869]

This was great. I was shocked to see that you only had 140 subscribers so I clicked the button for you. Really wish you tested cork (comes in various densities - they have a high density products for anti vibration but even medium density products intended for use as exterior wall siding claim a 50db reduction per inch!). Thermacork is a US distributor of some products, but I think it all comes from "Amorim" in Portugal.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Honestly just got the channel off the ground, but I'm more excited to share the info than to get monetized. I've heard a lot of suggestions for different materials so I think I'm going to post a follow up video. Cork is one thing that never crossed my mind, but it makes sense. If I get that video going I'll give it shot!

[@Nala15-Artist]

Portual is pretty much the only place where cork oaks grow, that's why cork usually comes from there.

[@tanialimacosta]

Simply the best video on the subject I have seen!!! Thank you so much!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! I’ll try to keep them coming!

[@carthoughtswithdan]

Im following purley becuse of how thorough and informative you are! No fluff just pure info

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for following! I’ll try to keep the good, accurate info coming.

[@jayhounds346]

My experience with Rockwool safe and sound in interior walls is actually quite positive. We just built a house and, without yet seeing legit comparisons to R13, I installed it before the drywallers put up 1/2" sheetrock. We went with rockwool due to the small difference in sound reduction over R13 plus the added fire resistance. We have a subwoofer on the floor an inch away from the living room wall, adjoining the master bathroom. With the volume up relatively high, I can hear from the bathroom that the TV and subwoofer are on but it is VERY diminished - even loud booms from action scenes are barely audible. Im very happy with it. With these results, I do not regret the extra cost. I wish I had a real-world, in-person comparison with R13 though. (Or maybe I dont - so i dont begin to regret the more expensive option!) I still lean toward the safe n sound for the floor joists now that I am planning for finishing our basement. The added fire protection alone will justify the cost, in my mind but also, as you speculated, hoping the extra density of the rockwool helps reduce impact noise. Thanks to your tests, I now plan on using carpet glue on the floor joists as well as between 2 layers of 5/8" drywall. Im hoping that carpet glue applied to the floor joists has similar results as layering it between drywall sheets as well as somewhat decoupling areas between drywall screws. Thoughts on that? Thanks a bunch for sharing your results!!!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

I’m glad Rockwool has worked so well! I have to admit, even though my research and my own testing show R-13 to be equal, Rockwool still FEELS like it should work way better! One thing I’d like to test specifically is the low frequency dampening. A video for another day… As for your carpet glue on the joists idea, my two cents would be that I would bet you get some good results in the decoupling arena, but that you would find much better results with resilient channel or even UltraTouch+ Sound Absorption Strips. They’re like strips of carpet padding that you glue on to the joists. The reason I think that it because the separation is more mechanical then, and the main use for Green Glue/ carpet glue is constrained later damping which wouldn’t matter on the joists. Just my own thoughts! Good luck with your project!

[@jayhounds346]

@@JackofAllMinistries I was not aware of the UltraTouch+ strips! Thank you! I will look into those. It makes me want to consider whether combining your carpet idea with carpet glue to the joists would be cheaper also. Hmmm.. I havr more rabbit holes to follow. Thanks again!

[@elsantoproductora]

Massive work my friend! thanks for the effort and the awesome video.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much!!

[@repalmore]

FINALLY!!!! Someone who paid attention in high school science class. Laws of conservation of energy is such a simple idea. Energy never goes away. Just does somewhere else in a different form. Super simple. Thank you.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

LOL thanks so much for the compliment. And you're right, I paid attention in high school science. Until I got into chemistry anyway...

[@dimchohvarchilkov683]

Excellent approach for actually demonstrating the performance of all these insulations! That is the way these videos shohld be made. Great and useful. Thank you!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for the encouragement! Just trying to help a brother out in figuring out some of this often confusing information!

[@MichaelBrown-vq4fd]

This was very helpful and well presented. Thank you Sir for the info and effort you put into this.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for watching! It was completely my pleasure!

[@LRN2DIY]

You did a fantastic job on this video, my friend. I have a home theater in the basement and this kind of thing has been on mind whenever I help people finish rooms or work on things in our home. You've inspired me to take this to the next level on my channel so I've already started ordering all the materials and will be sure to link to your video when mine is ready. Again, great job on this video and your channel in general. All the best!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! I’m so glad I could help a fellow DIY creator. I’ve actually watched lots of your videos and they’ve been super helpful to me. I specifically enjoyed the weird green “hammer” video. I actually considered buying one and your video helped me make a good decision LOL! I’ll look forward to seeing what you do with the soundproofing stuff and giving me a chance to learn a few more things. Hope everything goes well!

