Tha Booth

There are various design types for vocal booths. At vocalbooth.com the smallest used was a 4' x 4' chamber.
Below is an example of a three sided vocal booth one can use with laptops

The diagrams below show the dimensions provided for by www.deep-downproductions.com
































For the budget minded individual, we're going to discuss how to build one yourself.

Things you will need:
2'x4'x8' interior wood studs
4'x8' foot x 1/4" sheets of plywood, fiberboard or drywall
R11 fiberglass insulation
3/4 inch drywall or woodscrews
pre-hung interior door
door knob assembly
triple expanding foam or silicone caulk
compression weather stripping and threshold compression seal for booth door
electric drill with appropriate bits
electric or hand saw
screwdriver,phillips or flathead as needed
caulking gun

Instructions
1. pick a corner for your booth. For the best results choose an existing corner with outside walls, near your recording equipment. Using outer walls will offer the best existing sound dampening and a solid existing structure from which you can build.
2. lay out your corner vocal booth. The size of your corner vocal booth will depend on how you intend to use the booth and the available space. Sketch out your design
3. purchase quality construction materials
4. remove any fixtures from the area you intend to use
5. frame out the walls of your booth using 2' x4' wood studs according to the dimensions outlined in your plans
6. install a pre hung interior door as shown on your plan, make sure the door can be opened without obstructions and permits easy access
7. using drywall, fiberboard or plywood, cover the outside of the booth and secure with screws
8. insert R11 insulation between the interior wall studs. Make sure the insulation has the paper side facing the installer.
9. using drywall, fiberboard or plywood, cover the interior of the vocal booth frame and secure with screws
10. drill access holes for signal cables and install all necessary cables before moving on
11. drill access holes for an extension power cord or install power outlets
12. to dampen sound transfer between the vocal booth and the studio, fill any gaps between the wall and floor, the wall and ceiling, booth wall and existing walls, as well as the holes for signal and power cables, using silicone caulk or triple-expanding spray.
13. to dampen sound transfer through the door, install compression weather strippings and threshold seal to the pre hung door. Allow any glued stripping to dry completely before verifying that all openings are sealed and the door operates correctly.
14. test power and signal cables for correct operation
15. further customize the vocal booth by added acoustical tiles to adjust the sound.

Sound Limiting

From leaving the room:
1. look for any highly reflective material i.e. a tile floor. Ideal situation is carpet or rug down on the floor. Studio foam can be placed beneath the carpet.
2. look for a solid door.Medium density fiber doors are cheap and have good sound blocking qualities. Should be well fitted with no gaps, and sealed off as if it were 40 degrees below zero on one side.
3. use an 1/8" MLV (mass loaded vinyl) with 1/4" closed cell foam bonded to the door, then cover with super soundproofing acoustical mat, usually 1" thick will suffice.
4. Consider hanging a mass loaded curtain barrier or an acoustical curtain over the door and frame for additional soundproofing.
5. if the original door was solid core, you can create an air lock door system i.e. leaving the original door in place and adding your door to the frame, opening the opposite way.

6. you can use a door sweep seal if there is a gap over 1/4 at the bottom (a metal sweep with a rubber flap) mounted to it.Set it to just brush the floor.











density + disconnection = sound insulation

From entering a room:
1. thick insulation with plastic stapled down with a layer of drywall is the ideal room to work with.
2. sound proofing foam should be applied in the walls of the studio for best results. After that apply echo dampening foam to the outer part of the walls. Echo reducing foam has a grooved/ egg carton shape and also helps to soundproof. It is thick and just adhered to the walls and ceilings of the studio.
3. sound proof windows are made with special glass that are specially created and installed.They are best coupled with heavy sealing

N/B: a thin layer of drywall amplifies sound vibrations, therefore soundproof drywall is about 5/8 inches thick (1.47cm) and is made even sturdier by a process called constrained-layer damping. One way to achieve constrained-layer damping is to alternate layers of the base material - usually gypsum - with layers of glue or plastic polymers.

Location and room construction
1. square and rectangular rooms are more desirable than L shaped rooms, and having two rooms or a room with a closet is ideal.
2. geographical location is also important in soundproofing e.g. from air traffic

What you will need for the most basic recording setup
1. a computer with a sound card
2. a microphone and a mixer (or microphone preamp)
3. powered speakers or stereo
4. a midi keyboard (optional)

The mixer should be the main focus of how your gear is arranged (the heart of your studio). To avoid tripping hazards posed by the snaking cables all over, you can use flexible plastic tubing.

Placing your speakers
This is to maximize the purest sound.
1. raise them to ear level
2. do not tip them on their side
3. do not put them directly in the corners of a room, position them a little bit out from the wall.
4. check the matching characteristics of your amp to your speakers
5. deal with the positive and negative space balance of the room
6. consider the reflective properties of flooring, furniture, walls e.t.c.