Let's try this again.... Need help with a vocal booth

Sorry about the other post, I got carried away and just started asking questions. First off, I am trying my best to get a decent home studio started. I rent an apartment from my parents, but I'll be here for awhile. I'm sure they'd go for something that I can knock out or take down eventually. I am trying to keep peace with my neighbors. I was going to originally try to make a vocal booth out of pvc pipe and heavy blankets, then I started thinking. If I could make a vocal booth, that provides isolation as well, it could serve as a dual purpose and I could have a place to practice my saxophone in the wee hours of the night. That does not take priority over the main focus of the vocal booth, but it'd be nice if it was a possibility. My budget is about $500 give or take a few dollars. The space I'm working with is 6' x 5' and the ceilings are about 9' high. I was thinking a decent booth of size could be about 5x5x7 (height). Here is a picture of my bedroom. Where the current L- shaped desk is that is where I am wanting to place the booth. The big rectangle, that is not labeled is my bed. This apartment I'm in is a newer construction with terrible sound insulation. I can't be too much more specific than that, I apologize. Please offer or ask any further questions to help me out. Thanks!

OK, that makes more sense; although you could have just continued your other thread, answering the questions there - no matter, if you like I can delete the other one and we'll just use this one. First, don't build a booth with 2 sides the same; you won't like the sound, and it's in a frequency range where you'll notice it. Better if you have 5x6, especially if those will be the INSIDE dimensions, to build it 5x6x7 - modally that combination works really well. You need to read my first long post in this thread http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4278 so you understand how walls work for sound isolation; then, you need to find out if you can use the existing walls in that space and beef them up, only building 2 new walls with a door. Pay particular attention in the above thread to comments about only having two leaves of mass in a sound wall. Your existing construction is very likely to already have BOTH of these leaves of mass in place (see definitions in the above link) but those leaves were NOT built for decent sound isolation, so may need to be improved upon - adding still MORE leaves of mass in the construction will NOT help, and will even make things WORSE. Another thing - that small a booth will need air recirculation; this is another tricky part, but it can be done. Not sure if it's doable within your budget, but probably close... Steve

Thanks Steve. Talked with the parents and I think they would go along with letting me use the existing walls (just can't tear them down). Luckily, I have a friend who is good with his hands and constructing and he is excited to help me out with the task. I think I will go with adding 2 more walls and a door, sounds like the best option. It'd be nice and convenient to be able to use the existing ceiling, but would not think that's the best idea. I did read your post and I suppose that will help when figuring out what will need to be done to "beef" up the current walls.

Here are some pictures of the area in question. Sorry for the darkness and poor camera quality.

Aloha, Try this :wink: Aloha 8)

kendale wrote:

Aloha, Try this :wink: Aloha 8)

Hey, thanks!