VO booth design

H

Hydrate

New member
Hi y'all, I've spent a while foraging and scrounging for some ideas and methods on building a VO isolation booth and I've come up with a basic design. Considering the investment it would take I wanted to post it here so hopefully you good folks could help me catch any major design flaws. In this post I'm just focusing on the main structure and walls, there are of course many additional elements such as ventilation, lighting, equipment connections etc or any internal absorbtion materials that aren't in the diagrams.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/images/attach/bmp.gif
https://homerecording.com/bbs/images/attach/bmp.gif

The materials I plan to use:

15mm Gyproc Soundbloc - 2 layers on the outer surface of both stud walls and 1 on the inner surface of both.
100mm thick Rockwool RW5
100 x 50mm stud timbers
19mm OSB on floor with a layer of 19mm quiet board
SheetBlok Sound Isolation Barrier )or similar - between floor boards and between outer plaster board.
U-boats on the booth floor joists.
Green glue or similar and/or joist tape for around the studs and where they butt together.
2 x 45mm thick standard firedoors

About the location: unfortunately in my home I'm plagued with flybys from a near by airbase and large trucks so I feel a lot of isolation is required.

The overall structure is basically a booth within a booth using two stud walls separated with a 50mm airgap. Two outer layers of plasterboard, 1 inner and a rubber mat isolation barrier per stud wall and the ceilings. Rockwool to fill the walls.

The floor has 100mm joists using the U-boats and rockwool between the joists and capped with plasterboard also between the joists. On top of that two 19mm OSBs sandwiches a Quietboard and 1 or more layers of the rubber mat isolation barrier. There would also be something used on top of that internal to the booth but I'm not sure which of the many options to choose at the moment.

I hope I've sufficiently shown the intention and I hope there are no major issues, please do let me know if you believe this would achieve the goal and any improvements or corrections that would help.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Regards.
 

Attachments

UPDATE: Due to some advice I have decided that the "inner" layers of plasterboard are being dropped from the design, so it's gonna be two layers on the outer wall and two on the inner wall of the booth. Also I'm losing the U-boats.
 
Hydrate,
It is obvious that you have done a lot of research and planning. Do you have a solid floor to put this on? The booth(s) is going to be heavy.
Dale
 
plagued by flyovers. noise.

that looks like a lot of work.
im assuming youve tried the RE20/SM7 with a channel strip with expander/noise gate.....Symetrix 528E.

id be interested in seeing the build if you posted pics as you built it up.
 
CC,
I noticed the OP posted over in another forum and is getting feedback on his square design. He may not be back since he has many interacting with him over there.

But I do like your chain suggestions. That's my exact rig... You been in my booth snooping around again? :p
Dale
 
yeah that 528e has a very transparent expander gate, imo.
used its a great piece, selling new at $1050 B&H or $900 at Frontier is a stretch....used is $150 to $300, seems to me.

ok having had the 528e twice...I grabbed a 628 just now. $149, free shipping.
There was a little detail the 628 Symetrix offers a jumper inside for Mic level Output (-40db), which I wanted to try feeding it into a mic input, not Line In.... very cool option.

at a whopping +74db gain, $1100 new, and I know they're stuff's built right. should be great to have around for low-impedance dynamic mics.
 

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  • Symetrix 628.webp
    Symetrix 628.webp
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CC,
Once you have run your new 628 through its paces, let me know how it does. I have a couple of the 528E that I use the Cloudlifter to open up my RE20 and SM7B, since the 528E only hits 60dB gain. If that beast can push those mics, I may be hunting one.

I looked through my manual and see that my 528E has the internal switch for mic-level on the output XLR. :thumbs up:
Dale
image.webp
 
no prob, this thread got me thinking of noisegates/expander again and Symetrix is really well done.
never had the 628 but its built US, same as the more infamous 528 etc...it should be pretty decent.
for the cost of a clean channel strip, like a Grace Design, its in the $1000+ arena, this is more my budget!

Ive got a pile of foam to put on the walls too. Not like the OP with constant airplane noise but theres dogs, subwoofers and washing machines here.
 
You really don't need a vocal booth if you're just doing home recordings as an amateur. Sorry if that's not a popular opinion and I'm not trying to stir trouble but rather save you money. Just sing in a normal room that has some diffusion and maybe a hair closer to the mic and you can get almost all of the room out of the recording.

Why are you going this deep into a rabbit hole over the issue? Are you a pro who is making money, etc? If not take a deep breath and realize the booth will do little and practicing vocals/good mic technique/good recording technique will do much more.
 
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Nola, I think thats great input. Unless a person has a special hobby interest in acoustics and science of building, but if its to make better recordings I agree.

even Motown wasnt some imperfect room and they did ok. then again...I dont know if the OP lives next door to a airport either?
 
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