Build a $500 Vocal Recording Booth

UPDATE: the plans are now available at murrant.ca/
Build your own Isolation Booth for recording voice-overs on a $500 budget. Complete instructions including diagrams, materials list, etc can be found at www.murrant.ca.

[@jimrogers7425]

This is one of the BEST DIY vocal booth projects that I have EVER seen. You're very intelligent in your approach. Having worked with studio designers on several fully commercial facilities, I'm very impressed. This is the approach that I'll use. I believe that the fan noise can be brought down by using a lower speed fan and a few more of them. Good one, Glen! Jim Rogers

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks Jim. You might be right about the fan noise. I'll try putting a variable resister in place of the switch and let you know how it goes!

[@jimrogers7425]

Just get a variac so that you can dial down the fan speed or find a way to increase the distance of the fans from the booth.

[@mallek1989]

This is pretty decent! Your construction is spot on! Although I do have to point out that your treatment inside the booth is insufficient. It sounds like your standing in a box. And when it comes time to compress your vocal, it will be very audible. I suggest throwing out that foam, and figure out some way to line the wall with 2 inches of insulation covered in fabric. That will give you a much better result.

[@paulthevoice1574]

I just wanted to say that I am starting off in VO and your plan is absolutely fantastic. RESPECT!

[@MatthewMouras]

Thanks so much for sharing your design and build process. It's very helpful as I evaluate what to build. Greatly appreciate it!

[@sk863cuz]

Awesome, thinking about building a soundproof booth this weekend and this is the best diy ive seen so far. Thanks.

[@BillBene67]

Really excellent video Glen. Thanks for sharing and especially thanks for sharing your plans!!

[@mistered1397]

Thank you Glen for taking your time to teach us your Technics in this booth build. Like others have said, this is one of the best build videos with awesome instructions here and your website. I have viewed many videos on this subject. I will definitely use what I have learned here for my booth build in the near future. Great Job!!!

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@shikharsiromani]

This video is the best video on diy vocal both so far... Really loved the exhaust idea... You really solved my greatest problem... Thank you so much...

[@alanhotte3468]

Thanks for the video! Great to see a Canadian video with so many good ideas. I think seeing the changes you made and the rationale for those changes is particularly instructive.

[@rrrrkoop2776]

Glenn this is brilliant, And I would have gladly paid for these plans. Thank you so much. you are very generous.

[@GlenMurrant]

My pleasure. Glad you found them helpful.

[@petestrangeproductions1699]

Simple and brilliant. Incredible.

[@GlenMurrant]

Glad you like it!

[@jamesedwinjones4208]

Great video! You affirmed much of what I was intending on doing in building my own isolation booth, but were far more precise about it. Thanks for uploading this. It's very helpful and I'm sure to revisit when the time comes to start to building myself.

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks James!

[@TimOlson1]

Nice! The trapezoidal window mount is pretty genius

[@seansiegler]

You had me at "blaring Pink Floyd"!

[@reeldirtyfishin]

Excellent video

[@63montywilliams50]

Then he goes into a scientific explanation about sound theory. Subscribed

[@henrymunnich1648]

Dude this is so great! Thanks so much

[@SoundMediaVibes]

Good job!

[@AlessandroMedri]

Amazing job and tutorial, thank you sir

[@GlenMurrant]

Glad you liked it!

[@AkilisMusic]

pretty good video thanks

[@GlenMurrant]

You are most welcome.

[@riffybeats]

Thank you you're a gent and a scholar!

[@GlenMurrant]

Happy to help!

[@sendforacar9323]

Great job.

[@rf5315]

Well Done!!! Thank you for sharing 😊

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks for watching!

[@tilopahogan1720]

thanks, a lot of great ideas in there

[@GlenMurrant]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JayJayRealhiphop]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@morbjrn5265]

I'm doing a project for a vocal booth that will cost me 153 USD. I eventually plan to upgrade into better materials and such but I want something to begin with as my dogs, cat, and fish tank always can be heard when I record music! I'm using oriented strandboard, white wood studs, carpet padding, a window handle, hook and eye latch, and utility hindges. It's going to be 1 meter x 1 meter x 2 meters approximately! I'm really excited to build it and start really taking my music seriously! I will be stealing some of these ideas for upgrades! Nice job :)

[@maxmapsgiovara8427]

That's very useful. Thank You very much. I visited your site, you are very talented.

[@GlenMurrant]

Thank you very much!

