Shopping for a Vocal Booth: Thoughts on Whisper Room vs Studio Bricks

Shopping for a Vocal Booth: Thoughts on Whisper Room vs Studio Bricks
In this video, we talk about some of my initial thoughts while shopping for a vocal booth, covering the pros and cons of Whisper Room vs Studio Bricks. Hope you like it!
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Whisper Room: whisperroom.com/
Studio Bricks: studiobricks.com/
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[@spacep0d]

Howdy, I'm at the same juncture. I've owned a Whisper Room (double wall) and I really want a Studio Bricks. The SB just has no peer aesthetically, and you can put stickers on it. The Whisper Room is okay but it's so utilitarian looking. It's also a little boomy inside from my recollection, though that could be fixed with appropriate baffling. Later in the video I've discovered your choice of the Whisper Room. Are you happy with it? The problem with Studio Bricks for me is that horrifying $2100 shipping cost from Spain. I'm surprised that SB hasn't found a way to reduce costs there or at least make shipping more efficient so they can pass savings on to customers. I can buy a whole car from China and I don't think I'd be paying $2,000 for the entire thing. The biggest obstacle to the Studio Bricks booth assembly is the weight of the door, especially if you're trying to assemble it solo. Despite the crazy Studio Bricks cost, I'm still considering it because I can think of it as a permanent home upgrade. I think the V.O. add-on is way overpriced though, but I would just add my own height-adjusting table and my own mic arm. Adding a sticker for branding or a business name would be super cheap and easy, and the Studio Bricks lends itself much better to branding, a URL, etc. I also checked out L.A. Vocal Booths which are near me, but man they're SO expensive. By the time you pick the double-wall option and add ventilation you're already over 8k. The price they charge for ventilation looks like an obvious cash grab for something nearly everyone will be somewhat forced to buy to reduce CO2 and stay cool, especially in the summer. It feels a bit...underhanded. The booth seems to be a reasonable price, *without* ventilation. It's as if they designed the bare bones price to be just a bit under Whisper Room and Studio Bricks, but it seems they could be charging a whole lot less. Whisper Room does have very good customer service, but Studio Bricks has very clear pricing once you get a quote, but they somewhat hide their REAL pricing (especially that INSANE shipping cost) until you get a quote from a person. Ultimately, it's not just about sound leaking into your recordings, but PRIVACY. I don't know about anyone else, but the thought of my girlfriend hearing me record out-of-context a-capella nonsense lines into a mic to try out vocal melodies whilst monitoring with headphones is...frightening. It's just not a process I want being observed, intentionally or not. I might liken it to watching sausage being made...not recommended! :)

[@tannerhelps]

Ultimately, the two are so comparable, the Studiobricks dual wall and the Whisper Room Enhanced (double wall), that to argue their effectiveness in 99.9% of cases is an argument that neither party could win or lose. It comes down to the aesthetic and the assembly. Studiobricks is effective, pretty, well-outfitted, and, if it weren't for the GD shipping from Spain, cheaper. If you've got $10K to spend, either SB or WR Enhanced models, are both good options performance wise.

[@spacep0d]

That $2100 shipping cost is a KILLER. Aside from that, the Studio Bricks is my clear favorite.

[@waynefarrellvoiceovers]

Remember that your starting price for a Whisperroom is for a single wall booth. Studiobricks booths are either double wall or triple wall. Big difference in isolation.

[@smartbizwebmedia5922]

I've owned Whisperroom single 4' x 4' (approx) for several years now. I did need to add (actually had to make) rockwool stuffed sound isolation panel frames w/ velcro backing to serve as an extra layer for sound deadening. Without that extra work, there is a slight but noticeable reverb when you clap your hands, a hollow sound. Additionally, the stock ventilation system is quite noisy unfortunately. The actual fan is a very robust axial fan similar to what you'd see on a large gaming computer. Both studio mics and I think even dynamic mics would pick up the whooshing ventilation sound heard inside of the booth while that fan is running. I do believe that Whisperoom does sell an additional set of vent noise dampeners, but at a very high cost. A silent vent system as you'd see in a studio should definitely come stock. So, the alternative for many years was to simply shut off the fan and open the door between sessions or takes when the heat and CO2 levels reached uncomfortable levels (sweat and light headedness as key indicators). Because of this, I rarely used this booth although having paid over $3500 for it several years back. I did come across the idea of DIY building an external plenum or maze in a cabinet form factor to house a more silent array of fans (actually bought one) but I'm not handy enough to build it. I'm now going to try to sell my Whisperroom to a recording studio or local voiceover who have the know-how and means of hacking their own quiet vent solution. I'm gonna go buy studio bricks perhaps with the proceeds from the sale.

