When is too much?

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

I am building a simple sound room. It is going to be 4' long x 4' wide x 7' high (these are rough estimations). I am basically building it in the corner of my room. It is going to be made out of ply-wood and have a homemade door in the front. My plan is to cover the walls and top with sound foam it is going to have a desk in it that of course will not be covered, and the floor is carpeted. I am scarred that I will be absorbing too much sound. I live in an apartment and my room is next to our AC Unit as well as sometimes the TV bleeds through in the recordings (which is real annoying because I have to go asked them to turn everything off and then rerecord everything lol call me lazy but that gets old lol). My main point is that I was going to cover front back side and top and leave the desk (it is wooden) uncovered. I will also have my laptop in the room on the desk so I can see my levels. Any ideas? Is this a workable room? I am working on a very tight budget so cheap is my mindset, but I need actually something that is going to work.

Emmett Andrews · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 132

Couple things....

Foam won't help block much sound. It's good for stopping reflections, but is, by no means, a form of sound isolation. So it really won't help with the TV or AC (the AC will be especially hard to block). You need to either build the walls very, very thick with dense materials, or invest in something like Auralex Sheetblock that will actually stop the sound. Though I can't recall any at this moment, there are companies that make similar products for less money than Auralex.

Also, a less important note, 4x4 is a bad room dimension. Squares make for horrible acoustics. The standing waves become almost intolerable. Increasing that to 4x5 would make a huge difference in the sound.

I would also suggest using some 703 fiberglass, rather than foam. It's mostly a personal preference, but it's inexpensive and the 703 does much more broadband absorption and won't suck the life out of the room. Ideally, a combination of 703 with foam in the hot-spots will provide the best results. If looks are important, you can cover the fiberglass panels with some fabric, which will also add a bit of additional HF absorption.

Emmett

Jacob Ekstroem · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 721

Let me add:

Rockwool™ (aka stone wool) is better for sound isolation, used correctly.
Also, by all means DO cover your desk with something! If you don't, you can have all sorts of problems with combfilter effects.

Clinton and everyone else who is considering building a soundbooth should take the time to read this:

http://www.realtraps.com/articles.htm
and this:
http://www.johnlsayers.com/

These sites are ESSENTIAL reading for everyone interested in acoustic treatment and soundproofing. Bookmark and read! der klugscheisser

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

Awesome Emmett. Thanks a lot. I will do the 4x5 idea sounds very logical also, I'll check into the soundboard. I have gotten to where I turn the AC off while recording because it seems that it can always be heard in the background.

I have decided to hold off on getting music beds and soforth right now and focus on getting a good place to record. I am not really able to produce anything other than just layer/stack. I cannot edit the file any more than just normalizing and limiting. I am not a producer by any means. I am focusing in on learning the trade and getting the best place I can (and I can afford) to do my recording.

Greg Houser · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 174

Jacob is right... those links are golden.

Also, there are sites/forums specially dedicated to studio.booth construction (gearslutz is my favorite by far... mainly due to the users).

Frankly, in my next house (probably sometime in 2009), I'll be hiring a local company which specializes in this to build the rooms. It's the best way to do it right (VO is not my primary $ influx, otherwise I wouldn't spend the time and $ to construct something so specific).

NB: Absorbtion, Diffusion, Isolation. These words are tossed around liberally, but mean different things when it comes to studio/booth construction.

NB2: You never want an anechoic room. Unfortunately that is what a lot of home project booths and pre-fabs are, or at least strive to be. Deadness is just as much of a killer to a recording as is reflection. I always ask myself whenever I help folks in a project like this whether what we're talking away from the room acoustics will have a detrimental effect on the recorded source. If the answer is yes, then we need to change our approach (another good reason to befriend the professionals on studio boards).

Chris Clementson · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 216

Clinton -

Don't you have a closet you can convert? 4 x 4 x 7 is awfully small. It will have to be airtight to be soundproof and you will soon suck up all of the oxygen, making it suffocative. Is your laptop sufficiently quiet with regard to fan noise? And when you say you're going to build it in the corner, will this enclosure use two of the existing walls?

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

Greg ---

I am going to check out that site and others of its same nature.

Congratts on the build! You will have to post pictures when it gets done. That will be awesome to see.

I was worried about falling into the void of no sound. I have read that is easy to d when you are starting out. I am trying to get around that but that is why I am so apprehensive about building this room.

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

Chris Clementson · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 216

What kind of laptop do you have that is extra quiet?

Clinton Nobles · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 197

it is a Toshiba. The pamphlet said it had a dampener in it to reduce noise. Like I said, don't know how quite is quite for a Laptop, but I can't really hear it when I record now, so that seems to be good.

I can tell you when the DVD/CD drive is working that is one LOUD sucker! lol