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CarynClark
MMD
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 2697
Location: Fort Myers, FL
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 Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:10 pm Post subject: How do you know if your studio to too dead? |
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I'm re-doing my studio -- took out some shelves that had boxes, which was all covered by a moving blanket, so now I have more "air" space and wall space, which I'm covering with 12"x12" 2" thick foam. I did put a shelving unit in (a ladder shelf, which will have things, including stuffed animals on it) and a bulletin board on the wall.
I've done most of the wall space (not all) and haven't yet covered the ceiling faom, but I'm concerned b/c even at this point, it's still sounding "bouncy" to me, and none of these walls/ceiling was an issue before. Why now?
What does a room sound like when it's too dead?
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!
"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave |
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louzucaro
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 1915
Location: Chicago area
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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crickets chirping?
ba-dum-bum
"Oooh, tough crowd..."
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com
"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!" |
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CarynClark
MMD
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 2697
Location: Fort Myers, FL
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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lol...buzzards flying?
I'm making jokes at myself now.
In all seriousness though, I'm starting to freak out a little.
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!
"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave |
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louzucaro
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 1915
Location: Chicago area
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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You could always post some audio...maybe you just need another set of ears on it (or 20)
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com
"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!" |
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CarynClark
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Location: Fort Myers, FL
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Moe Egan
4 Large
Joined: 11 Sep 2006
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Location: Live Free or Die
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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I was actually thinking...if there are always lilies being delivered.
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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(Sung very poorly) "If you love and you know clap your hands..."
Make sure you studio and surrounding space is as quiet as possible, then while inside clap your hands (in numerous locations in the room) and listen intently. It is that simple.
If your studio is "too dead" you will hear absolutely NO reflections (you will not hear any "bounce"). If you hear a lot of reflections - the room is too "live". If it is "just right" you will know by the amount of "audio bounce"... a little - for a millisecond after is probably right... more for a longer period of time - probably not.
Friends, VO-BB'rs, voicetalkers - lend me your ears... or Caryn - just use your own ears...
If the room feels too "dead", then add some reflective material or remove some of the sound absorbing material until it "feels" the way you desire.
I had thought about adding a smart remark such as "A studio room is like chocolate - you can never have too much or it can never be too dead; but chose to opt for a brilliant statement instead.
Toodles
F2
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Michael Schoen
Backstage Pass
Joined: 14 May 2008
Posts: 443
Location: New York City
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| Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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CC
To the casual listener -- it sounded as though there were little background noise -- and I'm betting your lips were more than a foot away from the mic's sweet spot.
I think the room sounds fine.
Almost anything you do will effect the acoustic -- might just need to get used to it.
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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
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Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 12:32 am Post subject: |
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Never heard a room that was too dead but have heard plenty that rung like a bell.
Yes it is possible to hear the space behind you and I would want to get rid of it too. |
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Bruce
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
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Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:14 am Post subject: |
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The deader the better in my estimation, although I've been in a room so dead it was almost "scary". I did some scratch tracks for a feature animation studio when they were here in town and their audio studio was wall to wall THICK sound absorption material and they had free-standing traps as well. When you spoke the sound just went away, almost like it was being sucked out of you. Very odd.
I'm thinking if a room is really dead but you needed some "bounce" for a particular effect, you could always bring a hard surface into the room. Maybe a sheet of masonite (smallish, on the music stand you're reading from?).
My room is fairly quiet and I've never had anyone ask for more room bounce.
B
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Yoda117
M&M
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 2362
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:27 am Post subject: |
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| Philip Banks wrote: | Never heard a room that was too dead but have heard plenty that rung like a bell.
Yes it is possible to hear the space behind you and I would want to get rid of it too. |
I have, and usually it's not a room. Some of the prefab booths can have this effect, and basically it sucks the life out of an otherwise good performance. I've also heard rooms that have had way too many reflections. Neither is preferred to my ears.
Frank's response is 100% on the mark.
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CarynClark
MMD
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 2697
Location: Fort Myers, FL
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone!! Most excellent!
I will continue to put foam up in every spot imaginable in the room, based on Michael's comments on the audio I posted.... and I do think it's a tad too "live" still.
Thanks so much!!!
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!
"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave |
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audio'connell
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Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 1970
Location: in a dark studio with a single bulb light...day after day after....
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Caryn:
The sound was not too live for my ears.
However, if its bugging you (and you should be happy with your studio) is it possible to mount a rod over the doorway inside your booth from one side to the other?
If it is then I would do so and on the rod hang either your aforementioned movers blankets or premade curtains on those shower curtain circles (or maybe something more substantial to handle the weight of the curtains). This would give you the opportunity to pull back or draw across the sound absorption you desire anytime you wish.
Again, this physically may not work in your room but its the idea that you may be able to build on.
You know, or not. 
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Frank F
Fat, Old, and Sassy
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 4421
Location: Park City, Utah
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Caryn asked: "...What does a room sound like when it's too dead?" |
I guess I did not answer your question directly - sorry. When a room is "too dead" it will suck the life out of your voiceover. Meaning; you will hear none of the great frequency transients present in real live sound. The human voice has certain frequencies which are present when air passes the vocal chords and is pushed through our lips, additionally what another person listens to is the sound as previously described AND all the transient frequencies and sound which is "bounced" from objects present in our natural world. These transient sounds add the dimension or character to our voices and to everything else heard by the human ear.
When listening to your snippet, I only heard the noise gate, none of the background or transient sounds which give your voice character.
Tuning your room can be time consuming, so I offer these thoughts:
One: Be careful how much sound absorption you use... don't suck the "life" from your voiceovers.
Two: The purpose of your studio is to remove or limit extraneous noise from the environment, not to stop any "bounce" or reflections.
Three: Listen closely to your studio with every piece of equipment turned OFF. What do you hear outside the studio environment? What do you hear inside the studio environment? If you hear almost as much noise inside as you do outside, you have work to do on blocking the outside sound.
Four: "Think outside the box". If what you hear in the room (from the outside) is muffled or muted - then you probably need more outside the box sound absorption. If you hear nothing from outside the studio environment, then you may focus on the inside characteristics which are: controlling deadness, modifying reflections, resolving booming bass with "bass traps", etc.
Hope that helps.
Toodles
F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com |
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Dave DeAndrea
Been Here Awhile
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 206
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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Hey there Sunshine! Did you say 9' by 3' ?
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Dave DeAndrea
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