VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Ned Vaughn]

Hi all,

I primarily work on-camera but I’ve also done commercial VO work over the years and have recently begun working as an audio book narrator. With a full and busy family, narration work in particular means I need to improve my isolation so I can work the necessary hours without putting the kids on “lockdown”.

After much consideration of my available budget, space and time, a 4x6 Whisper Room is on the way. It’s the “S” model (single wall) with a Ventilation Silencing System and one 16” x 30” window in the door. If I find I need greater isolation, I can eventually order the optional enhancement package (which adds a second set of walls) or perhaps address the issue another way… but that’s not my concern right now.

I’d like to get your thoughts on the interior treatment. For starters, I’m having it delivered bare, without the six sheets of Auralex foam that are typically included. Instead, my plan – based on what I’ve read here and elsewhere – is to cover most of the interior with DIY rigid fiberglass panels and bass traps.

To that end, I have a few questions. Before I ask, though, here’s a short sample of my voice, in case it has any bearing on your input (sample includes some strong language).

So…

1. Would you expect fiberglass panels alone to yield a better result than a mix of fiberglass and foam? I don’t mind mixing materials – ultimately, it’s about the sound – but I don’t love the look of foam and would be just as happy not to use it.

2. How much benefit might I get from installing 4” panels versus 2” panels? Four-inch panels would obviously make the space tighter, but I can live with it if they improve the sound significantly.

3. I’m open to using any material, but I’m drawn toward Owens Corning 703/705 since they appear to be more rigid and I might install the flat panels without frames. Perhaps 703 for the flat panels and 705 for some floor-to-ceiling triangular bass traps? Thoughts on that? As a covering, I’m likely to use something close to ATS Acoustics stock burlap fabric, or perhaps the microsuede fabric they sell.

4. I know it’s desirable to build bass traps deep, but because of the space constraint, I was thinking about building floor-to-ceiling bass traps in each corner with fiberglass triangles somewhat smaller than commonly recommended: 1 ft. long sides (facing into the room) and 8.5 ” short sides (against the corner walls). Again, I can use whichever material is best – OC 705 would seem to be the winner on mass – but I wonder if the comparatively shallow depth (6 inches at deepest point) might make these insufficiently effective? [OTOH, making each bass trap larger would begin to invade too much of the limited interior space… the constant trade off!]

I’ve already learned a great deal from the terrific contributions here, but if anyone has input regarding what I’ve laid out, I’d be grateful to hear it.

Thanks,

Ned

[vkuehn]

My preference would be to use the 2-inch fiberglass and put spacers in that hold it away from the wall and inch-and-a-half to two inches. (I can't quote an engineering study that supports that, but after reading hundreds of posts and articles and blogs on the subject, the space between the fiberglass and the wall seems to be preferred by folks who are technically sharp.

In another recent thread we got into a discussion of "proximity effect" and small rooms. The thicker the foam, the smaller your space, and you may end up with a mic close enough to a surface that causes some acoustic disturbance including some "tightly stretched bass". I don't know what your preference is. Some V-O folks like the bass emphasis, others find it just a bit muddy.

You will just have to experiment with the bass-trap triangles. I don't recall any authors giving much technical assurance on calculating how much to use and what size.

[heyguido]

Forget fiberglass. Go with recycled denim. 25-30% better acoustic properties, and much easier to handle, install, and live with.

As for thickness, remember that the interior dimensions of your box are already less than the 4x6 advertised, and 2in of insulation is 4in of lost space. 4in brings you down to 3'2"x5'2". Claustrophobic much?

Lastly, Vern's right. You will get a bonus from a bounceback space behind your insulation. Try a 3/8 firring frame behind your insulation to give it a slight standoff. 1 inch would be optimal, but given your existing interior dimensions, is impractical.

As for bass traps? In the space you have, you realistically can't do much effective volume. Instead, consider your choice of mic and processing to "tune" the response of your space to your needs, rather than expecting to make a soundstage out of a shoebox.

Finally, (Yeah, I know, I already said lastly) , a dynamic mic, rather than a condenser, is probably better in this environment.

Now, the disclaimer.... The preceding advice is free, and, is, therefore, worth exactly what you paid for it. Others may have conflicting opinions, and their viewpoints may have equivalent value. YMMV... Offer void in New Mexico, Arizona, and points north or south of the Mason-Dixon line. Dissenting opinions are welcome, though likely to be disregarded by the author. C'est la webz.
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

[Ned Vaughn]

Thanks for the input! Creating an air gap between insulation and wall seems like a fine idea and shouldn't be difficult to achieve... although it will mean going for 2-inch panels.

Funny thing about a tight space... some folks get a little (or a lot) claustrophobic, while others use it as an aid to focus attention/energy. Over the last year, my home recording has been done in a space essentially the size of the WR I've ordered, and not only have I gotten compliments on the sound, but I've found it a reasonable, focused space in which to work. That's not to say I wouldn't be happy with more room... I'd welcome it. But with five children, it's not practical in terms of our overall living space right now. I may eventually be able do a full room treatment but for now, the Whisper Room is the right choice.

And Vernon, thanks for your reminder about "proximity effect". Personally, I don't much care for it, preferring as natural a sound as possible. I'm going to work to achieve that, even though my space will be on the small side.

[Rob Ellis]

I have a 4X4 Whisper Room (double walled) with mostly 4-inch thick 703 panels on the walls and 4-inch thick 705 bass traps in 3 of the corners, and the walls are almost completely covered. Remember also that the interior of your door is wall space that needs to be addressed.

As Guido states, for me gapping an extra two inches from the wall just wasn't practical given the already cramped interior dimensions.

