Playing Online games with friends but my parents can hear me

[elpuxa]

Hello everyone

So as the tittle suggest I love to play video games and most of you know that the best gaming experiences with your friends happen at night but my problem is my parents.Itry to talk a little low on team speak but sometimes I forget and they are cool about it and they don't mind me staying up late at night but sometimes they can get mad so I was wondering if there was a solution to my problem like wrap a scarf around my neck or something because I love night gaming but I don't want my parents mad at me :/
Any suggestions?

Your help will be appreciated!

Thank You Very Much

 

[ssddx]

could you describe the relation between your room and computer to their room and bed in terms of location? is moving the computer an option?

what kind of mic are you currently using? how about headphones? i would suggest a boom microphone on an open pair of headphones. that way you can hear your own voice (so you know if you are getting loud) and you dont need to talk loud (since boom mics are right in front of your face)

how big is the room with the computer? are there alternate areas to put the computer? is sound deadening foam an option? (look at markipliers channel on youtube... he lined his gaming area with foam to deaden his noisy yells because of neighbor complaints).

 

[elpuxa]

could you describe the relation between your room and computer to their room and bed in terms of location? is moving the computer an option?

what kind of mic are you currently using? how about headphones? i would suggest a boom microphone on an open pair of headphones. that way you can hear your own voice (so you know if you are getting loud) and you dont need to talk loud (since boom mics are right in front of your face)

how big is the room with the computer? are there alternate areas to put the computer? is sound deadening foam an option? (look at markipliers channel on youtube... he lined his gaming area with foam to deaden his noisy yells because of neighbor complaints).

I cant really put stuff on the walls and I would rather not move the computer the problem is When my dad is on the living room that is almost everyday and most of the times he falls asleep there! :/

http://prntscr.com/3pywd6
Print of Room relation

 

[ewok93]

Type. Only solution, really. Insulation will cost you a lot of money to look good.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

The other option is to add extra noise to mask it. Leave a radio or some music on in the living room, and it'll be harder to notice you.

 

[ewok93]

Is there maybe a door you can close...? That will block out most sound, and a fan or something can help filter you out.

 

[elpuxa]

Mask it is not an option because my dad spends most of his time in the living room and he watches TV with no sound, and i close the doors all of them :/

 

[Someone Somewhere]

What about playing music in your room? Would he object to that?

Don't turn it up too loud, but even quite quiet can drown out voices pretty easily.

 

[ewok93]

Well, if you've got the doors closed and they can still hear you, you may need to talk quieter. It's difficult, but there's not much you can do to block out sound besides masking it or adding a lot of material.

 

[kiezz]

much like the foam suggestion you should buy a cheap mat or rug for 20 - 30 quid and hang it on the wall you don't want the noise getting through, it will absorb the noise very effectively soundproofing your room to a certain degree

 

[ewok93]

"I cant really put stuff on the walls". And hanging a rug on the wall will not look nice, probably not an option. I had this exact same problem, and I really couldn't find a solution. Just try to talk quiet, and mask it with a fan or something. Your parents can't complain about a fan, can they?

 

[kiezz]

when i lived at home with my parents i had the same problem too, i read up about acoustics and sound proofing found out that they actually use carpets on walls professionally as a solution, i support aston villa so bought an aston villa rug used 4 screws hung it on the wall i wanted to stop sound getting through and it worked a charm, you could use a rug for whatever sports team or interest you like

 

[RCguitarist]

Here is what I do to lower the noise to other rooms when I play guitar. I have a heavy blanket that is around 10 feet by 14 feet. At any hardware store like lowes or home depot, they sell decorative hooks that screw into your ceiling that you can hang plants, etc from them. Buy 3 of those, then buy 3 clamps that have a loop on one end. Hang those clamps from the hooks, then clamp a comforter or blanket or carpet from them. Now you will have a removable sound barrier. You can do this setup so that the blanket hangs behind your computer desk.

 

[James Mason]

^Basically what the two guys above me are saying.

You need something soft for the sound to hit first before it hits the wall, that disperses it because the wall reverberates the sound, where soft things don't.

 

[ssddx]

there really are only four solutions...

-mask the sounds with other sounds (in this case not applicable)
-soundproof the enclosure (which you dont seem to want do)
-speak quieter (which you said you had trouble doing when you were in the thick of things)
-move the computer elsewhere. (which you seemed like you didnt want to do.

if you for example moved the computer to the other side of the room and put up a divider it should muffle the sound enough.

also... i am curious so i must ask... why does your dad watch television without sound? thats a bit of an oddity.

 

[QCube]

The situation you're in is a little difficult because well, if your friends were in the room with you, you'd be talking and that makes noise itself. I'm assuming you're still young as you live with your parents etc..

Since these people you are talking too are your friends, tell them that during the nights, you will need to turn your microphone gain to the highest it can, this might pick up some background noise but It will also interpret your voice louder and then tell them they can turn down their volume until it's comfortable for them too. Try getting a wind filter for your microphone and put it as close as you can to your mouth with the gain turned up so you can talk quieter at night.

Other option is not to talk at all and type.

 

[elpuxa]

there really are only four solutions...

-mask the sounds with other sounds (in this case not applicable)
-soundproof the enclosure (which you dont seem to want do)
-speak quieter (which you said you had trouble doing when you were in the thick of things)
-move the computer elsewhere. (which you seemed like you didnt want to do.

if you for example moved the computer to the other side of the room and put up a divider it should muffle the sound enough.

also... i am curious so i must ask... why does your dad watch television without sound? thats a bit of an oddity.

I don't know he always does that I think he falls a sleep faster I don't know but yeah its weird

 

[elpuxa]

The situation you're in is a little difficult because well, if your friends were in the room with you, you'd be talking and that makes noise itself. I'm assuming you're still young as you live with your parents etc..

Since these people you are talking too are your friends, tell them that during the nights, you will need to turn your microphone gain to the highest it can, this might pick up some background noise but It will also interpret your voice louder and then tell them they can turn down their volume until it's comfortable for them too. Try getting a wind filter for your microphone and put it as close as you can to your mouth with the gain turned up so you can talk quieter at night.

Other option is not to talk at all and type.

That is a good solution too! But I dont what happen I think it was because my dad was mad at me and was trying to get on my nerves because I have been playing for la couple of days and belive you me I was yelling really load because I got really scared playing Outlast (giggle)

 

[elpuxa]

Thank you all for your help you have been really helpful and very nice!

I wish you all the best!

Regards