Vocal Booth on Tracks: An Option for Space-Challenged Voice Talents
a glimpse into the old booth area
Yahoo! I now have my own recording "room" - and, even better, I can whisk its "walls" aside whenever I need to.
How? I replaced my wardrobe-screen-from-Goodwill-draped-with-quilts (only 5 feet high) with a floor-to-ceiling Vocal Booth on Tracks from vocalboothtogo.com. And it's great - exactly as promised.
First of all, let me clarify that in a perfect VO world I'd get a sound-PROOF booth - and perhaps someday I will. This is not a WhisperRoom, or StudioBricks booth - and is not offered as such. ?This booth, however, delivers exactly what it promises. I love it.
What is a Vocal Booth On Tracks?
Studio layout before – VB2G worked with me to determine best product
What is it? It defines a vocal space where you have none, and provides excellent sound-dampening in the process. Many of us do this with moving blankets, acoustic foam, closet space, even hanging clothes - but it can look unsightly and be a pain to "undo" in case the in-laws are coming over for dinner.
in the carton
Plus, though my booth generally has great sound (part of it is an inner closet, so I just needed the other 3 "Walls"), I felt uncomfortable even when I heard an airplane overhead - so I hoped that closing that gap between my wardrobe screens and the ceiling would be of help for those smaller outside noises (not counting leaf-and-snow-blowers).
So it was time for a change. ?I ordered the ceiling-track kit, and the moving blankets (with grommets), from VocalBoothtoGo, and they came in one big box, including all the hardware needed. The phone consultation with Gwen beforehand was great and thorough, and she recommended I order 14' of track, though 7' is plenty for some. My closet has double doors that open out, and I move a LOT when I voice, so I wanted the extra space.
Tracks installed, before hanging the blankets
There is a handy video that shows how to install the track. ?I am, sadly, quite a klutz when it comes to practical skills with a drill or screwdriver - and my hubby, though better than I am, is more of a computer fix-it guy than a handyman, so I bribed my brother to help.
Since you can see the installation process on the video, I'll just share my results and impressions in this review.
Randye's Review: Vocal Booth on Tracks
Bottom Line: This product delivers exactly as promised. I give it a grade of A overall.
Things to know:
Yes - I would recommend you get someone who knows how to install stuff on the ceiling. Once it's up there, it's worth it!
The "s" hooks may seem small, but they are designed so that there is no gap between the blankets and the ceiling. Once up, the blankets stay up.
Get the amount of track you will need to feel free to gesture...I chose 14' and used it all. I like the extra space.
Results:
The look/ambiance of the room -(outside the booth) MUCH better! I can set my booth aside when needed, and when I close the curtains it still looks cleaner than before.
Inside the booth appearance: I feel like I'm in a recording room now, and actually have more space than before to gesture etc.
Sound: It's nice and clean. To be fair, I liked the sound in my studio before too - but got extremely nervous whenever a plane flew by - even if it was at a high altitude, I could always hear it. Now I am interrupted less often by random sounds from outside, and that makes my sessions go more smoothly. While the booth is not designed to soundproof, as I said, it does seem to eliminate the random smaller noises that used to interrupt my sessions. For the bigger ones - leaf blowers, snowblowers, etc. - they still get in the way. But I'm much happier and confident in my recording sessions. The fact the the curtains go all the way to the ceiling make a difference.
My booth sound: here is a sample! a sentence or so, then some room tone:
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/79227580" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
My brother helped me install it! – well, I watched…
a glimpse inside, after!
How it looks swept to the side
