There is also a surprising degree of consistency in the dimensions of these devices. Design variations include the extent to which the rigid shell is perforated, and the choice of lining materials: while the SE screens have a complex multi–layered structure, many others use simple acoustic foam, usually shaped into wedges. The design is similar in almost all cases: a rigid outer shell is curved or angled to enclose a microphone, and lined with acoustically absorbent inner material. All are claimed to reduce the audible influence of room reflections on a recording, and many manufacturers make the additional claim that their screens can reduce the extent to which external sounds such as traffic, computer fan noise or air–conditioning hum are picked up. We tested 10 such screens, ranging in price from well under £100 to almost £300 under $100 to almost $400. (See the accompanying media page for the audio files) Screen One, Screen Them All Trevor then oversaw the analysis of the results. The test protocols were devised by Trevor Cox, Professor of Acoustic Engineering at Salford, and the tests carried out by doctoral student Nikhilesh Patil. Thanks to their expertise and world–class test facilities, we were able to compare the performance of 10 rival products, including both the original Reflexion Filter Pro and SE’s latest RF Space. Photo: Chris Foster Photography Salford postgraduate student Nikhilesh Patil carried out the tests.To find out the answers to these questions, Sound On Sound teamed up with the Acoustics Laboratory at the University of Salford. Professor Trevor Cox in the anechoic chamber at Salford. Do they actually do what their manufacturers claim of them? And what, if any, are the negative side–effects of using them?

Yet there is no reliable information in the public domain on their effectiveness, and, as far as we know, none of them have ever been subjected to rigorous testing. The Reflexion Filter was a great commercial success, and though certain aspects of its multi–layered design are covered by an SE patent, the basic concept has been widely imitated by other manufacturers.Įight years on, there are hundreds of thousands of these ‘portable vocal booths’ in homes and studios across the world.

The idea of a portable acoustic screen that can ‘dry up’ recorded sound by preventing unwanted room reflections from reaching the microphone has obvious appeal to the home recording market, where people often find themselves working in untreated recording spaces. When SE Electronics launched their Reflexion Filter Pro in 2006, they created an entirely new product category. Portable acoustic screens are designed to make it possible to record good–sounding vocals almost anywhere.

How to make a cheap vocal booth