DIY Baffle with an old comforter

T

theshaggyfreak

New member
So, as I was working on recording last night, I realized that I'm just getting too much bleed over noise from my PC when I'm recording. I need to set up some sort of baffle to absorb some of that noise. Now, I have this old thick comforter that I'm no longer using, so I figure that it would work to block some of the sound, but now I need to figure out some sort of rig to hold it up. A clothes line will not really work since I can't put any kind of large holes in the walls of my apartment. So, I guess I need to figure out some kind of stand. Maybe some cheap PVC piping? Any suggestions?

I know that the comforter won't kill all the noise, but it'll atleast absorb some of it. I really just need some ideas on how to set it up.
 
I've heard of quite a few people making the frame for baffles out of PVC piping. Just go the hardware store, get the correct lengths and some corner joints, and you're on your way.
 
Also consider mic selection & placement (cardioids aimed away from your PC), silent PC fans, fanless video cards, and don't forget to provide for adequate cooling when you cover it with a blanket.
 
mshilarious said:
Also consider mic selection & placement (cardioids aimed away from your PC), silent PC fans, fanless video cards, and don't forget to provide for adequate cooling when you cover it with a blanket.
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I'm looking to do things on the cheap side. My PC already runs fairly well, and I really don't think I need to dump more money into it. I have quite few mics, and they all pic up some sort of noise from the PC. I'm looking to set up a baffle to block some of the noise out, not actually put the comforter on the PC itself.
 
Hiliarious is right. A silent pc fan will help a lot, with the cooling and the sound. They aren't much money at all either.

The Pvc piping idea would work really well, and you would be able to take it apart when your not using it, and then it would take up very little space. What I did was make wood frames. 8 feet high and 4 feet wide. Stapled acoustic foam to them, insulated behind the foam. I made three of these, and I'm able to move them around where I need them. I can make a small vocal boot, or spread them out when I'm recording drums. They work very well, and look quite impressive to some customers. But with the pvc you could take it apart.
 
In Tune Audio said:
Hiliarious is right. A silent pc fan will help a lot, with the cooling and the sound. They aren't much money at all either.

The Pvc piping idea would work really well, and you would be able to take it apart when your not using it, and then it would take up very little space. What I did was make wood frames. 8 feet high and 4 feet wide. Stapled acoustic foam to them, insulated behind the foam. I made three of these, and I'm able to move them around where I need them. I can make a small vocal boot, or spread them out when I'm recording drums. They work very well, and look quite impressive to some customers. But with the pvc you could take it apart.
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That's kind of what I'm going for. It's not that the PC is really that loud, but my condensor mics pick up everything in the not so large sized room that my studio is set up in my apartment. Also, near where my PC is also resides the grating for the A/C. This baffle would also block out some of the noise from that fan, as well as any noise from the window that is also near the PC. So, this isn't JUST for the PC noise by itself.
 
mshilarious said:
and don't forget to provide for adequate cooling when you cover it with a blanket.
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That's for sure! I learned that lesson the hard way. Had a couple blankets over my PC for a long recording session and forgot about them. After a couple hours....everything goes blank. Had to restart the computer and I lost everything.
 
They come apart with no trouble at all. As a matter of fact when you buy one it is in pieces that you assemble.
 
Whoa, maybe I red your reply wrong. But if I red it correctly, your recording in a room with your pc, window open, and air conditioning fan running?!?!?!?!?!?!

Theres your problem, turn some stuff off while your tracking. You want the room to be as silent as possible. Thats why people spend thousands of dollars building silent isolation booths. It might get hot in there, but at least you want have any noise on your track.
 
In Tune Audio said:
Whoa, maybe I red your reply wrong. But if I red it correctly, your recording in a room with your pc, window open, and air conditioning fan running?!?!?!?!?!?!

Theres your problem, turn some stuff off while your tracking. You want the room to be as silent as possible. Thats why people spend thousands of dollars building silent isolation booths. It might get hot in there, but at least you want have any noise on your track.
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Yes, these things I know. Unfortunately this apartment is on the 4th floor. While in winter it's not a problem, but in the summer it's a big one. Things will easilly push over 80 degrees if the A/C isn't kept on. The windows are never open, but you can also hear quite a bit through them. This is after all an apartment and not a very well built house. I have to work with what I have. This is why I'm trying to baffle some of it out. I really don't have much of a choice here.
 
theshaggyfreak said:
Yes, these things I know. Unfortunately this apartment is on the 4th floor. While in winter it's not a problem, but in the summer it's a big one. Things will easilly push over 80 degrees if the A/C isn't kept on. The windows are never open, but you can also hear quite a bit through them. This is after all an apartment and not a very well built house. I have to work with what I have. This is why I'm trying to baffle some of it out. I really don't have much of a choice here.
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With that much noise, you might consider building an iso booth in a closet. Check out the studio building board.
 
mshilarious said:
With that much noise, you might consider building an iso booth in a closet. Check out the studio building board.
Click to expand...

No room for that either. That would have been my first choice. The noise isn't really all that loud, but it's enough to pick up on a mic. Trust me, I've thought about this long and hard. The baffle is really going to be the only thing I can do for now that will help with the issue as well as be easy to take down and store away. I have to consider that I share an apartment with someone as well, so I only have a certain amount of space I can take up. I'm not looking to be 'Mr Badass Studio Guy (tm)', but I just want to help make the situation I have a little better.
 
I have a pretty loud fan on my computer. I also have an old heavy comforter that gets tuffed around it when I'm recording. It does a great job of reducing the noise. Because my pc tower is in the back corner of my desk with other equipment around it, I kind of tuck it in and leave enough room for one fan to draw in some cool outside air. I've had it on for hours at a time with no problems.

I also found that Cool Edit's noise reduction works really well with pc hum. Now If I could just get my neighbors bird to STFU I wouldn't have to do all my recording at midnight.
 
Turn the AC on in between takes. Turn it off when your recording.

I'm not trying to start a whose had it rougher in a studio, but my first setup was in two bedrooms, at the top of a three story house. No AC whatsoever. With board and external stuff, and pc running, and a few bodies in here you could cook an egg on my forhead. But I used the second bedroom as the isolation room, and customers would be sweeting buckets, but they delt with it because they knew thats what it took to get a great sound. Let it get a little hot, you'll have like old war stories of the studio, and it will really make you work hard. Or you could turn the AC between takes
 
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