De-echoing my studio closet

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Jemel
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:41 pm

De-echoing my studio closet

Post by Jemel »

I'm looking for ideas that will help me to make my little studio a better sound chamber for recording.

It has 2 walls that are 9 inch thick poured cement, one wall to an adjoining room, and a wooden door and regular wall on the fourth side. I've draped a porous bedspread over the door. I have lots of boxes in the closet. The floor is carpeted.

I'm using an Olympus LS-10 recorder with stereo mics, windscreens, and mic set to "standard."

With the door closed, I can hear when there are outside noises, but my recorder does not pick them up.

I have a slight echo on the recordings I make.

Do you have any suggestions for reducing the echo?

Thanks,
Jemel

Gerard Bik
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:04 pm

De-echoing my studio closet

Post by Gerard Bik »

Putting foam everywhere is one way.

Can't find it right now, but I read a webpage about recording on location, where the mic was put in a small box isolated an all sides except the front.
That way most echo's can't get back to the mic.

Experiment!
Gerard
I'm looking for ideas that will help me to make my little studio a better sound chamber for recording.

It has 2 walls that are 9 inch thick poured cement, one wall to an adjoining room, and a wooden door and regular wall on the fourth side. I've draped a porous bedspread over the door. I have lots of boxes in the closet. The floor is carpeted.

I'm using an Olympus LS-10 recorder with stereo mics, windscreens, and mic set to "standard."

With the door closed, I can hear when there are outside noises, but my recorder does not pick them up.

I have a slight echo on the recordings I make.

Do you have any suggestions for reducing the echo?

Thanks,
Jemel




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Gerard Bik
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:04 pm

De-echoing my studio closet

Post by Gerard Bik »

http://www.jakeludington.com/podcasting ... tudio.html


I'm looking for ideas that will help me to make my little studio a better sound chamber for recording.

It has 2 walls that are 9 inch thick poured cement, one wall to an adjoining room, and a wooden door and regular wall on the fourth side. I've draped a porous bedspread over the door. I have lots of boxes in the closet. The floor is carpeted.

I'm using an Olympus LS-10 recorder with stereo mics, windscreens, and mic set to "standard."

With the door closed, I can hear when there are outside noises, but my recorder does not pick them up.

I have a slight echo on the recordings I make.

Do you have any suggestions for reducing the echo?

Thanks,
Jemel




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Amadeus forum mailing list
Unsubscribe / change settings at http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/forum_list
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______________________ _
Gerard Bik grafische vormgeving
Van Aerssenstraat 263
2582 JM Den Haag
070 3554081
_______________________________________________
Amadeus forum mailing list
Unsubscribe / change settings at http://two.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/forum_list

Jemel
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:41 pm

Re: De-echoing my studio closet

Post by Jemel »

Thanks Gerard,

That box is a fascinating invention. I might be able to use it. I stand, though, I don't sit. I put my recorder on a small tripod which I have taped to an analog mic stand.

Yes, I'll keep experimenting. I have 30 (and counting!) test recordings, each documented with the changes I've made.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Jemel

rfwilmut
Posts: 255
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:19 pm

Re: De-echoing my studio closet

Post by rfwilmut »

Putting a box beind the microphone is likely to cause significant mid-range colouration. Your best bet is to treat the walls. You won't be able to get rid of lower-frequency resonance - this is quite difficult to do - but you can reduce mid-range reverberation. Foam plastic is useful - covering it with a curtain is also a good idea: it needs to be at least one-quarter-wavelength thick to affect any particular frequency: one to two inches would be fairly useful: it doesn't all have to be the same.

Bookshelves with books on will break the sound up and deaden it nicely. Cork tiles will also reduce higher-frequency reflections, though not midrange, and another useful trick is to use egg-boxes (the shaped cardboard that a dozen eggs come in - if they haven't gone over to plastic).

Don't cover the entire walls with the same thing; and leave some reflective surfaces or the sound will start to get muffled. Another trick is to use pegboard or slotboard (if you can still get it - hardboard with holes in it) and place it with foam plastic behind to maintain the higher frequencies.

A nice thick carpet is also obviously a good idea.

Low frequencies can only be reduced by the use of resonators, and frankly it's too difficult to do to be worth bothering, particularly when only speech is involved.

Jemel
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:41 pm

Re: De-echoing my studio closet

Post by Jemel »

Thanks, rfwilmut, for your very helpful post. I know that I will refer to it often as I continue to experiment. I only make one change at a time and then test.

Thanks,
Jemel

Balzypipes
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:21 am
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Contact:

Cheap sound treatment

Post by Balzypipes »

My studio isn't designed for music creation, I'm a television announcer and we do voice over here but I've picked up some things about deadening sound.

I have some really expensive custom made acoustical treatment panels but I still had a couple areas that were too "live" sounding. Not wanting to spend more $$ than necessary, I found a really affordable way to do it.

Most people use "Sonex" or "Auralux" panels. http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=422602
These are about $100 to do 32 square feet.

I bought foam from a company that makes packing for electronic items to be shipped.
http://www.uline.com/Product/ProductDet ... 0&ref=2353
They are 2' x 2' and cheap, although you have to buy quite a few of them. You can do 72 square feet for $140 bucks. No it isn't the quality of the spendy stuff, but no one who hears your recordings will know that.
NOTE: I think this stuff is flammable, so don't allow cigarettes in your booth!
Good luck.

voicecoop
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Florida

get in the corner

Post by voicecoop »

Put the mike a few feet from a corner and then the reflected sound will bounce away from the mike. Felt is great too, not the crappy polyester, the real wool felt - it eats sound, I cover my copy stand with it. To kill echoes, make sure everything behind you is padded with some good foam or carpet on the walls, but leave a bit of hard surface here and there.

What you record is determined by (1) your voice (2) your mic, preamp, and ADDA and (3) your booth. All work together.

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