VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Kookster]

Hi All!

I've done my best to hold off being the new gal with all the questions but after weeks of research, lurking and too much coffee I've just gotta get it out there.

I have a stupidly small 'booth' packed out with quilts on the walls, pillows in the corners, a big ole wedding dress (good for somethin!) which has 'worked' to a point. I'm using a booth, ok closet, for slight sound isolation reasons - noisy pc in my office and a slight droning extractor fan in neighbouring restaurant.

Now my 'booth' is of excellent proportions - NOT! It's 1m x 1m x 2.3m high. Okay it's more of a litter tray than a booth but it's all I got!

So if it 'kinda' works why change? Currently use mic with SE Reflexion Filter and copy stand in there, but I want to be able to set up 2nd monitor, mic, stand, interface on a tiny desk (or shelf) so I can control pc from within the booth and that reflexion filter really blocks my view! My aim is to tidy the space up, to look and sound a bit sweeter... plus those quilts are suffocating meeee!

So with a severe lack of DIY skills I see two options...

Foam or Pre-made Acoustic Panels.
Here are my ideas:

Foam perhaps like this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/24x-AFW305-Pro-Acoustic-Foam-Wedge-Tiles-12-305mm-Studio-Sound-RoomTreatment-/390587607684?pt=UK_Musical_Acoustic_Treatments&hash=item5af0d5ea84

I know this isn't ideal as will only deal with the mid to high range but was thinking 2" all over the walls, ceiling and door which is behind me.

Does it HAVE to be all over the walls or could I put up say a 3 tile deep strip all around at head height & leave space to place something else in the corners or walls/ceiling to help with taming any lower hz?

OR

Acoustic Panels perhaps such as these (rockwool inside)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fabric-Covered-Acoustic-Panels/231326401213?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D6b80536a75054f95a34e31a6c213dcf7%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D20140122125356%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D360873478633&rt=nc

My thinking would be to place one on each wall and cover the double door behind me with acoustic foam so I can still open it.

As for for bass trapping or the ceiling... could corner foam traps be placed in the ceiling?

So in short, after a long waffle (sorry). Foam or acoustic panels for a tincy wincy booth or should I just set light to it all and start working from my car? Happy to be told I'm completely barking up the wrong tree and need to go back to the drawing board to fix this baby! I don't have an unlimited budget but I'm prepared to spend a bit more on this end and less on my new pc if that's where it really needs spending.

OK you've got this far...thank you for your patience!
Cari
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(otherwise known as Cari, if you squint it looks like Carl)

[vkuehn]

We all have some kind of challenge to making our space work for us... but you! What did you do in a previous life to inherit such a constraining space????

Let me throw out some questions that you don't need to post an answer. You just need to be comfortable that you have thought of a lot of possibilities.

A SECOND monitor? Why two monitors in such a small space?

Remember: the more square inches you take up with monitors, you have negated an equal number of square inches of acoustic treatment. Just for controlling a computer, small, small monitors are great. It's when you sit down to edit that you want the big, giant monitor to see every liitle wiggle in the waveform that might need attention. (I am making the assumption that you were talking about 'computer MONITOR screens' and not 'MONITOR speakers'. Why would anyone put monitor speakers in such a small space?

Why worry a whole lot about bass traps? A guy with a big bellowing animal voice generates a lot of bass sounds that need to be tamed. Do any of the recordings of your voice indicate that the bass needs to be tamed.... very much?

Any idea how long you will use this space before life takes you to another space? The shorter you expect your stay to be... the more brutal you need to be in reducing the effort and expense of your current project.

I can't make a scientific argument for this opinion, but: I dislike foam on the walls. Even more so in small, small spaces.

Be experimental. Maybe hanging someone else's wedding dress in the booth would be more productive?

[Kookster]

Thanks for taking the time to reply vkuehn

Sorry, yes I was meaning a screen inside the booth so I could control the computer that sits outside, just for on-the-fly edits, skype sessions, narrating to video etc. I have a large screen outside the booth at my main desk for the good stuff.

Perhaps I've got brain glue on the bass traps malarky. I read over and over that controlling the bad boy lower ranges is the difficult part in a small booth... I didn't consider for a moment that my vocal may not even have that issue. I'm certainly no baritone that is true!!

I would think whatever set-up I go with will be good for a couple of years, before a move to a more appropriate space is on the cards.
_________________
(otherwise known as Cari, if you squint it looks like Carl)

[DougVox]

Something else to consider. Some monitors get really hot, especially in a small booth.

Might wanna think about using a tablet instead.
_________________
Doug Turkel (tur-KELL)
Voiceover UNnouncer®
UNnouncer.com

[Rob Ellis]

I'm a pre-fab boother myself (Whisper Room), and get great results with it, but only after lots of sound treatment consisting of acoustic panels from ATS Acoustics (NOT acoustic foam) over pretty much the entire wall space, and floor to ceiling bass traps.

A good pre-fab booth is not cheap, but you can often find a used one on ebay or craigslist for less than half of the new price.

[Kookster]

Thanks all. I do use my tablet at the moment, samsung note 8 but I find it clunky (or more likely, I'm clunky!) when using it to control the pc.

If only there were room for a whisper room... *makes mental 'must have' note for any future house move*

So if no other choice should I wall to wall foam or would hanging a 3-4ft acoustic panel on each wall do an acceptable job? (note I'm not using the word 'good' here!)

I'm not sure if ATS acoustics ship to the UK.. will find out... thanks!
_________________
(otherwise known as Cari, if you squint it looks like Carl)

[Lee Gordon]

My space is about the same size as yours and I found that putting up two bass traps (one in each back corner) at about head height made a world of difference.
_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Lance Blair]

Put the computer in the closet. Get a Mackie 402VLZ4 ($99) and use the high pass filter on that to cut out the restaurant drone. It has the best High Pass Filter (HPF) I've used on any preamp for VO. Then put some acoustic panels in your recording room.

I used to do the closet set up. It just doesn't work. It sounds weird and you're never comfortable in there.

Also, what kind of mic do you use? Some are more sensitive than others to working in a larger room.
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Kookster]

Hi Lee, thanks for that... what route have you gone all over your booth? Panels or Foam bass traps, or something else super snazzy?!

Hi Lance, I love that idea but I will need to share my office space at times so I have to go with me in the booth rather than the PC. However, I have been eyeing up these Mackies for a little while, at that price its worth a punt! I'm using an SE 2200a but now looking to step up, its a bit sibilant for my sibilant self! Wish I knew of somewhere in the UK where you could try out mics!
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(otherwise known as Cari, if you squint it looks like Carl)

[Lee Gordon]

If you take a look at this thread
http://www.vo-bb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17490
you can see what I have used in my booth.
Since I posted, most of it has fallen down and I'll have to glue it all back up, but that's what I have.
_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Lance Blair]

Hi!
The SE Mics can be really sizzly, esss-pecially the 2200. I just wrote (a half hour ago!) about a new microphone that I think will be great for female talents - kind of the CAD E100s for the ladies (a really nice top end to this mic at an affordable price). http://lanceblairvo.com/blog/2014/10/jz-j1-microphone-cad-e100s-voice-over/ Good luck!
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[yarg28]

[Kookster]