"Portable vocal booth"

[johnS]

this looks interesting:




Quoth the sonic state story:

The way that the filter works is that the various layers both absorb and diffuse the sound waves hitting them, so progressively less of the original source acoustic energy passes through each layer. This reduces the amount of energy hitting un-treated walls and other surfaces so there is less of the original source reflected back as unwanted room ambience to the mic. The Reflexion Filter also helps prevent any reflected sound reaching the back and sides of the mic. Its shape and size have been carefully tested to maximize absorption while keeping ‘coloration’ down to only around 1dB, and leaving the microphone’s polar pattern unaffected.

If it actually works as advertised I'd be way into this.

[johnS]

It's called the Reflexion Filter. Sound on Sound has more, including this view of all the absorptive/reflective/diffusive strata:

http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=8098

[smopo24]

sounds cool to me, and the price was £229, which is roughly 500 dollars. but the booth doesn't provide total isolation, though it is better than spending that much at a "professional" studio with little to show for it later.

[johnS]

I would wait for the US price. I doubt it will be $500 street. UK has obnoxious VATs and such which can really drive their prices up.

If it does end up being $500, I would rather spend the money on some bass traps or foam--or I bet you could DIY the thing with $100 and a trip to home depot.

[dagosto]

It looks pretty classy. I think that would be the main draw. I don't think anybody is going to be saying, "Man, that vocal boothe sound TIGHT!"

[Nubus]

I've actually set a couple up before, although they weren't the same manufacturer. The ones I assembled had a neat little fan that piped air in and out silently. They were completely sealable and had a window, and one was on casters.

[Bellringer]

This looks nice but makes me wonder at the price how hard it would be to build something similar. With a little money it might be possible to make a curved baffle that would save you a few hundred and still isolate well. It is a great idea that has floated around my mind for quite some time. If I just would have patented it. CURSES!

[smopo24]

Originally Posted by Nubus

I've actually set a couple up before, although they weren't the same manufacturer. The ones I assembled had a neat little fan that piped air in and out silently. They were completely sealable and had a window, and one was on casters.

i've also set another one up that was exactly the same; but it was priced only for studios or the super rich. it took a while to set up, but it ended up sounding great.

[johnS]

Originally Posted by Nubus

and one was on casters.

. . . so if the vocalist sucks you can roll the thing down the stairwell! Nice.

[lukedavo]

I kind of like a little reflection when recording vocals, I find they always sound a little flat when recorded in a completely dead environment. I mean it looks cool, but how well does it isolate, that would be the main use for me. I would agree that you could build something similar with a vaccum, that would possibly isolate better, and you have complete control over the reflectiveness of the surface. I would do testing on the reflective waves of different materials, and maybe have an interchangable set of reflective materials you can use for different purposes.