A creator builds a $23 DIY sound booth from a plastic container and acoustic foam, then records vocal clips inside and outside it. Comparing the audio in Audacity, he finds the difference negligible for typical YouTube videos and advises most creators to skip it.
and I wanted to improve the results without breaking the bank. I want to improve my results. Here's a short tutorial on how to build your very own $23 mini sound recording booth. Whoa, mini sound recording booth? That's so cool, I want one. That's so cool. What's this? Hmm, that looks almost like what he did in the video. Oh well. But I saw this video yesterday and I said, why not, I'll give it a try. I wasn't really doing anything today. So pretty much he bought a plastic container and then he lined the inside of it with foam, which is what I did, stuck his mic inside of it. Mine doesn't look as nice as his, but I was trying to make sure I filled in all the cracks, so that's why it's a little messy there and like back there. I wanted to make sure I got all the cracks filled in. And supposedly when you're commentating in a small room like I'm in right now, like I'm in a room, when you say stuff, the words echo off the wall, they bounce off the wall and your mic picks up the same thing multiple times. Something like that. It's called reverb, I don't know. Other people have explained it in other videos. So supposedly foam absorbs sound waves or sounds or something like that. So by putting your mic in a container lined with foam, the foam will absorb the sounds and you won't echo as much. It's pretty much what this guy said in the video, and I thought it was cool, I thought I'd give it a try. So I went out, I bought a plastic container, I bought some foam, I spray-glued, whatever it's called, adhesive the insides, put some foam in it, and that was the result. I don't know, I haven't really tested it. Like, I haven't tested it yet, just made it like an hour ago. Uh, followed his video step by step, so if you want to check it out, it's that video right there. And then, uh, yeah, so I'm about to run tests and see if it actually makes a difference. I really don't think it will. I think I'm wasting my time, but I'm kind of hoping it proves me wrong. Nonetheless, it was still a kind of cool concept even if it doesn't do anything. So I'm gonna go give it a try. This is me talking into my foam container thing. I didn't really think about what I was going to say. But hopefully it sounds better than the next recording I'm about to do. But this is me talking into my foam container. Yeah, blah blah blah, talking. This is me talking outside of my foam container thing. I didn't really think about what I was going to say, but hopefully I say enough. Blah blah blah, I don't remember what I said last time. The two things you just heard were raw clips, one inside the foam container, one not. And then from now on, I'm going to be editing my vocals like I normally do, so it's going to sound a lot different. But pretty much With those two takes, there was no difference really between them. I could tell the difference in Audacity, but when I uploaded one of them to YouTube, like, the difference was so minuscule it's pointless. And it kind of sucks that that video has 300,000 views because I know a lot of other people are gonna spend the time to make that thing, and it really doesn't make a difference. For YouTube at least, it doesn't. Maybe, you know, if you're trying to record a rap or something, you really want the best quality, it might make a difference there. But for what I do and for what 99% of the people listening to this do, it won't make a difference. Don't waste your time doing it. I won't— I mean, I enjoyed making it. It wasn't a waste of my time. It was pretty cool. I didn't really think going into it it'd make a difference, and I was just kind of curious. Like, I'd always wonder if it would have, so I tested it, and for YouTube purposes, it makes no difference. Don't waste your time doing it. Save your money. And that's pretty much everything. That's why I made this video. I just wanted to test it out. Doesn't make a difference, and it was still kind of cool to make and kind of cool to look at. It kind of does look kind of cool. I I just— wow, I just said "Kai does" so many times. I'm not starting over. That's pretty much the video. Let me know what you think. Remember kids, foam inside of a rectangular plastic does not increase your mic quality. Stay in school, don't do drugs. ¡Hola!
