Tips For Recording Voice-Overs

Recording voice-overs of good quality can be attained by just a few basic considerations to keep in mind before and during recording. In the above video, Videomaker shows us some tips on how to achieve good sound provided that your talent has… well, talent.

Some tips to consider:

1. Minimize noises in the environment such as appliances or climate vents.
2. Acoustically prep the recording area. Depending on the desired sound you are going for, a clean dry signal free of specific characteristics gives you more freedom when manipulating the voice later. It may be easier to add environment later than try to take it out of the recording.
3. Cover hard, reflective surfaces to control sound better or any other items in the room that may resonate when the talent raises their voice.
4. Be sure to light the area well. If the talent can’t read the script they can’t say the lines.
5. Make sure the area is well ventilated. We do not want the talent to be uncomfortable or stuffy while recording.
6. Talent should dress in layers so they can adapt to hot or cold they get during the process. They might be there a while.
7. Choose the right mic. Basically, you get what you pay for, but always read spec sheets and most importantly use your ears. That $1,000 mic might not sound so good for that person’s voice, and that $30 mic might not sound good for anyone’s voice.
8. Use a good shock mount to reduce handling noise or any floor vibrations.
9. Do not stand too close of far from the mic. About 4 to 6 inches away is ok. Trust your ears.
10. Use a pop filter for plosives and sibilance reduction.
11. Use closed-back headphones.
12. Roll off around 100 Hz with around an 18 dB slope for clarity and pop reduction.
13. Pay with compressors and other dynamic processors for you desired sound.

All of these tips are universal whether recording musical vocals or voices for visual media. Music can get slightly more complex but as far as voice-overs go these are good starting points.

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