I'm trying to sound proof a room.

[IvanSnipedYu]

I have an extra room laying around my house and I'm trying to sound proof it. The problem with the room is that the walls are really thin and its really close to the street. I don't want my audio leaking out.  Unfortunately, I don't have the budget to rebuild the room and add insulation into the walls. I was wondering what some good options are? I was thinking about using acoustic or sound blankets, then adding foam pads on top. I do plan on using this room to record audio and play audio.

TLDR; trying to prevent audio from getting in and out of a room at a low budget.

[corrado33]

Dependson the audio. Bass? Good luck containing that. Everything else isn't too bad. Unfortunately industrial soundproofing is expensive. 

[Delicieuxz]

Installing a solid-core door is one of the more effective ways to sound-insulate a room. However, it won't do much to isolate the room from the outdoors, on the other side of a wall.

[Enderman]

Adding foam and blankets will just reduce echo. It is NOT soundproofing.

 

This is soundproofing:

[IvanSnipedYu]

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

Dependson the audio. Bass? Good luck containing that. Everything else isn't too bad. Unfortunately industrial soundproofing is expensive. 

There is probably going to be a bit of bass. I don't mind if audio leaks, I just don't want it to be like they are right next to the audio source. Which is how the room is currently.

1 minute ago, Delicieuxz said:

Installing a solid-core door is one of the more effective ways to sound-insulate a room. However, it won't do much to isolate the room from the outdoors, on the other side of a wall.

The door is within the house, I'm trying to prevent audio from leaking out the house. Let me draw a picture of this to help explain


Unfortunately I'm not home right now, so this is the best image I can provide.

[IvanSnipedYu]

4 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Adding foam and blankets will just reduce echo. It is NOT soundproofing.

 

This is soundproofing:

Yeah, thats my issue  I can't break down the walls to install any insulation. That's why I was wondering is there is any other option thats less expensive and less work.

[Enderman]

2 minutes ago, IvanSnipedYu said:

Yeah, thats my issue  I can't break down the walls to install any insulation. That's why I was wondering is there is any other option thats less expensive and less work.

Yeah, headphones, or moving to a new house, or ghetto-sticking the sound insulation to the front of your walls instead of inside  

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

Yeah, headphones, or moving to a new house, or ghetto-sticking the sound insulation to the front of your walls instead of inside  

 

I was going to suggest headphones but I figured the OP wanted to play non digital music and record it.

 

For anything digital? Headphones. Specifically nice wireless headphones. 

[IvanSnipedYu]

3 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Yeah, headphones, or moving to a new house, or ghetto-sticking the sound insulation to the front of your walls instead of inside  

Yeah  If I can't even sound proof my walls, what makes you think I can move to a new house

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

 

I was going to suggest headphones but I figured the OP wanted to play non digital music and record it.

 

For anything digital? Headphones. Specifically nice wireless headphones. 

Yeah, I wanted to play non digital music and record it.  but chances of it happening looks slim now. I've been using studios at school, but wanted a home setup.

[Enderman]

Just now, IvanSnipedYu said:

Yeah  If I can't even sound proof my walls, what makes you think I can move to a new house

Well, if you were renting a place that doesn't let you modify the walls you could move and rent a place that does let you, or buy a place.

[IvanSnipedYu]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

Well, if you were renting a place that doesn't let you modify the walls you could move and rent a place that does let you, or buy a place.

contract  

[corrado33]

I'd talk to your neighbors and figure out when they're not around. Then play and record whatever you need.

[WkdPaul]

Like others said, there are no cheap ways to sound-proof a room really.

 

As @Enderman pointed out, the best way is to open the walls up and install sound proofing insulation.

[IvanSnipedYu]

1 minute ago, wkdpaul said:

Like others said, there are no cheap ways to sound-proof a room really.

 

As @Enderman pointed out, the best way is to open the walls up and install sound proofing insulation.

 Guess the room will stay unused then   Thanks everyone for all the advice.

[WkdPaul]

9 minutes ago, IvanSnipedYu said:

 Guess the room will stay unused then   Thanks everyone for all the advice.

NP .. also, even if you were to find a cheap way to sound-proof that room, after that the sound would mainly leak from the window you have on that wall (even closed) rendering the whole process useless. And getting a sound-proofed window would again send you back to your initial budget problem!

[Delicieuxz]

OP, you can build your own acoustic panels for pretty cheap, and place them around your audio sources. Here's a guide telling of one way to do it: http://acousticsfreq.com/how-to-build-your-own-acoustic-panels/

 

I've made some portable versions, using rockwool insulation panels, particle board, door hinges, wood glue, fabric for teh looks, staples, and some hammer-in plastic feet, to help them stand upright, and not scratch whatever surface they're put upon.

 

[IvanSnipedYu]

24 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

OP, you can build your own acoustic panels for pretty cheap, and place them around your audio sources. Here's a guide telling of one way to do it: http://acousticsfreq.com/how-to-build-your-own-acoustic-panels/

 

I've made some portable versions, using rockwool insulation panels, particle board, door hinges, wood glue, fabric for teh looks, staples, and some hammer-in plastic feet, to help them stand upright, and not scratch whatever surface they're put upon.

 

Do they work well?

[Delicieuxz]

They work great for isolating environment noises from my microphones, and their isolation effect is very audible when surrounded by them. I don't know how much they do to prevent sound from reaching outdoors, though, because I'm never outdoors while audio is playing from within a shield of them.

[IvanSnipedYu]

1 minute ago, Delicieuxz said:

They work great for isolating environment noises from my microphones, and their isolation effect is very audible when surrounded by them. I don't know how much they do to prevent sound from reaching outdoors, though, because I'm never outdoors while audio is playing from within a shield of them.

Do you think it would have a similar effect to having roksul in the walls if I just made a whole bunch of these but bigger covering all the walls with it?

[pas008]

years ago few musician friends used cheap eggshell memory foam in their apartments/duplexes as temp

 

usually just covered them with sheets

 

and Honestly I dont really how well it worked, but they were never complained about etc

[Delicieuxz]

2 minutes ago, IvanSnipedYu said:

Do you think it would have a similar effect to having roksul in the walls if I just made a whole bunch of these but bigger covering all the walls with it?

If you cover the walls enough, it might be similar. But I haven't used Roxul, so I dunno.

[IvanSnipedYu]

3 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

If you cover the walls enough, it might be similar. But I haven't used Roxul, so I dunno.

roxul is just rockwool isnt it? Also, will leaving small gaps make a huge difference in how much noise I contain inside the room?

[Delicieuxz]

Roxul is owned by Rockwool International. I don't know what the difference, if any, is between the brands.

[spwath]

4 hours ago, IvanSnipedYu said:

 Also, will leaving small gaps make a huge difference in how much noise I contain inside the room?

Probably.

 

 

Another option is hang heavy curtains on the walls. Like heavy theater curtains.

[KaminKevCrew]

If you have another room that could be moved, you could just change the utility of the two rooms...