Voice Booth Im building - HELP! Ventilation/Soundproofing

Hi, everybody! I was told this was the place to come to get my question answered. :) I'm building a small voice-booth in my little studio (a Bonus room, really) that will be 96" tall at the front, 58" tall at the rear wall and about 60" x 68" at the base. What would be the best way to ventilate this space so it does not feel stuffy when the singer is in there and still retain the integrity of the isolation. Can that be done? Thanks! :)

Try checking out the isolation booth manufacturers sites... they use exhaust type fans. You need to remember to isolate the fan from the booth and put a big bend in flexible ducting to slow down the airflow/noise. You could also use something like the duct silencers some folks on this forum have come up with to cut fan noise/outside noise coming in. Good luck. Jon

Thank you so much for your advice! I started building the booth Sunday. Please give me any advice you can offer, if you see anything to help me. Thanks! This is two panes of laminate glass

OK ... I took another, so you could get perspective. I'm about in the center, so you can see me at an angle thru the door.

now, that's making use of wasted space! Nice work Is that plywood the only mass on your walls? Even tho it's for vox I'd advice hanging some GB onnit for (extra) mass. Won't hurt your wallet, but will improve isolation. Just a thought..

Thanks! :D There will be the plywood, sheetrock on the outside, and insulation between the two plywood layers. Then, there will be the foam panels and bass trap on the inside, of course. Thanks for the tips and the compliment! :)

GB onnit?

PlatinumProd wrote:

GB onnit?

Yeah, that's slang for "photo's with naked German Bitches on it" :twisted: neh, GB stands for Gypsum Board (aka drywall)

Hi PlatinumProd same thing here :) but my booth is a little bet bigger , I've done a search here and in other forums and found some ideas for small booths like we have but still was not satisfied with them maybe the guys over here can give some thoughts . P.S my booth will be in a room that has a minisplit system .

Other suggestions/discussion I am getting is here: Harmony Central Musician Community Forums http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... ?t=1834898

Hi Platinum, I am a complete newbie, but here are my thoughts: Careful with mics close to that upper wall. Search "comb filtering" effect if you aren't familiar with it. Are you using acoustic caulk in all the openings/cracks throughout? It's different than regular construction caulk. Very important from what I understand: "where air goes, sound goes", was what I got. I saw someone on Harmony tell you Rockwool is OC 703. Not so. It is acoustically similar in equal thickness, but handles VERY differently. Rockwool would be perfect to put inside your walls (instead of pink fluffy) as it is much more dense, but is kind of "crumbly" it breaks apart easily. 703 is quite rigid (it would stand on end on its own) and is nice to place ON your walls (when wrapped in fabric). 703 is what they put in commercially made bass traps. Rockwool only costs about half as much as 703. I believe it's also known as "Acoustical Fire Batt (AFB)" brand name in US is "Roxul". I am using all three materials in different locations in my build. More mass = more sound stopping. e.g. two layers of drywall is better than one. Might you be better with a couple layers of drywall on the outside with Green Glue between and an "inside-out" wall (for saving space on the inside of your booth)? Just a guess on my part. That is what I am doing in the front of my CR and on one wall of my vox booth. You get the deadening of reflections without loosing any floor space. What are you doing to stop sound coming through the "roof" (slanted wall)behind you? That might be an issue, or it might be a real good place to create (at least a partial) inside-out wall? It should help with any comb filtering also. Search for that here and you'll find lots of info. Could you remove the door to that small space and fill it, line it with insulatation, cover with a fabric panel to create a bass trap there? Save interior space? Look at double glass window construction on this forum before you start putting that together. There is a lot of experience here in that. These links that explained a lot to me: http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html Somewhere there is a chart that shows different wall construction configurations on this site, but I can't find it right now! STC Ratings Studs with one layer 5/8 drywall one side = 28 (no insulation) Studs with one layer 5/8 drywall each side = 35 with insulation = 38 Studs with two layers 5/8 drywall each side = 41 with insulation = 45 Anyone know where the little chart that shows them side by side is? As far as ventilation, lined duct that makes 4 - 90 degree bends, bigger rather than smaller duct so the air moves slower (less noise). Get the fan itself away from the booth. If you really sealed up the booth,you'd need some way for air to "enter" also. The problem is that unless you do the same thing with the air intake (lined duct that makes 4 - 90 degree bends, not cheap) you quickly defeat the soundproofing you are tryin to do. I am struggling with same issues for my booth and I haven't worked it out yet myself. I am thinking of two flexible duct runs with a fan on the end of one, outside the booth. If it's not truly airtight, I imagine this stuff is much less critical. Look at the Braun web site for fans... This is a ceiling fan but its quiet and about $80: http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?ProductID=100225 I am using this for venting out my tracking room: http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?ProductID=742 I am hoping I can find an "in-line" fan that is small, but I haven't yet. ~ Bill

Bill! Lots of GREAT info! Thanks, man! :D

No prob. Nice detail on that door corner tucking into the wall angle. A real space saver. Does the door close okay or just look good? :wink: (Just kidding) ~ Bill

CidyZoo wrote:

No prob. Nice detail on that door corner tucking into the wall angle. A real space saver. Does the door close okay or just look good? :wink: (Just kidding) ~ Bill

It cloes ok AND it looks good! :lol:

Hi: I would recommend omitting some of the Plywood since you have what appears to be drywall on the stairs at the back and sides of the booth. You can cover the front wall with Fire resistant cloth with rockwool insulation behind the cloth and drywall (perhaps two layers) on the outside walls. Be sure to caulk around the edges with acoustic sealant. You could make a foam or cloth/703 panel for the angled back wall of the booth as well with slots... Good luck and remember to allow for some ventilation if anyone is going to be in there for extended periods with that light bulb generating a goodly amount of heat. Namaste, Jon

Here is an outline I drew up before I started building, to spec how much material I'd need. I managed to keep the 57" horizontal width inside the booth, but the inside exterior wall to door is 63" inside. (And I cut a 36" x 24" glass instead of 48" x 24" for the window.)

I just HAD to see if I could fit a basic drum kit in there :D If I had to record a big kit, I'd just have to go back to my drum shield setup.

How are you planing to seal those two doors? Gaskets, weather stripping...something right? All the effect gained from using two panes of laminate glass will be lost with leaking doors. I would even go as far as to pull that doorknob off, bondo the hole completely and install a pull handle on the inside of the iso booth door with a bolt latch of your choice on the inside of the booth as well.

xSpace wrote:

How are you planing to seal those two doors? Gaskets, weather stripping...something right? All the effect gained from using two panes of laminate glass will be lost with leaking doors. I would even go as far as to pull that doorknob off, bondo the hole completely and install a pull handle on the inside of the iso booth door with a bolt latch of your choice on the inside of the booth as well.

Thanks for hte advic eon the knob. How would you seal it ...

Rod suggests a gasket here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... +door+seal This is a more descriptive and in depth link although a different install: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... +door+seal

Very informative ... thanks! :)

I would loose the original door altogether and begin with a new solid core door. There isn't a whole lot you can do to that door that is going to make it a whole lot quieter. Sincerely, Rod

Dude - Cool thread so far, and it may just be me bud, but your pics aren't loading! :shock: :shock: Loved the one of you on the kit in that space! Merry Christmas to you and yours bro' Regards, Lou. 8)

Is your back right up against the door? :shock:

BradJacob wrote:

Is your back right up against the door? :shock:

No. If you look here, you can see he is about a foot from the door and maybe 8" to 10" from the front wall: And that's my son :)