This sound booth is constructed from common, inexpensive materials. First on the list is a trip to your local hardware store. Head for the plumbing aisle and find the PVC plumbing pipe and accessories. We’ll use 1″ Schedule 40 PVC plumbing pipe for the basic structure. It usually comes in 10′ lengths which is perfect for our project – just make sure you have a truck or van to haul it home. Grab nine sticks, making sure they’re as straight as possible. You’ll also need some 1″ PVC couplers. We’re building our booth as three separate panels, (more on that in a bit), so pick up two 90-degree elbows, four Tee couplers and four caps per panel. The PVC pipe costs a little more than $2 per stick and couplers average 50-cents each. That takes care of the frame, now for some sound absorption.
There are several discount tool stores these days filled with all kinds of goodies that video creators can repurpose and use to simplify production. The item we need for our sound booth is a 60″x72″ mover’s blanket – four of them. Around $7 each, these are a bargain and perfect for this project. If you don’t have one of these stores in your area, the same parts are available online, too.
Whether at the hardware or tool store, grab several squeeze clamps. You need at least six, but more is always better. You’ll also need a simple clamp light and a CFL bulb for its bright light and low heat.
Booth construction starts with a tape measure and Sharpie to set lengths. You’ll also need a tubing cutter or hacksaw. Start by cutting two of the pipes into separate 5-foot lengths. Cut four more pipes at 6-foot lengths and cut the leftover 4-foot pieces into 1-foot chunks. The 6-foot pieces are for the sides while the 5-foot sections form the top and bottom of the frame.
Grab two 5-foot pipes and two 6-foot pipes. Assemble the main frame with two 90-degree elbows at the top corners and two Tee couplers at the bottom. Using your 1-foot chunks, build the support feet with a Tee and two caps for feet, then attach the supports to the bottom of the main frame. Simply repeat the process for two more panels. Don’t bother gluing any of the pipes together. The friction fit will easily support the weight of the blankets while making it possible to break down and transport.
Once you’ve assembled the panel frames, arrange them as a box with one open side. Hang the mover’s blankets on the frames, clamping them in place. For extra stability, you may want to tie the frames together with extra clamps, bungee cords or even gaffer’s tape. Mount the clamp light to the top of one of the frames and install the CFL bulb, then drape the fourth blanket over the top of the booth and you’re done!
The design of this booth makes it easy to adapt to different circumstances. Don’t have enough room for the whole thing? No problem, just use two panels in a V formation. Need more space for two vocalists? Easy, just spread the two side panels out a bit for some extra elbow room. Don’t worry about the air gap at the bottom or the open side. The panels absorb sound from the back and sides of the microphone while the talent effectively blocks noises behind them. In most circumstances, there is plenty of absorption to create a clean recording. You won’t have to worry about ventilation for the talent either.
For about $60, you can build a simple, effective guerilla sound booth for voice recording. Construction is simple enough for anyone and, because the parts are readily available, you could even build one on location, if needed. There’s even enough room for a flat-panel monitor if the talent needs to see a video feed. The pipe construction makes it easy to setup in just a few minutes, and broken down, should fit in just about any car with a pass-through seat in the back. If you don’t care about the look, it’s easy to substitute mover’s blankets for regular old blankets and comforters. No need to book studio time anymore. You have your own guerilla sound booth to use for any project.
From: Videomaker
- MC
