Small vocal room treatment options

How to use REW, What is a Bass Trap, a diffuser, the speed of sound, etc.

Moderators: Aaronw, sharward

OpIvy
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:47 am
Location: North Qld, Australia

Small vocal room treatment options

Post by OpIvy »

I've just completed building a small 'soundproof' room for recording vocals (and occasional guitar practice).
Given I'm monitoring through headphones and only recording vocals, I'm looking at what sort of treatment I should do within the room.
It's a 5-sided room with the dimensions attached. Ceiling is 2400mm H. Oops, got he door swinging wrong way in the pic- it opens from wall A!

Wall E is a solid block wall and the rest are double plasterboard, both sides, floor is concrete.

When recording vox, I can face any direction but probably somewhere near the middle facing wall B is best. BTW, I mainly use an SM57, sometimes 58
I've done quite a bit of research on room treatment but it's often geared towards mixing rooms, practice rooms, etc. When it comes to vocal booths, lots of foam coverage is often recommended.
I realise it's probably best to deaden the room quite alot but I'd like to know if building several absorbers (have quite a bit of leftover insulation, timber, etc) would be a good option....mainly at the reflection points ie wall A,B,C?
I was also thinking of a tall bass trap for the A-B corner and perhaps at the D-E corner but not sure how necessary for vocals.

I know it's hard to say without proper room measurements, but I'm just after an idea of where I should head with this so I can work out what sort of materials I'd need, or already have and rough costs.
gullfo
Moderator
Posts: 5344
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:55 am
Location: Panama City Beach, FL USA
Contact:

Re: Small vocal room treatment options

Post by gullfo »

did you make the room inside-out? meaning the mass on the exterior and insulation exposed on the inside? then cover the walls and ceiling with cloth and add some reflection wood bits around the space to taste. if wall C had a window, i'd face that. if C doesn't have a window, i'd probably still face that.
if the room is solid inside, then cover about 80% of the surface with 4" thick cloth covered absorbers. including on the back of the door. span A-B, D-E corners with the absorbers and backfill behind them with some light insulation.
Glenn
OpIvy
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:47 am
Location: North Qld, Australia

Re: Small vocal room treatment options

Post by OpIvy »

It's a standalone room with only the block wall an existing shared wall. All other walls are decoupled with 2 layers of plasterboard each side and 88mm insulation within the single framed walls. There are no windows.

Your suggestion is probably similar to what I was thinking.
When you say add absorbers to those 2 corners, do you mean tall standing bass trap type spanning diagonally?
I do have quite a bit of Soundscreen insulation left which I was going to use as absorbers on the walls but not sure if the density is enough to act as bass absorbers....
gullfo
Moderator
Posts: 5344
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:55 am
Location: Panama City Beach, FL USA
Contact:

Re: Small vocal room treatment options

Post by gullfo »

the corner absorbers - floor to ceiling - the soundscreen is probably dense enough. lookup "super chunks bass trap" and if you have enough that generally works pretty well.
Glenn
Post Reply