Noise Nuisance by a (Grand) Piano

Many people really enjoy piano music. It becomes less enjoyable when your piano music causes annoyance to yourself, your roommates, or your neighbours. Do you want to know how to mute a piano? We will gladly to advise you!

What will be discussed on this page:

• Two types of noise nuisance: what is their source, how do you solve it and with what results?
  
  • Airborne noise
  • Contact noise
• Experience from a customer

Two types of noise nuisance

The most common complaints arise when pianists live in a terraced house or in an apartment. Playing piano without making noise is impossible and unfortunately you cannot just turn off the piano. What you can do, is make the piano sound quieter by means of materials from the Acoustics Shop.

We distinguish between two types of noise nuisance: airborne noise and contact noise.

Airborne noise

1. Problem:
   

   The sounds of the instrument travel through the air and reflects against the walls. Especially in rooms with poor or bad acoustics this can cause a lot of reverberation and a sound that is too bright/loud.

2. Solution: Absorption panels
   
   • Absorb the soundwaves of a buffet piano when they touch the wall, muting the sound
   • Are mad from sturdy polyester wool with a smoothly finished front- and backside
   • Are easy to install by sliding them between the piano and the wall
3. Result:
   The beautiful sounds of your piano are less bright and come more into their own

Contact noise

1. Problem:
   

   The vibration that arises from the soundboard of the instrument are transferred to the floor via the wheels and legs. This vibration travels to other rooms where roommates or neighbours may experience noise nuisance. The vibration can also cause a little stage, elevated or hollow floor to vibrate along, which in turn causes your instrument to sound less pure.

2. Solution: vibration insulating piano coasters
   
   • Decouple the piano from the floor in order to reduce the contact noise
   • Protect the floor because they simultaneously function as a piano coaster
   • Are provided with a slightly shiny black powder coating and finished with a wear-resistant vinyl covering
   • Are available per set of 3 (for grand pianos) or per set of 4 (for buffet pianos)
   • Are suitable for legs and wheels with maximum dimensions of 155 x 155 mm (if the piano dampers don’t fit under your piano, you can make use of Regupol strips; in that case you should use at least 2 strips on top of each other, underneath each leg or under the supporting parts of the piano)
3. Result:
   

   Thanks to the piano coasters from our range the vibration is being transmitted to a lesser extent to adjacent rooms, resulting in a lower sound level at your neighbours. Resonance will be reduced, causing the piano to sound fuller and cleaner.

Package

We also offer the aforementioned products in a convenient package. This comprises a set of 4 coasters and 3 absorption panels.

The complete piano insulation package

Experience from a customer

One of our clients is the proud owner of a piano that measures 49 inches high by 58 inches wide, and which weighs 562 pounds. His neighbour was mainly bothered by the lower tones of his piano. He bought the piano package at our shop and was happy to share the positive news that his neighbour, even when our customer played fortississimo, experienced less noise than before. Our client thinks that the coasters function well and that also the absorption panels function properly. The sound level in the room became more comfortable without the need to compromise on tone-shaping.

Questions?

Do you have any questions concerning this topic? Please feel free to contact us!