DIY-ing the world cheapest vocal booth/reflection filter

[musaee]

Originally Posted by phillysoulman

With George Clinton in my studio using the RF

the mic is outside the filter!

does it even work that way?

[chris carter]

Originally Posted by lpuma

Ok, ^^^whatever...

Again thank you everyone, I must admit you all have broken my DIY dream... LOL but you give me great advice, done some testings on my own voice (dont wanna take my rapper's head wit that shyt) and I'm really impressed by the RF.

I put 2 of my reflexion adders on my back and the mic capsule "in line" wit the end of the RF, If you want to hear here's the file + another one, jus my room, no treatment.

If you can give you thought about the "usability" of that kind of voice takes (the "dry one") for a radio ready release, it would be really apreciated. (the mix will be done by a pro at pro studio, mastering too)

Please take my words as encouragement because I AM really impressed with what you are trying to do here. So I don't mean this as an insult by ANY means. But, when I listened to the first one, I thought it was the one with no treatment and I thought, "okay, that's a lot of room." Then I listened to the second and went "what is going on?? this one is supposed to be drier!"

Bottom line, I don't think you will be able to get away with your 'dry' sound (unless you want it that way for creative reasons).

Not to bring up the comforter/duvet trick yet again, but when I moved my studio about six months ago I set up the room without the treatment first (delay in shipping all my 703... sucked). The room had NO treatment at all except carpet on the floor. Just to see what would happen in such a worst case scenario I threw up a mic and tested with nothing. And it sound like your no-treatment sample, not suprisingly. Then I threw up the blanket behind me and tested again. It was BETTER than your treated sample. Of course, now my room is treated for mxing (so not dead) and when I use the blanket I can make it dry as a bone if I want.

I don't know why so many people have such an aversion to the blanket trick when it works so well and is so darn cheap. If I was always recording in different places, then sure an RF would be nice. But for anyone who records at the same place all the time, it should be a no-brainer. Some people say it doesn't look as cool, but a friend of mine got raelly nice comforter/duvets with fancy patterns on them and it looks twice as pimped out as an RF. And no sight line problems either.

so lpuma, if your goal is really to knock the room ambience down, I really think you should look into that option.

I'm sorry this post sounds negative; I'm really just trying to be helpful as I went through the same process you are going through (and most have gone through) trying to get drier vocals down.

[DAH]

lpuma, I guess th low end boom reflections in both of your samples can not be polished in any way, so... that`s the same problem I experience at my untreated room - you can damp the highs and the mids, but the low end mud ****s up the signal still...

[Nahuel]

Originally Posted by chris carter

Please take my words as encouragement because I AM really impressed with what you are trying to do here. So I don't mean this as an insult by ANY means. But, when I listened to the first one, I thought it was the one with no treatment and I thought, "okay, that's a lot of room." Then I listened to the second and went "what is going on?? this one is supposed to be drier!"

Bottom line, I don't think you will be able to get away with your 'dry' sound (unless you want it that way for creative reasons).

Not to bring up the comforter/duvet trick yet again, but when I moved my studio about six months ago I set up the room without the treatment first (delay in shipping all my 703... sucked). The room had NO treatment at all except carpet on the floor. Just to see what would happen in such a worst case scenario I threw up a mic and tested with nothing. And it sound like your no-treatment sample, not suprisingly. Then I threw up the blanket behind me and tested again. It was BETTER than your treated sample. Of course, now my room is treated for mxing (so not dead) and when I use the blanket I can make it dry as a bone if I want.

I don't know why so many people have such an aversion to the blanket trick when it works so well and is so darn cheap. If I was always recording in different places, then sure an RF would be nice. But for anyone who records at the same place all the time, it should be a no-brainer. Some people say it doesn't look as cool, but a friend of mine got raelly nice comforter/duvets with fancy patterns on them and it looks twice as pimped out as an RF. And no sight line problems either.

so lpuma, if your goal is really to knock the room ambience down, I really think you should look into that option.

I'm sorry this post sounds negative; I'm really just trying to be helpful as I went through the same process you are going through (and most have gone through) trying to get drier vocals down.

No man; I apreciate honesty forreal, I jus need help, dont need d***riding comments.

I personally liked the "treated" one better but your right, I heard that a lot of the reflexions still there.

I'm gone try that blanket tin, we really cant afford voice recording studio time, thank you.

Thanks dah, you probably right, jus tryin to get the best result wit something I actually can afford.

