Creating an Unconventional Voiceover Recording Space From Scratch
Let it be known that I hate moving. Yes, it’s exciting to start a new chapter in life! However uprooting 20 years of life, stuff, and business, and condensing it all into two giant metal moving pods for several months is not easy. In the ensuing moving madness, I had to tear down and set up my recording space several times over the course of those several months. I got pretty good at it.
Whether you’re just starting out in voiceover or looking to upgrade your current setup! Creating a professional recording space that you can comfortably and confidently call “broadcast quality” can be intimidating. I’d like to share some useful tidbits I stumbled across along the way – from dealing with unexpected noise sources to making the most of stuff that’s already lying around. TW: corn and the apocalypse. Don’t ask, just… keep reading, it’ll make sense when you get there.
To Booth, Or Not To Booth
Don’t get me wrong, booths (and closets) are great options when you just can’t soundproof away a busy intersection. But they have their limitations. As much as I sweated to death in one for several years, I didn’t lose one pound from it, and I’m a little salty about that. So my goal was to liberate myself from the tiny vertical coffin and to be able to breathe during long recording sessions.
Recording Space Deal-Breakers
Choosing “The Perfect Spot” to set up shop is like a cat looking for a nice warm cozy place to nap.
After moving into our new house and the chaos of unpacking had settled down a little, I set about looking for the best room to turn into the new studio. The initial plan was to turn the attic into the studio. It was truly a blank slate – something I could set up nicely from the get-go, double floating walls, extra insulation, the works. An absolute dream come true.
Then I saw the estimate. It was like the hot water heater imploded right smack in the middle of a nice hot shower. Enter a much more affordable “plan B.”
The Battle of the Basement – Is this the Recording Space of Dreams?
I’ve never lived in a house with a basement before, and this one is fully finished. I thought it would be the next best choice, the previous owners had even set up a bar down there. Perfect, right? Well, between the sound of the furnace, every footstep from the folks marching from one side of the house to the other overhead, and … well… the inescapable network of plumbing that allows the sound of toilets flushing, showers showering and faucets fauceting to travel from all over the house straight down the walls into the basement, I quickly wrote it off as a potential recording space. Enter “plan C,” upstairs.
The Television Revelation
Activity from other areas of the house can sometimes travel in strange directions.
I discovered that the direction the ground-floor television is pointing travels straight up and into my “plan C.” Weirdly enough, the room right down the hall didn’t catch near as much noise from downstairs. Apparently the lesson here is to pay attention which way your TV is pointing. Enter “plan D,” The Last Resort.
What Does the Apocalypse Sound Like? Let me Tell you
Before we moved, I painstakingly went through every scenario I’d heard other voice talent complain about. I had attempted to learn from the experiences of others. Following this, I searched high-speed internet access, flight patterns from major airports, weather patterns over the past century from floods to blizzards to earthquakes. I even looked at military bases and projections of what states were likely to get nuked first in case of WW3.
My browser search history must have looked mighty interesting to certain prying eyes. It would be an entertaining notion having to explain that I’m just a voice actor, I swear, did kind of make me chuckle nervously. Honestly my goal was to move to the most boring, unassuming, undesirable military target I could possibly find in the US, while still having access to shopping, good medical facilities and good internet.
So when I thought the stars had aligned in my favor, pointing me to this quaint, quiet little Indiana town, I had no idea what harvesting corn sounded like. Apparently it sounds like the trumpets of the Apocalypse to someone who doesn’t know any better. You know what they say about the best laid schemes and all.
Recording Space Soundproofing Tip 1: Updating Windows
Not on the computer, actual windows. It just so happened that we had to replace some windows after moving in. I took advantage of the situation and had the window in the new studio room replaced with one of those super duper 90% noise reduction windows. The sales guy was good! He threw out phrases like multiple panes, insulating gas layers, specialized frames that minimize vibration transfer. I mean he had me at 90% noise reduction. However they manage to pull it off, I was super excited to try it out.
Does it actually reduce outside noise coming in by a whopping 90%? Well, I’m not sure, I’ve never been great at math. While it does seem a bit better than a “normal” window, I do still have to record around corn harvesting and lawn day on Wednesdays. Oh and that one bird that somehow manages to make enough noise to break through that remaining 10% like a hot knife through the eardrum.
Now, would I recommend this as something you absolutely have to do to get that precious broadcast quality and flatlined noise floor? Nope! But if it also solves another issue you might have, like leaks, drafts, escaping pets, and you have the funds for it, keep it in mind, it does help some.
Recording Space Soundproofing Tip 2: If you can’t Replace it, Bury it in Blankets
- Producer’s Choice sound blankets (or similar dense moving blankets)
- Decorative sheers to maintain aesthetics, cause those blankets are ugly, seriously
- Heavy-duty mounting hardware rated for the weight, because those blankets are also bloody heavy
I’ve rigged one of those big sound munching moving blankets like a curtain over the window to help mitigate some of that remaining 10%, and since it’s ugly as sin, we put sheers over the top of it to make it slightly less ugly.
Does that help muffle that one noisy bird or the leaf blower brigade on Wednesdays? A little. It’s not a cure-all, but it does also help cut reflections when I have to scream like a banshee for stress-relief… I mean video game creature characters. It’s my job, officer, I swear.
Recording Space Soundproofing Tip 3: Outside Doors Inside
- Solid core exterior door
- High-quality weather stripping all around
- Door sweep that makes solid contact with the threshold
- Heavy-duty hinges to support the extra weight – seriously, don’t forget these. Ask me how I know.
Doors are ridiculously useless as sound barriers. Solid core doors are better than the usual useless hollow monstrosities that are standard in most homes. However I actually had a solid core door, and still needed help! So, I switched it out for an exterior door with good weather stripping and a sweep at the bottom. It’s still not fool-proof! But, it is miles better than hollow interior doors. It is quite a bit better than even the solid door I started out with.
Unconventional Recording Space – To Be Continued!
Ok so that is a lot of typing! I am tired and need a nap. I have like four more tips to share with you though… hmmm what to do what to do. How about this, I am going to rest my tired aching hands and catch up on my beauty sleep. You work on the above and then by the time you have done that I promise you can read part two here ok? Deal!
The Unconventional Recording Space by Storm Watters more articles are available here.