Portable Vocal Booth

[Nano103]

Hello friends,

I've searched through the forum, certain I'd find someone else having already submitted a request for materials necessary to build a DIY portable vocal booth similar in design to the "folding V" offered by RealTraps. Not wanting to infringe upon patent / copyright regulations any further than I already may have, I hesitate to link or supply reference images.

Please forgive me if my search failed and this subject has already been discussed.

Thank you for your consideration and direction!

[Soundman2020]

Hi "Nano103": Welcome!

I don't recall any forum member having done anything like that... probably because most people seem to want proper vocal booths that actually do isolate reasonably well, and do provide reasonably usable acoustics. So called "portable vocal booths" (also known as "reflection filters") are not very effective at all. They give you maybe 1 or 2 dB of isolation, and "color" the sound, so that the frequency response is damaged in one way or another. They attenuate some of the high frequencies and high-mids, don't do much for the low-mids, and can even amplify the low end!

Sound on Sound magazine did an good review on them a couple of years ago, where they evaluated several different models from various manufacturers, including the one you mentioned. But they didn't just do the typical "try them out in living room and evaluate by ear". Rather, they tested them fully in a proper acoustic lab, to see how they really perform under controlled conditions, with actual measurement of the performance. The results are not very encouraging.

The article is here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/how ... cal-booths

So that's probably why you won't find people here trying to copy them: they just do not work as advertised, they can make your recordings worse, not better, since they distort and color the frequency response, and they don't actually isolate the mic from the room at all.

- Stuart -

[Nano103]

Thanks Stuart!

The SOS article makes reference to placing an absorber behind the performer. As quoted ...

"The second measure that can be taken is to hang a broadband absorber behind the performer to trap reflections that might otherwise bounce off the rear wall and into the sensitive front side of the microphone. This should be as large as possible — in the absence of specialist acoustic treatment, a thick duvet often works well — and will be more effective if hung away from the wall. The subjective effect of a well-positioned duvet is often more obvious than that of a portable screen, and of course there is nothing to stop you using both."

I'm essentially interested in creating a more deadened environment for vocal recording - with treatment ideally removable after the session. I'm in no position to permanently modify the room in any way. Can you recommend a particular duvet / material suitable as recommended in the SOS article?

Btw, I record with a cardioid mic.

Thanks, again, for your gracious input!

[JasonFoi]

Can you recommend a particular duvet / material suitable as recommended in the SOS article?

A quick internet search for "broadband absorber" would answer your question, but I'll take a shot at it..

I wouldn't recommend going the duvet route. 4" thick rigid fiberglass or rockwool insulation would work as a broadband absorber.

[Soundman2020]

A quick internet search for "broadband absorber" would answer your question, but I'll take a shot at it..

I wouldn't recommend going the duvet route. 4" thick rigid fiberglass or rockwool insulation would work as a broadband absorber.

Yep! Spot on!


- Stuart -