How critical are vocal booths?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GuitarGoblin
  • Start date Start date
I heared that walls have ears, so maybe they even have mouths whitch whisper "stop recording that garbage and find some normal bands" :D
 
Robert D said:
Well, we just had an earthquake here in California, so I think anyone recording at that time would have had actual room noise. :D
When we say room noise, we don't mean the room is the source of the noise so much as whatever noise is present in the room, regardless of it's source. It's room noise as opposed to noise injected by the signal chain. There are actually cases where the room itself makes noise though, by way of mechanical coupling of vibrations from nearby freeways, train tracks, mechanical equipment, etc. Those subsonic vibrations can cause walls, floors and ceilings to become transducers, which is why high end recording facilities have floating construction that decouples these structural elements from the rest of the building.
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I think you're oversimplifying things here, Robert.
 
I use a voice booth every day and it's never criticised me once.
 
GuitarGoblin said:
So I realize every major studio has a vocal booth but truly how necessary is it to get a decent recording? I suspect the main reason for a vocal booth is to isolate who/what is inside from the outside and/or vice versa, but let's say I don't need the isolation but I need something to help with standing waves, would the blanket trick work?

For those who don't know, you can take a few mic stands and while using some moving blankets (the ones movers use to protect furniture) create a 'booth' with them. I figure using an absorption panel right behind the mic (in front of the person singing but behind it) in conjunction with the blanket method described, the only thing left to blame for poor sound is the singer and/or the engineer right?

I'm new to recording vocals so I figured I'd ask. Thanks for any comments/criticism/insight.
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Something you might want to give a try... Open a hardshell guitar case and stand it on end up on a table. With a boom stand, place the mic or mics inside the case and you'll get pretty much the same isolation effect as a vocal booth.
 
If you are using a highly sensitive condensor mic made for studio vocal recordings (ie Neumann) then a vocal booth is a must. These mics are so sensitive for the reason of picking up as much detail as possible. So if you are not using a vocal booth then it will pick up alot of unwanted room noise.

If however you are using a budget vocal mic like the Rode NT2, then you can simply place a blanket up behind the mic and that should be enough to get a clean vocal recording.
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rode NT2-A = every bit as sensitive as a U87
 
ez_willis said:
I can give you an example: I built a studio with a moderate amount of room treatment in my garage. If my girlfriend is in the room closest to the studio, the mics will pick up the sound of her voice bitching at me. The same is true if she's in the room past that, or even the master bedroom, which is the furthest point from my studio.

There are even times that I swear I can hear the sound of her voice nagging me as she's pulling in the driveway.
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They are coming out with BITCH sound treatment. Its for any females in the area trying to yell or nag. It prevents those BITCH waves from entering. Its supposed to be revolutionary!
 
The only comparison i can make is between some stuff my friend recorded here (no vocal booth) and some stuff he recorded in a studio. The difference (outside a superior mix) weren't convincing enough for me to ever concider building a proper booth. However, my house is dead quiet. Most of the day, i'm the only person home. I am on the opposite side of the house for any sources for noise (traffic, appliances, etc) and i live in a quite neighboorhood. As well as ever room in my house in insulated and has dual pained windows, etc. The reason i bring this up is that if i were to record at say, my old apartment, i would have far more trouble, even when nobody was home. Much less when people where around.

I think that it's very possible to get good results without a vocal booth. But, i have also had takes messed up from my dog barking. That sucks. I can't really record in the winter because heat ducts. I can't record when other people are home. But i don't record every day either so in the end it works. I just think your situation is key. A proper vocal booth will always work though.
 
I wouldn't say a vocal booth is necessary to isolate the mic from outside noise, like cars driving by, or a dog barking, but to get a more dry vocal sound that isn't influenced by the room. I've never sang in a vocal booth but I have a similar setup with panels and record guitar there. The difference in sound quality is night and day, even when close miking. I've always had a hard time getting "what I heard while playing" onto tape until I setup some absorber panels. Now, everything I record sounds good...as far as sound quality anyway. The music usually sucks real bad.
 
Robert D said:
Well, we just had an earthquake here in California, so I think anyone recording at that time would have had actual room noise. :D
When we say room noise, we don't mean the room is the source of the noise so much as whatever noise is present in the room, regardless of it's source. It's room noise as opposed to noise injected by the signal chain. There are actually cases where the room itself makes noise though, by way of mechanical coupling of vibrations from nearby freeways, train tracks, mechanical equipment, etc. Those subsonic vibrations can cause walls, floors and ceilings to become transducers, which is why high end recording facilities have floating construction that decouples these structural elements from the rest of the building.
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I second this. Fact
 
danny.guitar said:
I wouldn't say a vocal booth is necessary to isolate the mic from outside noise, like cars driving by, or a dog barking, but to get a more dry vocal sound that isn't influenced by the room. I've never sang in a vocal booth but I have a similar setup with panels and record guitar there. The difference in sound quality is night and day, even when close miking. I've always had a hard time getting "what I heard while playing" onto tape until I setup some absorber panels. Now, everything I record sounds good...as far as sound quality anyway. The music usually sucks real bad.
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Well, i have some treatment as well in my room which probably helps. That and mic positioning especially can really change how good something sounds.

