Many musicians and sound engineers prefer the simplicity of a home studio. However, neighbors and noise complaints often make recording music at home a difficult tightrope act to balance. Building a vocal booth is a simple and effective way to ensure that sound will not travel too far, allowing the musician to record at any hour.

Outer Shell

Plywood is the basic building block of a home vocal booth. The plywood will act as the walls that house the booth. A booth is generally made up of two boxes, the outer acting as a shell for the inner. The plywood is nailed together into a rectangle of the desired size, with one open wall to insert the inner shell.

Inner Shell

The inner shell of the booth will be one to two inches shorter and narrower than the outer shell and built of the same material. This allows it to slip into the outer booth, reinforcing the attempts to soundproof the booth. It is then nailed in, connecting the two booths.

Eggshell Padding

The conical crests and valleys of the eggshell padding are the best way to absorb noise when home soundproofing a vocal booth. You will need enough to cover the walls and ceiling of the inner booth.

Basic Carpentry Equipment

The two booths will need to be nailed together. This will require a hammer and nails. For the eggshell padding, a staple gun is usually the best option since it is powerful and easy to utilize. However, the padding can also be glued to the walls of the inner booth.

Recording Equipment

After the booth itself is made, all that is left is to install a mic stand, microphone and whatever else you desire for your vocal booth (music stand, lighting, etc.). A small hole can be cut into one of the walls to allow easy access for cables, or they can run underneath the door.

Source:

Sound on Sound