Introduction
Pretty early on in trying to record my first audiobook, I realised my setup wasn’t going to work. I needed something that provided greater noise dampening and didn’t use my computer desk, because I needed that for other computer-type things, like writing my next novel. But after looking at options to buy some kind of booth, I felt I could probably build something myself that was cheaper and – possibly – better quality. There’s a gallery at the bottom of this post with detailed photos of the actual booth. If you’d like to make something similar, here’s how I did it.
Materials
I used the following materials, most of which I got from Bunnings (Australia’s ubiquitous hardware store). I bought the acoustic foam and mic boom from Swamp Industries, and I bought the monitor and mic via Amazon.
- Red Oak Plywood 1200mm x 800mm (and 18mm thick) – 2
- Interlocking Foam Mats (a pack of 4 covers one square metre) – 4 packs
- Galvanised steel angle brackets 40mm x 60mm – 12
- Round head bolts and nuts (M6 x 50mm) – 12
- Button head screw 8G x 15mm – 1 pack
- Continuous hinge 305mm x 50mm – 2
- Gorilla Glue Clear – 3 x 110ml bottles
- Broadband Studio acoustic foam 95mm pyramid – 10 sheets (each sheet is 500mm x 500mm and 95mm thick)
- Self adhesive draught tape (20mm wide) – 1 pack
Tools
- Circular saw
- Steel rule
- Drill
- Screwdriver
How to build
A word on gluing – make sure you leave the glue to properly bond as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Placing some wood or other flat items on top to hold the materials together with even pressure will make sure you get a good bond.
Step 1 – cut the wood
There’s zero waste here, so make sure to measure twice and cut once.
The first piece of wood only requires 2 straight cuts to make the base (w:800mm x d:460mm) the back (w:800mm x h:650mm) and a top strip that will provide extra support to the side walls at the front of the booth (w:800mm x h:90mm)
The second piece is cut to make two side panels (both w:500mm x h:600mm). You’ll notice there is also an angled cut at the top front corner of each side. The cut starts 480mm in from the rear edge of the side (20mm in from the front edge of the side) at an angle of 20 degrees. This is where the top strip will be fixed.
The second piece of plywood also provides two side doors, both w:300mm x h:600mm. These doors attach to the front edge of the side pieces.
Step 2 – build the base
I painted my wood before going any further, but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to.
Screw 6 angle brackets into the top of the base (see image for spacing). Then glue foam tiles to the bottom of the base and the top of the base (over the brackets. But make sure you leave enough space – about 20mm – between the foam on top and the uprights of the brackets to slide the sides in (so you can then bolt them into the brackets).
The reason I glued foam on the bottom of the base was to dampen any vibration between the booth and the table it sits on. I bought a cheap but sturdy table from Officeworks that is w:780mm x d:460mm x h:760mm). I also placed the table on more foam tiles to dampen any vibration through the floor.
Step 3 – build the back
Screw 4 angle brackets into the front of the back (see image for spacing). Glue foam tiles front and rear and again leave enough space – about 20mm – between the tile on the front and the brackets to be able to slide the sides in.
Step 4 – build the sides
Put the base and back together and fix the bolts in the brackets along the edge where the base and the back meet to hold the structure steady. Stick draught tape on both side pieces along the rear and bottom edges. This dampens any vibration where the side pieces and the rest of the booth meet. Slide the side pieces in until they fit snuggly against the back and the base and everything sits square (see gallery below). Mark where the bolt holes in the brackets meet the side pieces.
Remove the side pieces and drill out the bolt holes. Screw a bracket into the outside of each side piece along the angle cut you made previously. Screw one side of the continuous hinge on the inside of each side piece, making sure the hinge will fold inward.
Glue foam tiles on the inside and outside of each side piece. Make sure to leave a gap between the rear and bottom edge of the side and the foam glued to the inside to let the side slide between the foam and brackets attached to the back and base.
Now slide the sides into place and fix the bolts.
Step 5 – add doors and top
Position the top piece to sit on the brackets and mark and drill the bolt holes. Screw the continuous hinges into the doors.
Step 5 – finishing up
Once the booth is all togther, you can measure and cut your acoustic foam to glue to the inside. If you want to be able to take your booth apart, make sure to leave gaps in the foam so you can access the bolts. The foam is thick, so these small holes won’t affect acoustics.
For added functionality I bought a small monitor (see gallery below) which I attached to the back with a 25mm ball mount and bracket. I drilled a small hole in the side of the booth to run the monitor power cable and a mini HDMI cable to hook the monitor to my PC. This meant I could start and pause recording while in the booth (using my PC mouse) as well as check the mic and sound levels. It saved a lot of moving back and forth between PC and booth.
While the doors cut down on any noise from the side, I also purchased a free standing acoustic panel which I stationed behind my seat for added sound dampening. That and the acoustic foam were the expensive items. All up they cost about AU$450. But everything else cost a couple of hundred dollars at most.
I have a mic stand with a long boom and and additional telescope boom to hold the mic at the proper level and angle. Once the boom was in place I then stacked spare acoustic foam panels on top of the booth for added sound dampening. I also glued acoustic foam to the inside of the top piece.
Gallery
Here’s a gallery of my first effort – using my PC desk, which just wasn’t practical – and some detailed photos of the finished booth.
