Handle quick deadline VO recording sessions

Look over my shoulder as I prep, record and edit a quick deadline VO session.
IN this video:
Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun mic: geni.us/VOyz90 (Amazon)
Sennheiser MD 380 Pro headphones: geni.us/vlOxei (Amazon)
For Home studio equipment options check out kit.co/mikedelg...
There you'll find options for home studio setups at a variety of different budgets.
Help me make more videos by becoming a patron on Patreon
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For my videos:
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My small camera: geni.us/RWNNVxO (Amazon)
Links to amazon and kit.com may include affiliate codes in which I earn a small commission on products you purchase. . Thanks!

[@GeekDetour]

Mike, this was 100% AWESOME, a masterclass! Thank you.

[@BoothJunkie]

Fantastic. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@luxus18]

Mike, thank you so much, I was so stressed with many mistakes that I do when I read texts that I got to the point where it just frustrated me. Now that I see it is a common thing even for such experienced person like yourself, it lifted me up a lot. Thank you so much for this video :)

[@QuincyKea]

I (-⁹⁹

[@QuincyKea]

]pl poop o op nookie a

[@bigbeastmusicjamaica]

This guy is so friendly and has a great voice....love his page;very thorough and concise and most of all REAL!!!!!!

[@TODoubleDee]

This was probably the most informative VO video I've ever watched. Your channel is fantastic and has helped me immensely. Thanks Mike!

[@GingerDrums]

I record voiceover for German TV and can only say this information and setup is great. The booth doesn't look fancy but it is very effective. Good choice of vocal mic for voice over, people seem to think Large Diaphragm Condenser mics are the only way to record the voice.

[@nikosyv]

Didn't expect to watch it all but damn good advice!

[@LeviG]

Same here. Thought I'd just check out what it was about, but suddenly I had watched all 44 minutes lol

[@BoothJunkie]

Thanks! I appreciate that!

[@cpuchip]

I agree. I didn't realize it was 44 minutes long, but once I got through it I've actually gone through it a few times to pick up some of your editing techniques. It was really really nice seeing how you do your Voice Overs Booth Junkie.

[@AndyConnolly]

@@BoothJunkie I did not realize I could enlarge the waveform in the multitrack session. That little tip has saved me so much time. Thank you!

[@danielpicard3994]

Hi. Even after 30 years of experience as a voice actor, I’m still learning new tricks every day. I have a similar workflow as yours, although my tools may differ. Thanks for sharing!

[@RedBearAK]

Mike, thanks so much for all your informative videos. Just a note that it is possible to set up Reaper for Punch & Roll so that all you have to do is stop, click the new insertion point (just before the mistake was made) and hit record. That's it. Reaper can pre-roll (playback) for the time you specify, then automatically go back into record mode at the insertion point, similar to the punch-ins you're already used to doing. There doesn't need to be any tedious splitting or deleting of the tail end, or resetting the cursor after the initial click to reposition. With the right settings it's just stop, click, hit record, listen to pre-roll for a couple of seconds, and continue speaking. Mistake, stop, click, record, listen, continue. Etc. Once you get used to it, it should barely even be perceived as an interruption. It should basically be exactly like what you're doing already, except that you never need to stop and go back for editing, because you already did it! You can just keep on trucking for pages and pages until you need to take a break. Then when you do your QA pass you're only looking for timing issues, breaths, clicks, etc. Question: Do you really feel like it helps your narration flow to interrupt yourself for an editing session every other paragraph? Isn't the content and tone going to be freshest in your mind right when you're recording it? I feel like you have a bit too negative impression of how difficult P&R would be to learn and use. I sincerely believe you could find P&R editing a significantly more efficient use of your time, and I encourage you to take a weekend sometime to try and get used to it. You might surprise yourself, and find out that you aren't nearly as fast at your style of editing as you think you are. The secret is just getting the settings right. Mainly in Reaper that just means finding a pre-roll timing that works for you and recording in "tape mode" to automatically overwrite the mistake. Perhaps just as importantly, I have seen interviews with ACX audiobook producers who said many paid audiobook editors will straight up refuse to work with recordings that weren't produced via P&R, and that editing a P&R recording takes as little as 25% of the time it takes to edit this kind of click or clap style recording. These are serious considerations for anyone who wants to make a living from long-form narration. Punch and Roll could save a narrator a lot of time and money over the course of a career, and lets you collaborate more easily with others on large projects. I think it does your viewers a minor disservice to downplay the possible benefits of mastering the P&R recording style.

