dappa1
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The importance of a Vocal Booth
I never used to use a Vocal Booth up until the other day. I made a makeshift one which has abit of room for reflection, not majorly, but it has a nice deadness to it that brings up my Vocals right into the mix, even when the volume for the Mic is low it cuts straight through given my songs more dynamics to play with. No high frequencies or muddy distortion. This indeed has been my best eq. Also having a Booth that isolates you, focuses you on your part, gives you added confidence. I wish I had experienced this before. I am much happier with my Vox which i used to layer I find that I do not need to Layer anymore as the parts sung are fuller, richer and upfront. Just thought I would share! 
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jonnycakes15
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 10:46:54
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I am currently in the process of building a vocal booth in my studio. I can't wait to get it done! I hope it makes me as happy as yours made you!
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dappa1
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 11:08:02
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It adds quality and warmth to your songs you will notice the difference immediately. I think its the difference between pro and home.
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rchristiejr
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 11:26:24
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What size is your vocal booth?
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...wicked
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 12:49:33
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I've gotten by quite swimmingly by simply placing a heavy duvet in a corner and putting the vocalist there, facing outwards. With the mic facing the corner I get very little spillage and quite usable results. It's far easier to setup than an entire booth. If I were doing a whole album's worth of tracks, I might try and go a little further, but for overdubs and V/Os it works great.
=========== The Fog People =========== Intel i7-4790 16GB RAM ASUS Z97 Roland OctaCapture Win10/64 SONAR Platinum 64-bit billions VSTs, some of which work
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Codevyper
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 13:17:48
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Vocal booth and a good mic make all the difference in the world for good clean vox tracks IMO. I want to get a set of these, or at least recreate it with some boom mics and some blankets. http://www.realtraps.com/p_pvb.htm
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skullsession
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 14:20:12
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ORIGINAL: rchristiejr
What size is your vocal booth?
Whoa there......that's a little personal, don't ya think? 
HOOK: Skullsessions.com / Darwins God Album "Without a doubt I would have far greater listening and aural skills than most of the forum members here. Not all but many I am sure....I have done more listening than most people." - Jeff Evans on how awesome Jeff Evans is.
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yungxcraven
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 14:49:20
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ANything wrong with making the whole room (studio) a booth? In other words, soundproofing the whole room? For a one man army, it's hard to controll the DAW and be in a booth at the same time..
Sonar X1, Edirol FA-66, HP Elite, Intel Quad core i5 3.2, 8 GB ram, Blue Bluebird, FL 10, Nexus 2.
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musicade
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 14:51:53
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ORIGINAL: ...wicked
I've gotten by quite swimmingly by simply placing a heavy duvet in a corner and putting the vocalist there, facing outwards. With the mic facing the corner I get very little spillage and quite usable results. It's far easier to setup than an entire booth. If I were doing a whole album's worth of tracks, I might try and go a little further, but for overdubs and V/Os it works great.
This method works well for us too, highly recommended for those who dont have the space or budget for a vocal booth.
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s_barber
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 15:07:09
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I use my bedroom for a vocal booth and angle towards the opposite corner to avoid direct reflection. I make sure my bed is made and the pillows are fluffed up nicely. The best time for quiet is between 1 A.M. and 4 A.M. Any later and the birds start making noise this time of year. Oh yes, there are trains at midnite and 2 A.M. that I have to watch for. Jim Morrison sang a lot of his stuff in a bathroom and a closet if I remember right.
Listem Here. My web site http://www.lamejohnnycreek.com/. Dell Laptop, 1 GB, 160 GB FW, EMU 1616M, M-Audio 88, Sonar 6 PE, Ozone, CD Arc, EZ, Dim, Dahlia Violin, G & L Guitar.