[@Rod-Wheeler]

Great stuff! Subscribed! Building my own vocal booth for voiceover. This is like gold! Thanks again!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re very welcome! I hope the vocal booth comes out amazing. Glad I could help!

[@AndSendMe]

Thanks for putting this work in. Very helpful!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure! Glad you found it useful!

[@SteveStockmalMusic]

Great job !!!!!!!!! Super impressed with your approach on every level. 👍😊👍

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Wow, very encouraging words! Thanks so much!

[@patrickevans6712]

Thanks for this data. You and a few others were extremely helpful and I begin my build today. My mission is to quiet a shop vac, for which I will make a concrete-lined enclosure that I’ll roll to outside my garage during use.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

what i love most about this video is that you thoroughly recognise your own limitations while doing actual real-world tests. it's so painful to sort through every self-professed expert that just asserts things with no explanation of where the data came from. The one thing I would still love to see is the effect of a larger air gap between materials, again, lots of "experts" but hard to find any real world apples-to-apples tests.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! I definitely try to recognize my own limitations while still doing meaningful work. I’d love to do an air gap test - although that might be a challenge with my limited resources. Maybe I could find some creative solution…

[@HappyTyke25]

Thanks for all your hard work, some very useful information and tips contained in your video, I recently did a wall between my son and daughters bedrooms, and used regular decorators caulk instead of the the green glue, now ive done no testing but I wouldn't think the difference is that significant between the 2 products, but the cost is definitely less. For me it's more about sealing any little air gaps that may leak sound. You're absolutely right though it's the lower frequencies ie the bass that is much harder to stop.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for the encouragement! The biggest question I have about using caulk is the longevity after it dries. I know GG stays soft, but I wonder how much of the reduction comes from sound passing through different materials in layers like Quietrock. I'd bet that's exactly what regular caulking would achieve at a much lower cost. Even if GG is better, I still can't imagine it would be worth the money. As for the lows, if it really must be dampened drywall just isn't the way to go. I wish I would have tried my hand with concrete or something like that, although that would never be practical in a bedroom!

[@sfkeepay]

Thanks for sharing all this work. Very illuminating, and above all, useful.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome! Glad I could be of service.

[@darkomijic]

Really appriciate the work you did here! Thanks!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for watching!!

[@Jason98904]

Hard data and excellent analysis... by far the best info on this topic I've seen. The R-13 and carpet glue results in particular saved me a lot of pointless expense. Thank you!!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help!

[@KP-DID]

Jason you tried the R13 and carpet glue combo? how did it turn out? Im starting my build tomorrow and can no longer afford GG or MLV. cheers!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@KP-DID I’m happy with the way everything turned out. Not perfect for low frequencies at 95dB, but I couldn’t decouple the way I wanted to. I have no regrets.

[@Jason98904]

@@KP-DID it worked well. I would note however any approach will struggle on lower frequencies so set your expectations accordingly. To handle a low rumbling motorcycle, say, you simply need a LOT of mass. Like a massively thick wall of concrete amount of mass. Anything is still better than nothing tho...

[@ComradeStiv]

16:46 "How dare you?" Woof. Really loved your testing and straight talk! Def saving for future reference 🤙

[@JackofAllMinistries]

She seemed so confused when I filmed her too! Thanks for watching, hope it was helpful!

[@vickigreene4288]

Wow! Fantastic information. Thank you for doing all that!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure! Hope it helps!

[@rwheatoniv]

Absolutely brilliant. Love your videos.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! I appreciate the encouragement.

[@ReAnnRing]

This is excellent! Love the doggy :)

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! I am biased, but I think she makes everything better.

[@johnfrith7884]

Thank you for this video it’s definitely helping me out with my build

[@JackofAllMinistries]

I’m so glad it could help you out!

[@briansegall1084]

Thanks for all the effort putting this video together. I'm researching soundproofing and your results are very useful! I'm trying to soundproof between floors of my house, and my current thinking is to use R20 insulation (fiberglass), resilient channel, Sonopan and 5/8 drywall. That ought to be enough to significantly reduce impact noise and ambient noise.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Although every application is different, it sounds like you have a solid plan together to me! I hope you get to enjoy many quiet days and nights when your project is done!

