"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
The problem with dropped ceilings is two part. First they are not air
tight. Air is great at transmitting sound. Second it is light. The
frequencies you are working with are best slowed by mass (weight). This is
were a double thick (two layers) drywall ceiling or a lead mate works great.
You likely do not have the option of a drywall ceiling due to head room.

Indeed, the panels are anything but air tight and they cannot be heavy, lest they
fall on my head. And drywalling the ceiling of a basement I hear is a bad idea,
for one because of the headroom issue, and second is access to the ducts and such
for the future.

I was thinking of installing some mineral wool or pink fiberglass but apparrently
it won't do much for the amount of effert involved. What about if I maybe just
went and installed some of that 6mil plastic that is supposed to be put over the
fiberglass.. that would create a bit of an air barrier, no? I'm just guessing on
this one.


Another problem you likely have is the HVAC. Those ducts (supply and
return) are thin skinned and let the sound pass right into them and then it
is transmitted right to the room.

Agreed, but there really is not too much I can do about them, and from what I can
tell they arent that big a conductor of sound.. the biggest really is from
directly above the room.

Thanks