**Got scammed on a Sound booth!!**

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MissJennyVoices
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Joined: April 16th, 2023, 5:18 pm
Location: Mid-Missouri, USA
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Post by MissJennyVoices »

Hey there!

Its a big day in my house! My Audio Recording Equipment is coming in the mail from Amazon today! My Voiceover journey begins as soon as I can put it all together & start recording. I'm not tech-savvy but my bonus kid is so he will help me set it all up & get started.

My struggle will be soundproofing as I just got scammed on a portable pvc sound booth that I ordered online. I paid thru paypal but I realize now several days after the sale that the likelihood of my getting what I ordered if I get anything at all will be slim. I'm going to have to try to build a box or something until I can get something else.

I do not have a dead room so I'm going to do my best in a corner of my bedroom but I will need a booth. I have found some videos and think that my dad, son & I can DIY something but I really needed to vent and see if others have fallen victim to scams while trying to get equipment needed to do this.
8-) Jenny 8-)
MissJennyVoices

"You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book & read to a child." --Dr. Seuss
annise
LibriVox Admin Team
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Post by annise »

Depends on your house. Most LV readers don't have one I suspect. And started recording with a cheap microphone. I could buy a very very expensive set of golf clubs but no one would sponsor me to win the US Masters. And the clubs may not improve my game.
Why just start having a go - record the 1-minute test to check your settings and record something.

Anne
MissJennyVoices
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Post by MissJennyVoices »

annise wrote: April 18th, 2023, 3:24 pm Depends on your house. Most LV readers don't have one I suspect. And started recording with a cheap microphone. I could buy a very very expensive set of golf clubs but no one would sponsor me to win the US Masters. And the clubs may not improve my game.
Why just start having a go - record the 1-minute test to check your settings and record something.

Anne
Good point. I suppose I could give it a shot. I'm actually thinking of creating a box for the mic until I can get something better set up. I have a box & some soundproofing panels that arrive today so I should be able to create something for now & try it this weekend.
8-) Jenny 8-)
MissJennyVoices

"You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book & read to a child." --Dr. Seuss
lightcrystal
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Post by lightcrystal »

It's not black and white that a "booth" makes anything sound better. In fact a booth can create its own problems. It can be hot in a booth; heat and hot electrical equipment in a booth can create noise.

Some of the most experienced professionals in doing voice overs do not use a booth; Dane Scott for instance doesn't. He has a totally different philosophy that some ambience isn't a bad thing.

For my set up I could never use a booth. How would I fit all my gear in one? Then there is my fibre cable internet set up that wouldn't reach a booth and I hate using wireless. Don't worry about it! You can make great recordings without using a vocal booth!
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MissJennyVoices
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Joined: April 16th, 2023, 5:18 pm
Location: Mid-Missouri, USA
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Post by MissJennyVoices »

My first test recording had too much echo so I had to do something. In my space, I think a booth is probably best actually so I'm glad that the second one I ordered actually worked out. The test recording I did in my booth was 1000% better & I've successfully made 2 contributions to LV so far.

I'm naturally very detail-oriented and I'm struggling to learn this new hobby as perfectly as I'd like to so the more stressors that I could eliminate the better for me. Sound quality was a huge stressor in my itty bitty place with 3 teenagers. I don't have expensive equipment so I splurged a bit on the booth.
8-) Jenny 8-)
MissJennyVoices

"You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book & read to a child." --Dr. Seuss
lightcrystal
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Joined: October 22nd, 2021, 10:55 pm
Location: Melbourne with kangaroos

Post by lightcrystal »

OK, I am a student of sound engineering. My first assignment was to submit a voice over. The tutor threw everything at my voice over to find any echo and he's been doing pro audio for 30 years. He couldn't find any echo. I don't use a booth. So what do I do?

1. Dynamic microphone or some other "directional" microphone [e.g shotgun mic].
I use a Rode Pod Mic. That way I don't get the noise from my computer.

2. Target percentage areas. I've found that they are the areas in front and behind a bit like a sound corridor. I have an alcove behind me full of clothes etc . I have a blanket in front that rests on some boxes.

3. Record when there's the least noise. I find that late at night [7 pm to about midnight] works.

I have no need for a sound booth. If a booth works for other people then great. But I would have to warn you that a booth [no joke] can cause health issues. There's a great video by VO Booth Camp at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMIU_xqEyYo

where Andrew Scott goes into voice over health including the dangers of using a vocal booth. One of the dangers is psycho optical; you can get a form of vertigo by being in a dark environment that's lit up by a monitor and a red light.
Use an RSS Feed and you will never be hungry again.
GettingTooOld
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Post by GettingTooOld »

MissJennyVoices wrote: April 18th, 2023, 1:32 pm Hey there!
[...] I'm not tech-savvy but my bonus kid is so he will help me set it all up & get started.
[...]My struggle will be soundproofing as I just got scammed on a portable pvc sound booth that I ordered online.
Sorry to hear you got scammed on your sound booth with bonus kid deal, it sounded pretty good because I hear kids cost a fortune these days. probably because russia or because china or because covid, always seems the way.

Clothes and quilts and everything else seem the go for making things quiet. just stacking them up all around you in kids castle style seems the way. With the hysteria dying down perhaps there are deals with people tryng to unload large quantities of toilet rolls due to buyers regret and the need for space. I expect you could build a house not just a room with the stashes I've seen in pictures.

A quilt on the bed is actually a good place to start, blankets, quilts, matress, they make a big difference, although sitting in a chair is comfortable and not everyone could turn a matress on it's side, but wow, that would work well.

There are a lot of videos on making a sound booth, free or cheap, I see pages of them. It will depend really, on what you have around the house and what you are willing to re-arrange, which means no-one will have the exact video you need, but some binge-watching will give you plenty of ideas.
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