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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Recording → shed sound booth
Wondering if anyone has everyone thought of using a small shed as a sound booth. Currently in an apartment and have been thinking about a creative way to practice quietly. Don't have closet suitable for converting into a sound booth. Thanks.
funny you should mention that!
i played in a band once that recorded in a garden shed and a small caravan. the drummer and me (rhythm guitar) in the shed. lead and bass in the caravan, direct inject, obviously! you may think "hah, small time" but the owner played us Bonnie Tylers demo of "Lost in France", which he recorded, and he'd previously sat in on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" up in Rockfield!
now for some advice; the cardboard type egg boxes are a good sound proofer, nailed to the walls. or if you've got a few quid to spend, upholstery foam. it'll still be cheaper than real sound proofing. by the by, it's drums that take up most of the room, but they make a lovelly sound!
phill
I'm gonna disagree with Phill on the egg crates and furniture foam. It isn't effective at all for isolation and it's a pretty massive fire hazard. Isolation needs to manage long wavelengths in low frequencies, and acoustic foams are designed to dampen those. Egg foam in speaker cabs can be effective, but for a studio space you'll want something a bit more effective and safe.
There is an awesome book about how to build recording areas in small spaces by Rod Gervais that I'd recommend. Great stuff for spaces of every size and shape.
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-St … pd_sim_b_1
Hi cork,you can get a Rockman,it has plug ins for guitars and Bass, it was something the guitarist from Boston brought about. It comes with earphones and it has several settings.I have used one for years on my electric guitars. I paid about $60.00 for it at the time. You can also plug it into a larger amp and use it too get some different effects. This will not solve your group s practice but it is good when you are by yourself in an apartment.
hi jerome, i dont know what kind of foam you have over yonder, but the UK variety is flame retardant. i might agree with the egg cartons though
Thanks for all of the feedback. I'll check out the book. I've heard mixed things about the egg carton insulation. Have seen a few things about using t-shirts as soundproof insulation. Anyway, there's a 4 x 6 Rubbermaid shed you can buy for about $400 new.
If it's packing foam, it probably isn't fire retardant. If it's furniture foam, it might be.
The fire that killed 100 people at a Great White concert a while back was fueled primarily by packing foam hung on the walls.
Either way, the acoustic properties of the foam aren't going to do much for you. It might shave a bit off the very high frequencies, but it wont do anything for the low freqs where most recording problems are.
Small booths are good for vocals, as you want vocal recording to be as "dead" as possible. Isolating the booth (as opposed to acoustically treating it) is a matter of adding density. Make the walls as thick as you can with the densest material you can find. If isolation isn't at issue, then buy good quality acoustic foam (designed for purpose) and deaden the room as much as possible. Since the space is too small to ever give you that "live" sound, go the other way, get the dead sound as much as you can, and then treat the recording in post-processing.
Just how much space in the shed are we talking about?
My main concern is quiet practice. This about the size I'm considering:
* #3673
* Double Deep Modular Vertical Shed
* Outside Dimensions: 5'6" W x 6'D x 6'6" H
Well, isolating a space that small would be really tough, and would most likely result in a space even smaller than you've got now. Isolation means you have to absorb a whole lot of sound energy, and you do that by using very dense materials like rockwool and double layers of sheet rock, and through construction techniques like hanging the ceiling, doubling the walls, and floating the floor. A lot of studio walls are actually filled with sand in order to provide isolation.
If what you are looking for is a practice space for just you, you will probably have more luck (and more fun) with a good set of headphones plugged into your amp.
And get to know your neighbors. Let them know you play guitar and if it's ever too loud to come on over and let you know. You might be surprised at how people react to that.
Cort I agree with jerome,That would be some really tight space,and all the add-ons will get in the way.you also need to get lights and electrical outlets. Might give some thought too renting someones garage or getting a commercial storage space.
I'm still trying to figure out where to get hold of a few quid.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Recording → shed sound booth
