John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hey all,

I've been searching for the last couple of days, trying to get some info on drum risers, but I'm still unclear on some things.

I've been given 2 basic 4'x8' drum risers that I want to put together to make an 8'x8' riser. The risers are about 6" high, made of plywood. The top is 1/2" thick, and the sides are 3/4" I believe. My studio is on the second floor of a building, and my main reason for wanting the drum riser is to reduce flanking noise, hopefully without compromising a great drum sound.

What is the best approach for what I want to accomplish?

So far my thoughts are:
- adding a layer a sheetrock under the top plywood layer
- adding 6" of roxul (2lbs/cubic ft, can't seem to find anything denser in my area) after the sheetrock
- adding neoprene pucks to the bottom of the riser at all of the joints (not sure about density, or proper spacing - see drawing)

If anyone can help to get me on the right track, please reply. Thanks in advance,

C

(drumkit)sound will actually improve, it becomes clearer more transparent and detailed. Less rumbling etc.

What you need is some extra mass, so adding sheets on top or beneath will help. Adding wool or alike between 2 sheets will decouple your planes better than some rubber underneath the riser-feet. (and easier to adjust). (Again,) mass on top of the wool/foam/rubber/whatever will improve stability.

Dunno if there are specific links to risers in the stickies, maybe it's an idea to make such stickies (specific links to frames, risers, what not)

Thanks for the reply, Ro.

I'll probably use sheetrock for more mass. So top to bottom, you're saying:

Plywood
Sheetrock
Rockwool
Sheetrock

And this will cut down on the flanking noise? Thanks again,

C

I honestly don't think a riser will help much, if at all, with your isolation problem.

Most, if not all, of the noise is airborne.

I think you're approaching this issue with way too many assumptions:

• I have a problem. (True.)
• I have a solution. (Really? )
• I need help implementing my solution. (A distraction.)

My recommendation is that you start over, following all of the guidelines detailed in the "Before You Post" announcement.

In short, don't prescribe your own solutions to problems you don't yet fully understand. Let your doctor fully examine you and diagnose your condition, rather than guessing at the drugs you may need.

--Keith

Keith,

Thanks for the reply. If I had a "solution", I wouldn't be posting here asking for help. Super-helpful reply as always.

C

My point is that you've chosen a drum riser as your solution to the noise problem. You're thinking you have a problem WITH the drum riser, but I'm saying you need to reevaluate the original problem and approach solving that.

--Keith

C,

You talk about stopping flanking noise. Put a drumkit on any floor and it'll flank through the floor (tho on solid concrete it'll be less obvious). You prolly do have a wood/laminate floor ?
Putting up a riser does indeed kill some drumkit flanking.

Keith might be right if you mean Isolation (to the first floor) instead of flanking (yeah I know, confusing terms eh). So what exactly's yer troubles?