DIY vocal booth?

[Seedouble]

Hi there,

Just set up our new studio – all instruments set up to record at all times... amazing. However, we're getting alot of spill from the cymbal into the vocal mic. as we're all together in the same room.

Does anyone have any tips? I thought of hanging a large ring with heavy curtain rigged around it from the ceiling like a sort of round shower curtain. We just want to do some reference recordings basically –*suss out our sound etc.

 

[EastCoastThump]

Keeping visual contact is usually mission-critical unless all the players are very experienced and very well rehearsed.

Gobos and/or a nearfield absorber (Auralex or Primacoustic, for example) will cut some of the higher frequency bleed. Short of building a vocal booth, though, I'd recommend recording guide vocals along with the band tracks, and then overdubbing keeper vox.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Seperate room and camera/monitor setup I think would be the most cost effective and useful. Probably work the best too. But that's not what you asked...

Don't know nothing about isolating vocals in a room with a band. In my old apartment I turned a closet into a half assed vocal booth and years later I realize I just wasted some closet space.

 

[eukatheude]

I'd recommend recording guide vocals along with the band tracks, and then overdubbing keeper vox.

This.

 

[silky smoove]

A simple DIY solution will help to kill reflections, allow for some diffusion, and generally help to make a vocal more recordable. That said, any of the low cost options will not provide isolation. Isolation costs lots of money, and may require a remodel of the room.

I built a simple solution to kill reflections out of 1-1/2" schedule 40 PVC, two layers of heavy movers blankets which provides an air gap the width of the pipes outer diameter, and a series of clamps to attach the blankets. It's effectively an enclosure, but it does not provide isolation.

As has been said. Track the vocals separately and the problem becomes moot.

 

[joem123]

Hi there,

Just set up our new studio – all instruments set up to record at all times... amazing. However, we're getting alot of spill from the cymbal into the vocal mic. as we're all together in the same room.

Does anyone have any tips? I thought of hanging a large ring with heavy curtain rigged around it from the ceiling like a sort of round shower curtain. We just want to do some reference recordings basically –*suss out our sound etc.

 

[joem123]

If your still having difficulty you should try an Link Removed. They give up to 10 dB Reduction with one layer, NRC Rating: 0.7. However I don't think that rating holds true for bass frequency's but should be effective for cymbal attenuation.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I find that being isolated in a booth, even one with a window, makes you feel strange and can dampen the performance.

Studios often place the drummer in a remote corner next to padded dividers. When you want a big drum sound, up against reflective walls in a big room can help. When playing together, putting the drums in a iso room is often done.

A divider made with these sort of tiles is one solution.

Wood Fiber Acoustical Ceiling Tiles - Silent Source

 

[ofajen]

Cymbals are over-rated. Check out Marotta's playing on Peter G's third solo album. JK.

Not what you asked, but in this case I would likely surround the vocal mike with ASC Studio Traps and that would help knock the level at the vocal mike down somewhat, particularly above about 150 Hz. I find that the Studio Traps strike a useful balance of creating a more controlled sound at the mike while not creating a complete and distracting sense of isolation. It would still take some adaptations on player volume and location to get anything resembling a usable mix.

In this kind of situation, I typically either plan to record vocals separately after the live loud tracks, or we get busy with all that it takes to do a live track with one mike (or two mikes in one spot), assuming the players and music work with that method.

Otto

 

[BadExample]

Cymbals are over-rated.

Yup, give the drummer a lefy to smoke and stick a wad of clay under each symbol.

 

[Gideon352]

My tip is to utilize microphone pickup patterns to your benefit.

For example, you may want to use a ribbon microphone for your singer, positioning them where the rest of the band instruments are in the rejection zone of the microphone.

Here is what the pickup pattern of a ribbon looks like (in case you're not familiar):

The bubbles are coming out of the front and back of the microphone.

In this example, the other instruments and amps would be located like in this awesome stick figure picture:

Nothing behind nor in front of the singer (in the horizontal plane in your room) and the rest of the band (instruments, amps) to the side of the singer (in a narrow vertical plane).

Hope this helps!