Vibration making me crazy.

robcentola · « **on:** 10 Feb 2014, 10:06 pm »

Hello knowing people,

Ok, the house is three years old. Pretty solid mountain house. Not the best acoustics, but I'm working on that. The problem is when I'm playing certain bass heavy music, there's a vibration in one of the windows I can't locate. It kills the experience. It's not the blinds as I took them off to check. I tacked up a heavy blanket and it helped......sort of. The good news is my Salks play surprisingly low. The bad news is when I get a sub, it will ruin the experience. The wife thinks I'm crazy and maybe I am, but I need to take care of this.

IF I have a custom sized panel and rig it so I can easily attach and remove will that work? The standard size of the panels are a bit too small, so it's do-it-yourself, or find someone to make one for me. Is this a solution?

I'm at a stopping point with everything till I get this issue resolved. Any advise it greatly appreciated.

jriggy · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Feb 2014, 10:47 pm »

It depends on how low a frequency it is that is making the window vibrate. But it is in my experience that treatments will not stop a loose thing from shaking due to bass.

When I dealt with this, I played a recording that made a vibration somewhere, I hunted down the general location. It happened to be the small 4'x7' window in our front door. Lil bugger would vibrate like a big giant wasp or hornet!

Once you find the general area push around on things until you find the exact location. If you are able to stop it with a little pressure of your hand, you should be able to dampen it somehow. A nail, if it is trim or something? If its the window itself.... Well, maybe someone will suggest something but I would imagine you can stop it right where it is.

JLM · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Feb 2014, 11:42 pm »

You'll have to find out what is vibrating first. If it's a loose piece of glass you could try clear caulk around the perimeter.

Photon46 · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 12:40 am »

A cheap, sub $20.00 stethoscope (order from Amazon) is a great help in diagnosing buzzes & rattles. It really helps hone in on those low pitched noises that seem to come from everywhere at once. If you don't want to spring for that much coin, a large screwdriver held against the bones just ahead of your ear will also conduct sound well. To completely convince your wife of your full mental health, have her operate the cd player and repeat the tone sequence that causes the rattles while you chase down the noise with the screwdriver held to your skull

As JLM said, caulking the offending window part should do the trick. If it's the frame that's rattling, shimming it so it fits snugger should help.

jk@home · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 01:40 am »

If it's a double hung window, they usually have a cord or spring inside the frame that assist the window when raising. That has rattled before in my windows at home.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 02:26 am »

Find the window and maybe glue or tape some rubber discs on it?

mboxler · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 02:36 am »

My original windows had the plastic grids between the panes. They were so loose, walking would rattle them. Replaced the windows, dead quite.

JohnR · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 02:41 am »

A signal generator will help locate the offender, as it will play a constant tone. You can use the one in Room EQ Wizard (free, Windows and Mac), something like this for Mac http://www.faberacoustical.com/products/signalsuite/ ($20) and I'm sure there are similar things for Windows.

JerryM · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 02:54 am »

Quote from: JohnR on 11 Feb 2014, 02:41 am

A signal generator will help locate the offender, as it will play a constant tone. You can use the one in Room EQ Wizard (free, Windows and Mac), something like this for Mac http://www.faberacoustical.com/products/signalsuite/ ($20) and I'm sure there are similar things for Windows.

Good idea. Real Traps also has a free download for a Test Tone CD. Here's the link. Note that the Download clicky is in the first sentence of the article.

Best of luck,

Jerry

robcentola · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 05:29 pm »

Wow, thanks for all the feedback.

I THINK it's somewhere in the track, or maybe the screen outdoors. I figure it out when I get home tonight and take everyone's advise. It really is maddening. I need to get this fixed before I get sub, no doubt.

Will report with results.

robcentola · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 05:32 pm »

Quote from: jk@home on 11 Feb 2014, 01:40 am

If it's a double hung window, they usually have a cord or spring inside the frame that assist the window when raising. That has rattled before in my windows at home.

This could very well be the problem. It's really is a solid little house and very efficient, but the buzz is unacceptable.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 05:58 pm »

Try a lightly held pair of tweezers. Hold one side against the glass and window and see how much the tweezers vibrate more or less.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Feb 2014, 06:01 pm »

It is not always easy to track these down, and sometimes from outside is easier.

I recently had a strange vibration going in my HT. After hours of turning up the bass, and wandering around in the basement, it turned out to be the display itself vibrating against the wall. The angled mount had changed the angle slightly, just enough for the tv to barely touch the wall. Only strong bass would bring it to life.

robcentola · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Feb 2014, 10:17 pm »

Between my challenging room for sound and that damn vibration, I'm seriously considering moving.

rockadanny · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Feb 2014, 10:32 pm »

Quote

Vibration making me crazy.

That's what she said!

robcentola · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Feb 2014, 11:34 pm »

I better find the problem. I just bought a Rythmik F12! VERY excited about it but it's creating urgency to find the little bugger!

JLM · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Feb 2014, 10:56 am »

Might help to clear the room out to make sure its not due to a dancing niknak or picture bouncing off the wall or the audio gear itself (like a turntable dustcover). Be through and use the process of elimination.

robcentola · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Feb 2014, 12:50 am »

Quote from: JLM on 21 Feb 2014, 10:56 am

Might help to clear the room out to make sure its not due to a dancing niknak or picture bouncing off the wall or the audio gear itself (like a turntable dustcover). Be through and use the process of elimination.

Yeah, I think the sub will be here Tuesday and my only day off (yay!). I think I'll start with the pictures, etc on the wall as I was thinking the same thing.

Anyone have any advice how to tell the wife I bought a sub before Tuesday?

robcentola · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 Mar 2014, 09:13 pm »

Victory!

I got the Rythmik F12 and it's incredible and definitely helps this room. Clean, punchy and as articulate as they say. True to reviews.

Anyway, the vibration in the window reared it's ugly head with some bass heavy tracks. I just couldn't take it anymore. Both me and my wife searched, focused and finally located the problem. It was the vinyl inside track. The fix? Wedged a small folded piece of a couple of books of matched between the track and the wood casing. Boom! We have punch with no rattle! Ahhhhhhh............

Treatments next.

Thanks.

JerryM · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Mar 2014, 02:50 am »

Sweet! Happy Listening!!