[@nevillangthasa2499]

Thanks alot...♥️

[@BillyBlaze7]

nice job, for the amount of time you will actually spend in the booth the fans won't be an issue at all. I have the smallest whisper room you can get and built some sound panels out of Roxul insulation to get rid of reverb and it worked well for me, but I leave the fan off when I am in the booth tracking a vocal performance

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks Billy. I’ve suggested to a number of people that the fan is a “non-essential”. More trouble than it’s worth. If you start getting light-headed during a read, just open the door LOL.

[@willmycateatthis9410]

Do you have plans to this. And also do you screw down the subfloor or is it just floating and then you secure the walls ?

[@GlenMurrant]

Plans are available at Murrant.ca. The base is not secured to the actual floor. The floating design was intended to be removable - also, having fewer rigid connections to the room structure helps with the isolation.

[@jesussibajag.6527]

Hey I just wanted to say thanks for the great tutorial and info!! So basically you get the sound reduced by 20%?

[@GlenMurrant]

You're welcome. Higher frequencies at moderate levels are completely blocked - so, 100%. Low frequencies are blocked less.

[@02bomberman]

Where should i drill those two 3 1/2 “ holes (for air) in the subfloor? I don’t see it in the diagram on your website. I started building a couple days ago and i’m stumped on this part. Amazing booth!!

[@GlenMurrant]

murrant.ca/voice/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/#comment-96

[@Caba-Rojo]

Great build / theory. Have you tried moving a fan with more horsepower but further away from the box?

[@GlenMurrant]

No - It's not worth the time/trouble to rectify. I just don't use it while recording. I'll turn it on while doing dry runs and practising - but I turn it of while actually doing takes.

[@danbolivar3564]

You don't hear those first reflections? Roughly between 100 and 200 Hz. I don't know, the construction is fine for the cost, but that size and particular dimension ratio is producing awful standing waves and muddiness. At least in the video audio-track. My guess is that the foam you used is just too thin to absorb mid to low frequencies in such a coffin-sized space.

[@GlenMurrant]

Hey Dan. Yes I hear them - but that audio was recorded from the iPhone mic placed on the script stand - so not an accurate representation. For an idea of how it really sounds, watch this ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqTboWx3oZ6hm80m38s

[@GlenMurrant]

And it's not really "coffin size". It's big enough for me, a boom stand, my swivel seat, and an acoustic guitar. More like a deluxe phone booth LOL

[@slash7741]

nice vid! what mic were you using inside while recording this video? the camera mic or the condenser one?

[@GlenMurrant]

The audio is from the mic on my phone - NOT the mic in the booth.

[@harrij.9542]

Hi, the master handbook of acoustics says that with 4" thick mineral wool absorbers you can get almost a full wide band absorbance above 100hz. Do you have a wide band absorber like that inside the booth?

[@GlenMurrant]

Maybe you didn’t actually watch the video?? Yes, the wall cavities and door are filled with 4” batts of Roxul Acoustic insulation.

[@dylanj8676]

@@GlenMurrant I think they mean rock wool panels where you have your foam, because Roxul is much better at absorbing low and mid frequencies than foam is.

[@harrij.9542]

@@GlenMurrant do you have a wideband-absorber inside the booth? I dont mean what is used to fill the wall elements. Your booth build is awesome but if you dont treat the inside from 80hz up with bass traps or wideband absorbers then you will get the boomy boxy sound. (By the way its what i am hearing in this recording so i wanted to check this)

[@GlenMurrant]

Sorry, misunderstood your OP. Two things: 1) The audio in this video was captured by the little mic on my phone, not the Rode in the booth - the actual audio from the mic isn't as boomy. 2) having said that, I agree - it needs some better treatment. I'm testing/researching some affordable options and will produce a new vid later in the spring.

[@metalor696]

I can hear a lot of room sound from in the booth - was this to be expected? Can it be helped with additional room treatment inside the booth?

[@GlenMurrant]

There will be some. As I said at the very beginning of the video, this is a sound "reduction" booth - not sound "proof". Check is the seal around the door - it should be virtually air-tight. It's amazing how much sound can bleed through the smallest cracks. Also make sure you have sealed (with caulking/spray-foam) the gaps where the booth walls meet the existing room-walls. Additional treatment inside the booth will probably improve the acoustics, but will do little to reduce bleed.

[@Ali_inwonderland]

Hey I'm wondering how wide you cut the foam and osb board for the door frame opening?

