Possible Low cost - Acoustic Treatment

snakeyez

snakeyez

New member
This obviously wont be good for all people, but for someone like me that has only one nice condenser mic to record my guitar and vox, this seems like a nice cheap solution to isolating your vox...

http://digitalprosound.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=89503

Has anyone tried this, or anything similar?

I cant afford to treat my room with acoustic foam, but the room i am in is very reflective and makes my vox sound lower quality. :(
I ordered the parts to make this kit off of amazon, and it added up to about $60 total. Hopefully this will do the trick.
 
I don?t know....But I?m trying to figure out why he uses question marks instead of apostrophes??? It?s kind of weird, don?t you think???
 
I thought that, I think it's a programming fault in whatever script they use, I?ve seen it happen on a few websites.
 
Yeah, it's most likely a problem within the script, as mentioned. I'll be the guinea pig within the next week here, and i'll post some results on how much it helped with the singing. This could be a great solution for small wallets. :)
 
it'd be interesting to see how this ends up working. I imagine it would result in recordings better than if the box wasn't there. Pretty nifty idea if you need a very portable solution.

Personally, I prefer acoustic treatment on the opposite side of mic. I have 2 2'x6' pieces of 3/4" MDF with 4" of mineral wool on one side of each board, and shelf brackets as feet. I position the two gobos behind the performer in a V shape. Not as great as a whole treated room, but it makes a world of difference, and supplies for this setup only run a little more than $100 for the pair. Of course this isn't quite as portable as that little cloth box! And they weigh just about a metric ton, which is kind of annoying.
 
Heh, yeah, i considered using the V thing as you mentioned.... V Trap.

I dont know how much i like the idea of it being on a stand on a table, so i might improvise a little to get it on my tall mic stand, maybe suspending it upside down, so that i dont have to put it on a shelf to be standing and singing, to get optimal diaphragm use.
 
santiu said:
I imagine it would result in recordings better than if the box wasn't there.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking...But, after reading lots of stuff mentioning that foam isn't good for room treatment, I wonder if it should be replaced by rigid fiberglass.
 
I"ve seen a couple people post similar acoustic 'boxes' on other forums. I don't have the time at present to find them, but I remember seeing them. I do recall these people finding it improved their vocal recordings.
I have actually been thinking about using a room separator type thing, and putting foam on it for a similar, portable, acoustic treatment.

Juan
 

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RAMI said:
That's what I'm thinking...But, after reading lots of stuff mentioning that foam isn't good for room treatment, I wonder if it should be replaced by rigid fiberglass.
Click to expand...
Is the rigid fiberglass good at stopping reflection and / or higher frequency sound? Most of the stuff i've looked up so far lists it as being good for bass traps. All i really need the treatment for is for my not-so-bass-y vocals. ;)

On a side note, what if i sprayed rigid fiberglass on the back of the padding i use for this?
 
snakeyez said:
Is the rigid fiberglass good at stopping reflection and / or higher frequency sound? Most of the stuff i've looked up so far lists it as being good for bass traps.
Click to expand...

You might be right. I'm not sure, which is why I brought it up. I hope foam would work because that box looks pretty easy to make.
 
The problem is, how do you get that box to the level of your head in a comfortable manor if you're doing voice-overs? You'd have to stack it on something to get enough height for it to be comfortable.
 
I made a box like that not long ago - first I went to the container store and got the cloth box - I think it was 12 bucks. They didn't have one exactly like in that picture, but the one I bought is very similar -- it has a zippered flap so it can be completely closed up. Then I went to GC and they were kind enough to sell me a scrap of acoustic foam for cheap that I took home and cut to fit the sides of the box. I keep shock mounts and cables and stuff in it when it's not in use - kind of nice. But I suppose I could fold it up flat if I wanted.

It is indeed tough to get it up to voice level off the floor - I can stack it on something on a chair, and then someone sitting down is facing it. Another concern is getting a mic stand that's small enough to fit inside the box and give enough room for the mic. Small stands tend to be flimsier, and the weight of the cable can pull the whole thing over, out of the box, and down to the floor :eek:

I've really only tried to use it a couple times so far, and the first time I had my 414 in cardioid mode facing the wrong way (into the box) -- doh! :o -- another take with it sitting in front of the box was usable, and it noticeably did block reflections. I'm not to the point where I can say it's a fantastic thing, but it's definitely worth at least the <$30 I spent on it.

I'm trying to figure out how to mount it on the end of a mic stand - that would be useful.
 
I'm still waiting for the site to load... :mad:


Damn government server on a ship in the middle of the ocean... :(
 
Alright i got all the parts, and threw it together in about 20 minutes. After recording some samples, it seemed to do a decent job of cutting out background noise, and some reflection... it made the vox sound more full, or pure, IMO...
I rendered two different samples, one using the room, and one using the vocal booth.


and


If you listen closely i could tell a bit of difference. (Note: No treatment = it was on mic stand, approx 4ft away from my pc. In vocal booth, it was about 3ft away from my computer. ) I think it was worth my $60, but i'll have to record more. Right now i'm very ill, and surprised that i didnt sound entirely nasal-ly and could even get a note out. ;)

What do you guys think, can you tell a difference in the background?
 
I can't open the website but here's a costless way to improve your sound.

Use a hardshell guitar case like a fender case with a lining. Stand it up opened longways on a chair or table placing your mic right inside it and play into the case. That cuts out most of the room reflections and gives a nice sound for free. It doesn't look all that great but works well.
 
NYMorningstar said:
I can't open the website but here's a costless way to improve your sound.

Use a hardshell guitar case like a fender case with a lining. Stand it up opened longways on a chair or table placing your mic right inside it and play into the case. That cuts out most of the room reflections and gives a nice sound for free. It doesn't look all that great but works well.
Click to expand...

That´s a good idea! :)
Portable vocal booth! ja ja ja j :D
 
that's a pretty significant difference IMO. I'm pretty impressed at how big of a difference such a small little box can make. Definitely worth the money.

What type of mic were you using?

hope ya feel better:)
 
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