Written by Vera Tan (remote voice actor) & Laneth Sffarlenn (remote voice actor & audio engineer), ft. Vera’s IRL Friend Who’s a Chill Guy (he built most of it)
External Measurements 155cm x 145cm x 210cm (220cm with stilts)
Total Cost: $2,269.51AUD ($1,417USD)
Welcome to our guide on how to build a booth for way cheaper than you’d think!
To start, building your own booth from scratch is obviously going to take much longer than just assembling one that’s already been made, whether it be a Studiobricks ($10,000+ AUD not including shipping last time I asked), LA Vocal Booths (min. $5,000AUD without shipping) , or even a double walled one from Alibaba (about $8,000AUD with shipping), all options I’ve researched and considered, and require a lot more effort and probably help from at least one or two other people depending on your own expertise in handiwork. Doing it this way has allowed me to customise the size (I’m pretty small) and thickness of the walls/layering of materials that I might not have been able to do as easily with a ready made booth.
This guide will go through the initial designs and conception, the materials and tools needed, alternative methodology if you have other restrictions or materials available locally, the reasoning behind what we’ve actually done (so you can decide if you want to do the extra steps) and how to troubleshoot any issues you might come across.
I do want to mention that I built this space as I want to, and am, working in more professional spaces. If you’re just starting out there are much more cost effective ways to make a space for yourself to record, such as a closet setup or a PVC booth, both of which I had previously.
My first setup in my university dorm
My first setup when I was practicing dubbing!
My second setup. Scuffed ADR setup when I used two bookshelves and three canvas paintings (it was like 30 by 30cm)
Recorded for AFK Arena: Just Esperia Things here
My third setup. The inside of my PVC booth at its prime, she was beautiful and mostly structurally sound.
Recorded for Daimler Truck, Digital Circus and many other projects here
Another picture of my PVC booth
The ruins of my PVC booth. Not structurally sound whatsoever and I was moving interstate so bye bye girly. Literally held together by ROPE TENSION
Recorded for Strinova, Bloons Card Storm and many other projects here.
NOTE: Just because this is the way I’ve been able to get the best result with the least amount of money spent, doesn’t meant it’s the best option for you overall. Prices and availability of materials may differ depending on where you live, I am lucky to live in Australia where hardware stores are extremely affordable and well stocked. If anyone reading has any region-specific tips, feel free to send me an email through my website. I will update this guide as I receive new information.
If you have time, friends and family, you can do these things to save even more money!