Home studio booths provide recording artists with an ideal way to eliminate unwanted acoustic reflections from hard surfaces that could compromise vocal recordings, as well as providing isolation from nearby noise sources such as buzzing appliances.
Home studios can benefit from investing in several varieties of vocal booths. Here are a few:
Room Size
No matter whether you want to build a home studio booth for vocal recording, drumming, guitar playing, or something else entirely – it is crucial that the room size be taken into consideration. Without being isolated with partitions or blankets (dividers etc), sound waves may reflect off walls back towards you which could distort or obscure the voice, making it less crisp and clear sounding.
Professional producers typically advocate for the maximum room size possible when designing a studio space, citing at least 16×14 feet for the studio itself and 8x13ft as ideal dimensions for recording booth.
If your room is of this size or larger, creating an isolation booth should be top priority when setting up your home recording studio and will guarantee effective acoustic treatment of the booth.
But even if you lack the space necessary, don’t despair; an acoustically-treated vocal booth can still be created within your house or apartment by finding an appropriate room and properly prepping it.
Some people use closets or small rooms as recording studios, but this can be inconvenient and produce lower sound quality than when using an acoustically treated room. Furthermore, you must be extra cautious not to let objects land onto your microphone as this could ruin its quality and ruin recordings altogether.
An effective solution to finding enough space is purchasing or creating a portable vocal booth. While these booths can differ in size, all are designed so they can easily be transported between locations so you can record wherever it best suits.
Blanket Booths are PVC structures on which blankets are draped over to create an enclosure for vocal recording sessions. There are numerous online guides that explain their assembly, making these booths relatively cheap and straightforward to assemble; furthermore, they can easily be broken down and taken with you if traveling studios become necessary.
Ceiling Height
Vocal booths are key to producing professional recordings. By blocking out room anomalies and external noise sources, vocal booths help protect recorded voices from becoming polluted with room anomalies or external noise that would pollute its clarity, as well as keeping sound waves from reflecting off surfaces in the room, which may cause comb filtering or distortions in recordings. It is possible to build one at home using mineral wool and wood: to do this create a wide long box shape 2-5 inches deep that you fill with mineral wool (ensuring there are no gaps) then cover it all up with fabric so it cannot escape into other rooms.
Once your frame walls are complete, it’s time to move onto the ceiling of your vocal booth. Use half-thickness rockwool and acoustic foam panels – but be careful not to overlap walls! For additional damping effects and improved recording booth performance even without enclosed spaces being created, add additional damping panels in the parent room with extra damping capabilities such as adding some acoustic foam panels here and there – similar techniques should also be added here.
How high the ceiling of your vocal booth should be depends on what kind of recording you do and the acoustic treatment desired in the room. A 6ftx4ft space should usually suffice for one person recording solo vocals or acoustic instruments; if recording multiple people simultaneously then consider renting out larger rooms equipped with soundproofing materials for optimal results.
If you have limited space and don’t want to devote much time and energy to building, pre-built vocal booths offer a quick solution. Available at many online audio gear stores, these pre-made vocal booths make great alternatives to building your own studio and are often more cost-effective than professional-grade recording booths.
Flooring
Flooring for recording studios must meet several criteria, from being sturdy enough to support and protect equipment from being damaged, to sound-absorbing properties. Cork laminate flooring can help in both areas; its thermal insulation properties reduce noise pollution, while shock-absorption cushion prevents sore feet, legs and joints after long recording sessions. Furthermore, cork floors are water resistant and designed to prevent surface abrasions making them easy and safe for your equipment.
Professional studios frequently ‘float’ the floors of vocal booths or instrument isolation rooms on rubber isolators to create an effective isolation room within an isolation room, thus improving acoustic quality and preventing unwanted resonance. Furthermore, this type of flooring is extremely durable, easy to maintain, and looks fantastic.
Carpeted flooring may absorb sound less effectively than other forms of flooring, yet is soft and comfortable underfoot as well as being affordable. If this option is chosen, make sure it is sealed correctly to prevent moisture seepage that could cause damage or mould growth.
Some studios opt for concrete flooring for optimal acoustic performance, though this doesn’t make standing very comfortable or giving off a professional vibe. Still, many consider this the superior choice as it can be sealed with protective coating to keep it looking its best over time.
If you don’t want to go all-out and build a concrete booth, another inexpensive and simple alternative would be using acoustic tiles on the floor instead. Installation should only take minutes! For added soundproofing protection you could even mount them onto walls of your recording booth for even greater acoustic protection.
Build your own blanket booth if you want to save money and have some fun. Simply set up a PVC frame, drape blankets over it, and voila: an affordable vocal booth on wheels that you can take anywhere you go! There are numerous online tutorials to guide your creation of such an arrangement; creating such an incredible-sounding vocal booth won’t cost much at all.
Lighting
Lighting for music recording booths should be bright enough for people to see clearly without being distracting, yet be flexible enough so as to meet individual needs – for instance some may prefer dim settings that help them remain relaxed while others might prefer brighter environments to enhance creativity.
One of the best ways to light a home studio is with LED lights, as these energy-saving bulbs produce minimal heat while being energy efficient and affordable. Plus, their wide array of colors allows musicians to choose a hue best suited for their space.
Reflective panels are another effective way of adding light to a home studio, helping softening light and decreasing shadows while adding some dimension and ambience. You can find reflective panels at most hardware stores and are generally straightforward to install – simply make sure that some type of glue or other adhesive adheres securely.
Be sure to add a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to your studio, as it will give you peace of mind and safeguard the equipment against damage in case there is a power outage. This will give your work extra protection.
If you can’t afford an UPS, an alternative way is to create an emergency battery system as a backup system. Make sure it provides power for at least several minutes to avoid losing work when unexpected power outages arise, giving you flexibility and the chance to continue when ready.
Not only should your studio include an UPS, but you should also ensure it’s soundproofed appropriately. To achieve this goal, create a box from wood or mineral wool. Ensure it measures between 2-5 inches deep for optimal soundproofing results and cover it with fabric before adding door stops for effective soundproofing of the rest of your home.