TIPS & TRICKS TO BUILD A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING BOOTH
- Yomary Cruz
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Since the pandemic made recording jobs from home essential, having a professional-grade vocal booth at home has become crucial for voice actors. There's an overwhelming amount of information available on how to achieve this. I'm here to simplify things by sharing the factors I considered to create a voice-over booth with an impressively low noise floor and excellent sound quality, while also making it a comfortable space that looks like a place I'd love to work in for hours every day!
THE BEST LOCATION TO BUILD A BOOTH
My first consideration was where to construct my booth. I aimed to keep the noise level entering the booth as low as possible. To achieve this, I searched for a location where the booth wouldn't share any walls with the outside. This approach ensured the booth was more isolated, reducing the noise entering the booth. In my house, there was an obvious choice: a walk-in closet in the center of the house. It had no windows and was small enough to treat effectively, relatively inexpensively.
CHOOSING COLORS FOR MY BOOTH
When considering colors, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to incorporate my branding, so I aimed to match my website's colors as closely as possible. I located Accoustic Panel Fabric swatches that closely resembled my website colors. Wanting a lighter and more open atmosphere, I opted for the off-white accoustic panel fabric to go with the custom-matched Burgundy wall paint, which would be an accent.
BOOTH ISOLATION
I opted for an exterior door which is designed to keep the outside elements from entering the house. The best part is, those design elements also help reduce the sound entering the room. I searched extensively, but my door size was difficult to find. Eventually, I discovered the perfect door for my space at Home Depot. As an added benefit, my door features a glass panel, allowing me to look outside and feel refreshed without feeling claustrophobic. Home Depot also had this Faux sheepskin rug which I picked up to reduce sound reflection from the floor and it just feels nice under my feet. I also needed an outlet to power all the equipment and a hard-wired ethernet line for source-connect, so I got help with that!
GETTING THE ACOUSTICS RIGHT WH
Choosing the right acoustic treatment is one of the most important decisions you'll face while building a booth. I sourced the panels for my booth from GIK. What I appreciated most about working with Mike Majors at GIK was his skill in simplifying the process by customizing my design and showing the correct panel placement using a 3D model. I just provided him with the room's dimensions and specifications, and he supplied a list of the exact panels in the precise dimensions needed to optimize my booth's sound quality. And did I mention this service was complimentary?
I also installed insulation in the walls behind the booth.
MAKING MY BOOTH VERSATILE
I aimed for maximum flexibility to easily switch between sitting and standing based on the type of work I was doing. So, I purchased a sit-stand desk and mounted my TLM 103 microphone on a RODE PSA 1+ Professional Studio Arm. I use a MacBook Air, which is fanless, helping to maintain a low noise level in the booth. My monitor is placed on an adjustable arm. My iPad and Apogee Symphony are both on these stands. I included a height-adjustable swivel stool. To connect the equipment, I'm using a USB-C hub, plugged into a surge protector. I also use this webcam and these selfie light rings for zoom sessions.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
I got my personalized LED metal "Yomary's Studio" sign on ETSY and my vintage "ON AIR" sign on EBAY. I also bought color gels for the lights and Twinkly lights to enhance the booth's ambiance. I added a custom mat for my desktop, which helps reduce sound reflections and creates a cohesive look. I'm thrilled with the final outcome! I hope these tips help you create the great-sounding booth of your dreams!