[@GlenMurrant]

The door panel itself is 19 inches wide. If haven’t already, skim over the details here... murrant.ca/creativity/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/

[@boogiethegoat8209]

Loved the video. What did you do to inner walls to finish them after the OSB?

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks - glad you liked. I glued the foam squares directly to the osb. In the corners for molding (strictly cosmetic) I ripped some leftover 2x4 to 1/4" thick - cheap trim on a tight budget. If you do this, be sure to glue the trim in place (rather than nail) to reduce any chance of vibrations.

[@boogiethegoat8209]

@@GlenMurrant perfect. Thank you!

[@tonyhudspeth3861]

i like this video a lot and keep watching it however there is one minor niggle the sound .. it sounds what it is ... a box.. did you do any work to tame those 350-450 hrz freqs ??

[@GlenMurrant]

So, as I've mentioned in a few other replies, the sound in this video was captured on my phone. The both actually sounds fairly neutral. Listen to the vocals in the "2020 Suite" here ... murrant.ca

[@lilspoon_69]

loved the video, is there any way you would be able to run cords in and out of the booth?

[@GlenMurrant]

Yeah. LOL. I kindof skipped over that part. If you read the (very long) instructions on my website, there's a bit about running cords. murrant.ca/words/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/

[@piotrwojcik9709]

Bardzo dobra praca! Pozdrawiam z POLSKI.

[@GlenMurrant]

Dziękuję Ci! Pozdrowienia z Kanady.

[@gregg8583]

Awesome booth! Could I ask what the height and width of the door/door opening was?

[@GlenMurrant]

The door opening is 74" x 19". Interesting to note however, the door is raised up 6" off the floor of the room, meaning that I have to step-up into the booth, making the door seem taller than it really is. I'm 6'2", same height as the door, but i don't have to duck and I've never hit my head.

[@musicoctavemotivation3720]

Glen. I really appreciate you for this upload. This just what I've been searching for. Going to use your web site as a guide and send you the results. The only difference is I want to install pop up wheels under the booth to move to location of the room. Again thanks peace and blessings to you.

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks. FYI ... The website is down right now due to a technical issue, but will be back up and running by Wed. April 15.

[@musicoctavemotivation3720]

@@GlenMurrant yes I noticed it was down thanks again will check back on the 15

[@toure591]

where can I find instructions? is your website still up with these instructions?

[@GlenMurrant]

Apologies - the website is down right now due to a technical issue, but will be back up and running by Wed. April 15.

[@avianaforster374]

I'm looking for a way to absorb my voice so that my apartment neighbors won't hear me singing so loudly all of the time. Would this work for that? Or is there any other device I should look into?

[@GlenMurrant]

Yes. This is exactly what I intended. It won't completely block the sound - but it will reduce enough to keep the neighbours from banging on your walls :)

[@gummyricepersonalaccount749]

Greetings from Miami and thank you for your response this weekend. :) I've laid out the frame (day 1) and so far I'm very happy about the dimensions as it will give me room outside of the booth for other things. I had also asked about the door: I know you built your own, but it looks thicker than the usual store bought door. I will make sure the person building the booth follows the steps you shared on the seals, but anything else we should know about purchasing a door? Should I get a hollow door so that it can be filled with the sound proofing material? The other question is about the fans. You stated that they ended up being noisier than expected. If you could do this all over again, would you use fewer fans? Thank you SO much for sharing your plans and helping others out. If there's a link to leave a donation, please share.

[@GlenMurrant]

Glad it's working out (so far). I've hear from others who used a hollow door and filled it. It's a good idea - but don't use sand or concrete (yikes) because it will be too heavy for the rest of the frame. The door to my studio space is a standard hollow door - so covered both sides with drywall - it worked great!

[@GlenMurrant]

On the fans ... I can't hear the actual fan motors - so in that respect it was a success. However, I hear the white-noise of air moving through the system. An easy fix is to use a 12v speed control instead of a switch - and put it inside the booth (not outside, like I did - doh!). Here's one ... www.ebay.ca/itm/Okgear-OK503-DC-Fan-Speed-Controller-4pin-to-4pin/330854253057?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D0821788648ca4c459ce7fc314ac496ae%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D2%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D401676661805%26itm%3D330854253057%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

[@mixedkids5165]

The link for plans isn’t working for me. is there anywhere else i could find them?