[@papahansel3136]

I really appreciated and enjoyed your logic and reasoning. Thanks for the effort.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

And thank you for watching!

[@mxcollin95]

Great video man! Thanks for posting. 🤙

[@JackofAllMinistries]

And thank you for watching!

[@MsgrTeves]

Well done sir! You are a borderline genius!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks, borderline is a little generous though… more like faintly approaching!

[@benjaminpeternorris]

Great video!! - I loved how you showed your test methodology - and even though it may not have lived up to exact scientific rigour, I thought it was a pretty good indicator of real world performance. (I've got to be honest though, I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't test egg boxes stuck to a sheet of drywall though - that would have been entertaining!!).

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Real world usage was definitely the spirit I was after. I like the egg carton idea... Maybe I'll check that out when I make a follow up video!

[@appleraika]

Thank you so much for this. Extremely helpful ♡

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure! And thank you for watching!

[@simontompkins301]

superb, stuffed full of great information so well presented- bravo

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much!

[@johndunn5322]

I never comment on you tube videos but excellent demonstration my brother👏Great information for my current project

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks man! So glad I could help!

[@danielgorosito6329]

Very great experimentation to compare frequencies.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! Hopefully there will be more to come…

[@russellsanders9004]

Very helpful information, thank you for your research and video.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure!

[@unusualmuse]

Hooray for science! Great video. I’d be really curious to see one of the QuietRock drywall products included, to see how it really compares to the regular stuff.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Yep, lots of people have mentioned the QuietRock to me. I plan to expand the test someday and post a new video - I can’t imagine I wouldn’t try that out…

[@quito484]

Great video very educational thanks for the tip mister 👍

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure! Glad it helped!

[@daveinch8781]

Glad i found this vid - Just in the planning stages of a sound proof drum room & green glue costs a fortune here in Australia. Too much to even think about using it. I'll be using the carpet glue - Thank you ! subscribed....

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Glad I could help. Just remember whatever carpet glue you use that is the type that will stay tacky. Good luck!

[@Lou.B]

EXCELLENT methodology!!! Thanks!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much!! Glad you found it helpful.

[@samvouga]

man you have patience... Thank you so much for sharing!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure!! Turns out I really enjoy doing this type of stuff.

[@superconnie5003]

Bro luv your style! the testing rig!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Just trying to keep things helpful for people!

[@mddleman]

I want to reduce noise from my movie/ music in basement to the living room above, so this is very helpful!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

So glad I could help out!

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

Great video! For our walls I'm planning on eventually going with Rockwool plus MLV (2 lb), whisper clips, dual Sonopan layers, then drywall/plywood/CLT with another layer of MLV glued behind it.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Sounds great! I’m curious about how that Sonopan works out…

[@rachelkarengreen99]

Insane and informative video!! Bravo

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Why, thank you!

[@rivierarenovation06]

Thanks for sharing your testing, nice job! With respect to the test setup, I think it would be better to have your sound-level meter suspended (e.g., on an elastic string) above your test material, while making sure to have the same distance from the material (adapting for the thickness of the material). At one point it seemed that you were measuring via a gap in the weighting blocks but not directly in front of the material. Another improvement, IMHO, would be to make the cavity (containing the speaker) bigger, ideally mimicking the separation of your studs (or other anchor points). This would better reflect how the material behaves when mounted on the wall.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll probably be doing a follow up sometime, and I've already thought of a bigger cavity. I hadn't thought of suspending the db meter though. I noticed that it wasn't always in the same spot and that likely affected the results.

[@carlos.coronado]

thanks for sharing this, i will try this soon!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Hope it works out! I'd love to hear any improvements too!

[@FellUpAndDown]

I've been looking into a "noisy neighbour" situation and prepping ready. I'm cutting corners (no money), so I'm going to be sticking up some MLV direct onto plaster, but stuck up with specialist acoustic adhesive (Everflex AC50). It's cheap and hopefully will separate the MLV from the plaster. Over the top of that, I'll be putting some 2mm Thermal by wallrock, then painting. It's an old 1930's house, so anything really to help on the party wall. To get to the point, your information has been invaluable. I'll come back after I've done this to let people know.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

So glad to hear that! I'd love to hear how it all works out. Getting what you want done without spending a lot of money is what I'm all about!

