Vocal Acousti Shield

[HerbieSwizzle]

http://www.cadaudio.com/AS32_Acousti-shield_32.php

I have the opportunity to pick one of these up for free.... any of you have experience when using this type of product? Is it beneficial? Home recording based...

Or is it a pos that I should just resell.

 

[mva801]

If it's free, use it. If you don't like it, sell it? actually you should do a little comparo with and without that and post it up. I've kinda been wondering the same thing, if those are worth it in the home/ bedroom studio environment.

 

[HerbieSwizzle]

Okay,

Give me until the weekend. Thanks for all your advice!! It helped me alot... will be buying the mic and will test it out.

Hopefully I put some tests up soon

 

[LoftMusicRob]

They work. Especially in small rooms with bad reflections. They can be used for things other than vocals too. Kurt at Godcity uses them to separate high hat from snare. They are very top-heavy so make sure it is attached to a very sturdy stand.

 

[MatrixClaw]

They work fairly well, they can give a very "dead" sound, which a lot of people seem to dislike. I haven't tried the MXL version, so I can't attest to how close it gets to the sE Reflexion Filter I used to have, though. To me, it doesn't look like it'd be quite as deadening, since from what I remember, they're using an auralex style foam for them, which I'd imagine disperses the soundwaves a bit more, instead of just trapping them.

For anyone wanting to buy one new, I'd suggest just building one. I'm actually doing that right now, the only issue I see arising is how to attach it to a stand, but an hour or two of work, for essentially the same design as a the Reflexion Filter, sure beats spending ~$270 more for something already put together.

 

[KHE]

think about polar-patterns of microphones and re-think the usefullness of these shields. any treatment behind you is much more effective and makes more sense.

 

[DanLights]

think about polar-patterns of microphones and re-think the usefullness of these shields. any treatment behind you is much more effective and makes more sense.

But isn't the point to minimize the very first reflections (the sound comes out of your mouth straight into the shield, thus minimizing its reflection to the wall in front which in turn minimizes what is sent back to the wall behind you and consequently means at least a bit less goes back into the mic)?

 

[LoftMusicRob]

think about polar-patterns of microphones and re-think the usefullness of these shields. any treatment behind you is much more effective and makes more sense.

I agree that treating the room should come first. However, you don't have to use the shield only behind the mic. I use it quite often when I record on-location and away from my treated booth. I have placed these above, below, and to the side of the mic.

Which mic are you talking about? Some mics kill sound from behind, while others will pick up sound on the other end. If you have a vocalist facing a window in a shitty room and the reflections are coming back into the mic, then behind it is absolutely a useful place to be.

 

[tempe]

We basically make a porta-vocal booth out of several bass traps and a massive version of one of these shields that we DIY'd, doesn't look the prettiest but it works!