Recreating radio booth set/ suitable audio at DVinfo.net

Andrew Carter · September 4th, 2009, 11:53 AM

I've found a relative who said i can use their empty house. It is a small english cottage. It is compeletly empty. No carpets/wall paper or funiture.

I want to turn the master bedroom into a 'radio station' Where two radio presenters will operator from-(for a small segement in my film).

Ive read through quite a bit on this forum and also on creating sound booths for recording on
Forum - SOUND ON SOUND : Studio Design & Acoustics

I dont want to spend more money than is necessary on sound proofing because i'll only use it once. Then bin it.
The room is approx 5 meters x4 meters x 3 meters high.

What are your ideas and thoughts? Do's and Don'ts? How far do i need to go with insulation? I'm guessing thats my best option? (rather than curtains or plasterboard)

Feel free to ask questions, if i've missed something. any advice greatly appreicated!

Regards
Andrew

Jimmy Tuffrey · September 4th, 2009, 01:05 PM

You could staple king size duvets to the walls. I've done tha before with cheap 'Value' 14 tog duvets from Tesco's in cheap dark blue duvet covers. Looked quite nice and made an attic room into an ok sounding space for a drum kit and loud music playback. Shelves at ear level helped break it up a bit too. Obviously it does nothing for the low end but it was surprisingly ok. Just don't expect to have a room that is suitable for high end audio mastering. The experts will tell you it is a poor substitute for proper treatment but for a dead radio voice sound it will do. Also it will stop any flutter echo. Don't do the whole room but just the ceiling and front wall and half way back on either side.

At £10 per duvet it would £60 + a staple gun.

It looked good too.

Just an idea.

Seth Bloombaum · September 4th, 2009, 01:44 PM

Not too clear on what the goal is here:

Something that looks right?

Something that sounds OK?
"insulation" would usually be used to isolate the room from sounds outside that are so loud that they are perceivable in the recording.

Duvets on the walls would usually be used to control reverberation in the room.

These are two pretty different things.

So, the question is, what problem are we trying to solve? Presumably, in a bare cottage, reverberation? How bad is it? Probably best if you do a test recording before spending any money or time on wall treatments that may or may not be needed.

Good "radio" voices will probably be the biggest contributor to the credibility of this scene. Usually, very close-miced (which helps with room reverberation). Here in the states, that would likely be a Shure SM7 or Electrovoice RE-20, though some stations go with higher-end large-diaphram condensors such as Neumann. Invariably, these will be attached to a table-mounted mini-boom, like this one.

Andrew Carter · September 4th, 2009, 02:54 PM

Hey,

Thanks for clearing up 'insulation' and 'reverberation'.
I know sound is the main problem for us low budget guys. This is
why i want advice on my best options. Personally, i'd rather have it
looking a bit rough-than having it sound rubbish.

The main problem is 'reverberation'. Even to my untrained ear, it is
very bad. I 'clicked' my fingers and the sound bounces off all the walls.

There is a slight problem with outside noise, but it isn't that bad.
As the location is on the outskirts of a country side village.

I have a number of semi pro actor wanting to get involved. I have
the time at the moment to get the location right, so i thought i'd
start with that.

Thank you for the mic advice and the link to the stand. Plus, thanks
Jimmy. Your advice will be in the back of my mind.

Steve House · September 4th, 2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Carter

I've found a relative who said i can use their empty house. It is a small english cottage. It is compeletly empty. No carpets/wall paper or funiture.

I want to turn the master bedroom into a 'radio station' Where two radio presenters will operator from-(for a small segement in my film).

Ive read through quite a bit on this forum and also on creating sound booths for recording on
Forum - SOUND ON SOUND : Studio Design & Acoustics

I dont want to spend more money than is necessary on sound proofing because i'll only use it once. Then bin it.
The room is approx 5 meters x4 meters x 3 meters high.

What are your ideas and thoughts? Do's and Don'ts? How far do i need to go with insulation? I'm guessing thats my best option? (rather than curtains or plasterboard)

Feel free to ask questions, if i've missed something. any advice greatly appreicated!

