Cheap and Free DIY Soundproofing Tips
While it may NOT be necessary to create a SOUNDPROOF environment for your voiceovers, there are still some important steps to take before you commit your voice to a permanent recording. When you follow these easy steps your voiceovers will sound more professional.
THE PROBLEM:
A microphone will pick up much more than what our ears can hear, especially since the day to day noise (what is in our workspace every day) is often ignored by our brain. So we don’t even realize that it’s there.
THE SOLUTION:
In essence … do a little prep work before you begin. This is particularly important if you are creating an audio or video product that you plan to SELL.
1. Clear away unwanted noise first.
Even during intense silence, give a good hard listen to your room. Can you hear a computer fan or clock ticking away? When you are recording your voice over, the mic will pick up AND RECORD these noises. And once they are there, they are troublesome to eliminate. (More often than not … even with the best noise removal plugins for your recording software eliminating them completely isn’t possible because it WILL affect the quality of your voice over.)
2. Listen with headphones
With your microphone turned on and wearing some headphones you can often hear the noise that your computer will record. If you can hear the items, then they should be removed or muffled.
3. Record two quick tests.
Create two short recordings … one of just the room noise, and one with you speaking. They only need to be about 10 to 15 seconds each, but will help you determine what the noises are that you’ll need to eliminate.
Sound MUFFLING Techniques:
Look for items that you have on hand that you can use to muffle the noise in your room.
Some suggestions are:
- Pillows
- Blankets
- Comforters
- Mattresses
- Heavy Curtains
Perhaps you have something that’s no longer in use by the household that can be re-used, in your recording workspace. Since soundproofing foam can be pricy (especially if your workspace is large) these are some great cheap & free alternatives to soundproof your recording space.
SMALLER ROOMS are BETTER:
Simply put … there is less space (and less reflective surfaces) for the sound waves to bounce around when you record in a small room. In fact, if you have a walk-in closet, chance are this is the BEST place in your entire house to do your recordings.
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The items found in a walk-in closet to a GREAT job at absorbing sound.
In addition to that, it’s a SMALL SPACE. Most of the time, your voice over will sound AMAZING when recorded in this room.
Once you close the door behind you, the door will also function as an additional sound barrier to unwanted noise from elsewhere in the home.
Do you rent your home? A walk-in closet is also great if you RENT as opposed to OWN your living space. Nothing needs to be attached to the walls and no additional insulation is needed! |
More tips to producing a GREAT voice over narration in AUDIO BOOT CAMP.
Audio Promos … on facebook. Recording techniques, how to edit your soundtrack, and creating a Hollywood style soundtrack for your video promo.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Ginny
Nice post… great advice.
Question… when you say “use headphones”…
If you are using a good USB mic… should the headphones be USB also, and would they just plug in to a USB port, and you’d be able to hear yourself when you are recording… or does require some sort of settings? (versus/rather than the headphones being for hearing someone else, like on Skype or listening to a playback, etc.)…
I’ve always wondered best way to manage that…
Hope you’ll post an answer somewhere where I’ll see it!
Hope you are doing well!
There are a few ways.
The Rode Podcaster has a built-in headphone jack. BEAUTY! Other than that, you need to direct the audio recording software to whatever OUTPUT you want, similar to you tell it where to obtain the input.
Hey Ginny.
When I was building houses, we used a product called Homasote (http://www.homasote.com/) as a sound deadening product. Drywall, while good if you put enough layers, still has a sound reflectance that you can’t eliminate without some type of softening material such as blankets or drapes. Homasote has sound muffling capabilities, but also seems to have a porous texture that allows it to absorb sound in the room rather than reflect it around.
That’s correct James and thanks for the reference. There are many options when you’re doing renovations. The best option is to do a double-wall with a gap in between, of at least 8 inches, and then hang heavy fabric between the two walls. In our case when we renovated about four or five years ago, we added an extra layer of Roxul insulation on every wall, and behind the ceiling.
There is also acoustic drywall – which generally costs about 5 to 10 times the price of regular drywall, but an excellent choice if your ceiling height is low, and you need to deaden the sound. If I remember right, we estimated $600 if we were going to use acoustic drywall on JUST the ceiling.