My main point is, unless you are very serious, it doesn't make alot of sence to build a vocal booth. Like i said, comparing my friends recording in a studio's vocal booth and my room wasn't convincing. If I had an extra room or something, i would use it and cater the treatment towards vocals personally but i wouldn't sacrifice a room for that.
 
ecktronic said:
If you are using a highly sensitive condensor mic made for studio vocal recordings (ie Neumann) then a vocal booth is a must. These mics are so sensitive for the reason of picking up as much detail as possible. So if you are not using a vocal booth then it will pick up alot of unwanted room noise.

If however you are using a budget vocal mic like the Rode NT2, then you can simply place a blanket up behind the mic and that should be enough to get a clean vocal recording.

Eck
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I use a Neumann on most all my vocals. It's smack dab in the middle of the tracking room. There's a little tiny hum from the G5, but otherwise, I don't have ambient noise issues.
 
I don't have a booth, I just record vox with some treatment set up. If I'm recording myself its in the control room which is treated pretty good. I agree about vocals being in an open space sounding good, at least for my taste, so I try not to let it get too dead. I am curious though and perhaps should experiment instead of asking on a bbs, but I am curious about the placement within a room, relative to the walls, etc, on getting a vocal sound (or guitar amp sound because these two are often recorded in similar conditions).
 
Ironklad Audio said:
rode NT2-A = every bit as sensitive as a U87
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I said NT2 not NT2-A. Never used the NT2-A. but I've been using different NT2s for years now and they all are nowhere near as sensitive as a good Neumann.

Eck
 
Todzilla said:
I use a Neumann on most all my vocals. It's smack dab in the middle of the tracking room. There's a little tiny hum from the G5, but otherwise, I don't have ambient noise issues.
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Ive tried using Neumanns in the middle of a large studio room. All the walls and ceilings were slanted to eliminate standing waves and there were insulators around the room. I got room ambience.
It might not have been that noticeable at tracking stage, but it was at the mixing stage. Vocal booths are really good for getting a great vocal recording which really helps a vocal sit in a mix better.

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Ive tried using Neumanns in the middle of a large studio room. All the walls and ceilings were slanted to eliminate standing waves and there were insulators around the room. I got room ambience.
It might not have been that noticeable at tracking stage, but it was at the mixing stage. Vocal booths are really good for getting a great vocal recording which really helps a vocal sit in a mix better.

Eck
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Hmmmm, I use a VERY sensitive gefell mic for most of my vocal recording, and never had it be a problem tracking in my lage tracking room. Sure, you pick up a bit of the room sound, but then again, all the instruments were tracked in that room, so they have that same sound. Actually adds some cohesiveness to the mix. Also, I have never had trouble getting vocals to sit in the mix either.......

Best rule of thumb - if your not sure if it's hurting your recording, you are probably worrying about the wrong thing.
 
I'd take a nice (usually large) room or recording environment over a booth any day. I say booths are more important for when you don't have that option and the room just makes everything sound shitty/lo-fi...like a small bedroom.

But sometimes you don't want ambiance at all (for example, a lot of rap vocals) and that's another situation where a booth is real helpful. Mic selection being even more important.
 
NL5 said:
Hmmmm, I use a VERY sensitive gefell mic for most of my vocal recording, and never had it be a problem tracking in my lage tracking room. Sure, you pick up a bit of the room sound, but then again, all the instruments were tracked in that room, so they have that same sound. Actually adds some cohesiveness to the mix. Also, I have never had trouble getting vocals to sit in the mix either.......

Best rule of thumb - if your not sure if it's hurting your recording, you are probably worrying about the wrong thing.
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Have you tried A/Bing a vocal you recorded in your big room with a recording in a vocal booth? (using same mic)
Try that out and you will hear a difference.

Eck
 
danny.guitar said:
I'd take a nice (usually large) room or recording environment over a booth any day. I say booths are more important for when you don't have that option and the room just makes everything sound shitty/lo-fi...like a small bedroom.

But sometimes you don't want ambiance at all (for example, a lot of rap vocals) and that's another situation where a booth is real helpful. Mic selection being even more important.
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Different genres ask for different vocal recording techniques. I was thinking more so of rock music which I would definetly suggest using a vocal booth but there are definetly genres out there that suit recording in large rooms for the ambience.

Eck
 
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