[@GeorgeTheTech]

I've compared both (and installed and acoustically tuned them) for the last 10 years. I can tell you neither have figured out acoustics... yet. Never buy one of these for an acoustical reasons, only because you need some isolation. And "it's double wall though, so there's that" is a BIG deal. SB has some announcements on the horizon for much better acoustic treatment (potentially). Fingers crossed! The DOOR is a BIG difference (among many others) between the two products, as well as the noise reduction factor at lower frequencies.Another factor is ventilation. The stock ventilation with WR is too noisy to be useable for recording, only useable for rehearsing. You'll need to pay for several upgrades and speed control to get it quiet enough for recording voiceover or vocals or acoustic instruments. The SB ventilation is adjustable in speed and can very nearly silent, right out of the box. Hope you're happy with the results, whatever you end up with!

[@tcindie]

I've got _major_ buyers remorse for my WR... thankfully got it used, and suspect I can get back out of it what I put in if/when I decide to sell it (very heavily leaning that way)

[@moderateselfcontrol]

What's wrong with the acoustics out of interest? Could you be more specific?

[@spacep0d]

Yeah I always thought the WR fan was just a glorified computer fan. Maybe things have improved in the years since I had one though. Also, the Studio Bricks really has peerless aesthetics.

[@Whiteseastudio]

Awesome channel!

[@CatoNoise]

Wow, thanks! I love your channel too!! Would you want to do some kind of collab or live stream sometime, by any chance?

[@asianguy6174]

Your booth sounds great

[@derkhedemann5606]

and Studiobricks also has a triple walled sound booth. custom made

[@ErnestoPossiSpanishVoiceOver]

If you need the vocal booth for VO the double wall is great idea. I have the whisper room with single wall 4x4 and is just OK because I don’t have to much noise in my house…Depend how noisy is your environment. If you can buy the 5x4 or bigger it will be better for the acoustic…Anyway you will need real acoustic treatments for the booth, DON’T use Foam…..

[@BillBene67]

Great video. Also add in the freight fees and import fees with Studiobricks that will leiky add $2,500-3,500 extra

[@charlescaputo778]

I'm going w studio bricks...bc of the non toxic material plus I could get 3 walls w it

[@Eric_DiRisio]

ug so much money though. You'd be amazed how many tracks are cut just right in the control room these days and how much more organic it is for the performer or voice over artist working things out together. Huge huge records all done sitting 2 feet from the producer sitting in front of pro tools done anywhere and even on the nosiest of buses and hotel rooms. Some would say you're better off investing in a quality high end mic like a Manley or Upton 251 or even a TLM 103 would go miles going straight into a simple Apollo X and its all you could ever need or ask for

[@CatoNoise]

I think I kind of addressed this in the video, yeah? Some people care about the appearances, and it does make some difference. The booth isn't so much for when it's just myself, or clients that I'm close with, or that don't care about the appearances. I've definitely been happily using a variety of alternatives over the years while procrastinating pulling the trigger on this one, including stuff you mentioned, like control room tracking. Anyway, thanks for watching!

[@skaviofficial]

😂🤣😂🤣😂 nice introduction for booth

[@Nic-tg2ei]

Did you get one in the end?

[@CatoNoise]

Yeah, I got the Whisper Room. I really like it!

[@Nic-tg2ei]

@@CatoNoise Thanks! :)

[@swarmusic2982]

Love your voice and your vedio 💐💐💐

[@CatoNoise]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@voiceactorRU]

Hey, girl~ Sup from New York :) So have you made up your mind yet? I am curious I've had a whisperrom booth since long before Bricks... Now come to realize that the farther from mic I get, the boomier it gets. :(