Reflection Filter/Portable Sound Booth

S

shanetsh90

New member
hey guys.. i'm trying to improve on my recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db3__34cEhU

as many people have suggested to me that i need to get a better reflection filter/shield,
i have narrowed them down to two that i have access to:

1. Soundkitz AE-F
NEW! AE-F ACOUSTIC REFLECTION FILTER PORTABLE VOCAL SOUND BOOTH REFLEXION | eBay
2. Editorskeys
The Portable Vocal Booth Pro 2 - With Heavy Duty Stand Worth Over 50.00 and Desk Stand Mounts - Get Perfect Dry Vocals Today.

the Editorskeys one is almost triple the Soundkitz's price after shipping.. And i am bias towards it coz many people have bought and reviewed it on youtube but they:
1. Are the first to put it up on the market
2. They made a video justifying their price and i do not know wat the other company's product are made of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpaFrm_Fr2Y&feature=plcp&list=PLPEDCoz5YqPxoDeKVtgSNSEdCcec3lI_z

Really need your input on this! thanks guys =)
 
i really like ur product but i have 1 huge problem..

as u can see from my vid linked above.. i do covers in that kinda camera angle.. a product like urs will completely cover my head..

also, as i am located in Malaysia, the shipping to get ur product to where i am will be really expensive
 
i've seen that product, but i dont really like its aesthetics.. and its quite a bit smaller than either of the products i've listed above..
 
shanetsh90 said:
the Editorskeys one is almost triple the Soundkitz's price after shipping.. And i am bias towards it coz many people have bought and reviewed it on youtube but they:
1. Are the first to put it up on the market
2. They made a video justifying their price and i do not know wat the other company's product are made of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpaFrm_Fr2Y&feature=plcp&list=PLPEDCoz5YqPxoDeKVtgSNSEdCcec3lI_z
Click to expand...
The Editorkeys one is not the same as Se Electronic reflection filter(the one in the video). The other two just seem to be foam on perforated metal.
From my own experience (did a test between cheaper foam reflection filter and the SE reflection filter) the foam one killed the highs and left you with muddy recording. Exactly like the guy on the video said.
 
Seidy said:
the foam one killed the highs and left you with muddy recording. Exactly like the guy on the video said.
Click to expand...

If a Reflection Filter is 'killing the highs', then one of two things may be happening:
1) The microphone is pointing the wrong way (away from the singer) - turn it around so the mic pickup point is facing the singer!
2) The sound you want to record is actually the room ambience/reflections - in which case you don't want to use a reflection filter at all.

The purpose of the reflection filter is to stop the 'bad' sound reflections from an untreated room returning to the mic and getting picked up in the recording along with the singer's actual voice. The metal on the back of the high priced one linked above will definitely do that, and the foam on the inside will absorb the incoming voice soundwaves from bouncing off the inside of the metal back.
Without the metal back, the foam of the Auralex style is absorbing the reflections, as well as the original incoming voice soundwaves. Obviously, the bigger the trap (like the Real Traps) or the more material, the better the filter will do the job.
This brings up an arguement heard all the time: is a totally dead recording space really that good for vocals?
 
mjbphotos said:
If a Reflection Filter is 'killing the highs', then one of two things may be happening:
1) The microphone is pointing the wrong way (away from the singer) - turn it around so the mic pickup point is facing the singer!
2) The sound you want to record is actually the room ambience/reflections - in which case you don't want to use a reflection filter at all.
Click to expand...
I believe more that foam absorbed the highs and the metal back reflected the lows back towards the mic (plus the C shape helped to focus the reflections). It's like the thing with rooms - when you cover it with foam, high frequency reflections will be cut but the low's will still be there.
 
Seidy said:
I believe more that foam absorbed the highs and the metal back reflected the lows back towards the mic (plus the C shape helped to focus the reflections). It's like the thing with rooms - when you cover it with foam, high frequency reflections will be cut but the low's will still be there.
Click to expand...
Yeah, a foam "reflection" filter will do what foam anything does, which is kill your high's and leave the low's un-tamed.
 
But we're talking a VOICE here, would the reflected low tones be that noticeable, and if so, then the Auralex woudl be a better choice than the one with metal backing, correct?
I don't use one myself, I have an odd-shapped living room and I set up facing diagonally across it, but sometimes wonder if something like this would aid with cutting out outside noise coming through the walls/windows.
 
RAMI said:
Probably not. But the "killed" high frequencies would.
Click to expand...

