total silence . . . good or bad?

[Solafide]

I normally record in a bedroom sized room, and use blankets do deaden things a little. I have a chance to get a sound-proof isolation booth from a local hospital (they used it for hearing tests). It is 77 inches by 44 inches. I could get it real cheap (a few hundred Canadian).


I would expect the benifits of such a room would be no background noise, no unwanted reverb, etc., but what would be the drawbacks.

Is a good reverb, in conjunction with this type of isolation booth a good idea?

 

[chessrock]

The isolation thing would be good . . .

But recording in a booth about 77 inches by 44 inches -- now that could create a whole different set of problems altogether.

My guess is recordings would sound as if they were recorded in a tiny little box. You tell us if that's a good thing.

 

[eeldip]

well, if it is dead, it shouldnt sound like a little box.

it might be decent for vocals, close in, intimate vocals.

or maybe for screaming...


also it might be good for sticking an amp in. i know my bloody valentine is big on that amp box sound....

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Breaded Eel?

That isn't, "My Funny Valentine" is it?

Green Hornet

 

[Solafide]

"well, if it is dead, it shouldnt sound like a little box.

it might be decent for vocals, close in, intimate vocals.

or maybe for screaming..."






That was what I thought. I also thought it might work for accustic guitar. Wouldn't 6 and a half feet by 3 foot eight be enough for this as well?

 

[chessrock]

What is it made out of, and what is it treated with? It may or may not be "dead" (quote-unquote). Sound isolation and sound absorption / treatment are two very different things.

I'm also assuming it would be very difficult to properly treat something that small -- though I could be wrong.

 

[eeldip]

what you should do is go into your closet with like 10 cans of that spray foam and just fill the thing up till you cant move.

then have someone cut you out in a clean slice, put a hinge on it, and you have a really dead room that is perfectly shaped for your body.

you could step in and scream your ass off, and maybe no one could hear you.

you could carve a little hole for a mic too!

 

[Solafide]

chessrock,

I'm not sure what it is made of, but I know its purpose would have been for sound absorption and not treatment. It is intended to be "sound proof", so that there would be no sound bleed from the inside out, and vice-versa. I also know it is extremely heavy because the person I was talking to said that even though it comes apart in sections, it will be very difficult to carry.


I haven't seen it yet. My son was in the hospital having a routine ear test done, and my wife was telling the receptionist that I was into recording and would like to see the different rooms, and conversation lead to the availability of this isolation room, they had replaced and wanted to sell.

My wife was inside it, and said it was very dead sounding (to the point it was disorienting).

 

[Solafide]

"what you should do is go into your closet with like 10 cans of that spray foam and just fill the thing up till you cant move.

then have someone cut you out in a clean slice, put a hinge on it, and you have a really dead room that is perfectly shaped for your body.

you could step in and scream your ass off, and maybe no one could hear you.

you could carve a little hole for a mic too!"





There are days that that might seem appealing!!!

 

[Hardcore]

I've had a few hearing tests done in these. Not dead, just soundproofed. And quite small. I doubt you could record anything in it other than vocals, and even then you have to sit. I suppose you could put an amp in it and mic it, but I don't think you'll really benefit from it at all.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Ventilation, cable-runs... all stuff you need to think about because it may mean punching holes in it.....

 

[sjoko2]

pardon?

 

[Jeyan]

Solafide,
I've seen the hearing test booth, it doesn't have ventilation for sure, you may have to cut a hole and use a hose to connect to a squirrel cage fan and fix it in. Other than that it would be good for vocals. I tried to buy one of these booths and they told me that I have to have somekind of medical license to buy or I may have to use it illegally. So check this before you buy. Just a tip.