Here is a commercial that I did recently to give you an idea of how it sounds:


Click Here

[Chuck Davis]

I'm even smaller here with a 2.5 x 3.5 Whisperroom. I'm using 2" panels on the left, right and rear walls with a foam trap in the upper left and right corners, relative to the door.

I face the left wall, when recording.

With a 416 it sounds great.

Keep in mind, I'm a commercial and promo guy who does a bit of industrial and elearning on the side.

Wrong mic for audiobooks.
_________________
Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com

[Rob Ellis]

yea my sample there is voiced with a 416.

I'll post a U87ai sample in a little while

[Ned Vaughn]

Elwood, I think you sound quite good in that spot! Thanks for sharing it. I imagine it's pretty snug in a 4 x 4 double-wall with 4-inch panels, It's good to know you're getting a sound you are happy with... although I know from reading previous posts that it took some experimentation.

Of course I plan on treating the door, which has widened slightly (30" vs. 24") in the newest version of the 4x6 model. I expect to treat most of the interior and put together a basic layout of my plan. I hadn't included the 1-2" air gap for the panels/traps, but revised it after Vernon's observation. Obviously, it will all come down to some trial and error, but here's what I'm leaning toward presently.



This layout is very close to what I've used successfully over the last year in a converted walk-in closet (minus the fiberglass panels/bass traps, indicated in blue/dark blue) but that's not a viable option going forward for a couple of reasons, including isolation. That said, I think this setup should translate well as I move into the Whisper Room. I stand while reading commercial VO copy and sit for narration. My microphone is mounted on a fully adjustable boom attached to a gear table I built with a couple of slide out shelves for keyboard & trackball above and pre-amp and usb interface below. It's nice and compact, with a portrait-oriented LCD monitor on top, from which I read all copy/manuscripts and work with Pro Tools (though I typically edit outside the recording space). This setup functions efficiently and comfortably for me, and puts the mic close to the center of the space... as it will in the WR.

I'd love to hear your U87ai sample. My go-to mic of late has been a Neumann TLM 102, with which I've been quite happy. It will be interesting to hear how/if that changes in the Whisper Room.

And Chuck, I don't rule out a 416, even for audiobooks. I have a friend who does all his work (including narration) with that mic and he sounds terrific on pretty much everything... granted, he's in a dedicated studio and not a Whisper Room. But if I'm not getting sound I like with the TLM 102 after I move into the WR, I might revisit the 416. I tried one about a year ago and liked it a lot, but ultimately felt the TLM 102 was a better fit for my voice and the sound I was looking to achieve.

Thanks to you both for the input.

[Rob Ellis]

Here's a spot I cut recently in the Whispy Room using the U87ai into a John Hardy M1

[Ned Vaughn]

Another fine read. I really like that one both in style and sound. Have you run the u87ai through other preamps? I must confess, I'm not familiar with that particular preamp... but it's a really beautiful combo for your voice. Very transparent and natural, And with regard to your Whisper Room, you obviously have it dialed in very nicely.

[ballenberg]

[verbcrunch]

FWIW my WhisperRoom is 3.5x5 feet. I have Auralex LENRD Bass Traps in all the corners, Auralex MAX Walls on the sides, and Real Traps front and back. One Real Trap doubles as a platform to mount a computer screen. The goal was to turn my WhisperRoom into an anechoic chamber - I get no room reflections hitting the mic, even when I yell. Preferable to sounding like you're in a closet.

jeffB
_________________
Jeff Berlin
Humble Voice Guy
http://www.jeffberlin.com

[Lee Gordon]

My booth is almost as small as Chuck's (38" x 42") and is set up in similar fashion. Last weekend, I stopped by Ikea and purchased a bar stool with the smallest footprint I could find. The good news is, it fits into the booth. The bad news is, not with me sitting in it. So as tempting as setting your sound absorbing panels an inch or two off the walls might be, you don't want to do it if you leave yourself with too little room for a place to sit. Not necessarily an issue for doing short-form stuff, but maybe important for audiobooks.
_________________
Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Rob Ellis]

[vkuehn]

There are a couple of issues that one may want to consider when fabricating one of these very small recording spaces. And what I offer is not very scientific..... just a subjective observation.

1. YOUR SIZE can be a big factor is the final sound. Putting someone who is 5-foot-1 and 97 pounds into a small recording space is probably significantly different than putting someone who is 6-foot-1 and 253 pounds into that same space. The distance from YOU to the nearest surface becomes a part of the formula that determines the proximity effect and maybe even the reverberation of the space. (The people who design church sound systems insist on being part of the decision on padded-vs-nonpadded seating in the worship space so that the number of people in the room for different occasions does not radically alter the acoustics of the space.)

2. The SIGNATURE CHARACTERISTICS of your voice make a difference. I had lunch last week in the Ozarks with someone I worked with in radio about two lifetimes ago. It was an era when we all sought that rich, deep, (almost growling) bass register sound. Proximity effect can add to your voice if that is what you have and what you sell. Then came the '80s and the era of what we called "the cracked FM voices" announcers. If your voice characteristics are in a higher register then that proximity effect that is beneficial to others becomes "a pretty crappy sound" in your case.

Be prepared to do a lot of experimenting. Don't attach acoustical treatment materials permanently until you have experimented with moving them around some.

And who ever said that those absorbent pads had to be parallel to the wall? Maybe you can use a tapered furring strip that puts the pad a full two inches away from the wall near the corner but tapers down to 3/8ths of an inch away from the wall at the point where your shoulders and your sitting-down-apparatus need a bit more space.