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VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!
Established November 10, 2004
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13023
Location: Camp Cooper
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 Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:44 pm Post subject: A Gift from Harlan Hogan |
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Harlan wrote me a note asking me to post this here:
| Quote: | | ...thought the members might like my latest twist on the "Voice Box" I know it's been the source of a lot of discussion there. |
A “Porta-Booth" for Road Warriors
By Harlan Hogan
Quality sound can be portable
I’m a big proponent of setting up and using a home recording studio – even when you’re far from home. A decent laptop, an audio interface, and a microphone allow you to audition and work almost anywhere. And with high-speed Internet readily available there’s no reason to miss sessions and auditions because you are on location or vacation, unless you choose to.
I heartily understand, respect, and secretly admire actors who can tell their clients and agents, “Don’t bother me, I’m on holiday and the only performing I’ll be doing this week is down at the pool.”
I understand, respect, and admire -- but I just can’t do it. I love this work and when I spend an hour or so a day working on vacation, I enjoy the remaining 23 hours that much more.
On the road - even with pro-quality recording gear - you’ll often find yourself in less than perfect recording environments. Most guest rooms, cabanas, ship cabins, and hotel rooms are OK as long as you avoid the ones adjacent to the elevators and the ice machine.
However, even a very quiet room (this applies to homes and apartments, too) can sound like a “big boomy box” to your microphone, instead of the tight sound booth quality we are used to in purpose-built studios. That’s because in addition to picking up the sound of your voice, the microphone is also “hearing” the ambient sound of the entire space.
Until recently, I’d build myself a tiny little fort out of every pillow and comforter I could scrounge from housekeeping on the road. My wife found my constructions less than pleasing esthetically. Then I remembered the brilliant idea of composer and audio guru, Douglas Spotted Eagle, that Jeffrey Fisher and I described in, A Voice Actors Guide to Home Recording.
Douglas realized that for a microphone to sound good and tight you didn’t need to be inside a sound box – the microphone did. So, he built a simple 16” by 16” four-sided box out of foam core, lined it with acoustic foam (usually sold in 16 x 16 inch tiles), stuck his microphone inside, and recorded with it . Dubbed the VO Box, the results were stellar even in a “bad” room.
So I decided to construct a road warrior’s version a.k.a.
The Harlan Hogan “Porta-Booth.”
Dell XPS laptop running Adobe Audition 2.0, Edirol UA-25 USB audio interface, Sennheiser 416 mic, desk stand, shockmount, pop filter, headphones, and the Porta-Booth at the Hotel Dominion 1912 - Quebec City, Canada.
After a few false starts trying wood and plastic, my LA voice actor buddy Steve Schatzberg suggested one of those “pop up” folding cubes used to store everything from kids toys to laundry to garbage.
My first attempt with a flimsy mesh cube from The Container Store worked, but sounded only so-so. Then, Jeffrey Fisher pointed out that the cube needed to be made of a more substantial material to sound right. Another shopping sortie and I struck gold! The Home Box manufactured by Reisenthel.
The folding Home Box has a great sound and is a perfect size at 15 x 15 x 15 inches. Despite its relatively light weight it’s very sturdily constructed of heavy-duty Dacron sail cloth with a sound-stopping solid plywood bottom. The Container Store article number is CX1325CO and as of this writing, the price was a measly $19.99. Since products come and go and luggage gets lost, I bought a couple of spares just in case.
One caveat – Reisenthal also makes Home Boxes that don’t swivel and collapse and they look identical - so make sure you have the fold-up version! I found this out the hard way when I convinced VO Bill Ballenberg that the Home Box he’d just purchased on my recommendation would absolutely, positively fold up. So Bill twisted and pushed and all but sat on it….and sure enough, it crushed into a mass of bent wire and polyester. To their credit, his local New Jersey Container Store happily exchanged it for a proper folding version.
The acoustic foam can be purchased from Markertek, Sonex, or Auralex – Guitar Centers carry it too and you might ask your favorite friendly recording studio if they happen to have some scrap pieces lying around.
The photos tell the story – pop it open, arrange the four foam tiles, set you favorite mic inside and talk. The foam pieces aren’t attached to the interior so you can nest them together to save space when you flatten the box. A quick twist and the whole shebang folds up to a thickness of about four inches. I tighten a nylon strap - purchased for a buck at the hardware store - around the box to compress it even thinner and shove it in my suitcase or a saddlebag if I’m traveling via motorcycle.
That’s it! (Manufacturing right reserved)
H2
PS: If you do find yourself in the room from Hell, here’s a tip I learned from a movie soundman. One of the best designed acoustic spaces on earth is the modern automobile. So, if all else fails, get in that rental car and find a nice scenic rural roadside. Pull over, shush the cows – and hit record.
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asnively
Triple G
Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 3204
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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AWESOME!
