“It says Dr-35 in the catalog, but is this enough?” “Which performance should I choose for piano?”
The biggest challenge in choosing a soundproof room is understanding this “Performance (Dr grade / D-value)”. If you make a mistake here, a tragedy happened: “I bought it but it’s too noisy to use.”
On this page, we have organized technical stories about sound insulation performance by instrument and purpose in a way that is easy for beginners to understand. Click on the card for the information you need and master performance selection without failure.
1. [Basic] Know the indicator of Dr Grade (D-Value)#
First is basic knowledge. “Dr-30”, “35”, “40”, “50”… how small does the sound become at each grade? We will explain at the experience level how it “sounds” in the next room. Let’s have a standard for choosing a soundproof room.
2. [Piano] Standards for Upright vs Grand#
Piano is the No. 1 demand for soundproof rooms. In fact, the recommended performance differs between “Upright” and “Grand”. In addition to the soundproofing of the wall, we also explain the more important “Vibration measures for the floor”.
3. [Drums] Why it is impossible with a unit soundproof room#
“Give me a soundproof room where I can also play drums.” If you easily buy a unit soundproof room saying that, it will be a police case. Why is drum soundproofing so difficult, and what is the only solution for playing real drums (the world of Dr-65)?
4. [Measurement] How to measure sound insulation performance yourself#
“Is our soundproof room deteriorating over time?” “I made it with DIY, but I want to know as a numerical value.” About the simplified measurement method using a smartphone app and its limits. Let’s also know the difference from professional measurement.
Summary: Ironclad Rule of Performance Selection#
- “Large covers small”: If you are lost, the ironclad rule is to choose one rank higher performance (Dr-40 rather than 35).
- “Don’t forget vibration”: Especially for piano and electronic drums, not only D-value (airborne sound) but also anti-vibration (solid-borne sound) measures are essential.
Please get the most suitable “quietness” for your instrument.