Drop the mic!

I bought a small device that measures air quality, humidity, and temperature. Basically, a will-I-pass-out-in-the-middle-of-recording-a-long-Portuguese-elearning-module detector. With it, I analyzed the air inside my voice-over booth.

I know I could have chosen to keep a canary inside, like they used to do in the mines to make sure the air was breathable. But it wouldn’t be fair to the little bird if the oxygen levels dropped drastically. And, I admit, having a canary chirping during recordings wouldn’t be very useful…

The manual for this audio booth (a small professional studio designed for voice talent like me) tells me that air continues to circulate even though outside noise doesn’t get in. It’s a pretty smart system of oxygen circulation from top to bottom, featuring an intake and exhaust maze that allows air to flow without letting noise enter.

Still, I was genuinely afraid of passing out after a few hours of recording. So, I put the CO2 detector to work.

Vital findings from measuring the air quality:

• CO2 concentration inside the soundproof booth goes from good to acceptable in 30 minutes. I assume it would take another half an hour to go from acceptable to bad, but I didn’t want to take to consequences of staying inside to confirm that;
• Opening the booth door for a mere two or three seconds is enough to fully replenish the oxygen level, resetting the CO2 concentration. In other words, if I crack the door open for just a moment every 30 minutes, I’ll always have good oxygen to record for hours on end;
• The oxygen returns instantly when I open the door but the sauna is here to stay. The temperature inside the booth rises by 5°C (9°F) in 30 minutes, and stays there. This happens in both winter and summer. When it’s cold outside, it actually feels nice to work in. But in the dead of summer… Oof. At over 45°C (113°F) inside a booth, the concern shifts from breathing to sweating. And in the end, the headphones don’t go back on the stand. They go to the drying rack… (I’m not kidding!)