Voiceover Booth - Fabric and Equipment Installation

Thanks for taking the time to check in on the progress of my garage to recording studio conversion. With the VO booth structure built, it’s time to take care of the inside.

Building the VO Booth Pt. 2

Build a studio in a garage. The Door is hung - now to tackle the inside!
The Door is hung - now to tackle the inside

Now the booth is up and the insulation is in place, it’s time to focus on the inner walls. I chose the LEAD Camira Cara acoustic fabric from GIK Acoustics. Fortunately, the width of the walls was similar to that of the material so I was able to buy enough without having much wastage! The stock dimensions of the cloth also made the process of putting the fabric into place much easier. 

Build a studio in a garage. Fitting voiceover booth wall fabric.
Doing this by yourself is easy - said no one ever!

I began with the walls, stapling the top and dropping the roll to the bottom.Once I gauged the length needed – taking into consideration a little stretch – I stapled the bottom section down leaving a slight overlay, which would be hidden under the carpet.

I followed this process around the booth, cutting a section out for the low energy LED ceiling light,  finishing with the door end which was a little trickier due to the extra cuts and overlays. I did this element of the project myself and I would heartily recommend having another person to assist!

Build a studio in a garage. Tidy up VoiceOver booth wall fabric.
The tricky bit where all ends meet!

After the fabric installation, I finished the edges with timber. This was with square section softwood which my daughter and I painted grey to compliment the fabric. Once in place, it was time to put the equipment in to the booth.

Build a studio in a garage. Painting edging pieces.
A nice lick of paint for the edging.

For now, I want to keep the booth interior minimalistic allowing space for up to 2 people to stand/sit comfortably. I opted to have a small rack box for the preamp so that I am able to control the mic sound within the booth. I used the excess cloth from the walls to cover the unit so it matched the rest of the interior.

Build a studio in a garage. Spare fabric is used to cover rack box.
Spare fabric is used to cover rack box.
Build a studio in a garage. Wood trim around the door creates a nice finish
Wood trim around the door creates a nice finish
Build a studio in a garage. A good heavy door to keep the sound out!
A good heavy door to keep the sound out!
Build a studio in a garage. Carpet down, fabric up and it's ready to go.
Carpet down, fabric up and it's ready to go.

With the booth interior complete, the heavy doors are fitted with acoustically treated glass. As the entrance is adjacent to a window it made sense to have glass in the door to let the light in, a much-welcomed element during the longer sessions. The great-sounding space is ready to go! Next, I’ll be returning to the control room to finish the floor and take care of the sound treatment.

Previously – Building the VO Booth Part 1.

Next – Finish

Credits – Habgood Creations | GIK Acoustics

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VOICEOVERS, AUDIO PRODUCTION & SOUND DESIGN