Review: Editors Keys Portable Vocal Booth Pro 2

Editors Keys’ Portable Vocal Booth Pro 2 set up with floor stand included (pop shield and mic not included!)

Just when you think a home studio couldn’t be more affordable, along comes a ‘cost effective’ sequel for recording vocals

nless you’re looking for the garage band-esque sound of a DIY recording – which, let’s face it, is never much of a positive until it’s rediscovered in the lost archives of a music legend – then every singer-songwriter would like to hear their vocals captured in a professional recording studio. The problem is, such luxuries are very expensive. Unless you have the option to block- book a studio for days on end – something most fledgling songwriters simply can’t do – nailing a perfect vocal performance in a couple of hours can be difficult.

Enter the Editors Keys Portable Vocal Booth Pro 2. This neat gadget allows you to recreate the crystal-clear recordings conjured up in a studio booth wherever and whenever you please. The quality can’t quite match that of a fully soundproofed cell – but it’s not far off. Our sample came with a pop shield and a solidly built stand is included as standard. After fixing up our AKG C414-XLS condenser mic – the manufacturers claim the booth is compatible with 99 per cent of mics so that shouldn’t be an issue – we recorded a track using the complete set-up.

The vocals were crisp, clear and dry and background noise was greatly reduced. The thing is, we knew this would happen. The technology deployed in the Vocal Booth Pro 2 isn’t new. Spiked foam inlays (the kind that if you stare too hard make your eyes perform somersaults) behaving as shock aborbers do as they should. A solid base, like the Vocal Booth’s aluminium casing, will always help protect a recording from outside noise. No great surprise. But what impressed us was just how simple it was to achieve this result.

For a relatively modest price tag, the Vocal Booth Pro 2 provides a professional sound from a portable device. The build is solid and simple. It’s a trustworthy piece of kit that oozes quality.

It took a matter of minutes to assemble – we didn’t even need the modest instruction booklet – and we were able to transport it with ease. But, as a desktop device it does falter. This is where the Vocal Booth’s sturdiness works against it: it’s difficult to find the space to sit it comfortably next to a simple recording set-up unless blessed with a trestle table. And, although this does come down to preference, sitting down to record a vocal just feels wrong. On a stand, however, we couldn’t fault it.

Are we suggesting that all the professional songwriters out there sack their producers and try to do the lot at home? No. But for a small investment, any fledgling artist would do well to invest in this clever and endlessly useful piece of kit.

Verdict: A trustworthy and useful addition to the singer-songwriter’s home studio

Kieron Allen

Specifications

• Package includes vocal screen, clamp and microphone stand
• Compatible with 99% of microphones
• Full floor stand
• Desk stand mounts
• Designed for home and studio use
• Lifetime warranty and full money back promise

Price
£169.99

Website
www.editorskeys.com
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