I’m currently setting up in my bedroom closet; it’s the only space small enough in my apartment where I can come close to controlling the variables. I resolved my laptop’s noise issue by purchasing some other technical equipment (a nettop that is whisper quiet), but I still had an issue with reverb. I managed to get a pretty dry sound by holding a terrycloth bathrobe over my head but… that’s not a solution.

I was looking around for a way to not vaporize my bank account this month while still being able to record some quality auditions so that I can start to get voice over jobs.

It’s not “soundproofing” that I need. Most of the time, there is very little background noise. My neighbors are very quiet and as long as nobody has flushed the toilet recently, there is no noise in the closet (as long as I shut the sliding door to my bedroom). However, the acoustics of my closet cause quite a reverb. And of course, this is completely predictable given the properties of your average closet.

I did actually discover the term through my searching… but I already forget what it’s called. Basically, I’m not looking to “soundproof;” I’m looking to modify the acoustics that are picked up by the microphone. Maybe you could call it “acoustic modeling”–whatever the case, I was starting to think that I’d have to end up shelling out significant cash, or erect a very haphazard semistructure in my closet, running the risk of invalidating my security deposit.

That is, until I found this: DIY Portable Recording Studio (hat tip to David Battino’s entry)

For my purposes–that is, until I start earning the big bucks–I can get the sound I need with a 13″ cube and 3 square feet of acoustic foam, though at the moment the acoustics are being damped by sweatpants. Since I’m mounting it on my microphone stand, I will spend a few extra bucks getting a clamp that can stabilize the box, but the sound is already much cleaner, much drier, and with no reverb that I was able to detect!

I surmise that acoustic foam has better acoustic properties than sweatpants, so I will report on that when I get the chance.

Fly by night? What?

In all seriousness, I hope that this helps other people who are starting out!

Sound Expert Talks to Tracy Pattin (Part 1)

Of particular relevance to me is getting a space that’s dead to sound.  I have a few technical challenges to work out as well.  However, I can have all the best equipment in the world, but if my home studio gives lousy quality, I just won’t be able to get the kind of work I want.