[@e.climan1329]

I have the same problem. Did your method work? Thanks

[@coqui8861]

This video is very very very helpful Thanks

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help!

[@fzane14]

Very interesting video, quite an eye opener. Thank you for sharing this information. I thoroughly enjoyed your quest for truth

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully I'll be doing a follow up not too far into the future.

[@blanjahape530]

Thank you, your video very helping me to understand soundproof

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help!!

[@sigmund1955]

Very informative, Thank you

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome!

[@specialkonacid6574]

Thank you so much for this video. Very helpful 😀

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome!

[@MikeFaucher]

Nice video and thanks for doing the testing!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome! It was my pleasure…

[@christsidereptableslastday7778]

Good job fam !!! I just became a subscriber.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! Welcome to the community!

[@kurthermann3482]

Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! Very well done video. I am getting ready to finish a detached 24x24 pole barn garage on a slab and make it a drum studio. I wanted to try to sound proof it, but realized quickly that it wasn't going to happen due to the size of the space and my budget. This helps a lot. I think I am going to do a double layer of 5/8" drywall with staggered seams and put the carpet glue between it. I was gonna use rockwool but I think I might just use R13 now. I know there is a company that makes heavy blankets you can hang. I think I might devise some sort of a system where I can roll it up when it isn't needed but then roll it down in front of the door for additional coverage. The money I save, I'll likely put into actual recording equipment, acoustic treatment ect. Thanks again!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Jealous of how much room you’ll have for your studio! I think you’re right, it would be a tall order to soundproof it, but in separate building you’ll probably be okay. Enjoy that extra money and gear!

[@gabortudos7461]

Thank you for your work sir

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re very welcome!

[@HCkev]

A thing I found is that putting therms such as "acoustic", "sound proofing", noise proofing", etc. in a product name automatically increases the price 50% lol Good find on the carpet glue, impressive results, I didn't expect it to actually work😂

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Yep, I 100% agree with that observation!!

[@HCkev]

@@JackofAllMinistries I'm thinking about something though. Products like green glue are designed so they don't dry up and harden over time and lose their properties. I'm thinking this might not be the case with the carpet glue. It might works well when freshly applied, but how does it stack up afer a month? A year? Etc. Would be interesting to re-test with the same testing setup over time (same with green glue, to test if their statement that it won't get harden are true)

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@HCkev Of course, this is always the question. The reason carpet glue was considered is because some formulas are designed to stay tacky over time. I've pulled up carpet from the 80's that was still tacky. However, not all carpet glues do that, and I even have my doubts for the one I used in my studio. However, Roberts 3095 is the one that people swear by, and I've even heard that they are testing the very thing you've mentioned.

[@HCkev]

@@JackofAllMinistries thanks for the precisions! If you still have your little testing box, would be nice to see how it stack up over time

[@kathleendavis2008]

Hahaha ..I can't believe it...I do believe it! I couldn't find the green stuff, just used fire rated plumber stuff and used carpet glue elsewhere. Rockwool and fire rated drywall was also part of our equation. We will find out if it works when the Aunt on the other side of the wall no longer knows our business!!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Awesome! I hope it turns out so great that you start to miss your old conversations through the wall…

[@arinasan247]

Awsome work!!!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much!

[@Lughnerson]

I think what is effective is a) filling any gaps, and b) using multiple layers of different densities at any intersection: top, bottom, and sides. I used simple tar paper in my car trunk and it worked enough to notice. A bit better is still better than the same.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Great point!

[@luct3368]

have you seen those acrylic caulking mist sprayers where they pressurize the builing and the airbourne caulk clogs any gaps in the building fabric. If gap filling, or air sealing is effective, it would be fascinating to see how effective, just doing this with no other further sound insulation would be.

[@stephenchow5161]

such a great video thanks for you well designed project.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun…

[@BoldWittyName]

Great vid! I would add that [according to other sources] 5/8" drywall is a big improvement over 1/2" drywall due to there being embedded fibers in the 5/8".

[@BoldWittyName]

I finished my basement rec room with 5/8" drywall, but I don't have a second basement rec room with half inch drywall for a control group. 🤣

[@JackofAllMinistries]

I can say from experience that is definitely true, but I never realized it was the fibers. It didn’t even register that there weren’t fibers in 1/2”!