[@GlenMurrant]

Apologies - the website is down right now due to a technical issue, but will be back up and running by Wed. April 15.

[@mikemurray3008]

Where did u buy the durofoam?

[@GlenMurrant]

Home Depot - apparently it's a Canadian product. But any brand of polystyrene insulation will do fine.

[@naziriteninjah1990]

Sorry so if the studio is very close to d rode side how dou you think it will be

[@GlenMurrant]

I live near a gravel pit - constant dump trucks all day long. They were part of the reason I built the booth. Problem solved!

[@rasoulsadeghi8635]

Nice and clear, but it seems you kept the walls empty and not filled with insulation. am I right?

[@GlenMurrant]

The walls are full of rockwool safe n sound insulation.

[@debrudda6540]

You mentioned air outtake, did you mention the intake??

[@GlenMurrant]

Yes. The air exchanger pulls the warm air out from the top of the booth, and blows cool fresh air in from the bottom. It’s described in detail in the plans on my site - Murrant.ca

[@thetruth3316]

sounds extremely boomy. Have you tried hanging acoustic panels/bass traps?

[@PenzoGrittyStem]

Hi I'm a novice in this field and building a booth , what do you guys mean when you say it sounds "boomt"? Please help

[@GlenMurrant]

Boomy means that certain low frequencies (150-240Hz) are exaggerated. But as I explained in a few other replies, the video was recorded on my phone - so the sound quality of the video does not accurately represent the actual sound of the both. If you want to hear some actual recordings from the booth, listen to my “2020 suite” here … murrant.ca.

[@gummyricepersonalaccount749]

Hi, thanks for sharing this. I’m building it this weekend but as I gather the materials, I’m unclear about how much to get on the roxul safe'n'sound. You state one bundle but they come in boxes of 6 and 12 pieces. Can you clarify?

[@GlenMurrant]

Hi Ara. You will need the 12-pc bundle (link below...). If you go to my website there is a printable materials list. Hope that helps! www.lowes.ca/product/batt-insulation/rockwool-safensound-mineral-wool-fire-and-soundproofing-batt-insulation-1525-in-x-47-in-305816?&cm_mmc=shopping_google-_-8303134478-_-85401573756-_-pla-899830409494&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Mz-uI226QIVma_ICh3lIwrpEAYYAyABEgLmdPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[@davidgarcia839]

@@GlenMurrant Thank you!!! Hey, one more question. What kind of door should we be getting? I see that this isn't a normal door and they don't have it at the local hardware store-Home Depot/Lowe's. Any feedback? We're building today and tomorrow. :)

[@GlenMurrant]

The door is custom built. Follow this link and scroll down to the part about the door ... murrant.ca/words/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/

[@gummyricepersonalaccount749]

Hi Glen. My booth rocks. Im so happy!!! I did have to add bass traps in corners and the door hasn’t been finished but boy what a difference, best of all I already booked my first two jobs post installing, and that’s always a great sign!!! Thanks for the separate article on the door. We will be tackling that in a week or so, bringing it down and reinstalling . I’m very grateful again to you for having posted this. May tbt universe ley you back double.

[@GlenMurrant]

That excellent!! I'm glad to have been part of it - and wish you lots of success! Please send me some photos - and I'll share them if you don't mind.

[@jimmysteemers7687]

Dear Glen, I am heavily considering trying this build in a new home studio i will build in my garden. I can not seem to reach your site though. Is this a problem just for me? and if not could you maybe fix this problem? Greetings Jimmy

[@GlenMurrant]

Hi Jimmy. Apologies - the website is down right now due to a technical issue, but will be back up and running by Wed. April 15.

[@jimmysteemers7687]

@@GlenMurrant Thank you so much Glen Loved the video

[@63montywilliams50]

The way the video starts by telling u the diff between sound cancelation and sound treatment tells u that this guy is a real engineer

[@GlenMurrant]

No - not an engineer. Not by a long shot. But thanks for the vote of confidence :)

[@fjccommish]

How does it do for keeping sound out?

[@GlenMurrant]

It’s excellent at reducing mid to high frequencies. Low frequencies are reduced significantly - but there is some bleed. At about 1:16 in the video I show the reduction with a meter.

[@kervensatis4555]

Did u make the window frame?

[@GlenMurrant]

Yes. you can see the plans for the window here (scroll 1/2 way down the page) ... murrant.ca/words/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/

[@kervensatis4555]

@@GlenMurrant nice thank you

[@emmanuelsanchez4321]

I live near a highway, would something like this help in any significant way ?

