Building vocal booth... help

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jayunobx

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Hey guys im new to the forum and decided to do some research before i started this venture. I just cleaned this room out and would like to build a vocal booth. I will be recording rap vocals and r & b. The main idea of this booth will be to not hear the person inside recording... so that i may record whenever but after reading on here it seems like most of you guys look down upon vocal booths and would opt for the larger room. basically, how can i build it so its sound proof and will also sound great? ive attatched some pictures of the area... I am trying to build it from inside the closet to the window frame
 
ok just read another thread of you guys downing the booth.,, i hope i can find a way around this
 
I really need something soundproof as i live in the upstairs part of the house and use both the bedrooms upstairs but have roommates that live down stairs and i havent been able to record at all due to them complaining
 
ok i am going to try to post the pictures now... Basically the walls and ceiling coming from the closet to the window will be new construction.
 
29sqpt.jpg

24wr7yc.jpg
 
welcome to the forums....

first advice....i'd suggest just doing a lot of reading!!!

even if you scroll to the bottom of this page, you'll see how well covered this topic is.

Best of luck! hope you get a lot of good info!
 
If you want it *soundproof* in and out...you'll need to rip out all the sheet-rock already there and start from the studs.
And then it will be a lot of work...and the booth wiil end up small and confined by the time you make the walls thick/heavy enough for *soundproof*...
...of course, you also have the ceiling and the floor.

So basically you ain't gonna get it *soundproof*...maybe pretty quiet at best, at least for vocals.
Of course...it may still sound like crap...but it will be quiet. :)

Most of us are "down" on small booths for a reason. If it was me...I would use the entire space, spend your money of a bunch of broadband traps that you can placed around the room and ceiling...and that will keep things sounding decent and also take out some of the noise....but it ain't gonna be *soundproof* unless you build it into the room from the bare studs on.

Just how *soundproof* do you really need it for vocals???
 
If all yer roomies are passed out like the dude in the second pic I don't see what the problem is. Just keep buying them beer.


lou
 
I don't think that's alcohol related....looks more like video game exhaustion. :laughings:
 
lol..that's more like it...

i reckon he was asked to duck for the photo, and just went a bit too far.
 
miroslav said:
If you want it *soundproof* in and out...you'll need to rip out all the sheet-rock already there and start from the studs.
And then it will be a lot of work...and the booth wiil end up small and confined by the time you make the walls thick/heavy enough for *soundproof*...
...of course, you also have the ceiling and the floor.

So basically you ain't gonna get it *soundproof*...maybe pretty quiet at best, at least for vocals.
Of course...it may still sound like crap...but it will be quiet. :)

Most of us are "down" on small booths for a reason. If it was me...I would use the entire space, spend your money of a bunch of broadband traps that you can placed around the room and ceiling...and that will keep things sounding decent and also take out some of the noise....but it ain't gonna be *soundproof* unless you build it into the room from the bare studs on.

Just how *soundproof* do you really need it for vocals???
Click to expand...

thanks, just enough to cover when someone is loud in the booth we are in my room and upstairs so that helps, how could i get the small area to sound better?
 
How much money do you have to throw at this? It isn't going to be cheap. The booth has to be decoupled from the current structure and virtually airtight, and you have to breathe and get mics and lights in there. Foam will make it sound dead and creepy. You might want to be able to see, so a window is a problem, since isolation can only be as strong as it's weakest point. If you don't own the place, it might be cheaper to move.

If you're not into getting permits and aren't handy with construction I recommend you look at something from Vocalbooth or Whisperroom. You are going to need lots of ventilation.

Good luck.
 
It dosnt even look like you can fit someone in there. Waaaay to small for a booth. Just spend money on treating your room. As for roomates, if it is that much of a problem work out a schedule or some sort of agreement. But that will not work for a booth.

Drew
 
From 11 years of home recording and studio recording... Learning to mix and a lot of practice at mixing will help you compensate with all vocal issues recording in a room/basement/cellar/whatever. My newest studio I am building is in the upstairs of a condo (so I have people on either side of me). What I have done in the past and I will be doing here is hanging home made panels to get space and padding between the actual recording space and the giprock (drywall) of a walk in closet. How I have done this? Industrial Styrofoam, 10-20ft or 1x1 or 1x2 pine (soft wood works best), a stud finder, tacks and some cheap carpet. A heavy-duty staple gun would be in your best interest to have too. (Your doing rap vocals so you don't need the dynamics of a larger space to record in as vocalists would need).

So.. I've made 2ft by 4.5 ft frames using the 1x1 lumber. on the inside edge of I have tacked the staples. I have then cut the syrofoam to fit snuggly inside. Place tacks in the stryfoam and insert your next sheet of stryofoam. Creating small spaces of air between the styrofoam inserts slows down reverberating sounds that would normally penetrate and vibrate off your walls. You can do this as many times as desired depending on how thick the wood is you've purchased and cut to crap.
In the end. Tack the last piece of Styrofoam with staples in the wood (just like framing a picture.) Get some beer and a buddy for the next part as it can be a pain in the ass. Cut the carpet to wrap over the frame tightly (so when it's hung you don't see wood). Use that stapler and get it snug. Next grab that stud finder and use it to find where your hanging these things. Using drywall anchors will help you securing and hanging the weight as well. Use a few if need be.

continue around the room. The panels do not need to be touching, you can leave an inch or two of space between them. It looks neat - you can graffiti the hell out of the carpet to make it look baller, and it's cost effective and works. I've made extra panels that I have hung in the corners acting as bass traps. Once I'm finished building mine I will be posting pics. Hopefully this has shed some light on your doubts about a vocal booth.

Besides building one with some buddy's is a lot of fun. and you can get drunk and pass out in it like your above photo :D!!
 
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