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jungfriend
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 15:36:54
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I'm very happy with the result I get using the sE Electronics Reflection Filter. It made a big difference in the sonic quality of my vocals and is portable so I can move it around easily. Probably not as good as a dedicated vocal booth, but I just don't have the room in my studio for one. I can always move the mic stand with reflection filter into the walk-in closet in my studio and that works to my satisfaction. It does get a bit claustrophobic since there are no windows or anything, and it always reminds of things I have been putting off since that is where I hide all the clutter, but if I close the door and face it I can really focus on the performance. Controlling the DAW is no problem because I just mount the FD Transport right on the mic stand on a boom and a quick glance down gives me levels and useful controls are a just a touch away. Looks like this: 
post edited by jungfriend - 2008/05/07 15:56:57
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jerrypettit
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 16:18:54
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I haven't done this yet, but I've got a "japanese screen" (GOOGLE it!) that I bought used for under $100--and I see them online for less than $100--that I was just using as a room divider (good place to throw my mess behind), and that it occurs to me could be folded up into a "vocal booth" with a quilt or moving pad or two draped over. Wouldn't this do the trick?
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s_barber
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 16:28:31
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I have a DVD of Springsteen's CD from 2006 and a lot of the recording was done with the whole band in a pretty good sized room with a vaulted ceiling I believe. That's the one where he did all the Pete Seeger songs. I also watched a DVD of Wilco's last album and that was pretty much done the same way in some dusty large one room squarish loft above an old warehouse. They both turned out pretty good. Not that a booth can't help but it's not stopping them from putting out great recordings.
Listem Here. My web site http://www.lamejohnnycreek.com/. Dell Laptop, 1 GB, 160 GB FW, EMU 1616M, M-Audio 88, Sonar 6 PE, Ozone, CD Arc, EZ, Dim, Dahlia Violin, G & L Guitar.
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...wicked
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 16:36:42
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What is that on the other boom? A picture of the transport mounted on a small music stand? ORIGINAL: jungfriend
=========== The Fog People =========== Intel i7-4790 16GB RAM ASUS Z97 Roland OctaCapture Win10/64 SONAR Platinum 64-bit billions VSTs, some of which work
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bitflipper
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:17:09
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ANything wrong with making the whole room (studio) a booth? In other words, soundproofing the whole room? For a one man army, it's hard to controll the DAW and be in a booth at the same time.. The problem is that if you made your whole room as dead as a typical vocal booth, it would interfere with your ability to judge your mixes, especially reverb levels. It would also be inappropriate for recording acoustical instruments. To resolve the control issue, I have just two words of advice: Frontier Tranzport. Get a short boom and attach it to your mic stand. EDIT: Ah, jungfriend beat me to it! With a photo, no less. I haven't done this yet, but I've got a "japanese screen" (GOOGLE it!) that I bought used for under $100--and I see them online for less than $100--that I was just using as a room divider (good place to throw my mess behind), and that it occurs to me could be folded up into a "vocal booth" with a quilt or moving pad or two draped over. Wouldn't this do the trick?
That might work OK, if it's tall enough. Use some rigid fiberglass - packing blankets don't really do the job. Also don't forget about the ceiling. It's probably closer to your mic than any walls and therefore more likely to contribute to comb filtering. A thick carpet on the floor helps, too.
post edited by bitflipper - 2008/05/07 17:56:09
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CJaysMusic
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:25:08
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I use a couple things a vocal booths in my house. I use the oven for one of them, i use the kitchen sink for another. The dishwasher for one, and even the bathtub for one. all these things will give you differnt sounds that are unique. If i was to get a vocal booth it would be for the embarrising factor of having other people hear me sing. Theres plenty of things in your house to experiment with and play around with
Cj
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...wicked
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:30:13
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ORIGINAL: CJaysMusic
I use a couple things a vocal booths in my house. I use the oven for one of them, i use the kitchen sink for another. The dishwasher for one, and even the bathtub for one. all these things will give you differnt sounds that are unique.
Yeah but the clients just HATED having to put their head in my toilet. 
=========== The Fog People =========== Intel i7-4790 16GB RAM ASUS Z97 Roland OctaCapture Win10/64 SONAR Platinum 64-bit billions VSTs, some of which work
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CJaysMusic
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:35:42
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LOL, Im sure they will
Cj
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dappa1
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:35:53
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I did say it was makeshift. that could be a tent with a campfire lol
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dappa1
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:39:49
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I am sure thy will get used to the toilet maybe a portable one will do lol
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dappa1
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:45:39
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to answer the question about how big it is its about length wise nearly a metre, width about just over half a metre.
