recording vocals, using futon mattress...bad idea?

[tromostheory]

Ok, here's the deal. The drums are moving out of my low end room so now I have a corner of the room to play with . I want to get the room sound out of my vocal tracks. I've got carpet on the walls and floors (I know now that it's a bad idea). I am very broke right now, but I was wondering if I put up a bendable futon mattress upright in the corner and put a mic in front of it and sang into it, if it would do anything to dampen the room. My goal is to make my room dead since I don't think I'll be able to make it sound good. I record myself playing violin also. Is it better to record dead sounding violin tracks and adding reverb later than being able to hear a mediocre sounding room? Thanks guys.

[enroper]

Futon mattresses can't sing. They have very poor pitch and sense of timing. You're better off with an ottoman. They are pretty good at improvising too.

[tINY]

Try putting the mic in the corner and the futon behind your head too.

Close micing the violin, this may help as well.




-tINY

[joeq]

I would think a futon should be an excellent bass trap.

you would be much better off in a room full of futons than in a room full of carpeted walls.

the carpet will absorb only highs, leaving your room as boomy as ever in the low frequencies.

I would straddle the corner with the futon (not bend it) if possible, and stand in front of the futon facing the center of the room with the mic pointed in to the futon.

[s.d.finley]

I say give it a go! If you have any extra cushions from any other sofas, try building an "isosofaforte". But seriously, treating the corner and even treating the area behind the mic is a good idea too. Those reflexion filter devices treat the room problems in a similiar manner. Behind the mic, and somewhat to the sides.

http://www.seelectronics.com/images/RF_Pop_Up2.jpg

So futon behind the vocalist and a few more cushions behind the mic should be OK, maybe...

[cassiopamusic]

try posting this in the bass trap threads, im sure ethan will tell you at exactly what frequency the futon absorbs sound.

[BudgetMC]

Originally Posted by cassiopamusic

try posting this in the bass trap threads, im sure ethan will tell you at exactly what frequency the futon absorbs sound.

+1!!

[Bob11m11]

in 2006, i actually told this girl i was dating that i purchased a futon.

"what for?"
"for sitting, but mostly because if i turn it on its side and sing into it it's a cheap vocal booth."

when i did flip it up, i'd drape two blankets over it and there're also two mattresses wedged behind it as well. it worked okay...

[GordZilla]

Originally Posted by s.d.finley

I say give it a go! If you have any extra cushions from any other sofas, try building an "isosofaforte". But seriously, treating the corner and even treating the area behind the mic is a good idea too. Those reflexion filter devices treat the room problems in a similiar manner. Behind the mic, and somewhat to the sides.

http://www.seelectronics.com/images/RF_Pop_Up2.jpg

So futon behind the vocalist and a few more cushions behind the mic should be OK, maybe...

Amen to this thumbsup

How 'bout three foutons... two butting up in the corner, then put the mic in the "crotch", and then the other fouton somehow behind you.. like making a small vocal booth

I've used quilts, duvets, big puffy sleeping bags, packing blankets... and all were effective, to some degree, in helping keep the "room" out of vocal tracks.

Regards

[joeq]

rent this movie

[The1andonly]

better than nothing right?

[chris carter]

Originally Posted by tromostheory

Ok, here's the deal. The drums are moving out of my low end room so now I have a corner of the room to play with . I want to get the room sound out of my vocal tracks. I've got carpet on the walls and floors (I know now that it's a bad idea). I am very broke right now, but I was wondering if I put up a bendable futon mattress upright in the corner and put a mic in front of it and sang into it, if it would do anything to dampen the room. My goal is to make my room dead since I don't think I'll be able to make it sound good. I record myself playing violin also. Is it better to record dead sounding violin tracks and adding reverb later than being able to hear a mediocre sounding room? Thanks guys.

Here's a very cheap solution: Go to Ross (the discount clothing store) and get two plain white queen or king size comforters. They can be had for around $15 each and sometimes less. Borrow a sewing machine and stich them together so you have one big comforter. Sew three or more fabric loops along the top edge. Now in your room, go into the corner and screw the equivelant number of hooks into the ceiling (cost about a buck). Now hang the comforter up so it's in the corner. Sing with your back to the comforter and the mic pointing at you and the comforter.