[@SenZubEanS]

Given that Mike has been doing his editing for more than a little while, it's safe to assume that he has probably tried a few methods and found what works best for him. What Mike provides is a good insight into the way HE does HIS thing, and at no point does he say that it's the ONLY way to do it.

[@RedBearAK]

That's true, he doesn't say it's the only way, which I appreciate. But he does say things in this video that imply to the viewers that Punch & Roll recording is way more complex and time consuming in Reaper than it needs to be. I don't believe he's really tried P&R with Reaper set up just right to make it simple and smooth. I just want everyone to understand that P&R recording can be easy and can be a very beneficial way to approach long-form narration, and that Reaper can be set up to make it work really well. I've also noticed after watching hundreds of VO-related videos that even experienced, professional voice talents like Mike don't know everything. I certainly knew a lot less back when I started watching this channel. Mike learns new things every day, just like the rest of us.

[@lyndarobertson6118]

Mike, Thank you soooo much for this and all of your awesome videos! I have learned more about doing Voiceover from you and your videos then I have learned from all of my video coaches for the last 10 years! Everything from performance to booth set up, audio editing everything you need to know and you seem to be doing this all for free. You are an incredible person and very entertaining and you have an absolutely awesome voice!

[@soundexperience5179]

Mike, thanks for what you do for others. I hope your generosity is returned in many ways.

[@paulengle5784]

Thank you so much for including your entire VO process. This is so helpful.

[@atomclub37]

That was excellent, Mike. Thank you from me - and from all budding voice over artists who are lucky enough to find their way to your channel.

[@saewms2616]

This was beyond helpful!

[@Betterded]

This is probably one the most helpful videos on voice recording out there.

[@LostIsOK]

Mike, this was a great way to tie all of your other Reaper and VO videos together! I thank you very much for letting us 'look over your shoulder'. Now, continue to inspire us all by recording something awesome!

[@pressure3791]

i have to say this is by far the most informative video i have seen of a studio session.Thank you Mike!! for not only your videos but also recommending REAPER . their daw software is very helpful and their videos has helped me out a bunch!! i have reviewed the first 15 videos for beginners.and thankfully i was able to understand what steps you were taking thru their program!! your the best

[@CantoVerboMusic]

I could hear this guy for 5 hours... great voice, so helpful!

[@EarthEphemeralGems]

I honestly cannot thank you enough for this video. This was Unbelievably valuable.

[@MarkVO]

I employed this method (except I snapped my finger) and it's definitely faster than stop + cut + rerecord. It also ensures that your voice is consistent. When I was less experienced I often stopped with one tone and started with a slightly different tone of voice, making the part of the recording that I put in sound out of place.

[@francopetrone8361]

Listen.... I'm not anywhere near involved in anything about audio recording (except for my conference calls). Listening to your videos is so fascinating and interesting and the sound of your voice is super soothing (sounds weird but its true). This technique of yours is amazing, so simple yet so effective and organized. You are a true craftman in your field!

[@Doodleberian]

This was a fantastic video! It provided me a much needed insight into how a professional VO artist does their trade.

[@ThinBlueLaneRVLife]

Another amazing video. Thank you for sharing all of this with us. I will be adding you to my regular play list.

[@AG_before]

Suggestion: upload an updated version of this please. Why? Because it is _absolute gold_ , and people need to see and hear it. Thank you so much for this. 👍Also, an updated work flow would be very interesting to watch, perhaps even to you. To anyone reading this: whether you're seasoned, just baking, or still flour, you _must_ watch this. There are a lot of gold nuggets in there. And very few are generous enough to share.

[@BryansBin]

Holy cow! This is PURE GOLD! Someone else commented that this is a Master Class. That comment is SPOT ON! I’ll be studying this, and so many more of your videos!!

[@AliasEnigmatic]

I'm actually really glad that you made this video... I thought I was an idiot for doing these types of edits xD I usually try and edit on the fly, while I am doing the audio. But it started to get rather tiring, and I was spending a lot more time editing than I was actually recording. I think i'm going to pick up a clicker of some sort, I've just been snapping, and it gives a decent wave form, but I think the clicker would certainly be quite a heavy visual on the recording. Some amazing videos, been loving watching a lot of your VO work videos! Thanks for all the work you put into these.

