Cheapest Heavily Isolated Solution?

This post contains one question. It is a budget-planning question. If you're looking to build a silent space, what are the cheapest options? Lets assume you're building sampled instruments, so you need it so quiet that you don't sense any outside sound at all. Lets assume large enough for large instruments (so, around 4x5m, or larger, ceiling height around the usual 2m, or larger. All this depends on the answer to this question!) I'm thinking what are the cheapest options? PREFAB GARAGE 1. buy some cheap land somewhere in the country away from roads, with services, and planning permission for a house, on condition of planning permission for a studio (£20k) 2. buy and install a large prefab garage (e.g. 5x6m) on the land (£20k) 3. convert and soundproof the garage into an isolated room, with electrics, carpet etc. (£30k if DIY) 4. This option would be without a control room, which is fine if you have a flat or somewhere to work with the audio. The silent space can be used with a quiet laptop and firewire interface etc. Total: £70k (requires cash) CHEAP BUNGALOW 1. buy a cheap detached bungalow in a cheap area of the UK, away from main roads. (£150k) 2. knock through some walls to make a big enough space (e.g. 5x6m), and soundproof it. (Ensure that there is already decent access to the room, for large instruments - if necessary, install a 2nd door for further soundproofing) (£30k) 3. use another room as the control room Total: £180k (mortgage possible) UNDERGROUND ROOM 1. Buy a cheap house with a garden, on condition of planning permission for studio in back garden (£90k each if with your girlfriend) 2. Find a company who can dig and install an underground basement in the garden (these companies are rare in the UK) (£?!) 3. This is unlikely to need soundproofing as underground places are usually well soundproofed by the earth around them Total £? CHEAP GROUND FLOOR FLAT I would think that buying a cheap ground floor flat is out of the question, in terms of decent enough sound isolation for the task. If some new noisy student neighbours move in, you could be contending with crazy bass and parties, which would make sound proofing v expensive if not impossible without turning the room into a small crawl space! In my opinion, finding a cheap residence in a quiet area of the country is going to be the way forward, instead of battling with soundproofing against main roads or neighbours in flats above/left/right. Feel free to tear apart my ideas. I've no idea if these ideas are feasable or if the prices are right.. if anyone cares to chip in with any cheaper ideas, I'd be deeply appreciative. What would be the cheapest way to build/get an isolated room from scratch in the UK, for the above purpose, and what cost are you looking at? Thanks

Hmm... no replies? This is quite important, if anyone thinks any of the above will work / knows of any cheaper options, I'd be deeply appreciative.

no replies......mmmm? Have you read the stickies and followed the rules :wink:

lilith_envy wrote:

no replies......mmmm? Have you read the stickies and followed the rules :wink:

Yes.. the rules state "show location".. location is the UK. Provide room details - tick (I'm looking for the cheapest solution at this stage) Effort put in to question - tick Reviewed the reference area - tick Use the search feature to look for threads that may contain the answer to your question. - tick, tick, tick, and tick ..you are welcome to post your questions on the forum. - tick Edit your profile to include your location - tick Start your post with an overview of your goals and where you are in the process... - tick (at budget planning stage) HOW LOUD are you, and how picky/loud are your neighbors? How close? - tick (for sampling, so needs have been described, also, as looking for cheapest solution, it is not known what the neighbours will be like) buy something like the Radio Shack Sound Level Meter - tick Remember that acoustics is THREE DIMENSIONAL, not two - when you give dimensions, we need Length, Width, Height - tick (I won't know these precisely until I've got it, so at the moment it's an estimation - anything of above size or larger will do the trick) Include drawings of what you're describing if at all possible - tick (not relevant to the question at this stage) Group your actual questions last, and put each question in its own paragraph. This makes it easier to respond to each of your questions. - tick (my post doesn't have multiple questions; it has but one question, which has been placed at the start of the post, and again in summary, at the end.) Again, welcome to the forum, and good luck with your project! - thanks :) this is a great place, glad I found it! Budget - tick (as stated, this is the budget planning stage; i.e. planning what is the minimum budget to throw at this) As far as I'm aware, the rules were followed - I have now re-edited a couple of words in the post slightly to try and make it more clear again.