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jungfriend
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 17:50:24
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Actually it's just one mic stand with a couple of music stands attached to either side. The reflexion filter has its own mic arm and mount, so I tilted the boom downward, added an overhead extension arm to the end of the boom and then put the Transport on that. The picture of the Transport on the mic stand has the names of the keys and their assigned functions, because I did a little bit of reassigning and don't quite remember what they are when I'm using it. Soon enough it will get more familiar and I can do away with the cheat sheet.
Paul
Sonar X2 PE, ADK Core i7 920 3.6ghz 12gb, UAD-2 Quad, 2x20"+2x19" LCDs, Focal CMS 50, POD HD500, Layla 3G, PoCo mkII PCI-e, Tranzport, Edirol M-16DX, Remote SL61, Mackie MCU, NI Kore 2, NI Komplete, NI Maschine, etc.
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grayzer
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 18:00:27
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I have a similar solution to the japanese screen. I bought for 75 euro a wicker screen...one of those old fashioned 3 panels hinged modesty screen to change clothes behind. It about 6 and a half to seven feet in height. It folds away into zip and can be leant against my bookshelf with hardly any floor area taken up. The wicker surface itself is a nice diffusive surface. I open into a V shape that closes around the back of the performer and I drape a duvet over it for absorption. Opposite it I have a mic with an SE reflexion filter....it's a very effective solution ;-) and CHEAP! I'm fortunate that even without these the room is very quiet and bright (plenty of daylight), ie pleasant to work in. Effective sound wise cash wise and I can clear it all away or reassemble very quickly, perfect for my living situation. Will post pics when I have them...nice to see people using their heads on what can so easily cost so much....although I am investing in some acoustic treatment for mixing...I only moved in last September and with all the rest of the housebuilding music took a back seat. But after a tour of Turkey I am ready for my first paid recording session in my new house on Friday (radio voiceover). It's nice to be back in the game...! ORIGINAL: jerrypettit
I haven't done this yet, but I've got a "japanese screen" (GOOGLE it!) that I bought used for under $100--and I see them online for less than $100--that I was just using as a room divider (good place to throw my mess behind), and that it occurs to me could be folded up into a "vocal booth" with a quilt or moving pad or two draped over. Wouldn't this do the trick?
Please listen to my band's new (post-prog rock?!) songs at www.reclaimmusic.com all produced using sonar X1!!
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Sonico
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 18:06:24
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jungfriend, How do you manage to get the audio interface connected to your laptop? is it a firewire one? do you move it along with the laptop? I wanted to do the same in order to experiment in other rooms in my house, but I don't know what is the maximum lenght a firewire cable can run and still work fine. Moving my audio interface (firestudio project) is not very atractive since it is rackmounted and connected to th monitors, etc. Thanks!!
post edited by Sonico - 2008/05/07 18:26:37
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bitman
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 18:32:03
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With a vocal booth the engineers can snicker to their hearts content. Without a booth, ya gotta suck it up and just sit there rockin' out.
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jungfriend
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 19:11:09
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Hi Sonico, I really don't use the laptop for recording. Instead it is acting as a video display mirror, showing plugin gui's for audio monitoring purposes. I could load Sonar on it though and use my Edirol M-16DX as an audio interface, but the laptop has Vista on it and I dread even the thought of trying to make that work. Wish I had an answer on how to get the setup you want. Max firewire cable length is only 15ft. Not really a solution for long cable runs. Max distance on the Transport is about 30ft. A little better depending on how close your rooms are. XLR cable throws can be really long, and so can headphone cables. You could also get a PCMIA interface like the Echo Indigo and then be really mobile. Good luck, Paul
post edited by jungfriend - 2008/05/07 19:30:53
Sonar X2 PE, ADK Core i7 920 3.6ghz 12gb, UAD-2 Quad, 2x20"+2x19" LCDs, Focal CMS 50, POD HD500, Layla 3G, PoCo mkII PCI-e, Tranzport, Edirol M-16DX, Remote SL61, Mackie MCU, NI Kore 2, NI Komplete, NI Maschine, etc.
