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Whether you’re just putting together a home studio for the first time, or you simply want to upgrade your setup, the most important thing to have for capturing vocals is a good mic. The second most important thing? Proper insulation around it. No matter how great a vocalist you are, or if you’ve got the best mic available, you’re still going to need plenty of vocal isolation. That’s where the best portable recording booths come into play, which make it easier to quickly install a pro-level at-home studio setup.
But just because these are portable recording booths doesn’t mean you’ll sacrifice sound. In fact, you’ll notice a night-and-day difference in the takes when you get a closer listen and start mixing your tracks. But you don’t need an entire room engineered to be totally echo-free with professionally-installed foam padding on the walls. That’s the beauty of these portable recording booths, also known as portable isolation booths. They may look like a simple fix, but you’ll notice the variation right off the bat.
Portable Recording Booth Buying Guide
Here’s what you need to know when searching for the best portable recording booth for your next session.
Consistency: Not only do portable recording booths help prevent the natural reverb of a room from affecting your vocals, but they also keep the way you sound consistent. In other words, no matter where you record, you won’t have to deal with trying to make all your takes sound uniform. Whether you’re recording in the garage or at a hotel, these portable recording studio booths truly let you set up and sing whenever the inspiration strikes.
Setup: There are quite a few different varieties of portable recording booths on the market. They all have the same ultimate goal, but differ on sound isolation and portability. A complete booth is the bulkiest, but if it’s staying stationary, it may be your best option for the best sound quality. These can be set up in the corner of a room or even a large closet to keep it truly isolated. If you’re going for more portable, some of the mouth-level unfolding models can attach right to your mic stand, giving you a makeshift booth wherever you want.
Sound: Generally speaking, a vocal recording booth that surrounds you on all sides will offer the best sound in the end, making it easier to get the clearest, crispest vocal takes. While that’s a big benefit for any musician, it’s especially convenient for beginners who don’t yet know how to mix vocals in a studio program, or have the resources to hire a producer. If you get that perfect take that captures your sound without distracting and unwanted background effects, you can use it as-is, or play around with additional options in your application to start experimenting and learning what’s available, or go back to the original take.
Other Uses: These aren’t just for vocalists and musicians, but they’re ideal for voice acting, narration, podcasts, or anything that involves voice or acoustic instruments.
The Best Portable Recording Booths
We selected the best portable recording booths for recording podcasts, vocals, and instrumental tracks at home and on the road.