[@R.C.Bullar]

My opinion... But this is the best sounding mic you've used so far hands down to me.

[@VOByRobbins]

Mike, Great video!!! does reaper have a Spectral frequency display? I do audio books-- edit with Adobe Audition--- and it's invaluable to pick up unwanted mouth noise/clicks --- just curious! --- your videos are getting better and better all the time, crazy helpful--- thanks to you and Earl Hall , I'm on my third book for Audioble this year!! Thank you!!

[@Super8Rescue]

I always tell my students to do one long voice take and then go back and edit. Makes life much easier to get the right flow during the edit. Punch in editing is fine for music, not for voice work. The dog clicker is a neat trick.

[@AnubisAkaLee]

I've always done the snap or clicker myself. One of the biggest benefits to me has been that I can more easily match up the same way/tone/emphasis I was speaking in vs punch and roll. I was literally JUST saying it, so it's much easier to stop, snap, take a breathe and try again and feel comfortable that when I go back and listen to the finished product that it wont SOUND like a recording with a punch and roll, it will sound like a continuous recording from someone that's not a total goof AKA me.

[@Viananalida]

Awesome video! just went through a lot mics and headphones reviews on your channel. Nice to see your workflow.

[@coconutpandanlatte]

I DEFINITELY HEARD YOUR VOICE MANY TIMES! :O it's awesome to put a face on the voice!

[@CraigGriffinAUS]

Absolutely brilliant Mike. You are, as we say in Australia, a ‘deadset legend’. Awesome example of brains mixed with passion.

[@ThinBlueLaneRVLife]

That's some bed head, brother. I also love working from home.

[@danboud8135]

You mentioned Forvo, man that site is a god-send. Especially if you're doing a lot of historical narration with relatively obscure names. Good plug

[@grazispoint]

Amazingly detailed tutorial of the day in the life of a voice-over for professional work. Thank you, seriously, thank you.

[@james4243]

Mike, you are a voice over God. Watching you work is both inspiring and deflating. Inspiring because of all the fantastic tips and insight you give, but deflating because you make it look so easy and I know when I put this into practice Ill be slooooooow and fublungered (as you say).

[@Brandon-lz5xc]

This is an excellent and informative video. Genuine evergreen content. Thank you!

[@mr.ethings1545]

i have have been binging your channel! Thank you so much for going so into depth with your content!

[@glider1b]

Hi Mike, Thanks for a great video. Watch every second of it . It was great to see your editing flow , I learnt a great deal.

[@donyawinters7997]

This was so helpful and gave me WAY more information than the title indicated! Can't wait to start the Reaper videos! Thanks for your generosity!

[@khaledal-shal5530]

Mike, you are a true VO senpai!

[@jroar123]

Instructive and worthwhile to cover as a topic. Always a pleasure, thanks Mike.

[@xaosnox]

Awesome, Mike! I'm part way in and loving it. I don't know how you can read that PDF! I always take the text, put it into Pages, and export it as an epub so I can adjust the font size in iBooks and turn the page with a swipe of the trackpad. I thought this might be a great place to share two things that I found make a world of difference when doing voice work. First, is sinus rinsing with Neil Med's sinus rinse kit twice a day. Morning and night, and if you're fighting a cold, do two in a row each time. This keeps the sinuses clear, which keeps the throat and lungs free of post nasal drip. After doing this for a few days, the resonance in your voice is dramatically improved, and it saves wear and tear on the vocal folds because you get more sound with less effort. You can also add a few drops of food grade vegetable glycerin to the warm saline, which keep the sinuses moist, clean, and healthy. And,, for in the booth, I make a spray with water, food grade vegetable glycerin, xylitol, slippery elm extract, and a touch of spearmint if you want. (Mint can be drying for some people, but it can also be a nice flavor and stimulate saliva for others.) This keeps your mouth moist and cuts down on mouth noise. Too much water can actually rinse out your mouth's natural saliva. Stay hydrated, but keep water to a minimum when recording and use the spray instead. (RX Essentials for $99 has the de-click plugin that does a really good job of cleaning up your audio. You'd be surprised how much it improves recordings that you already thought were good.)

