A live echo chamber can be a considerable asset for any recording studio, that is providing that it is a good one.

That’s the problem — how do you construct a good echo chamber? When someone builds a chamber, they hope it will turn out great and pray it won’t turn out absolutely dreadful and good for nothing but storing echo plates.

The truth is there are a number of complex variables which will make each chamber unique.

These factors which effect the chamber include the type of wall construction and the selection of materials used on the inside surface.

Probably the most important consideration is the cubic volume and physical proportions of the chamber.

This leads to the first question to be asked before a chamber can be built. What space is available?

Space
Most times echo chambers occupy surplus space. The more space that is available to start with, the easier the construction job since the builder won’t have to deal with odd angles or cramped building conditions.

The size of the chamber can generally vary from 1,000 cubic feet to about 2,000 cubic feet of internal volume. 1,500 cubic feet seems to get excellent results within a workable space.

A small chamber won’t get optimum results and the largest chambers are a luxury since they occupy a space large enough to be usable for other purposes.

When determining if enough area is available, it is necessary to remember to allow for figuring the wall thicknesses.

Figure 1. Click to enlarge.

There is also a need to consider a wide enough passageway around the structure for a hammer to be swung. If this isn’t planned for putting on the exterior sheeting is going to be a difficult proposition.

It is also suggested that the space be large enough to accommodate a chamber with a minimum interior dimension of 7 feet. A chamber with a side shorter than this will usually give unsatisfactory results.

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