my d.i.y. gobo/vocal iso project

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nathancowing

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i used only stuff i had (except one piece of glass) to make this gobo. it's not perfect, or totally soundproof, but i really like it. my longer term plan is to build some side panels and maybe even a back and top that can all be used separately or form like voltron to build a vocal booth in the middle of my live room. i'll update this thread as i make progress.

gobo2.webpgobo1.webp
 
The only thing...with all that glass, it's kinda like singing into a hard surface wall.
What was the need for that...? There's no real isolation/absorption, so why not just sing in the open room...?

I mean...it looks nice, but not seeing how it will really help.
AFA getting it "totally soundproof"...mmm, it's not as simple one might think.

So...do you record/sing with other players in the room...or is there noise outside you are trying to block...or do you want to keep your singing from being heard by anyone?
What's the goal/purpose, and why not just sing in the open "live room" you mentioned?
 
I have some just about the same, great for blocking a bit of spill when tracking vocals with live instruments and for tailoring the room sound if needed. Below is an example when the album was being tracked live with vocal, sax and percussion, the glass screen is used to reduce the spill from the sax into the vocal and ukulele mic but maintaining sight lines for cues, the percussion has the standard gobo.

Alan.

sally-blog-2015.webp
 
witzendoz said:
I have some just about the same...]
Click to expand...

Mmm...you have it angled, which probably makes it OK AFA direct reflections back...plus for sax, the direction is kinda angled up.

With vocals, one gobo in front of you with a sheet of glass, might not be the best way to go, but YMMV...and that's really my question.
Usually gobos would be for the instruments, but vocals are generally not going to be cut in the same room with them, at the same time, and with only a gobo as isolation. I mean...not as a common approach.
So then...what's the point of the glass for a vocal iso/soundproof gobo/booth that the OP is referring to...?

In your pics...would you stick a glass gobo in front of the vocalist/uke player...?

For the tall gobos, I would opt maybe for just a narrow 1' tall piece of glass...like a small window, rather than half of it glass...if I was building them myself.

I'm mainly curious what the goal is for the OP...and if it's needed, 'cuz we see a LOT of vocal booth building around here, because there is some belief that vocal booths make for better vocals...and that's really my concern for the OP.
You know what you are doing, Alan. :)
 
It works fine even with some reflection, keeps it live sounding. Some of mine are padded below the window to make it non reflective. I sometimes drape a length on sound dreading polyester over the top partly covering the glass if the reflections do present a problem.

You need a glass window if you want to maintain sight-lines.

Alan

Gobos at Abbey Road

abby road.webp
 
witzendoz said:
You need a glass window if you want to maintain sight-lines.
Click to expand...

Well yeah...if you're going to use real tall ones.
I'm just saying that I would minimize on the amount of glass used. The ones at Abbey Road have narrower windows.

I'm just not sure the OP is dealing with an Abbey Road studio space or multiple live performers. :)
 
True, I do record a lot of bands live where we track drums, bass and guitars plus a guide vocal and these are very useful, I should place some strips of sound deadener around the window and make them a bit smaller, but it's another job on the long list that I never seem to get around too or don't think of until they get pulled out of my storage area for use again LOL.

They are surprisingly useful when you need them to tame some spill.

Alan.
 
the purpose is to have the singer in the same room with the band. the window is so they an see the band because otherwise i'd just stick them in another room. i like liveliness to my vocal tracks. i often record vocals in the stairwell / hallway right outside my 'control room', so some reflection off the glass doesn't bother me, nor does some amount of bleed. i usually use a rode k2 to record vocals. i was thinking if i set it to figure of 8, the back lobe would be blocked by this vocal screen and the front lobe would have the singer blabbing into it, the sides being most rejective would pick up the least amount of the band.

in my experience total isolation is rarely necessary, i tend to go for 'reducing' bleed. once i've got sides, a back and a top (and yes, i'll have to stuff something under the space created by the casters) i figure it will be about 80% sound reduction witch is more than enough for me.

whenever possible i record as live as possible, so even if i'm not doing vocals, i'll use these gobos in between amps and drums.
 
nathancowing said:
...so some reflection off the glass doesn't bother me, nor does some amount of bleed. i usually use a rode k2 to record vocals. i was thinking if i set it to figure of 8, the back lobe would be blocked by this vocal screen and the front lobe would have the singer blabbing into it, the sides being most rejective would pick up the least amount of the band.
Click to expand...

It's not so much "reflection" that's the issue...it's the early reflections. In a big live room, the reflections come later and are more diffused. When you're singing from 2' away directly into a hard glass surface, those reflections can cause issues when they combine with the direct sound from the front.
AFA the figure 8 pattern...mmm...why would you use that as opposed to a cardioid when in front of the glass...?...since the cardioid would cancel out more of those early reflections off the glass?
I like to use figure of 8 sometimes for vocals...but in an open room...so that the back side is getting more of the ambience from the room as opposed to early reflections.

In the end...if it works for you, it's good. :)
 
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