Regards
Andrew

Why rebuild Rome? For a look (and sound) of authenticity, why not shoot in a real radio studio? At least here in North America there are plenty of radio stations that don't use their studios 24 hours a day, going to satellite feeds overnight, or have secondary studios for commercial production that are only used part of the day. I would presume the same thing would be true in the UK. Why not call around and see if you can "borrow" one for a few hours?

Mike Demmers · September 4th, 2009, 05:35 PM

It sounds like you need to shoot in the room too, so some appearance will count.

I might:

Buy the cheapest solid color fabric I could find on sale (blue would be good), and use an iron to put long vertical creases in it about 10 cm apart (to make it look like curtains), and then hang that from the ceiling about 30 cm from the wall. Behind that (invisible to the camera), I would hang all the old clothes I had and could borrow, as many as possible, as high as possible.

Beyond that, you need a computer desk, a mixer borrowed from a musician friend, tilted up at an angle on the desk, a large impressive looking mic (borrowed from same friend) suspended, an old power amp with large meters stuck somewhere. Rock musicians usually have racks of gear, borrow some to put on the sides of the desk.

Big sign that says 'On Air'. Lots of pieces of paper with lists on them laying about. Some piles of CDs here and there.

Instant radio station. ;-)

-MD

Mike Demmers · September 4th, 2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve House

Why rebuild Rome? For a look (and sound) of authenticity, why not shoot in a real radio studio?

Best idea so far.

Also any recording studio or home studio would be pretty convincing as a radio studio, and all acoustic problems solved.

Andrew Carter · September 5th, 2009, 05:21 AM

Thanks for those tips.

As in regards to hiring a studio. There are approx 30 radio stations (from community and college radio to full blown radio stations)
The cheapest rate i could find (at a community radio station) was 50 (UK) per hour.

David W. Jones · September 5th, 2009, 05:58 AM

Which would end up being much cheaper and a more convincing shot in the long run, than trying to convert a bedroom into a radio studio.

Steve House · September 5th, 2009, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Carter

Thanks for those tips.

As in regards to hiring a studio. There are approx 30 radio stations (from community and college radio to full blown radio stations)
The cheapest rate i could find (at a community radio station) was 50 (UK) per hour.

Did they understand that all you needed was to use the space as a location, that you weren't actually going to use any of the equipment.

Paul R Johnson · September 5th, 2009, 10:20 AM

Try any larger colleges - the media department often have a radio studio, and these rarely are used in the evenings - but the building is open, so caretakers on site, and probably no charge?

Mike Demmers · September 5th, 2009, 04:28 PM

And finding the right person to talk to makes a large difference.

The front desk will just read off their rate card.

September 4th, 2009, 11:53 AM	#1
Andrew Carter Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 116	Recreating radio booth set/ suitable audio I've found a relative who said i can use their empty house. It is a small english cottage. It is compeletly empty. No carpets/wall paper or funiture. I want to turn the master bedroom into a 'radio station' Where two radio presenters will operator from-(for a small segement in my film). Ive read through quite a bit on this forum and also on creating sound booths for recording on Forum - SOUND ON SOUND : Studio Design & Acoustics I dont want to spend more money than is necessary on sound proofing because i'll only use it once. Then bin it. The room is approx 5 meters x4 meters x 3 meters high. What are your ideas and thoughts? Do's and Don'ts? How far do i need to go with insulation? I'm guessing thats my best option? (rather than curtains or plasterboard) Feel free to ask questions, if i've missed something. any advice greatly appreicated! Regards Andrew