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The Maillard Reaction
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 22:43:45
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"its about length wise nearly a metre, width about just over half a metre."
Is that the metric system? Is it really sized approx 2 foot x 3 foot?
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Dave King
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/07 23:03:14
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I never used to use a Vocal Booth up until the other day. I made a makeshift one which has abit of room for reflection, not majorly, but it has a nice deadness to it that brings up my Vocals right into the mix, even when the volume for the Mic is low it cuts straight through given my songs more dynamics to play with. No high frequencies or muddy distortion. This indeed has been my best eq. Also having a Booth that isolates you, focuses you on your part, gives you added confidence. I wish I had experienced this before.
I am much happier with my Vox which i used to layer I find that I do not need to Layer anymore as the parts sung are fuller, richer and upfront. When making big claims such as this, I think it's important to consider what the environment is like that it is being used in. For example if the room is all hard surfaces including the floor, I can see how a device like the reflexion filter would make a huge difference. However, if the room is (for example) carpeted and/or has acoustic treatment or curtains, furniture or whatever, I wonder if the results would be so pronounced. ...just my .02.
Dave King www.davekingmusic.com SONAR X2 Producer 64-Bit
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bennym
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/08 00:28:39
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ORIGINAL: Dave King
I never used to use a Vocal Booth up until the other day. I made a makeshift one which has abit of room for reflection, not majorly, but it has a nice deadness to it that brings up my Vocals right into the mix, even when the volume for the Mic is low it cuts straight through given my songs more dynamics to play with. No high frequencies or muddy distortion. This indeed has been my best eq. Also having a Booth that isolates you, focuses you on your part, gives you added confidence. I wish I had experienced this before.
I am much happier with my Vox which i used to layer I find that I do not need to Layer anymore as the parts sung are fuller, richer and upfront.
When making big claims such as this, I think it's important to consider what the environment is like that it is being used in. For example if the room is all hard surfaces including the floor, I can see how a device like the reflexion filter would make a huge difference. However, if the room is (for example) carpeted and/or has acoustic treatment or curtains, furniture or whatever, I wonder if the results would be so pronounced.
...just my .02.
good point. i have a carpeted room with some acoustic treatment and didn't notice any difference with the reflexion filter. i sent it back and built a makeshift vocal booth with some rockwool and some lumber. much better results, more versatile, less $$.
post edited by bennym - 2008/05/08 00:52:55
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AndyW
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RE: The importance of a Vocal Booth
2008/05/08 01:59:15
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OK...so I had to post my pic too since I just re-arranged my mic setup(I mainly record myself with the occassional guest singer)...  I just got a brand new stereo ribbon mic for recording guitar and took the opportunity to rearrange my mic's in a more efficient manner. Basically I have an AKG C3000 LDC and SP C1 LDC up top for vocals and an AT3525 SDC and Cascade D-2S stereo ribbon mic in a Blumein configuration for guitar. In this way I can do Blumein or use the AT3525(cartoid) and the off-axis ribbon of the D2S(figure 8) for a regular Mid-Side setup. If I want to stereo mic something I just rotate the D2S 45 degrees. I've only done a little bit of experimenting so far with the new mic but so far it sounds awesome. Since I got the extra "arms" for the mics it made it easy to consolidate everything onto one stand. I have the Tranzport on an "arm" on the music stand so I do have 2 stands, which is not as efficient a setup as yours, but I can easily move the stand around to my liking depending on if I recording guitar or vocals. I just couldn't figure a way to get it all on the one stand easily and stably. The stuff behind the mics is the standard auralex stuff. I also added the two metal pop screens with this "upgrade". Still need to test record everything in this configuration but that will be fun in and of itself... 
post edited by AndyW - 2008/05/08 02:19:52
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