[Biggsheff]

I thought the problem was the low end of the vocals. Like taming the flutter by using 4inch thick 703 or something to that effect. I bought a ton of auralex then was told it was garbage, cause its not gonna help. It tames high freq, but not the lows where the problem occurs. I've also been told any type of 2 inch foam or foam period is useless. Maybe I was told wrong. I don't know.

[Nahuel]

Ok thanks Bigg

So I actually almost finished my "booth": opened the pannels, added hanging pieces of carpet (cause I seen a dude DIYin bass traps with hanging peices of carpet so i thought i would not hurt), hanged duvets aroud an throwed a blanket on top of that. All that combined to the SE RF.

Jus did a quick test:

1 voice take close to the mic

2 voice take non so close to the mic a lil forced on the low

3 voice take non so close to the mic a lil forced on the high

You thought would be highly apreciated.

[Nahuel]

Originally Posted by bp103

haha thats a clear sounding voice in my opinion

sounds like it would be good for a booth

B

yes, really? I think (hope) it's not too bad. Thanks for the input, keep it comming.

[Petrusha]

Watch Tony Balmond DVD. There is alot of stuff he talks about treating vocal room!

[illacov]

You already did all the hard stuff constructing that wooden surface.


Slap some OC703 panels on it and call it a week. You probably need around 8 if you double stack em. You're talking 48 dollars more in materials plus taxes.


4" thick of OC703 in that little space will make a very big difference on your vocals.

Just back the mic into one of the corners and the OC703 will eat so much of the ambience it wont be funny.

Add the comforters behind you from the ceiling for a much drier sound than that, but to be honest, just some moving blankets will do you just too!

You can never have enough OC703.

Works on drum recording in a pinch too!

Peace
Illumination

[Nahuel]

Originally Posted by illacov

You already did all the hard stuff constructing that wooden surface.


Slap some OC703 panels on it and call it a week. You probably need around 8 if you double stack em. You're talking 48 dollars more in materials plus taxes.


4" thick of OC703 in that little space will make a very big difference on your vocals.

Just back the mic into one of the corners and the OC703 will eat so much of the ambience it wont be funny.

Add the comforters behind you from the ceiling for a much drier sound than that, but to be honest, just some moving blankets will do you just too!

You can never have enough OC703.

Works on drum recording in a pinch too!

Peace
Illumination

Ok, so if I get what you sayin you think the last takes need a to be a lil dryer and it would be nice? and you suggest to add some comforters or a another blanket on the back of the singer for a dryer sound.. ? right? Ima try it.

[illacov]

Get rid of any stray reflections from behind you, which is what the mic is aimed at in the first place.

Either way, having both directions covered is better.

You could put the comforter on mic stands or moving blankets on mic stands and it would do the trick for the most part.

I was saying to use the OC703 because it is DEFINATELY much more absorbent than foam.

You SHOULD look into possibly drilling some holes in those wooden panels because this actually eliminates the level of reflection from the wood itself that is behind the absorbing material.

After all AIR is the nbr one sonic absorber.

Depending on your tastes you may want dead or just controlled space. Its up to you.

Alot of that is truly about decisions and just how dead you need your vocals to sound.

In a full mix, it does help ALOT to have a dead quiet vocal when you have up in your face vocals, but there are times where it doesnt make sense because you're going to add reverb and delays to the vocals anyways.

Like I said it depends.

Having all the tools in place is the best bet for you though.

I have an 800 square foot attic that I record stuff in (drums, vocals, guitars etc..) It does need some more treating but there are quite a few tricks to eliminate reflections.

Peace
Illumination

[Nahuel]

Ok thanks man, well as far as buying bass traps I have to wait cause I already spent all my cash this month (yeah I'm pretty broke, not that much but not rich).

But as far as opening the wood pannels I already did it.

Jus a question to make sure we are talking about the same thing: you noticed my last "test post"? (#36)

You think those samples still not dry enought? (could be fo sure, I dont know in fact, I feel like it sound ok but i'm sure about nottin and i'm no engineer)

Sorry if you feel like I'm a lil slow but I want to make sure we are talking about the same thing.

[Nahuel]

Somebody wanted to hear the (final) DIYed booth Without the RF, here it is:

(I jus made another one wit my comp in the chain)

[DAH]

yes, that was me.
yes, the RF seems to tame the lows a bit. which can be relevant at the stage.