[@jalexanderevans]

This guy's hair is my spirit animal.

[@kennym.4664]

Fascinating look. Thanks for this! Is it weird that the editing portion of VO looks so exciting to me? If so, I'm cool with that.

[@thevoiceofryan2453]

This is great Mike. Very helpful in working with large projects with multiple sections/files. You rock!

[@Bagstard]

Holy shit, I didnt notice you did narrations on the nosleep podcast until I saw the dropbox on your browser. I love that podcast and never even noticed!

[@thefireguy2826]

Booth Junkie!!!!! Just bought a blue yeti because of your advice. I LOVE this mic! Thanks for you videos man.

[@alaster33]

Briliant , you gave so much , with great tips and tricks of your amazing voice skills , and supper Y dog clicker rendering methods are supper cool and seem really intuitive and a great way to work ...it seems like a lot of work to reach your level and skills , but it was a great run down on a lot of the process that's involved . It seems like a lot of work but genius never comes easy , i have only ever seen you doing this once , and although i have never done this , i never even though about being voice over artist until now , but you sound so professional , i had to subscribe great work 🙏

[@MatthiasFromm]

Thanks Mike for sharing this! As you, I am more of a "click and roll" guy, with the only difference that I don't use a dog clicker, but an editing marker that I set through a key stroke (basically kind of a reaper action that sets a marker and marks in red too). I also use the general marker function in Reaper to mark where paragraphs end. Keep your videos coming! Cheers!

[@AteuCu]

share it *

[@gigarat]

LOL Mac window management.. accurate assessment. Another great, informative video, thank you! Since finding this channel, I'm now hooked on CAD, Mass Drop, and Reaper. Let's see what's next. :D

[@aerofart]

Reaper guru Kenny Gioia who has compiled the most comprehensive collection of instructional videos on Reaper has a particular video where he describes a special recording mode wherein the keyboard goes into a special mode and all the usual shortcuts and keystrokes during your editing session are no longer active, but a whole new set of record-only keyboard shortcuts that you define become active. With this method, he set up custom actions where with the press of one key (R, for example) recording would start, another key, like X would stop the recording and delete the take and another key would save the take. A very flexible way methinks for laying down a track and getting it all done right by the time you get to the end of your reading.

[@swishbill3475]

Thank you

[@doodlevids4152]

Love the in-depth behind the scenes look at your process!

[@ScottMagboo]

Love the realty of it errors and all.

[@jeremybasko]

Thanks for all of your super informative videos! I definitely appreciate the view behind the scenes!

[@tdmorgenthaler8384]

Strong workflow.

[@LCTRgames]

Love this video - excellent look at process techniques and how to approach things.

[@deblazz5960]

Awesome as always, Mike. Thank you!!!

[@DavidMDavenport]

Fantastic video and insight into your process. Tremendous learning - Thank You, Mike!!

[@aerofart]

Hey Mike, I realize this video is three years old, and that you may already have found another solution for displaying your script, but you might want to take a look at using a self-scrolling teleprompter app with an iPad or android tablet. This way you’ll get easy to read fonts from any distance. However, I’m not so sure how suitable the teleprompter software would be if you needed to do a retake - not sure if finding a place in the script would be as easy as just looking at a conventional document.

[@Jim-El]

Thanks Mike! Love your personality and specific advice! I hope soon to be able to use it~!

[@totallyfrozen]

This video is absolute GOLD!!!👍🏻❤️

[@DanRamoscomedy]

awesome tip on the CLICK! also using the MHK 416 (great review)

[@5ecretcode]

I would love a video on what boom arms you use/stands (on your desk or standing , especially with a shotgun mic)

[@MrTsVideoEmporium]

Thanks as always Mike :) I have a lot of respect for you, your work and advice and have made positive changes to my own VO setup & ethics with your advice in mind ... Great videos, all of 'em !!! Regards, Simon

[@adamdergiman-worldvoice9685]

Holy cow this litterally has opened my (somewhat sleep deprived) mind to a different more efficient way of editing! Looks like I need to go back through your reaper tutorial again to do more tweaks!

[@vintageMIDI]

Excellent and insightful workflow. Thank you!

