How to Cool a Vocal Booth in 5 Different Ways

So, you are a voiceover artist, musician, sound designer, or producer?

And, let me guess, you need a sure-fire way to keep that vocal booth of yours away from the fire of the summer heat?

Then you’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you 5 different ways to cool your whisperbooth, also referred to as whisperroom vocal booth studios.

Don’t Worry, We Got Your Back
DIY Master Solution
DIY Expert Build
Other Ways to Cool Off
To Wrap Up

There are several ways for you to bring the chill inside and keep it there. You can build your own air-conditioning extension, buy a super silent fan or even use a portable AC for your DIY whisper room, or iso booth as we call it in the biz.

And here is how.

Don’t Worry, We Got Your Back

When deciding on the best way to cool your vocal booth, it is normal that you take into account several important factors about HVAC for recording studio. But we have read your mind (not really, but go with it) and we have found many different ways for you to chill that isolation booth so you can work in peace.

There are plenty of options for you to choose from depending on the size of your booth, your budget and your DIY skills.

If your DIY skills are not as good, don’t worry! Our simple and inventive options are sure to help you achieve the same goal.

Now, a tight budget might seem like an issue for you, but we have found a couple of great solutions just for you, so you don’t have to reach deep into your pocket, or wherever else you carry your money in.

DIY Master Solution

If you happen to have a ceiling fan in a room adjacent to your vocal booth, then good for you, because believe it or not, there is a way to bring that chill into your awesome isolation chamber.

As one vocal booth expert claims, you can do this by using the good ol’ Quietflex. Come on, you must have some lying around. If not, it’s as easy as ordering it online.

Then, to shorten the lengthy article down, you also need some plywood and basic measuring/cutting skills. What you want to do, is build a box with holes inside, those that will chill your booth, but also those that will keep the room where the air conditioner is in nice and cool.

The author of this inventive design and incredible solution claims that it works amazingly. So, check the full article, but first, make sure to read this one through because we have more tips and tricks for you.

DIY Expert Build

This option is all about making your cooling system from scratch. You don’t need an adjacent room with an AC unit somewhere in the walls, but you do need some knowledge in craftsmanship and a bigger budget.

Have in mind that you will also need some heavy machinery in order to create this cooling system.

This expert cooling system is made with thicker wood panels, a flexible pipe, and these guys that do all the work: Silenx 5 Channel Cabinet Cooling System.

As you can see, the parts are already pricier than for the above-mentioned solution, but with this expert system, you can rest easy knowing you have all your bases covered for a great cooling experience.

The build is made out of two large boxes that fit on the outside of your vocal booth. One box has all the necessary components to suck the hot air outside, while the other box cools the air and brings in that much-needed breeze to ensure you are chilling while you record.

Now, as the steps for building this beast of a cooling system are long and laborious, it would just be ridiculous if I were to present them all here.

However, there is this neat video that showcases the entire process so you can make an awesome cooling addition to your own vocal booth.

Other Ways to Cool Off

Now, if you are not the handy DIY type, don’t fret! There are a number of ways for you to ensure you don’t melt inside of your vocal booth.

How to cool a vocal booth?

We found more ways just for you!

Here we present several different options for you depending on your budget.

Budget-Friendly Option

Researching for this article, I have discovered a neat little video that for some reason has only about 600 views.

That aside, the man with glasses and some trustworthy mustache offers not one, not two, but 6 different ways for you to cool your vocal booth using only three or four (yes, you read that right) household items.

Here are his solutions:

Ventilation Fan + PVC Pipes + Ice Packs + Fan Muffler

This is the expert option as it requires most parts and some handy work to be done on the PVC pipes, but it is quick and looks to be the best option out of all.

What you need to do is connect the fan to the muffler. I didn’t manage to find the exact muffler our friendly mustache man was using, but you can easily use the Quietflex I linked to above.

Obviously, you will need a small hole that leads inside your vocal booth. Connect the muffler to the hole from the outside of the isolation booth.

Now, for the most important part, you need to place your three Ice Packs onto the PVC rack you previously made, and put that contraption on the inside of your booth right in front of the muffler hole.

