The problem:

So, what’s the big deal with audio quality anyway? So many people focus all their energy on cameras and lighting, and the audio is kind of an afterthought. 

Yet, many filmmakers agree that sound quality is actually more important than the images. Even the most impressive cinematography can be ruined with poor sound. Most people will forgive flaws in the visuals if the audio is clear, but bad sound can make great visuals unwatchable.

My recordings just didn’t reach the quality level I want my videos to have. My mic isn’t expensive, but it wasn’t to blame. Spending hundreds or thousands on a new microphone wasn’t going to solve this problem. Even a super high end microphone will sound terrible in a space with poor acoustics. 

Since I’m not doing VoiceOver work for a living, I couldn’t justify the space requirements, or the expense, of a professional sound booth or an acoustically treated studio. 

So, I tried recording in a clothes closet, inside a car, inside a blanket and all kinds of other tricks to eliminate room noise and echo, but I wasn’t happy with the results. The worst part is that the sound was never the same from session to session, even though I tried to keep everything consistent. This made retakes a nightmare to deal with.

I looked at those acoustic sound isolation shields, or reflection filters, that wrap around the mic. The problem with those is that they do nothing to prevent reflected sound from behind, above and below. Even the more expensive ones don’t work very well. And, the few that do work well were way out of my price range.

The solution:

In the spirit of DIY, I decided to make my own vocal booth. I wanted it to work great, look great AND not get in my way when I wasn’t using it. For about $130 to $150, you too can dramatically improve your VoiceOvers and Narration. You can build it in a weekend, and you can stain or paint it to match your decor.

If that wasn’t cool enough on its own, this booth breaks down into separate acoustic panels when you’re not using it. These hang on the walls of your office or editing studio and greatly reduce echo and reverberation. The result is that now you hear the audio of your productions clearly and accurately!