I think you might be misunderstanding what it's for, Rami. You sing into the middle of the filter, all your voice going directly into front of the mic - the foam is supposed to stop reflections from interfering with the direct vocal, so you want the foam to kill the reflected waves. The foam doesn't interfere with the main part of the vocal going straight into the mic.

Maybe a picture will help my clumsy explanation: -

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/atta...se-electronics-reflections-filter-qm100-1.jpg

SE Electronics Reflexion Filter
 
ok guys.. so i've been looking at ur posts and also did some research online..

Anyhow, i picked up the SE Reflexion Filter Pro from a local store as it looks the most different compared to the foam-ghetto solution in terms of the materials used (it does not use foam)

also i picked up a metal pop filter..

for the benefit of all the people who were also wondering about these products, i being a consumer with no other agenda or whatsoever, shall make an in-depth

and impartial review and compare these products to some homemade-ghetto alternatives..
 
jonny deep said:
I think you might be misunderstanding what it's for, Rami.]
Click to expand...

Hehe....No, I know how they're placed, etc....I've never used one and don't really see the use for one, so I'm not qualified to talk about what they do or not. But my "theory" was based on thinking of it in extremes. For example, even if we're singing straight into a mic, if we were in a room completely covered with foam, it would be a hoorribly box-y sound. So, I just used that logic and figured a foam reflection filter might do the same thing. But I wasn't basing it on experience, so I have no problem saying I might be 100% wrong.
 
RAMI said:
Hehe....No, I know how they're placed, etc....I've never used one and don't really see the use for one, so I'm not qualified to talk about what they do or not. But my "theory" was based on thinking of it in extremes. For example, even if we're singing straight into a mic, if we were in a room completely covered with foam, it would be a hoorribly box-y sound. So, I just used that logic and figured a foam reflection filter might do the same thing. But I wasn't basing it on experience, so I have no problem saying I might be 100% wrong.
Click to expand...

Ah, no worries, I was misunderstanding you then!
 
Another one of my possibly ridiculous "theories", based on my very little technical knowledge of how acoustics actually work, is that it doesn't seem to make sense to have a reflection filter behind the mic. I would think it would make more sense to have it behind the singer's head to stop sound going in to the mic. It's not a "theory" I can back up, because I have no idea what I'm talking about, but it just seems to make sense in my head. :eek:
 
RAMI said:
Another one of my possibly ridiculous "theories", based on my very little technical knowledge of how acoustics actually work, is that it doesn't seem to make sense to have a reflection filter behind the mic. I would think it would make more sense to have it behind the singer's head to stop sound going in to the mic. It's not a "theory" I can back up, but it just seems to make sense in my head. :eek:
Click to expand...

The SoundOnSound article I linked (2nd link in my post above) talks about that very thing. I haven't read the whole thing, but I think a combination of the reflexion filter and a duvet behind the singer (which is what I do at home) makes for a decent result.
 
Go to Target/Walmart...somewhere like that. Look for collapsible storage boxes. A 14in x 14 is the perfect size and should only cost about $8-$10. While you're there, look for a mini microphone tripod. Should only cost like $15.

Next, go to Guitar Center (or Sam Ash or another music store) and buy a sheet of acoustic foam. The one with the sharp cut ridges will work best. I got two 2ft x 2ft sheets for $26...you'll really only need one sheet but having the excess foam is good for padding a room if you're going to play instruments. Also be sure to pick up a pop screen if you don't have one already.

When you get home you want to cut one sheet of the acoustic foam in half using a bread knife. They can cut the foam but won't tear it like another sharp knife would. Use a tape measure to determine the halfway point then use a black sharpe to mark it. cut each half into two pieces. Once again, the measuring tape and sharpe will help you get an even cut.

Set up the collapsible box then stick one of the four pieces on the bottom and the other 3 around the 3 inside walls, making sure to push them in firmly so they don't fall apart. The 4th wall of the box without a piece of foam will be the bottom of your booth when you sit it up. Stick your mic on the tripod and position it how you want it. Now take the pop screen and bend it so that the screen rests in front of the mic but is pushing against the top wall of foam. It will hold the pop screen in place.

That should be it. Look...all that for less than $100...and you can collapse the booth for easy storage and portability. Those space saver bags are great for the foam as well. If you don't like your mic cord wrapping around the box to your mixer/externa soundcard, then punch a small hole in the bottom of the box and the foam that's sitting on the bottom (which becomes the back when you sit it up.) of the box. I'm gonna try and put a pic up. There's a youtube video on how to make it. but you should see by the pic what it looks like.
Home Recording Booth.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top