How to Make Better Voice Recordings at Home

At Sweetwater, it’s easy to get a good interface and a good mic and relatively easy to get it all plugged in and working. (Our SweetCare online content can walk you through that.) What’s not so easy (as many figured out last year) is getting a great, professional-quality vocal sound in your space. As network radio and TV hosts proved, even seasoned professionals have trouble achieving a good vocal sound outside of a professional studio. One of the primary reasons for bad vocal sounds is bad acoustics or room tone. That’s because a mic hears differently than your ears do. You probably noticed that result the first time you recorded your voice. So, what does it take to get a great vocal sound at home?

Acoustic treatment is one of the most fundamental needs for any recording space, but it’s often (and regrettably) one of the last things to be addressed. It doesn’t matter how much great gear you have if your space sounds bad. How can you remedy your roomy or resonant recording space? Well, you could stand mattresses against the walls or hang quilts over windows, but here are some better options that not only look good but also are incredibly easy to install. They’ll make a huge difference in the quality of your vocal sound.

Easy Solution

One of the easiest ways to downplay the sound of your room is to add an sE Electronics Reflexion Filter behind your mic. The hollow sound of a vocal cut in a small, reflective room (e.g., a bedroom) is caused by unwanted room reflections coming into the mic. A reflection filter acts like a barrier to sounds coming from behind or beside the mic. For speaking voice and off-camera voice recording, this may be all you need. It’s very easy to install, easy to move, and affordable. The Aston Microphones Halo is larger and offers even more room rejection.

sE Electronics Reflexion Filter X Portable Vocal Booth

Auralex DeskMAX 2×2 foot Stand-Mounted Portable Acoustic Treatment Panels 2-pack

Better Solution

If you need more absorption and have a desk where you can set acoustic treatment, then the Auralex DeskMAX stand-mounted panels may do the trick. These desktop panels offer eight square feet of absorptive acoustic foam that you can position wherever you need. And, if you have floor space and don’t want to attach things to the walls, then the floor-standing Auralex ProMAX v2 acoustic panels will soak up even more sound.

Best Solution

If your loud speaking or singing voice is really exciting the room and you need more absorption, then hanging a Primacoustic FlexiBooth on your wall may be the solution for you. This folding, cupboard-style absorber forms a 3-sided box (with 16 square feet of absorption), so you can position your mic to minimize room-sound pickup. If your room sound is still audible on your voice recordings, then you can double up and hang another one or two on the most reflective walls.

Another great solution — and possibly the best one when you’re doing on-camera work where looks are critical — is hanging the Primacoustic London 8 acoustic room kit on your walls. It includes four 36-inch vertical control columns and eight 12-inch scatter blocks made of high-density fiberglass, finished with beveled edges, and covered with fabric. Offering nearly five times the absorption of acoustic foam, these will give your studio a finished look and solve most of your room-sound issues. If your recording space is larger than 100 square feet, then go for the London 12 acoustic room kit, which includes eight control columns, two broadband panels, and 12 scatter blocks.

Primacoustic London 12 Acoustic Room Kit

Having a great-sounding space to record in can be as
inspiring as picking up a great instrument to play. Use these tools to make
your space sound its best, and your vocal tracks will thank you.
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