I have been working on a new narration studio.
I started my career with a audio program, a headphone-microphone set and a comfortable quiet apartment.
In NC my office has a lot of hard surfaces. I upgraded my microphone and noticed I had considerable echo and background noises. I moved my office around to get to a solid inner wall.
I tried a pvc frame with heavy comforters over it to quiet the extra noise. I purchased a better quality condenser microphone. That gave me better sound quality.
I had a mixture of success. I made a sound box for the microphone. That helped too.
I continued to struggle for a way to improve my studio situation. So recently I sat and listened in my basement. It is much quieter down there. Up against the two solid walls in the back. We have a bit of humidity and run a humidifyer down there.
So I got the bright idea of making a studio down there. Being on a tight budget I had to work with materials that were cheap and readily available.
I trimmed the cardboard refrigerator box down about a foot and a half with a jig saw. The bottom of the box was a little bit whimpy and lacked some integrity.
I framed it on the outside with furrn strips 1″ X 2″. I stapled them with a power stapler from the inside.
It made a nice tight frame. I screwed through the strips into the plywood floor I’d made from recycled materials I had around the garage. I used the jig saw to cut a door way in the smaller side of the box.
Later I’m going to reinforce the door with a bit of the furring strip material. I also have to cut a window yet.
I have some interesting plans for decorating the outside. Of course inside needs a light. I still have to figure out air flow… I will need to make that window I mentioned so that I can see the computer monitor of the audio program from inside the “studio”. I will also need a shelf outside to hold the computer and monitor. I will need some kind of shelf inside for the condenser mike. I also need something to hold the tablet with the script on it. I have a chair that doesn’t squeek. I will need some carpet for the floor. I will also need to coat the inside with foam. I have something like the textured foam (egg crate). It should make a nice surface for live quiet recording.
The sky is the limit.
J.R. Lowe Narrator 