This will ensure that all the air that ventilates through the muffler becomes nice and cool. What’s more, there won’t be any sound at all!
Ventilation Fan + Ice Packs

This is the budget friendliest option as it only requires two items: your fan and those three ice packs.

You need to build a fort out of your ice packs, putting one on top of the other two.

Then, you place the fan behind them and there you have it – cool air seeping right through.
Ventilation Fan + Ice Packs + Styrofoam + Chopsticks

Another cheap option with stuff you probably have lying around: a nice Styrofoam block and some chopsticks.

Jam those chopsticks into the Styrofoam, making sure they are evenly spread to create a holding rack, place your ice packs between the chopsticks and that is pretty much it.
Ventilation Fan + Ice Packs + PVC Pipe

This one is pretty similar to the first one, except you don’t use a muffler.

Just make sure that your PVC pipe has enough room to hold all three of your ice packs, and that the holes are evenly spread across the pipes.

With your fan behind, the coolness will just flow.
Ventilation Fan + Ice Packs + Dishrack

Yes, here we are using a dishrack. Pretty crazy, right? But it works! And, it will make your airflow upwards, so you have a longer cooling effect as the air falls down.

What you need to do is prop the dishrack on its side or buy one that is facing sideways.

Then, place the ice packs on one side, and put the fan beneath them on the other side.

This is a compact solution that takes up the least space.
Ventilation Fan + Ice Packs + Document Holder

And finally, the wonkiest of them all, the document rack option.

Depending on the size of your document holder, you should be able to jam the ice packs between the racks and put the fan behind this contraption.

Now, I am not sure about this one, it looks a bit weird, but if you have a document rack lying around try it and let us know if it works!

And that is it!

6 neat tricks for you to keep your vocal booth nice and cold. All of them easy and quick solutions!

If you need further instructions on how to build any of these cooling contraptions, then watch the nice man’s video (above).

Using an Actual Quiet Fan for Recording Studio

Now this solution might not be the best out there, especially if you need to keep the background noise virtually non-existent, but it works!

Apparently, there is this fan called the Opolar fan that you can use on the lowest setting to keep you nice and cool until you manage to gather the money for a more silent solution.

It is a USB fan, so you can hook it up straight to your PC. It is also super silent and if you don’t believe me, then go ahead and watch a video that was filmed while using this fan. I really tried, but I couldn’t hear anything!

And it only costs about $20, so you won’t have to empty your wallet.

Portable AC Unit

For this installation, you will require an actual AC unit that can get a bit pricey. But, again, it is an AC unit, so you have more control over the airflow and the temperature.

There are many options out there for the portable AC, ranging from $40 to $400. Which one you will go for really depends on your budget as well as how easy it is to connect to a Quietflex or any adjustable pipe that will lead the breeze into your vocal booth.

And here are some photos so you can see how this might look.

Just for you, I went ahead and found these two options (but there are many out there):

Anbber Portable Air Conditioner

This little guy comes just under $40. It is small and easy to use.

It comes with a purifier and humidifier if you need those sorts of add-ons, and it boasts a low noise cooling fan and three speeds of airflow.
NEPO Portable Air Conditioner

This bigger guy has a steep price, but it also has an actual remote, so you can easily control the speed.

Now, this one actually comes with a dehumidifier which might be more appropriate for your vocal booth.

It is on the pricier side, standing at $249, so it is up to you to decide if it fits your budget.

But you may save some money on making your entire booth portable (not just the AC). Search “room portable booth for sale” on Amazon or craigslist, etc.

And that is all, folks!

We do hope this article helps you with cooling down your hot vocal booth.

We are certain you will be able to use at least one of these options, but if not, then you can always fill those baggy ice packs and wrap your body in them. That was a joke, people, please don’t do that, it can be dangerous.

To Wrap Up

These 5 different ways of building your own cooling systems are sure to help you achieve that perfect temperature so you can record without worrying about the heat. Some of them will even work for small room portable booths and even a pop up recording booth.

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Juan Louder

I started SoundStudioMagic to learn how to record my own audiobook at home, and now I'm addicted to all the latest techniques and gear.