For most people, none of expenses these are necessary. Record in a quiet area, and take steps to reduce the bounce, where you can.
In addition … this is a very tight economy, so low cost options are preferred by many.
In the next blog post I’ll talk about some movable options and how to solve some specific acoustic problems that a person may encounter.
Hi Ginny:
We are planning on finishing one of our rooms, turning it into and office/recording room. To do this at a reasonable cost, would it make sense to finish the room with normal gyproc and then after painting etc to put up pictures and draps along the walls to keep the bounce of the sound to a minimum.
What about putting regular insulation in all the walls, and ceiling to help keep the room soundproof, would this be a good idea?
Hi Carl.
In short … the basic walls built in most homes are simply not dense enough or thick enough to be good sound.
WALL FRAME: Normally, frames will have only a few horizontal supports running between each vertical 2 X 4. You’ll want to do about three times what’s considered normal.
Insulate EVERY WALL whether it’s interior or exterior. As mentioned in another reply, we gutted my workspace about 2007 or 2008, and added plenty of extra insulation. We selected ROXUL Safe‘n’Sound™ (which is made of wool). If space permits, and you can do a double-wall … make TWO walls that are at least 8 inches apart … and hang heavy fabric in between. Drywall selection: select a THICK drywall (not 3/8″).
If you’re unable to do a double-wall, then on at least one wall, cover it with something that absorbs sound. For example curtains, or roxul covered with burlap (which comes in many colors). Generally speaking you don’t need to do this to more than three walls. Keeping ONE wall live is ideal.
Generally speaking, HARD room surfaces are responsible for most of the reflections like standing waves, flutter echoes and such.
Flooring should be CARPET rather than a hard surface (like linoleum). But it’s okay to have a hard floor surface in a small area where you sit (to allow you chair to slide easier). If your room isn’t in a basement, then use an acoustic underlay between the subfloor and the carpet.
Ceilings are a little tougher since normal drywall contributes to bouncing (reflections). Not a HUGE amount, but it DOES. Again if you have TALL ceilings (9 ft and up) then consider having two ceilings with a minimum of 8 inches between … 12 is ideal. If you have a drop ceiling, be sure to insulate it. FYI, old-style tiles (made from pressed particles) that were common in a few decades ago absorb better than drywall. But there are some easy ceiling solutions I’ll mention in an upcoming post (so watch for that). Often you can fix a lot with your ceiling treatments after the renovations are completed.
What I’ve just described, is actually a ROOM WITHIN A ROOM. If your space and budget will allow, then that is what will work best.
Once your room is finished, stand in some different areas and CLAP your hands loud, listening for echoes. If you can hear echoes, the next step will be to eliminate them one by one.
I rent an apartment and can’t attach stuff like this to walls (and don’t have a walkin closet). Any thoughts?
The quick answer (without more details about your recording area) is to add something freestanding BEHIND YOU. A good example is a mattress. If you can afford one, purchase a GOBO for about $300 to $500. (They’re made of wood, stand a few feet tall) and a full of insulation.
If you have a wall with a window, place a LONG curtain rail on this wall that covers the entire wall. Use heavy curtains, and cover the entire wall with curtains.
Generally speaking, most property owners won’t have an issue with installing curtain rails & rods.
If you continue to have outside noise coming inside … then also add a FABRIC vertical blind BEHIND the curtains. Then you’ll have a double layer of insulation.
Closet is indeed the room with the best acoustic properties in the entire house. When I used to play the saxophone I only practiced in my closet – a lot of clothes (i.e. soft fabric) from floor to ceiling and I was always standing with my back to the door so my body dampen any sounds being reflected from the door. This inspired me when I was soundproofing my room for a recording studio – first I put a lot of fabric (old carpets, comforters) on the walls and then I put special acoustic foam and breaker bars on it. But the key to perfection is to soundproof every surface which is long and hard enough for the sound to bounce off it – for example parts of your desk that you don’t use, your PC case etc.
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