Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

How to Build a Mini Sound Booth

A soundbooth is an environment optimized for quality of sound and minimal reflection. This is typically achieved by using soft material to “deaden” walls. In a professional recording studio, the soundbooth is typically a permanent fixture, often a separate room, or a closet-sized room within a room. Since it’s typically impractical to convert an entire room of your home into a soundbooth, a mini soundbooth is a convenient alternative. While not as efficient at eliminating outside sound, a mini soundbooth is portable and approximates the deadening effects of a fixed soundbooth sufficiently to create a professional sounding recording.

Things You'll Need

  • Two pieces of 3-inch thick, 60-by-60-inch plywood board
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • 2 hinges
  • Electric drill
  • 1/8-inch drill bit
  • 2-inch screws
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • Foam squares
  • Kitchen knife
  • Fire-retardant spray
  • Glue
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the two plywood boards on the floor, next to one another so the corners align.

    • 2

      Place the first hinge over the two boards, approximately 10 inches from the top. Poke a sharp pencil through the holes in the hinge to mark the mounting points. Repeat with the second hinge 10 inches from the bottom of the boards.

    • 3

      Measure the width of both boards to determine the middle. Draw a vertical line down the middle of the board.

    • 4

      Drill a 1/8-inch hole over each of the pencil marks.

    • 5

      Screw the hinges into the boards with 2-inch screws.

    • 6

      Lift the boards so they are vertical. Then gently lower them so they are hinge-side down.

    • 7

      Cut each foam square diagonally through the center to create a wedge.

    • 8

      Spray each foam wedge with fire-retardant spray. It’s important to apply the fire-retardant after you’ve cut the foam squares. If you apply it before cutting, when you slice the square open, you expose untreated foam.

    • 9

      Glue the foam wedges onto the boards, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edges of the board. Each wedge should be pointing toward the center, which means those left of center should point right and those right of center should point left. The purpose of a mini soundbooth is to reduce sound reflection. Sound reflection is most prominent when the surfaces of a space are parallel. By creating a fold out “book” shape with the boards, you interrupt the parallel lines of the room. The wedges create a peaked surface which absorbs sound. The softness of the foam adds further sound absorption.

Recording Music

Related Categories