I am living in a small apt, finally am learning about getting a sick ass vocal sound, I got a berhinger mixer and right now just useing a sure 58 mic but its still great I can hear my voice so good in the mix, just waiting on a condenser...

Question is I want to build a vocal booth in here, I am thinking about buying a put together walkin closet from wallmart, then coating the outside with sono-pan, and the inside with carpet, I am a screamer at times, then I rap and sing with melody's but I want to be able to scream at the top of my lungs and maybe even cry death without my neghbors calling the cops and or ambulance on me lol...

So any tips from the pros would be great...Does size count? what I use inside to keep the tone good, anything really...Thank U all for being here by the way as always.

http://www.myspace.com/Deadsex
http://www.myspace.com/UgLyDeadsex

A vocal booth is about controlling the sound and having an isolated room to record vocals in by keeping allot of outside interference from bleeding into the mic. What you're looking for is a sound proof room. That is a big difference, and a sound proof room will be very expensive, and quite honestly, almost impossible to build unless you have a concrete bunker in your back yard. Google "sound proof rooms" and you can get some ideas. Chances are that you'll be able to build something that can cut back the noise a little. A soundproof room is air tight and dense walls separated by chambers of dead air space.

Mike

Living in a small apartment - strike one
A Behringer mixer and an SM58 - strike two
Waiting on a condenser - strike three
Wrong forum for these types of questions - strike four (I'll take this one back since Cake moved the thread)
Carpet on the outside of the booth - strike five

I have a suggestion. And this is based from years of experience and having been there and done that. Forget building a vocal booth. Save your money for that condenser mic and maybe even a better mixer or vocal channel. Instead, go upstairs and knock on your neighbors door and tell them that occasionally you will be recording vocals in your apartment and that they should not call the cops on you (which immediately puts you at risk in the event someone should break into your apartment and try to rob you). Then get yourself some heavy duty moving blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, whatever and strategically postion them in your bedroom or wherever you are recording.

As Mike already pointed out, what you are sort of alluding to is an airtight chamber. You can actually buy prefabed vocal booths but they are expensive. I suspect, even if the thought crossed your mind that you would somehow get the lumber and attempt to build one in your small apartment, the best you could hope for is that it would cut down some of the noise but not all of it. You will find it cramped and uncomfortable. Without some sort of airflow/air conditioning, you won't be able to spend more than a few minutes at a time in there.

Then, to add insult to injury, you will have to dismantle this thing when it comes time to move. Do yourself a favor and make the best of it with hanging blankets and such that can be easily put up and taken down. Talk to the neighbors. If none of that works, move.

Best of luck - let us know how it turns out!

This is a forum that is only about acoustics.

http://forum.studiotips.com/index.php

Try hanging out there and asking questions.

hmmm all those strikes makeing me feel like im out of the ball-game lol :'o) Well thanx for your input, I wont get robbed cause im in a sick building, your right if I build this thing I am going to die inside lol...but the problem is im a screamer..Also I am not sor worried about outside noises, its just me I dont want people to hear, I tend to record and erase alot to get it perfected...Ill have to keep looking to figure it out, thanx for the reality check and sorry I came to the wrong spot, this forum is always my heart to go to for answers so its hard to leave lol...Thank U sir...Have a great day.

P.S. saw your web-page proffessional world you got going on there, hope I can achaieve something like that in my life time...Respect.

http://www.myspace.com/Deadsex
http://www.myspace.com/UgLyDeadsex

You can try this http://realtraps.com/p_pvb.htm or something similar, there are multiple things to try.

Look at the micro Traps and how they are used http://realtraps.com/products.htm

Peace

well I am going to try the small closet thing...I guess it might be a waste...I just want to know can it work at all? I mean how much room do I need, I have seen mic boxes on the net for people just recording around there face kind of weird, but I need something kind of neat but not to expence.

Actually, the closet vocal booth is the classic solution to the problem. There are already clothes in there to suck up some of the sound. It's just you - what do you care right? It will probably provide enough isolation to appease your neighbors. It's cheaper than the more expensive commercial solutions and there's nothing to tear down when it comes time to move.

Don't be afraid to be creative. It doesn't have to look good, just work. Let us know how it works out for you. You might come up with an interesting solution to an age-old problem. Cheers!

Thanx Larry, Hearing you say give it a try gives me the momentum to do so...Ill let U know, I am going to do it over the hoidays...my fingers are crossed...Thanx again and Merry XXX-mas.

ORIGINAL: krizrox

Living in a small apartment - strike one
A Behringer mixer and an SM58 - strike two
Waiting on a condenser - strike three
Wrong forum for these types of questions - strike four
Carpet on the outside of the booth - strike five

I have a suggestion. And this is based from years of experience and having been there and done that. Forget building a vocal booth. Save your money for that condenser mic and maybe even a better mixer or vocal channel. Instead, go upstairs and knock on your neighbors door and tell them that occasionally you will be recording vocals in your apartment and that they should not call the cops on you (which immediately puts you at risk in the event someone should break into your apartment and try to rob you). Then get yourself some heavy duty moving blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, whatever and strategically postion them in your bedroom or wherever you are recording.

As Mike already pointed out, what you are sort of alluding to is an airtight chamber. You can actually buy prefabed vocal booths but they are expensive. I suspect, even if the thought crossed your mind that you would somehow get the lumber and attempt to build one in your small apartment, the best you could hope for is that it would cut down some of the noise but not all of it. You will find it cramped and uncomfortable. Without some sort of airflow/air conditioning, you won't be able to spend more than a few minutes at a time in there.

Then, to add insult to injury, you will have to dismantle this thing when it comes time to move. Do yourself a favor and make the best of it with hanging blankets and such that can be easily put up and taken down. Talk to the neighbors. If none of that works, move.

Best of luck - let us know how it turns out!

ps- has anyone tried that realtraps portable set-up? feedback?