[@GlenMurrant]

I also live next to a highway - down the road from a gravel pit, so lots of truck-traffic. The booth - as built in the video - completely eliminated all highway noise.

[@emmanuelsanchez4321]

@@GlenMurrant awesome thank you! looks like there is hope for me

[@706madeflo]

can you keep this outside or no?

[@GlenMurrant]

No. It's not weatherproof.

[@tomerz9]

Two questions: 1. How do you attach the walls to the concrete walls and make sure it’s sealed? 2. How do you attach the ceiling to the structure of the booth? And, there’s no need for support for the ceiling from the corner of the concrete walls? Thanks for the video!

[@GlenMurrant]

Great questions! 1.) Attach the booth walls to the concrete (building structure) with four 1-inch “L” brackets; two per wall. Place them about 1-foot up from the floor, and 1-foot down from the ceiling. Use wood screws into booth walls and tapcon into the concrete. Squeeze a bead of caulking into to any gaps, and finish the seam with a strip of quarter-round or cove molding. 2.) Screw the strapping for the booth ceiling directly to the booth walls. Use another “L” bracket to secure the ceiling to the concrete wall, in the corner opposite the door.

[@tomerz9]

Thanks! :)

[@tsfsr8012]

sound idea on the door brother

[@GlenMurrant]

Thanks Sebb. It was a pain to design, but works really well.

[@STMENTNETWORK]

Would mdf work better then osb, and if I have carpet on my floor do I need a base

[@GlenMurrant]

MDF is much more expensive than OSB but would work - possibly even better than OSB. I was trying to stay under $500 for the whole project. The base conceals the maze for the airflow and isolates the booth from the floor to reduce noise - so yes, for this design to work as well as it does, it need the base.

[@STMENTNETWORK]

Glen Murrant thanks I realize mdf is more but my Home Depot and lowes only carry 7/16 osb is that thick enough?

[@GlenMurrant]

Oh - yeah .. 7/16 is a bit flimsy. In that case, MDF will be good. Also consider 1/2" plywood.

[@GlenMurrant]

Sheetrock/mud would have exceeded the $500 budget. But this plan DOES include mineral wool batts. See the full material list here... murrant.ca/creativity/build-a-professional-vocal-booth-on-a-500-dollar-budget/

[@RayoBeatz]

my only question is can anyone hear you on the outside? because id like to build the same thing but i want it so i can sing without waking anyone up or having the cops caled lol

[@GlenMurrant]

LOL. They'll hear a lot less, but yes - they'll still some.

[@CynDaVaz]

It sounds kinda boxy though ... ?

[@GlenMurrant]

Yes - the video does sound boxy. BUT that's the audio from my iPhone. To hear the actual booth, watch this : kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5LMqmmomrqNf7s

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

It shouldnt its quite big

[@steenbreker60]

Sorry, but I think in my headphones your voice sounds more pleasat in your workshop than in your vocal booth. So what went wrong?

[@GlenMurrant]

Hi Gerard. When making the video I used the crappy mic on my iPhone. Here's a sample from inside the booth with my Rode NT-1A. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX_Vl3RjYrufjLM

[@steenbreker60]

@@GlenMurrant :-) That's a lot better. There is still some color in it, but surely good enough for voicing over. Compliments

[@steenbreker60]

Great voice for voice over. Very pro.

[@hsparent]

Sounds a bit boxy, but that can be fixed.

[@GlenMurrant]

Hey James. Yes - the video sounds boxy, but the booth doesn't. The audio in this video from my iPhone - not exactly a good reference. In hindsight I should have used the actual audio from the booth mic. Have a listen to an actual TV commercial voiced in the booth ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5LMqmmomrqNf7s

[@mikemurray3008]

What if I Wanted to enclose it... Making Walls all around?

[@GlenMurrant]

Shouldn't be too difficult. Just build the other two walls in the same layered manner as the rest. It will increase the cost a bit.

[@johnwestcott5000]

2:51 Sorry, dude, I can't listen to you any more. Diamond walked into frame and totally stole the show serving up super cute dog realness. I think more Diamond videos are in order. Oh, and I've been in that vocal booth. Amazingly well done except for the fact that my fat gut won't fit through the door very well.

[@MrBuckshot18]

We cant see how many likes or dislikes you have. Can you change that?

[@GlenMurrant]

Fixed it. Should be be visible now. Thanks.