In total it will cost you about $30 and it will sound absolutely fantastic... and it won't look super-duper ghetto. Bury yourself into the corner and you will obliterate the room. Move out a little and you can get a little more room.

[Heartfelt]

you can record vocals with a futon?!?!?

I wonder if it will be the new U87 and replace the C1.

[Janesaid2me]

Man i sold my futon after college....if I knew it could sing i woulda kept it.

Hahaa but honestly....better then nothing right!

[tromostheory]

thanks for the helpful responses, especially Chris Carter. I guess the "futon as the singer" responses are my own fault for sloppily trying to condense my title.

[66d35]

Originally Posted by The1andonly

better than nothing right?

More than that... I agree with Chris Carter that using solutions like comforters/duvets or mattresses, etc.. can actually produce really good results if you know what you are doing. You can basically put together a very respectable 'vocal booth'. It might not look pretty, but it works.

I actually had one guy sell me (give me?) a month old $1,000 tube mic not long ago for $200 because it "sounded like crap". Well, yes, it did on his recordings because he had no effective sound treatment, just a few cheap foam tiles!

In my vocal both, it rocked.

All he had to do was go out to the home furnishing department and do exactly what Chris suggests... he'd still have a great mic and would be $$$ better off, because he then went out and bought a $3,000 mic... and that will sound like crap too, because he still has no proper acoustic treatment!!!

Andy
PS: Yes, I did advise him what he needed to do - but he didn't believe me.

[lordwesley]

I've been following this thread with view to doing something similar. The advice from Chris looked fantastic, but being from England I didn't have a clue what a 'comforter' is.
So for any of you brits here being confused:

"The whole area of quilts, comforters and duvets is a confusing one, especially when regional differences are taken into account. For instance, what is known as a quilt or a comforter in the US would probably be called a thin duvet here in the UK. And what we would call a duvet cover in the UK might simply be called a "duvet" in the US! When buying a quilt, comformer or duvet - either in a store or online - make sure that you know exactly what you are getting."

I better reference that i suppose.... Quilts, Comforters and Duvets

Glad to be helpful for a change

[Cosmic Closet]

...Good advice and horrible puns here ; I'll look into the Ross covers for my purposes.

New band name: Duvet and the Comforters (French lead singer, obviously..)

Claus.

[Trebor Flow]

Man i sold my futon after college....if I knew it could sing i woulda kept it.

LOL

Trebor

[Doc Mixwell]

Hmmmm,
never heard of a "futon" mike?
Sounds interesting,

I personaly like all my absorbtion to be done by my couch.
Oh, thats my motivation,

[moon_unit]

Futon mattresses?

Seriously, not a terrible idea.

I could think of a lot worse things you could do. Like putting carpeting on your walls. Unless, of course, you are planning on some heavy foot traffic due to a sudden gravity shift.

[dannygold]

We used to say "did you wake up on the wrong side of the futon today" when someone was in a bad mood... no one had BEDS in Allston (the neighborhood in boston where musicians live).

[niteflite]

Please ignore this post if it feels like a hijack.
I have intention of supplanting creative futon use.....

I've just purchased a 'Portable Vocal Booth' from RealTraps.

It's effectively two acoustic baffles hinged together to form
a 'V'. Typically the singer faces the hinged center.

Anyone willing to share experiences/alternative configurations with this type of treatment?

cheers.

[Mikeren]

I made a simple, open wooden frame to support my old futon matress. Straddling a corner it makes a pretty effective bass trap. Maybe a little denser than ideal, but I think the thickness helps make up for that.

The rest of the corners later got proper rockwool and fabric traps, but my mix position faces into a corner and needed to do something with it right away. I've been very happy with the results.

MR

[wshaw]

I made an effective, fake Reflexion Filter with a few LENRDs stacked in a "V" behind the mic . . .

The recording had no room pickup at all, even with a VX2 set to figure 8!