Any tips for recording in an apartment?

[keopi]

So, there are people who record in a house... and then there is are those who record in an apartment.

Houses are obviously the best to record in if you don't have a studio because they are farther away from noises that might "kill" your recordings. However, I unfortunately must record in an apartment surrounded by the others who live around here in apartments literally next door.

Basically, I want to know how does anyone else who records their voice banks in an apartment get the best out of their recordings? (Like getting as little noise from cars, fans, neighbors, etc.)

 

[Vivification]

You sacrifice a body and hope everyone in the apartment complex faints simultaneously for five hours.

I suppose you could set up soundproofing materials, but I know nothing about that stuff so don't listen to me.

 

[ryouichi]

Shut all windows, Close all curtains, Get in a small room away from people and stuff etc etc
Thats what I do, but I live in a house.

 

[Hentai]

Record in your closet, all those clothes should help kill some of the worst audio reflections.

Pass the cables under the door so you don't catch computer noise. Operate OREIMO (assuming you are using it) with a USB extension cable, again, passed under the door.

 

[Kiyoteru]

I'm lucky that my apartment is at the end of the hallway, and then my room is (again) at the end of its hallway. I have an IKEA stool on top of an IKEA chair lined with an IKEA blanket that I put my microphone inside. (StudioKEA ftw)

 

[na4a4a]

Generally I would say not to because some apartment complexes have very strict rules on noise but of course as an utau user we're going tom ake noise so here are some ideas.

Wait for times you neighbors are not home. This is the easiest, just wait for your closest neighbors to not be around. Neighbors with kids may or may not be more accepting of you being noisy.

See if you have anything DENSE laying about. Dense mass blocks sound and you can find a way to put that between you and everything else.
Things that are generally not considered high in mass are spring mattresses, thin sheets, standard curtains, or pillows. However those can work if you still have a LOT of it.
Maybe flip over your bed's mattress and the couch make a fort with every blanket you own (joking a little but may not be a totally bad idea).

Record in a closet. I know Hentai already mentioned it but I guess I'm going to as well. The previous idea of mass and using a closet kind of go hand in hand. An empty closet will do nothing for dampening noise so you will need it filled with stuff. If you can you may want to think of ways to over-pack it.
Something to keep in mind is that enclosing your mic in a small closed space can cause issues with your recordings, so try to keep at least a foot or more space between your mic and whatever clothing/fabric you are around. Otherwise your recordings can get boxy and muffled.

if you have a desktop then drag your PC over to the closet door and run the cables for your monitor and keyboard under the door. Then pack in the gaps at the bottom and sides of the door if needed. Optionally, if you are using OREMO then you can not use the monitor and try to keep track of your recordings with a printed script.

You may want to avoid "soundproofing" materials. Things like acoustic foam (the little black foam tiles) do nothing for blocking sound and while it may help you records sound a tiny bit better it's expensive and everything will still pass through to your neighbors. Unless you want to get into buying fiberglass board and start planning and building a booth (which I assume no utau user ever wants to do lol).

 

[Hentai]

Agree with many of the above suggestions. Thanks for going in depth on closet recording.

Though I will add one thing. Besides MASS the other thing that helps reduce undesirable sound is dead air. A lot of studios & churches hang heavy curtains from their walls not for the mass, but to trap a layer of dead air near the walls to reduce unwanted reflections.

The other reason why I recommend closets is there is a lot of dead/trapped air within the clothing hanging inside your closet. It will do a lot to help recordings than you would think something of its mass would.

For most acoustic foam and bass traps are unnecessary unless you are making a permanent recording setup and even then outside of specifically building a room for it, it involves extra layers of rockcrete & green glue (IE adding mass), the most you would use foam for is reducing harsh reflections, not really reducing sound.

 

[keopi]

Thank you very much everyone!
Very helpful. (: