Improving your Sound with a DIY el-cheapo sound booth

Joe Rodriguez

I recently did a voiceover job for a local ad agency from my tiny home studio and received the following feedback:

Scott Greenia · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 19:17 (GMT) Post subject:

Looks ok, but I'll need a few grand for all the books. Laughing

Chris Mezzolesta · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 22:29 (GMT) Post subject:

well I'll be horn-swoggled.....and this after I put a bunch of hooks in my ceiling to hang blankets from Rolling Eyes

This is a great idea, and since I already have the blankets (and 45s/LPs/78s rather than books...should work I hope) and live right near a Lowe's, this oughta be cake! This plus my SE Reflexion Filter, and I'd hope it'd cut it down a ways...will try it soon!

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 22:41 (GMT) Post subject:

I need an excuse to fire up my new brad nailer, so I'm thinking of building an upholstered three-panel room divider screen to use as a recording "booth."

autumn caviness · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 23:41 (GMT) Post subject: this IS fantastic...

thank you!

I'm going to make this for my birthday!

Chris Mezzolesta · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 03:25 (GMT) Post subject:

Well I've dun done it. Went to Lowe's, picked up the frame materials ($80 but I went over, will return the extra for refund), got my hacksaw going, and cut PVC like there was no tomorrow. Clipped my blankies up, and.....it falls over. I think what I need to do is, while he says it's not necessary to use glue, perhaps just gluing together the bottom rail pieces so that the upper part of the frame won't list back & forth as weight or movement changes...right now I need to rest the top edges up against my sloped ceiling (I'm in a FROG room over my garage) so it won't fall...tomorrow I'll get ahold of a little PL20 or contact cement or whatever is best for PVC, and just do the bottoms, and see how it goes. Nothing yet on acoustics but I feel confident that if I can get it sturdy enough, I'll even add the blanket across the top and really make it a not-quite-iso booth. We shall see. To his specs (he said he was tall!) it is sizable and would allow for plenty of room to get a mic stand and a person in.

Thanks again for the link!!

Anechoically yours,

CM

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 03:39 (GMT) Post subject:

Joe,

In the pictures you show on the link, is that YOUR area there? The large, high-ceilinged room with the wood and tile floors? If so, man, no wonder you had ambient noise! You're in an acoustical nightmare what with acres of highly reflective wood/laminate flooring and tile and glass windows and blinds. Other than the books and a few small patches of carpet you don't have ANY sound absorption going on there. You need to be recording in a much smaller place. Move to a closet. I'm dead serious. Some of the best talents actually record in a closet. Acoustically they're great.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 09:33 (GMT) Post subject:

Scott Greenia · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 09:48 (GMT) Post subject:

When I read the article, that's the first thing I thought. "Well, I'd probably glue it."

Do it outside though, that stuff is NASTY!

Joe Rodriguez · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 16:55 (GMT) Post subject:

David Oxford · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007, 16:56 (GMT) Post subject:

Chris Mezzolesta · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007, 04:24 (GMT) Post subject:

Well it's as done as it's gonna get, turns out it was necessary to cement the bottom rail sections together so that the wall wouldn't tilt over in either direction (sitting in the 90 degree elbows on each end)...so a little primer & a little cement on those sections only, clipped the blankets a little tighter across the walls, and looking good! Now I need to experiment with placement in my space and see how it goes. I have 6 blankets to work with so I'm sure I can find something that will deaden enough without compromising my sound. Neat idea, and if I could put it together then ANYONE can.

Jamee T. Perkins

Chris Mezzolesta · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007, 02:33 (GMT) Post subject:

This is a few photos of the finished "booth" per the specs posted earlier. Blankets came from Markertek, I'm sure there are others available elsewhere. PVC pipe & spring clips from the local Lowe's, about $70 total. Hacksaw, tape measure & Sharpie, I had. No frills, not exact cuttings, but still seems to hold up just fine. Haven't taken it apart to store yet but might soon. Also just bought a music stand to put inside for reading scripts off of (used to own a Manhasset and a different OnStage stand but I think they stayed behind with my ex-band when I moved). As I said earlier, if I can build it, ANYONE can. It is not soundproof per se, but does provide a nice barrier against any standing waves and reflections inherent in the room itself (a FROG with berber? and sloped stucco ceiling). For my Goodyear read on Wednesday I added a blanket draped over the top in a pinch, as well as hanging one behind me on the hooks I ill-advisedly put in the ceiling. (the ill-advising was from myself...not good at visualizing problems & solutions such as this - and I'm married to a chemical engineer?!!?!?!?)

Perhaps this will help some of you in need of some damping. Nice to have in the arsenal nonetheless.

Carl Hedgepeth · Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007, 16:48 (GMT) Post subject: El-Cheapo Sound Booth

Very handy and best of all, CHEAP!

I priced acoustic panels and decided I was too cheap for that non-sense so...I introduced myself as a voice over with a small home studio to the managers at local business that handle electronics like Best Buy, Circuit City etc and asked if they wouldn't mind saving me some foam. They all said no problem and I left them my business card.

Within three days I had about 100 sq ft of 2" foam! The smooth kind and the dimpled kind. I now have foam covering the two walls around my studio and made a long oval piece from the dimpled stuff that sits behind my mic. I've reduced the reflective sound by an estimated 70%. If I could figure out how to ad photos, I'd show ya.

Anyway, the point is, free foam is out there you just have to ask.....