[@MrCurtisworsham]

i love watching your videos. Don't ever stop man. Your information is invaluable and has helped me along with me set up and work flow. Would you be interested in doing a short video based on the art of voice projection; dramatic roles, louder voices, mic distancing as well as taming your speak and body language to reduce sound clutter ? something along those lines? I would love to hear what you have to say about those things. You rule man! big fan .

[@MrCurtisworsham]

lol typos make me sound irish

[@repalmore]

I got my Audible account back in 2011. Many of the books I listened to had "edits" in them and sometimes they were quite noticeable. Now I understand.

[@joeyfourfingers5078]

Spectacle does what Windows used to do before windows 10! They removed most of the window-control in Win-10 and now you only have larger, smaller, or minimize. Awesome! (new to mac ownership. used for years tho)

[@candyfemboy2410]

heya Boothjunkie, You have given me so much inspiration to get my own booth soon, thank you so much for the boost in drive. :>

[@rikuzi00007]

This was really good and informative. Thanks!

[@jebatman756]

I agree, I also tend to think punch n roll is a time waster, at least for me. In lieu of the dog thingy or not wanting to snap one's fingers, I usually clear my throat (it's pretty loud), that clips and I don't even really have to look for the "signature in the audio track" because at any size, it's very visible. Also, snapping my fingers is inconsistent and I don't wanna take a chance missing one and leaving it in...

[@tombennettcomedy]

So reassuring to see you make as man mistakes as me - and the dog clicker is such a GREAT idea!!! I'm going to try it - thanks so much for your videos - is there somewhere I can donate to you?

[@michaelkilinski2809]

That’s was awesome!

[@craiglee7993]

Mike awesome thanks i wish you had a short week class in person topped off on last day with a demo. 4 days of learning from the Master you .If you did 2 students at a time charge 1k-1500 each just a thought.I used to teach hand engraving in Firearms classes .Nerv damage took that away i love VA.

[@freddyreal2225]

Mike, I really appreciate it, thank you so much. Awesome and extremely helpful and educational tips.

[@niteboatermusic]

so helpful, thank you so much for all your interesting tips and methods. Offsite backups - who does that? People who know what real disaster really means - so great job.

[@JohnKuehne_SF]

Mike, thanks for this as I just found it for some reason. It is great to see some confirmation of my process and workflow is similar to yours. I use Twisted Wave for my DAW so no punch and roll for me ;-)

[@Fishonabike]

While long, it was very insightful. Great video!

[@swittle22]

That was incredible! Thank you so very much.

[@cinemavanya]

This is sort of motivation video. Great work, thank you for this so much!

[@kennymonty8206]

I've tried several ways to edit and record. I'm not sure I've decided what's faster for me yet. But, I do a type of punch and roll but there's no deleting. I just put the cursor on the recording at a sentence, a breath, and record over my mistake with a new take. One less step, saves time. Maybe.

[@rogberube6422]

Many thanks, Mike. :)

[@TransplantHelper]

Great video... love the dog clicker.. although I don’t do voice overs as a podcaster this will help tremendously.

[@blazingdan]

So awesome. So inspiring. Thank you.

[@bohacekml]

Thanks, Mike! That's was pretty damn awesome!

[@ChrisPFuchs]

You're the best Mike!

[@grahamhobson2875]

Thank you, just thank you! Extremely helpful advice; it is appreciated.

[@sirradu70]

Watched for the dog clicker. I do the same thing with snaps. Then I heard you pronounce Koenig the right way. Just as I was getting excited, you went back and changed it to the other way. Deciding whether to take my Subscribe back on not.... ;-)

[@toddreiman1141]

Awesome video Mike. Thank you.

[@TheStevengoss]

Thank you! great info!

[@eileenanglinactor]

Thanks so much for the videos. All have been so helpful.

[@VOTEBLUEFORYOU2024]

I will always ADORE how you get tongue tied....."save it for the BOOTH, BABY!" LOL! ;-)

[@ramiarafa728]

34:48 I made with you the "ooooooopf" hahaha

[@greasemonkey88]

Thumbs up instantly because you called Mac's window management "ass." lol

[@ZanyGeek]

Hey, thanks for another great video. In this video you use the added effects "De-esser" and "Master Limiter". I dont believe these were used in your older "Reaper presets" video. Out of curiosity why didnt you include them in the reaper presets video? Many thanks

[@theblueagent_]

Amazing advice, bravo!

[@k1eea]

These are great videos!!! Thank you so much!!!