DIY complete soundbooth. Thoughts?

[Faultlinespine]

I came across an article which outlines the steps involved in making a home soundbooth like this:


https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/index.php/how-to-build-a-soundbooth-on-the-cheap

It'd be good to get thoughts on how well this may work for recording vocals. Would there be a noticeable difference in quality between something recorded on a high end mic in something like this vs a professionally treated recording studio room? I suspect that recording in a booth like this would result in a 'boxier' sound than a larger treated room. That said, it would be great to be able to record from home instead of hiring a room but to achieve a professional result, this DIY soundbooth option may not be realistic. Any thoughts?

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hi,
There are video clips at the bottom which illustrate all the reasons not to build this much better than I can verbalise them.
It sounds like he's in an empty, untreated, room hugging his aircon.

Practical advice though...What are you reasons for wanting to build something?
Is it to cut down on unwanted noise, or to alter/dampen the room reflections that you're hearing?

For both, being very close to a mic is very helpful and mics that let you get close to them are usually dynamic.
RE20/SM7b/Md421 - all great bad-room vocal mics.
For room ambience you don't need full coverage all around you. You just need to disrupt/diffuse in a few key places.
Try making up a few 4'x2'x4" rockwool panels. Ideally you'd treat the room with them but, if you can't, even two of them forming an open book with the singer as the spine can make a huge difference!

They'll absorb much more than lightweight foam.

 

[skwee]

Right now, I'm getting a good sound from putting the mic in the closet and hanging clothes on the doors to my left and right--a makeshift booth. I'm sure there's a smidge of reflection getting through as I sing, but what I record is sounding quality in the mix.

Gear: Røde NT-1, Focusrite interface, Garageband