One of the hallmarks of amateur podcasts is extraneous sound in the voiceover. If you simply stick a mic on your desktop or kitchen table, it will pick up all kinds of audio garbage, from howling computer fans to humming refrigerators. Another ugly sound is reverberation caused by your voice bouncing off hard surfaces like walls or tabletops, which imparts a hollow, blurry effect to the sound, reducing the punch and intimacy.
Professional voiceover artists, of course, record in soundproofed studios, but that's not always an option when you're traveling. A year ago, I mentioned voiceover pro Harlan Hogan's ingenious portable vocal booth, a collapsible box that surrounds the mic with acoustic foam, blocking background noise and reverberation. Hogan has since developed an improved version (blue box at right), which he explains how to make here. (I love the subtitle: "Quality Recordings on the Go and on the Cheap.")
O'Reilly reader "wbk" noted that Hogan is now selling premade versions of the kit as well. (Notice the excellent-sounding voiceover on Hogan's page.) The cost is a reasonable $129, but if you still want to build your own, check out this tutorial from the crafty Jake Ludington (right), who found an alternate source for the the expensive foam. You still need to buy enough foam to make two booths to get that price, but that should put you well on the way to hosting your own interview show.
For an ironic demonstration on why a vocal booth is helpful, listen to the voiceover on Ludington's tutorial video: He was speaking into a distant camcorder mic, so there's all kinds of audio garbage.
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Damnit i swear i thought of this years ago. Tight work people!!!!!
@Mark: Thanks for pointing out the vocal baffle. We've reviewed two similar products, the SE Electronics Reflection filter and SM Pro Audio Mic Thing.
Hi,
I clicked the advert link on this page for the vocal booth: www.editorskeys.com
Works great
@evan- I had the idea of using fishing wire to suspend the box from the ceiling from a few points- just tie the wire around some pushpins or something similar and thread it through the fabric on the top of the box. I get the impresion that the cloth box and foam combined probably don't weigh all that much.
I did this project with a milkcrate since I wasn't as concerned with portability as I was with simply reducing reflections. It seems to be working pretty well so far, though I may cut a new back piece since there's a few gaps between the pieces and I'm wondering how much of a difference it will make.
Acoustic foam IS NOT the same as mattress foam.
The biggest difference is that the polyester-based foams will break-down very quickly. You'll end-up with poly-crumbs everywhere. Polyester is also very flammable, so don't smoke near your box, or you'll cook your mic. If you do cook your mic, please record it! I'd live to hear it. :-)
Another difference is the acoustical characteristics of the foam. Acoustic foam is made to generally dampen a room. Mattress foam is made to dampen your butt.
@Philasso: Have you actually tried using both types of foam for audio? My impression is that true acoustic foam is denser than Wal-Mart mattress toppers.
The foam is good but if u r on a real budget, just goto Wal-mart, Target, etc... and purchase the foam mattress pads (Full or Queen size)for like $5. lol, it's the same material, u just have to cut it urself!
The link below is a pic of the foam mattress pad.
http://foamsupport.com/index/MedicalPicture/eggtopper.JPG
@Shanna: the instructor told us the best place to record was in a walk in closet
I do the same thing! I push apart some hanging shirts and suspend the mic from the clothes bar with heavy rubber bands. I finally invested in a "popper stopper" screen as well, which drastically sped up editing. Even with conscious mic technique, explosive P's and B's were getting through.
During a Mastering Camtasia class, the instructor told us the best place to record was in a walk in closet and/or with a comfortor over the recorder's head and mike. I am able to take my laptop into my closet and record very good audio. I use the Samson CO1U. A photo of the process would be interesting :-)
I have tried USB headset, lapel mic, and telephone connection direct to my sound card for webinars. The Samson is the best (in the closet.)
Shanna
@Evan: How would this work out with a mic stand?
You might be able to rig up a frame to support the cube using the harp from an old lamp. But see Spencer Critchley's review of this premade baffle for another take.
I also heard from a schoolteacher who builds podcasting sound booths for her students out of cardboard boxes and packing foam.
How would this work out with a mic stand?
Great idea! I like it!
@Pariah:
Aren't cardioid and hypercardioid microphones designed to prevent background noise?
They can reduce off-axis sound, but they don't eliminate it. Also note that the portabooth is designed more to focus the voice (by eliminating reverberation) than reduce background noise; I should have clarified that. Designer Harlan Hogan writes:
Notice the photo of the booth with a hypercardioid mic.
Aren't cardioid and hypercardioid microphones designed to prevent background noise? The problem would only be present using an omnidirectional microphone. You might look into more information about microphones. The Cole reporter microphone, which perhaps is one of the coolest ribbon mics is designed to give a clear signal in high winds outside.
@Felix: Jake Ludington used $25 chunks of 2x24x48 Auralex Wedge foam, which he then cut into eight 12-inch squares. I Googled Auralex wedge foam and found several mainstream stores selling individual 12x12x2-inch Auralex tiles for $5 each.
Do you know where i cn buy the foam??
If you do please email me where i can buy it....
Thank you
I want a booth where I will be able to record vocals like rap and singing, pretty much getting the same quality recording sound one gets in an isolated recording studio, provided a good mic and pre amp is used.
Please email me:
tonycastanho@yahoo.com
@Daniel: Spencer Critchley has some interesting recordings using the SE Reflexion Filter, a partial baffle. I've had pretty good results recording in my bedroom closet, pushing apart the shirts and suspending a mic between them from rubber bands. Reading the script in that position is a pain, though. I liked Harlan Hogan's idea of reading from his iPhone inside the box.
Hmmm,
I tried this a year ago with two different microphones and recorded samples with and without the "booth" and with the microphone placed in three different positions. To my surprise, my testers were unanimous in preferring the recording I made not using the mini booth.
My best reviews so far (and I'm still searching) is a quilted jacket that I lift over my head and shoulders and above the mic to deaden most of the bounces I might get.
Anyone have better ideas?
D