[@rongti5543]

Great! very helpful. Subscribed.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the rest of the content

[@maryd253]

Thank you for this informative video

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zwuuuuu]

thanks for sharing. this is v useful for the community

[@JackofAllMinistries]

That’s what I’m here for!

[@Blackcreekstudios]

Thanks. I agree with you about all the hype. It is all about mass, decoupling and being airtight. However if you are tuning a room for sound the frequency absorption is critical for different materials.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Absolutely, two different approaches for sure. If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve and what you’re not, there is a huge chance for disappointment.

[@kylesmcleod]

This is top notch quality content.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Wow, thanks man! I really appreciate that.

[@813king]

This helps out. Thanks

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help!!

[@rvanbeau2009]

Excellent summary

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks!!

[@jeffp5991]

This was really helpful! Being able to sift through the hype of some of the high priced products that really don't do much is great. Although thinking about someone remodeling my house 30 years from now finding green slime between layers of sheetrock is a bit amusing. 😅

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I could help! I’m all about eliminating the hype and saving a dollar!

[@vitalyvalochnik1802]

the best tests. I think you have to test three layers of dry wall :)

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks! I know for every layer of drywall you add, they say the results diminish by 50%. So if one layer eliminates 10db, two eliminates 15, three eliminates 17.5 and so on. It would be fun to test that and see if it’s true!

[@bluetech2809]

As everyone else has said, this is an amazing test. Also glad you pointed out how the vendors’ test videos always conveniently use high frequency/pitch sounds because they're super easy to block. Plus, who the hell builds a music studio and only plays high-pitch sounds? It's not even representative of real life.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! I just feel like honesty is super important when testing, yet super rare when presented by those who have something to sell.

[@bluetech2809]

@@JackofAllMinistries I couldn't agree more! Also I just finished watching your 4 part studio build series (awesome, goes without saying). I was just wondering whether you could have achieved even better sound dampening by creating another subfloor directly under your drum kit. I've seen examples of people sort of building a floating floor using two layers with a bunch of those inflated balance board disc things in between. It does seem to work and I suppose it could be made for around $150-$200 (assuming $10-$15 per balance disc, maybe 10 of them spread evenly, and then two sheets of OSB or something that will easily hold your weight and the weight of your drums. It seems to be particularly effective at dissipating the impact noise, which is (as you deftly explained) the most difficult noise to block. Maybe that would be an interesting future video idea! Anyway just putting that out there! Thanks again for the awesome content!!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@bluetech2809 Thanks for the comment! In the case of my studio, the drums are actually in the basement, so when I mention subfloor issues it’s actually above my studio, not below (I never considered that might not be clear in the videos - that was dumb). I did add a small riser underneath, I forget which video that happens in though. I decided to not for sound as much as visual. There was a slope to the drain so I added height to one side to make it level. The reason I didn’t really put more isolation effort into the floor is that there isn’t anything underneath me room-wise, and I also couldn’t afford to sacrifice too much height. The room height was only 7-foot something to begin with. In the future though, I do plan to build a more proper studio. In that case, I have considered drum platforms like the one you’ve mentioned. I’ve seen a few videos with the tennis ball method and I have thought that’s the version I would try. Even there, there won’t be people under me but I think dissipating the impact noise will be worth it. Like you said, you really can’t beat the cost!

[@stefanscally4449]

Thanks so much for the video. So many small bar businesses are struggling because they can't make good music events without the neighbors calling the law. But they don't make a lot of money so if there's a cheap way to effectively soundproof... would really help a lot of artists and communities. It's never been made clear to me how much can be done. Thanks for the info!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Glad I can help. Sad to say noise pollution will be an issue that probably only gets worse until a really great (and cheap) product can be discovered.

[@daithic6187]

Great video, thanks

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks for watching!

[@degenwow]

Exactly how I would love to test things that might sound-proof but thanks to you I can just watch. THANKS Jack

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My pleasure. Enjoy sitting back!

[@freddie5475]

Rockwool works great if you build a decoupled wooden frame, do not join the frame to your wall. I put carpet, two layers of foam then a decoupled frame with 50mm rockwool and 12.5mm soundblock plasterboard, 95% of noise gone

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Good deal! Sounds remarkably similar to my build actually.

