How to make a DIY soundproof booth
The noise coming from the street, from the neighbors or even from the home itself, can be a bit annoying. The construction of a DIY soundproof booth can become the solution to this great inconvenience.
Soundproofing is isolating an environment from outside noise, and at the same time, preventing the sound produced inside from coming out.
A soundproof booth is a space used especially to carry out activities such as voice recording, voice overs and more.
In view of the countless advantages that these modules provide, many have decided to build their own cabin.
If you want to know how to build a homemade phone booth, continue reading and you will find out.
Fundamental aspects when building a homemade voice over recording booth
Undoubtedly, the most important aspects when building a homemade soundproof cabin are conditioning and insulation. These will allow you to protect the structure from any noise.
You can achieve the much appreciated “acoustic insulation” using wood or brick. These materials will prevent sound from entering the cabin as well as from leaving it.
But the work will not be complete if you do not consider a conditioning or preparation of the room.
Conditioning allows you to give those final acoustic touches, avoiding the production of echoes, whether from the sound of voices in the booth or from footsteps. We know very well that these vibrations can be very annoying.
In the case of building a DIY soundproof cabin, to use it as a recording studio, the vibrations could hinder any work.
In fact, to avoid any acoustic inconvenience, if the booth is built for recording purposes, the ideal is to divide it into two sections.
Steps to build a DIY soundproof booth
To build the ideal home voice recording booth, the first thing you should do is consider the use of partitions or acoustic panels.
In turn, these must function as insulators, which serve to prevent the entry and exit of sound.
If you want to build your own homemade soundproof pod, you must follow these steps:
- Prepare a plan where you specify each detail of the booth.
- Once the above is done, you can proceed with the construction of the booth.
- Make sure corners and doors have the necessary supports.
- Remember to measure 2 times before making any cuts.
- In general, this type of structure is made of wood and covered with plywood. Before covering the cabin, make sure that the space for the door is indicated.
- Perform a review of the ceiling, making sure that everything has been very well adjusted and screwed.
- On the inside of the vocal booth, you can also use plywood or sheetrock. Both materials can help you isolate sound.
- To prevent sound leaks, apply a bit of silicone caulking to each of the joints.
- The door must be covered by weather stripping.
- Put acoustic panels on the ceiling, door and walls.
How to soundproof walls, ceiling and floor?
If you still have doubts, don’t worry. If you want to soundproof a wall, remember to leave an environment or air chamber, right in the middle of it. This way, later you can put the insulation, either paper or some plasterboard.
Once the insulation is added, the wall must be re-clad. In the case of the ceiling, you can opt for the construction of a partition. Build a double one so you can put the insulation material in the chamber.
If you want the sound not to enter or leave the vocal booth, avoid putting the insulation material on the outside.
When the goal is room soundproofing, we cannot forget about the floor, because it is also possible for sound to propagate through it.
In the ground, sound is expressed through vibrations. To avoid this, the ideal is to use anti-vibration benches or technical floors.
For example, here you can find floor mats to reduce impact noise: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Advanced-Acoustics-Soundproofing-1-25m-Thin/dp/B00BSBMFBM.
There are also rubber-based studs, which you can obtain through: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N6X5CPH.
And there are also many more materials. Luckily, the market is full of them.
Pros and cons of a DIY vocal booth
A DIY vocal booth can help you eliminate many problems. Done right, it will isolate you from outside noise and even deal with reverberation. Of course, its construction can involve hard work if you do not have the necessary experience. That is why many have decided to acquire one.
On the other hand, the purchase of a professional cabin offers you the following advantages:
- Removable system.
- Easy transport.
- Variety of colors, adapting to any taste.
In addition, they can be used to carry out recording activities or to rest and get away from noise. As you will notice, these structures can be used for multiple activities, such as rehearsal chambers, for theaters, hospitals and many more.
Before purchasing a professional cabin, the ideal is to have the exact measurements of the place where it will be installed.
Although a voice over recording booth purchased on the market can help us avoid sound problems more quickly, when compared to building a homemade soundproof booth, the cost of the first option can be very high.
The best thing you can do is analyze both options and see which one is right for you.
At Huddlestone we make high quality soundproof booths at very competitive prices.
We have three models to highlight:
- Huddlestone Basic: a small booth, for one person and with the best price on the market guaranteed.
- Huddlestone Custom: booth for two people or more, made entirely to measure.
- Huddlestone Office Pods: booth with two glazed sides, ideal for use in offices.
Check them out if you’re considering a professional booth. Any questions, contact us and we will advise you!
Necessary equipment in a homemade pod
At this point, you may have finally decided whether your booth will be homemade or professional. However, whatever you choose, it does not mean that the sound you are going to create will be of high quality.
To achieve good results, you must equip your vocal booth with good materials. Below we review the most important gadgets.
#1 Microphone
A microphone is probably the most basic and indispensable item. Although there are several types of microphones, the most common are dynamic microphones and so-called condenser microphones.
Dynamic microphones
Condenser microphones
What differences are there between the two? Which one is best used in a DIY voice over recording booth?
It is often said that dynamic microphones capture the most immediate and close sound, while condenser microphones are more sensitive and better capture ambient sound.
Condenser microphones are therefore of higher quality and will allow you to record your voice without distortion, although they require using them in a suitable environment such as a well-made booth. Otherwise, they will pick up any external and annoying sounds. For example, cars, animals, televisions, noisy neighbors, etc.
We leave you with two very common options, two firm candidates for the microphone in your vocal booth:
- Blue Yeti for £119.99 or 139,99€
- Rode NT1-A for £154.99 or 166€
#2 Microphone stand
Unless you’ve got yourself a large vocal booth that can fit a table (necessary if you’re a gamer-type streamer), you’ll usually want a stand for your microphone.
This necessary element of the voice over recording booth is not going to be a ruin for you. For between €15 and €30 you will find many models at your disposal.
#3 Pop filter
The puff of air that we release when we pronounce certain occlusive consonants such as pe, em or te is known as pop or popping noises. This phenomenon is very common in the locution and capable of annoying a recording. Fortunately, there is the pop filter that, thanks to its taut lycra mesh, manages to eliminate popping.
Place this screen in front of your microphone and this way manage to increase the quality of your audio for about €10.
#4 Editing software
Whether or not you shoot video in your vocal booth, you’re going to need good software to edit the footage and create something cool and professional.
If you are a broadcaster or a singer, you probably prefer to invest in a program specialized in working with audio. This type of program is known as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), and it allows you to mix, master, and create mixes and arrangements with your recordings.
We leave you with the best recommended editing software:
- Audio-only software: Pro Tools, Cubase, Adobe Audition, Sonar and Audacity. The latter is an open-source software and therefore free, so it is ideal if you are just starting out.
- Audio and video software: Camtasia (about €250) and Adobe Premiere Pro (about €24 per month).
#5 Other accessories for the vocal booth
You will need the three elements described above: a microphone, a pop filter and good editing software. But depending on what you do, there are other accessories that can be useful:
- Protective filter for the microphone
- Stand or support for mobile or computer monitor
- Audio interface
- Studio headphones
- Studio monitors
Well, obviously, you will also need a computer that, depending on the use you are going to give it and the space it occupies, can be inside or outside your vocal booth.