September 4th, 2009, 01:44 PM	#3
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	Not too clear on what the goal is here: Something that looks right? Something that sounds OK? "insulation" would usually be used to isolate the room from sounds outside that are so loud that they are perceivable in the recording. Duvets on the walls would usually be used to control reverberation in the room. These are two pretty different things. So, the question is, what problem are we trying to solve? Presumably, in a bare cottage, reverberation? How bad is it? Probably best if you do a test recording before spending any money or time on wall treatments that may or may not be needed. Good "radio" voices will probably be the biggest contributor to the credibility of this scene. Usually, very close-miced (which helps with room reverberation). Here in the states, that would likely be a Shure SM7 or Electrovoice RE-20, though some stations go with higher-end large-diaphram condensors such as Neumann. Invariably, these will be attached to a table-mounted mini-boom, like this one. __________________ 30 years of pro media production. Vegas user since 1.0. Webcaster since 1997. Freelancer since 2000. College instructor since 2001.

September 4th, 2009, 01:05 PM	#2
Jimmy Tuffrey Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bristol U.K. Posts: 244	You could staple king size duvets to the walls. I've done tha before with cheap 'Value' 14 tog duvets from Tesco's in cheap dark blue duvet covers. Looked quite nice and made an attic room into an ok sounding space for a drum kit and loud music playback. Shelves at ear level helped break it up a bit too. Obviously it does nothing for the low end but it was surprisingly ok. Just don't expect to have a room that is suitable for high end audio mastering. The experts will tell you it is a poor substitute for proper treatment but for a dead radio voice sound it will do. Also it will stop any flutter echo. Don't do the whole room but just the ceiling and front wall and half way back on either side. At £10 per duvet it would £60 + a staple gun. It looked good too. Just an idea.

September 4th, 2009, 02:54 PM	#4
Andrew Carter Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 116	Hey, Thanks for clearing up 'insulation' and 'reverberation'. I know sound is the main problem for us low budget guys. This is why i want advice on my best options. Personally, i'd rather have it looking a bit rough-than having it sound rubbish. The main problem is 'reverberation'. Even to my untrained ear, it is very bad. I 'clicked' my fingers and the sound bounces off all the walls. There is a slight problem with outside noise, but it isn't that bad. As the location is on the outskirts of a country side village. I have a number of semi pro actor wanting to get involved. I have the time at the moment to get the location right, so i thought i'd start with that. Thank you for the mic advice and the link to the stand. Plus, thanks Jimmy. Your advice will be in the back of my mind.

September 4th, 2009, 05:35 PM	#6
Mike Demmers Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Portland OR Posts: 159	It sounds like you need to shoot in the room too, so some appearance will count. I might: Buy the cheapest solid color fabric I could find on sale (blue would be good), and use an iron to put long vertical creases in it about 10 cm apart (to make it look like curtains), and then hang that from the ceiling about 30 cm from the wall. Behind that (invisible to the camera), I would hang all the old clothes I had and could borrow, as many as possible, as high as possible. Beyond that, you need a computer desk, a mixer borrowed from a musician friend, tilted up at an angle on the desk, a large impressive looking mic (borrowed from same friend) suspended, an old power amp with large meters stuck somewhere. Rock musicians usually have racks of gear, borrow some to put on the sides of the desk. Big sign that says 'On Air'. Lots of pieces of paper with lists on them laying about. Some piles of CDs here and there. Instant radio station. ;-) -MD

September 5th, 2009, 05:21 AM	#8
Andrew Carter Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 116	Thanks for those tips. As in regards to hiring a studio. There are approx 30 radio stations (from community and college radio to full blown radio stations) The cheapest rate i could find (at a community radio station) was 50 (UK) per hour.

September 5th, 2009, 05:58 AM	#9
David W. Jones Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Little Rock Posts: 1,383	Which would end up being much cheaper and a more convincing shot in the long run, than trying to convert a bedroom into a radio studio.

September 5th, 2009, 10:20 AM	#11
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,046	Try any larger colleges - the media department often have a radio studio, and these rarely are used in the evenings - but the building is open, so caretakers on site, and probably no charge?

September 5th, 2009, 04:28 PM	#12
Mike Demmers Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Portland OR Posts: 159	And finding the right person to talk to makes a large difference. The front desk will just read off their rate card.