Soundproof booth (vocal booth) what is it?

Musicians often have a question about how to make a high-quality recording of a piece, vocals? No matter how cool instruments, studio equipment is used, extraneous noises will inevitably be heard in the background – such as hum, sounds from the street, echoes from the walls of the room and the so-called “city noise”. To cope with this problem, a soundproof cabin was developed. Let’s look at what it is, its principle of operation, where you can buy it. We will also say a few words about how to make a soundproof cabin with your own hands from improvised means.

We know from physics that soundproofing is a reduction in the level of noise that enters a room from the outside. Measure the quality of sound insulation in decibels. That is, the noise level outside and inside the room is compared. The difference between these values ​​shows how we were able to cope with the task. Recall that the decibel was written very simply in the article at this link .

A real find for musicians was a soundproof booth that can be installed at home. It is designed in such a way that it does not take up much space, usually has a nice design, can be disassembled and reassembled. Has silent ventilation.

Professional soundproof booths.

Designed and built by professionals. By purchasing a ready-made solution, you get a guaranteed result. The cockpit is well designed, taking into account the physical properties of sound. Noise isolation will be at a high level. In addition, there are Companies on the market that offer to choose a cabin for almost every taste. You can order a large cabin, a small one, there is a choice of sound insulation (high, medium). What is important, you can choose the exterior and interior colors that suit the design of your apartment.

At what level is the level of extraneous noise reduced? A sound insulation level of 3 dB is perceived by a person as a 2-fold reduction in the noise level. And sound insulation of 10 dB – a decrease in noise level by 3 times. By studying the vocal booths on the market, we get the following figures: The amount of noise reduction in a  soundproof booth,  depending on the material used, is 15 – 30 dB. As much as possible, we can reduce the noise level by 12 times. If you don’t have a train running outside your window or a plane taking off, then the noise level will be reduced to almost zero. In a professional cabin, you will not hear your neighbors, the voice of your girlfriend, or even the sound of a vacuum cleaner. The following illustration shows the levels of noise that a soundproof booth can and will not eliminate:

An example of a professional Vocarium booth:

Our online store presents professional soundproof booths produced in St. Petersburg under the Vocarium brand. The range and prices can be found at the link.  Professional soundproof booths have a huge advantage over homemade ones. Here’s what you get if you choose the professional version (quote from the manufacturer’s website):

“The cab has everything you need for comfortable work: a large window, silent ventilation, a folding table, a power filter, a cable port. 
Rollers, with a locking mechanism, allow you to freely move the cabin around the room and fix it in the right place.
You can set any color and brightness of the backlight using the touch control panel.
The cabin can be easily assembled or disassembled in just 10-15 minutes.”

Do-it-yourself soundproof cabin: 

You can also go the other way and make a soundproof booth yourself. This is a very inexpensive option. However, the quality of the recordings will be low. We recommend purchasing high-quality soundproofing material, not mineral wool! Here’s how to do it yourself:

Materials:

• About 40 linear meters of timber  3×4 cm
• Insulation / mineral wool –  12 square meters (or good soundproofing material)
• Drywall  4  sheets of standard size  2500×1250 cm  thickness  9.5mm
• Insulation upholstery fabric  15  square meters
• Self-tapping screws, door hinges, paper clips for a construction stapler

This will result in a very inexpensive version of the cabin, which will reduce the noise level by about 60%. In this case, the quality of your recordings will increase proportionally! All the pleasure will cost about 5000 rubles. Agree, this is much cheaper than buying expensive equipment and recording street noises on it.

Sequencing:

• Cut the bars to the right size
• Making a frame
• We sheathe the frame with drywall
• We install soundproofing inside
• Sew up with a cloth
• We make a door
• We put carpet with a long pile on the floor

Advantages of using soundproof cabins:

• Get rid of room echoes – now you can professionally record voice and instruments
• Rehearse at any time of the day
• Neighbors won’t hear you
• Professional cabins look beautiful, aesthetically fit into your interior