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marijuana plants
Last edited by asnively on Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Audiogal
King's Row
Joined: 22 Aug 2005
Posts: 1083
Location: Shreveport, LA
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| Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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This may well be the best Christmas present this year. Thank you Harlan & Deirdre!!!
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Mary |
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dscott
Contributor IV
Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 104
Location: Russellville, KY
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| Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:19 am Post subject: |
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A most excellent solution! And for sure easier than draping blankets and sleeping bags everywhere! 
Dave |
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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: Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:37 am Post subject: |
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For those who want to make one themselves, I did some research. Here are some sites with prices for the folding cube:
http://www.ajprindle.com/products/sku-12594__id-72.html
This is actually a Folding Cooler... unique concept - keep your soda pop in there until you need to do a session, take the cans and ice out - record your scripts, then pop a cold one and put the ice and the rest of the cans back in the folding box...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006ZPC3E/nextag-kitchen-20/ref=nosim
This is a set of 3 cubes in various sizes. From 16" x 16" x 16" down to 12" x 12" x 12".
There are many others available in the 13" x 13" x 13" size too.
This article has been on the DMN Formum among other sites for quite some time. It is an awesome idea however and simple to implement.
Thanks DB and H2
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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bobsouer
Frequent Flyer
Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9883
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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| Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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Deirdre and Harlan,
Thank you. Most especially for all the photographic illustrations!
PS: Frank, thank you for the great links!
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Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
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Audiogal
King's Row
Joined: 22 Aug 2005
Posts: 1083
Location: Shreveport, LA
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| Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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FYI, Since there isn't a Container Store here, I checked online & couldn't tell whether The Home Box was the folding kind or not. The very helpful rep at their corporate office asked me to send her the link & photo & she would have a store manager look at one & report back.
The manager said that to fold the cube, one would remove the "sticks" that are the frame; something that is easy to do.
So, while it sounds like it would work...The Home Box currently on The Container Store's website is apparently NOT the twist & fold type.
The article number that Harlan mentioned did not bring up anything in their computer. I'm wondering if the one on the website is a new model...they do call it "new" in the copy.
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?PRODID=10015024&CATID=77003&searchId=6769443&itemIndex=2
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Hart
Assistant Asylum Chief
Joined: 03 Jan 2006
Posts: 2107
Location: Foley, AL
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| Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Now that is a fantastic improvement on the VO Box idea. I'm SO doing this after I finish all the baby furniture building projects I'm on right now.
Thanks Harlan (and D so much!
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Diane Maggipinto
Spreading Snark Worldwide
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 6679
Location: saul lay seetee youtee
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| Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, now that is cool. I especially like the last photo, as it had me doubletake to see if it was secured to a rack on a bicycle. It's not...but it gives me an idea....!!!  And it sure would fit into a pannier!
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vox1
Contributor IV
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 126
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| Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:02 pm Post subject: Can't Find Harlan's model #.. any ideas? |
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Harlan, if you're here...or anyone who knows where to find the CX1325CO
model HH describes... I am not near a Container Store but could definitely use this in, like - a week- ANy idea where to find the model described?
I can see the folding cooler working, but 15x15x15 (bigger) would be better of course (when you factor in the foam thickness..)GREATLY appreciate any idea on where to get this exact same recommended 'home box' that folds up as described. No such listing under the Container Store's online index as per previous post. I'd love to get one overnighted to me
before the weekend....if i can find it!
THANKS!
Mike
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Saying something since 1970-
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kitstern
Been Here Awhile
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 218
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Harlan & Deirdre, this is great! Thanks so much.
Harlan, if you're around, what mic are you using on the road? After your workshop I bought the Blue Snowball and it works great but I need some more tax deductions this year so I'm looking at gear.
HoHoHo!
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Enjoy life, this is not a rehearsal.
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Pam
The Thirteenth Floor
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Chicago, Il
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Kitzie, it says in the small print above that he's using a sennheiser 416 for this set up. Does that help?
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Pam Tierney
www.pamtierneyvo.com
imdb profile http://imdb.com/name/nm1941932/
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billelder
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:58 am Post subject: |
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I went to Harlan's web site and if you click on VO:Gear and it shows hats. So, I will assume he's speaking into hats.
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Yoda117
M&M
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 2362
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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FWIW this technique can also be used on a slightly larger scale as a great way to quiet down desktop/laptop PCs.
I've used it with an AW Area-51m, which are frighteningly powerful, but also noisy at times.
YMMV, but so long as there's no heat issue, it beats having to use a more expensive alternative (such as a quietrack, which runs $1300 to start and quickly goes up from there).
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kitstern
Been Here Awhile
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 218
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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Just a suggestion for thinking outside the box (joke) on this one, I was at Staples today doing some last minute shopping and I saw a collapsible file case that would probably work. It was rattan and seemed to be big enough. They also had non-collapsible ones that would work on a desktop, depending on the size of your mic stand.
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