Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Reveal

Homemade sound studio!

I made it myself.
With help, of course.
As I told you yesterday, my sister made the blanket.
The walls are a three-sided, fold-up sound booth from an old friend.
The chair is a family heirloom (it's small, and I needed small).
I snagged the music stand from an old day-job when the company was getting rid of stuff.
The microphone was a gift from long-time friend and voice artist Teri Clark Linden.
John got the mic stand on eBay. I sandbagged it with the kind of ankle weights one uses for working out. (Apparently I'm not using them for that at the moment.)
The lamp came from the garage. I can't see the laundry and I don't care.
The headphones are from my radio days.
My friend, actor and voice artist Karyn O'Bryant, taught me how to use TwistedWave.com, the recording program. Remember when Adele and I went to see Karyn in the play?
That's a beach towel on the floor, to help muffle sound. All the beach towels in the house belong to Boz, so I have it on loan. As you can see, Boz monitors my use of it.
That's all. There's no room for anything else. There's barely room for me.

John got a shot of me in my booth, wearing my appropriate Spongebob Squarepants T-shirt.

The sound quality is pretty good for a booth I made by myself.

My first project: the Belinda's Birthday audiobook, which will be about 8 or 9 minutes long. I've already recorded it and will edit this week. I'll let you know when it's available because I am THAT excited about it.

As for Camelot & Vine, if I record the audiobook I'll probably do it in a bigger studio. Because Camelot & Vine is longer than 8 or 9 minutes, and Boz gets impatient for his towel.

41 comments:

dive said...

Woah!
That is so much cooler than the airing cupboard stuffed with towels that I use for recording vocals, Petrea. Wonderful!

No pop guard?

Anonymous said...

"Chicken family packs are just $2.79 a pound..."

Shell Sherree said...

I love your resourcefulness, Petrea, and the generosity of friends. And Boz's taste in towels. That's wonderful news about your Belinda's Birthday audiobook!

Book Dragon said...

first thought...that's fantastic!
and then there was a wow and a clever and a so cool thrown in.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

I would of never figured it out. You are pretty clever to put that together. At least you'll be able to perfect whatever you are recording whenever you want!. :-)

Jean Spitzer said...

It takes a village to build a sound booth.

Use it in good health.

Katie said...

That's a very ingenious recording booth! Looking forward to hearing the big things that come out of that little space. I guess you won't have as many commute photo ops when you work from here though, but oh what a sweet commute.

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm glad everyone likes it! John says I can keep it but I won't have it forever. It cramps us quite a bit.

I may have to stuff more towels into this cupboard if Boz will allow it, Dive. I'm still trying to perfect the sound, and I did add a pop guard. We had one in the garage attic.

Haha, JB, I won't be doing the grocery spots at home. Still driving to the real studio for those.

Thank you, Shell! Truly, I couldn't have put this together without help.

BD, that's what I was thinking.

KBF, I hope you're right about that "perfect" part.

I'll do my best, Jean.

Katie, see what I told JB. The sound is fine here but not superior enough for my beloved client.

Bellis said...

Very, very impressive. You're the perfect person to read your books. I love hearing your cheerful voice on TV in the mornings. Will you edit out the pitter patter of tiny dog feet, and the yips and yaps of sleep-barking?

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Bellis. Yes, I had to stop recording and wait for Boz to yip and yap the other day, not to mention a helicopter.

Laura M said...

Wonderful!

BettyS said...

Totally awesome, Petrea!

irinapictures said...

What a warm little corner of the artworld. The story of the items is so interesting and sweet. All the best with your audiobook!

Unknown said...

Gives new meaning to the term "home office." Enjoy creating with your wonderfully timbred voice in your new studio!

Unknown said...

Petrea, I will never understand how to get my name to show up when I sign in through my google account. But it was me who made the last one...Jane N Rollins

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, all of you, for your good wishes. Jane, one of these days, when I see you and we have our laptops, let's see if we can figure it out.

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LOLfromPasa said...

Well, what can I say! The comments above are brilliant and I have enjoyed the whole 'reveal' experience, Petrea-style. Mr LOL says, 'you look very relaxed and cozy. Great choice of T-shirt.'

Deb said...

Good luck with the new project. Will we see any shots of your daily commute to the new office?! I hope Boz will feature if so.

Latino Heritage said...

They've said it all. So happy for your new soundbooth. Can't wait to hear the book(s) that will be COMING SOON TO a house like mine.

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm at Bell Sound right now and I just got more help from engineer Alfredo, with suggestions for improving sound quality in the booth.

Anybody who thinks you make it alone is either wrong or living a very lonely life.

John Sandel said...

Speak'n'a which, when're you coming home?

Petrea Burchard said...

Ha!

Alfredo thinks I might have the mic aimed wrong. He's very diplomatic.

Desiree said...

Fabulous, naturally--

Trish said...

Tah-daaaahhhh!

A friend cleared out a closet, well, so to speak, to make his own home sound studio. I think yours is a lot more practical and stylish! Love the chair--wondering tho that you may need that sofa cushion to sit upon if you do anything longer than 9 minute books in the future? Or that that what you're sitting upon in your stylin' SBSP shirt?

Adele said...

This is wildly impressive! I loved Belinda's Birthday, and can't wait to hear you read it. Really, really can't wait for more Camelot & Vine. Thanks so much for linking to my post on our fun night with Karyn!

Susan Campisi said...

You are so resourceful! I'm very impressed, but not really surprised when I think about it. Look at the little glimmer of Boz! I finally read Belinda's Birthday the other day. It had such rich visual detail, I could really see the story unfolding. It was a long journey in a short, short story. Something else that impressed me.

Petrea Burchard said...

Our closets are pretty small in this house, Trish, or I'd have done the same thing as your friend. It's much less ugly. And don't worry, I grew up with this chair. It knows me well.

Stay tuned, Adele! More C&V coming up very soon!

Thank you, Susan. And I'm so glad you noticed Boz there. He adds a special touch.

Unknown said...

This is wonderful, Petrea. I'm so happy that you've got this all built and your audiobook recorded! There's nothing but a bright future for you and all your bushels and bushels of talent. Best of luck on your next project! Mwah!

Dina said...

I'm so impressed by your ingenuity and ideas and talent!

Petrea Burchard said...

Thank you, Karyn! For everything!

Thanks, Dina. It helps to have generous friends.

Trish said...

yeah, I was surprised when the friend sacrificed a closet---but for income, they were willing for a while to make do without it.

lol on the chair! nice to know some things still fit well, with or without those leg weights being used for their intended purpose!

Gina said...

Fun!

I love how the entire set-up uses items re-purposed from your life.

Margaret said...

I think you are very clever, and I am very impressed. I'm excited about the audio book.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, you guys. Of course I didn't get to work on it today and I'm rethinking this whole "announcement" thing.

Ms M said...

Very impressive and creative! I hope it works well for you!

Petrea Burchard said...

Merci, Ms. M!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

it's like you've set up camp in your closet. Very resourceful - you!

Petrea Burchard said...

No boys allowed!

TheChieftess said...

fun...resourceful...imaginative...damn you're good!!!

Petrea Burchard said...

Now if I could just get the neighbors to be quiet!