Recording Booth for Heath

TLDR: Vocal booth for jobbing actor during a pandemic and you get a free audiobook out of it.

So I am a voice actor , chiefly a narrator of audiobooks. I fell (happily) into this job when I moved 18,000 miles for love from Australia, having previously done whatever acting work I could get (mostly theatre) to pay the bills. I have been doing this for some years, upgrading my equipment as I went along from a cheapo USB microphone in a closet, to a DIY-custom closet-booth and some entry-level decent gear. (In the pre-pandemic times I used to record at studios sometimes too but... you know.)

Lately I have been getting more work than I can keep on top of - which is great - but I need to upgrade my booth, for my sanity, my sleep, and that of my wife and young son. 

My DIY booth has served me well, but its use means mostly recording at night, (you've probably seen me tweet from there at 3am)  asking the family not to do things like run water - and worst of all in a Maine winter - asking them to keep the heating off so our ancient rumbly boiler doesn't ruin everything. Also it means convincing the pets not to raise hell, as is their hearts desire. Also there are the chainsaws, so many chainsaws, lawnmowers and other noises that my little homemade set up just can't cope with.

I need an upgrade, but commercial booths are not cheap and I simply don't have the cash, nor am I able to borrow it from a bank or online lender (believe me I have tried.) 

So here is what I need - a Studiobricks One Plus   booth costs about $8000 including shipping. (I will have to unpack the crate on the mainland, as it is too big for island freight, then repack it on to a rental-truck then drive that on to the car ferry - it is going to be a production!)

Unfortunately we live in an old house (original construction 1910, much added on to since) and there isn't a single floor in it that will support the WEIGHT of a booth. (These things are HEAVY, as mass is what stops the sound from getting in.) And our basement is a tiny unfinished rock floor New England-style one you can't stand up in.

So I also need to pay someone to reinforce an area of the house so we can put a booth there. The cheapest option is to reinforce the floor in the attached tool-shed portion on the house. This will cost about $1000

I also will need some extra equipment for the booth, and to install a good network connection (and electricity) into this tool-shed, so I can record with a director/engineer sitting in remotely as is often needed by publishers.
This will also cost approximately $1000.

So $10,000 in total, that we just don't have. (We had been saving and now have to urgently replace our roof for about $16,000 so yeah.)

I have just signed up for a few large litRPG books, so work and money is on its way, but not enough, and not NOW which is when I need it, before winter is here, with these 30+ hour books to record.

So I am hoping for something like $5000? Getting half would mean I could hire the contractor, pay a deposit on the booth and get things rolling.

It is really hard for me to ask for money from strangers. (Or from family or friends for that matter) And I know there are a ton of people hurting financially now, and lots of worthy causes and individuals to help out. But your contribution would mean so much to me, and to our little family. It would mean sleep for me, and my wife and toddler not cooped up in a bedroom in two pairs of pyjamas trying to keep warm and quiet.

And in return I promise to work so very hard and read all the stories I can and send them out into the world.

Also with this upgrade I would suddenly have time to record extra stuff!

So anyone who donates ANYTHING will get a  digital download of an audiobook of "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" read with love by me

Thanks for reading, everyone.   


(current booth)


(new dream booth!)