Cheapest way to build vocal booth.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Diffusion
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quick question.......... ok Im a college student so I really dont have the room to build a 4X4 booth in my room, but i saw another thing (i dont remember if its in this thread or not) where they put up a T shaped thing and moving blankets that I plan on doing....... my question is untill I build that would putting up a Mattress behind my mic work like the blanket Idea......... and if so when I do build the T shaped thing would a mattress behind me help to absorb extra echo?
 
matt9b said:
Thanks for the info, but according to the very people who sell them, the mineral wool does absorb lower frequencies. graph here: http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/soundproofing/amwgraph.htm

wool here: http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/soundproofing/amw.htm

Anyway, I have decided to forgo it for the time being as i have no money and little time at the moment.

I read of all these 5-minute pvc pipe vocal booths being built all over the place. I'm still working on mine, and have been for almost a week now. Here's how far I've got:

1. Went to FOCUS DIY, but they didn't sell Tee connectors
2. Went to Homebase, again no Tee connectors
3. Emailed around 12 plumbing/DIY shops from google to see if they sold Tee connectors- no luck
4. Borrowed a friend and went to a few more big DIY stores- still no Tee connectors
5. Asked in a local plumbing/gas service repair centre where we could get Tee connectors, they recommended a plumbing shop further down the road (which we then looked for for half an hour but couldn't find).
6. Drove to a tiny Handy Centre in southall to look for these elusive Tee connectors. Again, nothing. The guy said he could order them in next day. So, we thought "HEY! Grreat! finally!" we ordered them, came back the next day only to find the shop was closed, hung about for half an hour, then the owner came back to open the shop. Went in to get the connectors we had ordered, but the man said with a sad face "sorry I couldn't get them. They don't exist I'm afraid." I said "waHuuuhhh?? LOOK at these pictures!" I showed him pics of all the booths you guys have built. He looked perplexed and said "hmm.. I don't know where they got those, they don't exist in this country."
7. I went to B&Q Warehouse, found some "Swept 88.5 degree Tee's" So I got some of them (they're not perfect as they're not 90 degrees but by this point I felt like I was going to explode so didn't care), and the rest of the pipes to build a basic frame.
8.Got home, excited in the anticipation, I finally built the frame.

But...


disaster struck..


The frame was wobbly and could not stand up on its own.

9. Went back to B&Q warehouse to get some more supports for the frame. I got 8 more pipes (at £1.78 each they aren't cheap), and some more 88.5 degree Tee's.
10. Got home, cut up the pipes and tried to fix them to the frame..


Disaster struck..

The pipes don't fit into the fittings!!!!

These new pipes have written on them "32mm" and look JUST like the other pvc pipes, but are "ABS" pipes and are for some unknown reason actually slightly to big to fit into the fittings.
11. I call up B&Q to ask if I can come back for a refund and replace the pipes. The guy said that as I have already cut them to size, they will not offer a refund. So, I have to go back there when I can borrow my friend and his car and get 8 more pipes... AGAIN!!

I have so far spent a small fortune on this saga, and there is no end in sight. At £1.78 per pipe, £2.50 per fitting, the cheapest duvets I can find and safety pins/nylon string to put them up, almost a whole week of full-time effort/stress.. total cost is coming up to around £160 ($283). I have sourced the cheapest parts I can find, and that doesn't even include petrol.

I wish I could say this was a one-off saga. All I can say is, to anyone considering building this, although I am sure you will succeed with comparable ease, please spare a thought for me and my ordeal. Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I can't believe you went thru all that for some pvc t-connectors........... :D

Sorry for laughin but damn.
 
Wow, these sounds like a plan... might try to fit that in the corner I have available in my bedroom where the current computer desk is located....
bedroom.JPG

And about $100 that sounds great. I'd like to make mine big enough for close micing a sax and acoustic guitar as well as vocals. It'd be great if it was able to provide more isolation, but guess that will do for $100 and I could always double up huh? Awesome thread and doesn't look that bad at all.
 
If you don't mind me asking, when you double the mats, how isolated are they and how loud can you hear the vocalist outside the booth?
 
Wow, Matt, I can't believe the trouble you've been running into.

It may be too late, but in an earlier post you asked whether the metal pipe would need to be glued or soldered together. The answer is no.

You would want to use threaded fittings, assembled with just enough torque to make the fittings tight but not so tight that you can't disassemble with your bare hands.

Here in the U.S. all the big hardware stores carry various lengths of pipe that are pre-threaded, and all the tee-fittings, elbows, and flanges, etc., are pre-threaded as well. You can then assemble something using standard pipe lengths, using couplings as necessary if more length is required.

I hope you get it all worked out.
 
TravisinFlorida said:
I can't believe you went thru all that for some pvc t-connectors........... :D

Sorry for laughin but damn.
Click to expand...

If yall would start measuring stuff in inches instead of those damned millimeters, you might not have so much trouble! :D
 
To avoid the muddiness, it was recommended that you leave one wall open so some highs and mids will reflect back to hopefully supply some kind of balance with the lows.

I think I am going to double up on blankets and will go the metal route. Any suggestions on what to look for at the hardware store?
 
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