Ted, I'm not gonna argue with you, i am not a soundproofing guy. But every bit of data I've seen and personal experience, using my highly accurate and meticulously calibrated ear drum, states that cellulose (cotton) and even rock wool are better sound absorbers than glass fiber. Granted, one should always consider the source of data and results. Data provided and research funded by those who have a financial stake are always suspect, from manufacturers spinning glass, clerks selling tubes, to people ripping up old jeans. Hard solid glass fibers actually transmit sound, probably not enuff for the average ear to detect but the cumulative effect is there. I would be interested in seeing the independant lab data that "shows us that in fact simple fiberglass works best" or at least the source. I/m familiar with the Pink Panther funded thermal study at Baylor University, just down the road from OC's glass fiber factory, and where an OC VP is on advisory board. You'd never guess what kind of thermal insulation the research showed is best and who has a remarkable propritory process that makes it even better.
"This is NOT an area to spend a lt of time and consideration on." Agreed, with an emphasis on a lot of time or money. But if one is going to insulate any way, considering possible price difference, a "soft, fluffy" material such as cellulose, is going to do a better job at absorbing sound than a hard stiff material such as glass.
What ever insulation is used should be as isolated from direct contact floor above, and ceiling below. A suspended ceiling is an easy way to do that. Doubled , sealed, isolated, dampened drywall is much better but more expensive and time consuming to install for DIYer. Gotta have a ceiling anyway, suspended acoustic, as the fellow said, "Couldn't hoit." If your trying to cut down on noise from above, why not cut down on echo from below, some of which may have been transmitted from above.
And I just realized I may have been laboring under a misapprehension and jumping to a foregone conclussion. " favorite drum" of tenant below. I thought we were stopping down ward bound sound. Genuine acoustic ceiling tile will help some against rising tide of sound. Won't do much against musical stylings of pole drumming artist. If you box in pole, which would look nicer anyway, don't bulid hollow box, that will just add bass drum. isolate box from pole and ceiling, (isolate, or pad pole from ceiling) put sound absorbing material in box. ( Bound to be some sort of insulation or something that would work, folks sell all sorts of stuff and say they have the data to prove it works. Or stuff box with old rags or bits of broken beer bottles.)
Duct work. Duct work and open floor registers are useful in catching foreign agents and creating sit-com plots. But perhaps you are not living in B movie serial or have Lucy Ricardo as tenant. Metal of duct itself transmits sound, there are dampening connectors that claim to stop that. Fiber duct board transmits less sound but is less durable. Hollow duct of course is sound tube, useful for calling for more speed from engine room, if you live in battle ship under torpedo attack. There are dampers, baffles and baffle chambers, which are claimed to cut down on noise transmission. They also cut down on air transmission and some create ait noise, a sort of white noise if you will.
White noise machine. I use a fan by the bed for that, white noise and cooling in one. Machines and " sounds of nature" recordings mask noise by creating more noise. In a register that is less annoying, and perhaps eventually unnoticable but ears and brain sense it even if you don't. Studies show that constant exposure to white noise can increase tension and anxiety. ( Those studies were not financed by white noise machine dealers.) Distant traffic and even airplane sounds can be white noise, conciously unnoticed but subconciously annoying. They aren't very effective against sudden sharp noises, such as pole drum solos duct work yodeling or laminate floor tap dancing.
Kayaker, I'd suggest you do things in stages as budget and time allow. Insulate under floor, I stand by my cellulose or rock wool batts, isolated suspended ceiling, both of those relativly easy to do and remove if you step up to double dampened ceiling and engineered true acoustical insulation and all kinds of other stuff they got. Boxing, insulating, and isolating Gene Krupa's pole, doing something about ducts, and softening interior surfaces of basement. Away back B4 they had dependable drywall, there was an interior, relativly soft, cellulose fiber wall board called Homasote, brand name that became generic. When sheetrock replaced the fiber board, folks noticed an increase in reflected sound. They bought Homesote, wrapped cloth around it and tacked it to the walls.Deadened sound, easily changable decor. Homasote, faced with plummiting sales, knew a good thing when they heard it. Homasote is now marketed as a sound "proofing" material, you've probably run across it in your research. Homasote has the data to back up their claims.
I've made enuff noise for now, a lot of it too, but mostly unimportant white noise, but I'm bored and don't have a pole to drum on. I'll leave you in peace for now, but warn you that i am easily bored. I'l lprobably be disturbing you again. However, I do pay my rent on time.