A vocal booth is supposed to create a space where vocalists can work without unwanted interference from their surroundings. The term “vocal booth” may sound like a physical space, but as it turns out, the room you speak in should be treated appropriately so that it becomes your vocal booth.
The space must be designed for resonance, ventilation, soundproofing, cables and cables management, and monitoring. Having these special features within a vocal booth will help you to control how space resonates when you sing and sing loudly without being distracted by outside noises.
But How Big Should A Vocal Booth Be?
This is a great question that needs to be addressed in the initial planning stage and is highly dependent on your vocal needs. Having the right size room will also be dependent on whether you have a band or just a solo performer with the ability to treat it like one might a proper vocal booth or studio.
The main factor that determines how big of a room you will need for your voice is the quality of sound you will coax from this space.
The size of the booth will depend on the singer and her/his needs. When choosing a space, keep in mind that vocal booths should not be too small or too large.
There is no one size fits all solution, and the size of your vocal booth will vary based on your needs. Desirable space for vocalists is roomy enough to have a 1:1 relationship with soundproofing material.
What Is A Good Size For A Vocal Booth?
The best way to answer this question is to take a look at history.
Studios back in the day needed a vocal booth so they could have a quiet space for recording vocals without the “bleed” from other instruments interfering with or intruding on their songs.
The exception, of course, was when they did want that bleed. Today some studios may still use this technique. Still, most are now using soundproofing foam and rooms that isolate bad sounds and vibrations for cleaner tracks.
Suppose you are recording in a home studio or you have just purchased a pre-built room with the intention of recording your voice. In that case, the easiest answer is to look at what other vocalists are already using.
One of the most important aspects to consider is whether or not your room will be “dead” or “live”. Simply stated, dead rooms contain their sound and do not bounce back into the microphone, while live rooms echo and reverberate.
An example of a dead room is a typical recording studio that is soundproofed with fibreglass insulation. Suppose you need to work in a live environment.
In that case, although you may be able to get any other piece of equipment set up without too much trouble, you will need to put the vocal booth next to your vocal microphone with as little distance as possible.
It is very important that the sound from your microphone does not bleed into space you are singing in. Even one decibel of bleed is considered problematic, so usually, a 30-foot distance is enough to ensure that you have the proper isolation.
The acoustic characteristics of the room are also important. The way your voice resonates depends on other factors besides distance.
Some rooms tend to be more responsive than others, and some rooms with high absorption properties can create an environment where sound manages to stay in the room rather than escape through the walls.
In general, the ideal vocal booth is large enough for you to control the sound of your voice. The size of the room should be considered in relation to the volume of sound that you will be creating so that you can keep your vocals isolated from other noises without sacrificing quality.
Larger rooms are also easier for instrumentalists to quickly become accustomed to their new environment and stand out from their headphones.
What Is The Best Shape For A Vocal Booth?
Vocal booths can take on many different shapes and sizes. While there are many things to consider when choosing an appropriate vocal booth, one of the most important factors is the room’s shape.
Having a rectangular vocal booth can put you at a disadvantage because this shape cuts down on the amount of sound reflection. A triangular acoustic space will offer much more sound reflection than a square-shaped room, which means better musical clarity overall.
Generally speaking, a triangular shape ensures better sound reflection in the room so you can hear more of your voice in the recording.
A triangular shape will also allow you to get closer to the source of your sound, so you will have more control over how it reverberates around you. This will give you a better grasp of what sounds good and what needs to be changed or fixed during recording.
What Room Size Will Work Best For A Vocalist Or Rapper?
For vocalists, a vocal booth should be around 3×3 or 3×4 feet. The closer you can get to the microphone without hitting the walls, the more control you will have over your vocal sound.
A smaller vocal booth is definitely better than an even larger one because it will allow for more room for improvement during recording. Also, if your voice is screaming out of this space, you will tend to lose quality in much of the bars in which you are singing.
This will not be a pleasant experience, so it is important to choose a vocal booth that will get you closer to the microphone and still allow for the best sound on your recording.
Rappers have different challenges than vocalists when it comes to recording in a studio. When recording rap music, artists tend to be more concerned with the rhythm of their words and how well they blend with other tracks.
One of the biggest challenges rappers face is matching their voice to the rhythm and tempo of the track. Even walking around in your booth can affect your recording, so it’s essential to find one that works well for you.
The ideal booth size for rap is anywhere from 4×4 up to 5×7 feet, but it depends on how much room you need based on what perspective you are looking through.
Conclusion
Choosing the right size of a vocal booth is not an easy thing to do. Still, it will keep you more comfortable, and in control of the sound, you are creating.
To keep your singing voice safe and protected, make sure that the room is tall enough so that you will have plenty of space to work with when it comes time for recording.
Of course, the shape of your vocal booth also matters a lot when determining how effective it will be for your sound.