With more and more artists and producers making their music themselves, studio equipment have made its way into many homes.
Even recording vocals can be done at home. While there are many considerations to setting the right environment for recording vocals, which I will get into in a moment, it is possible to create such an environment.
What Are Vocal Booths For?
When we sing in our room, the sound of our voice bounces off the walls. This can affect the quality of the sound.
Another issue you will run into with recording vocals at home is accidentally picking up the background noise. This isn’t as much of a problem if you have a dynamic microphone because they are not that sensitive.
However, if you have a condenser microphone, a very sensitive microphone, and something suddenly makes a noise while you record, it will be heard.
This is what vocal booths are for. Not only do they put in you in an enclosed space with no chance of background noise entering inside, but they are also filled with materials that can absorb sound.
Closet
The first and most popular low-budget vocal booth is recording inside your closet.
The reason why this is commonly done is, well, you don’t have to make anything. You just need your closet. All you have to do is bring your recording equipment inside and close the closet. Just like that, you have a space to record vocals.
Another factor brought up is the clothes inside. Now you don’t have to take them all out since they are part of the magic.
Your clothes will function as your acoustic foam since they can also absorb sound and prevent it from reflecting all over the place.
Now, is it effective? To a degree, yes. But it is not perfect.
Your clothes won’t be able to absorb all the noise, so you will still need some form of treatment to compensate. You can place acoustic foam or eggshells on the walls of your closet. You can even place blankets or rugs inside to help with sound absorption.
If you can fit in a mattress, all the better.
While not the best do-it-yourself (DIY) vocal booth, this is definitely a start. It still deserves a mention for those starting and who want to make the most out of their space.
It’s what many people will use before investing in making a proper vocal booth.
Mattress Fort
Does this bring back any childhood memories? Well, you can relieve those moments while getting some quality vocal takes.
Unlike clothes, thick mattresses are guaranteed to absorb. They were able to absorb sound, especially the lower middle frequencies. This makes for a more balanced vocal.
Mattress forts are a cost-effective way to a vocal booth. That said, it’s a challenge to set up. Stacking them up so they don’t fall collapse is one thing, finding space in your room is another.
That said, it is still possible to try it out. Common set-ups include the V-shape. This is where you use two mattresses to create a V shape. If you have three unused mattresses, you can create 3/4s of a square which give you walls on almost all sides.
The goal is to use the mattresses to create an enclosed space with the mattresses acting as walls. With each wall being a mattress, this makes sound absorption much more likely.
Now it won’t cover everything, there is still going to be an opening. Luckily the microphone will be facing the side where the mattress is.
Since condenser and dynamic microphones have a unidirectional polar pattern, they won’t be able to pick up sound coming from the back. This makes the mattress an optimal place for recording vocals.
If you have mattresses to spare and enough room to fit them in, this is definitely something you can consider using until you can create a vocal booth.
Blanket Fort
Moving from mattresses to now blankets. Another method is the blanket fort.
The slight difference with the previous entries is that it will cost you a bit more, both in money and time.
Now can you use any blanket? The truth is there are certain blankets that I highly recommend in order to get balanced vocal takes. In this case, acoustic blankets will do the job just nicely.
Acoustic blankets are different from regular blankets because they are made with materials that can reduce outside noise.
Blankets aren’t the only thing you will need. You will need to create a frame.
You create a frame with PVC pipes and curtain rings found in showers.
You should first decide on the dimensions of your blanket fort so you know how many pipes you need. Then connect the pipes with an elbow joint. Start with the base then work your way up.
Once the frame is finished, start hanging your blankets to cover the entire frame. Be sure to cover the top of the frame as well.
Tips for Creating Your Own Vocal Booth
Don’t Make It Too Big
When you start making your vocal booth, there’s no need to make it too big right away.
Leave some space for yourself to move, but it shouldn’t be as big as your bedroom. Bigger space means more treatment.
So that you don’t end up using too many resources for acoustic treatment, keep it small. It should be a quarter of your bedroom’s size at most.
If you are going to use your closet, then be sure that it isn’t a big closet or stack a bunch of clothes or fit in a mattress to make the place more compact.
Place a Rug Underneath
I mentioned this earlier, but this applies to every DIY vocal booth and that is the rug.
The rug solves the treatment used when the sound will bounce on the floor. Get a rug that is effective in absorbing sound as to help make the vocal tracks sound unaltered and balanced.
Light Up The Place
This doesn’t have much to do with sound quality, but more of a visual tip, plus quality of life.
Closets, mattresses, and blanket forts are really dark, which might affect your vocal takes if it involves reading something.
So if you can, hang around some lights in your fort so you can see better. Plus they make nice decorations.
Check also if they don’t make noise. Some lights can be noisy at times, so just ensure that it won’t be the case.
Happy Home Recording
And that covers the three budget-friendly ways you can create a vocal booth at home.
No need to painstakingly wait until late at night just to ensure peace and quiet when recording. Now you have a dedicated space to record without outside noises and sounds reflecting all over the place.
Good luck making your vocal booth and finally getting some nice quality vocal tracks.