[@tims.2832]

Thx for these unbiased tests. I always felt like the "basic" products already take you 85% of the way, the fancy special products with triple the price only add a few percent more. That´s probably the same everywhere with all products, perhaps they teach this as a business model in general business classes.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

That makes sense to me! For me, most high end things aren’t worth the modest quality increase for the enormous extra cost.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

Love this. Ninety percent of consumer products and more than half of industrial/commercial products are just hype. Most of what Americans spend money on is nothing. You should get better performance from drywall if the layers are of differing thickness. They resonate at different frequencies so sound doesn't transfer across as well as with identical layers.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

My friend and I argue about that all the time. He’s willing to pay an $1,000 to get the right resonance from rosewood over maple and stuff like that. I’m like, “Dude, that improvement is not worth anywhere near $1,000.” No one can even tell.

[@paradisedreamland3]

huge amount of tedious work on this video. probably best and concise video on the matter. thanks a lot !

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much for the compliment! I had a lot of fun doing that one.

[@robertgunther3080]

Love this! I have never tried green glue, but always have suspected the bang for buck would just not be worth it.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much! That suspicion is exactly what drove me to test it myself. Bang for buck is exactly the issue.

[@Haroldus0]

You are on the right track with the experiment but to do this properly you need to have a larger space for the speaker to develop low frequencies. One way to do this is to mount the test microphone in a suitable concrete box with the lid being the test subject, and have the test tones or sweep run through a 'known good' loudspeaker system, and do the test outside in a quiet moment. This can approximate to an infinite baffle, removing any room mode non linearity. We did this years ago for a range of really high end PA speakers and then sent the units to JBL for official anechoic chamber tests and the results were remarkably similar, though about 1% of the price!

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Your infinite baffle idea is genius! I was trying to stay away from sweeps originally because I wanted to make a test that was easily doable for someone with no knowledge of room measurement. That's why I used a tone generator. However, I've been thinking about doing a next level type test, much like the one you mentioned. I was worried about low frequency development because I didn't want to make a 12 foot concrete box to test 50Hz, but I love the idea of using your baffle to get a read without modes and calculate the difference!

[@soundproofyourstudio]

Interesting! Really dig it.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thanks so much!

[@TheFarSideOfNj]

Thanks a lot for the video! Subscribed, I'm building out a studio and this is helpful.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

You’re welcome! Glad I could help. I know drums are a beast to isolate, and I wish you luck!

[@TheFarSideOfNj]

@@JackofAllMinistries yeah man, mostly vibes and marimba and trying to keeping out of the space. Those instruments are an absolute pain to mic correctly.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@TheFarSideOfNj Never done it! Sounds like a fun challenge though!

[@Veloasia]

Excellent video

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Thank you!!

[@olekristianrannekleiv762]

low frequencies are indeed hard to block. if you ever run out of content, a soundproofing experiment down to 50hz with these materials would be very interesting.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

I keep thinking about that, but I’d have to build a box big enough to encase my sub. Then I’m not sure if limited air space would be fair because of the wavelength. I guess I’d have to do some research and maybe just add a disclaimer.

[@olekristianrannekleiv762]

@@JackofAllMinistries why would the wavelength be an issue?

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@olekristianrannekleiv762 I don’t know for sure, but I wonder if diffraction could have an effect (although I think a sealed box eliminates that problem) and I also wonder if incomplete wavelengths can have an amplified effect if they become standing waves.

[@olekristianrannekleiv762]

@@JackofAllMinistries it will probably be massive interference, but the same happens at higher frequencies as well, the difference being that high frequencies have smaller patterns of interference. if there would be any issues, some eq could probably fix them. when it comes to EQ, I would recommend APO equalizer if you do not have an eq. it Is free software for PC with 31 band eq and more, run an antivirus check on it if you are skeptical it is great.

[@JackofAllMinistries]

@@olekristianrannekleiv762 You’d have to put a measurement microphone inside the box then right? Or is there another way to know what kind of interference you have?

[@babixillo]

very cool and informative! i wish you tested triple drywall to see how 1 added sheet of drywall compares to added mlv, rockwool or r13

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Now I do too! I’ve heard every additional sheet gives roughly half the results of the previous sheet, maybe that helps give an idea?

[@wasdwasd12321]

Awsome video, very informative. Watch out for the green glue assassins 😂

[@JackofAllMinistries]

lol, someone should make an animated video about green glue assassins…

[@tom-vx1lp]

i like the different tones

[@JackofAllMinistries]

Me too!