How to Record Voice Over Auditions That Are Technically Perfect

[@glenkippel819]

Recording in a closet? I've done that! But if you are working on a long project, you have to take a break once in awhile to come up for air! Just putting carpet on the wall is only effective to absorb high frequencies. Moving blankets can work; if your room is square roll them up and put them in the corners to avoid that "bassy" sound. Pay attention to the acceptance pattern of the mic. An omnidirectional pattern will pick up sounds from every direction. You don't want that. The mics to use have a cardioid (heart-shaped) pattern. But the manufacturer typically specs that at 1000 Hz. Everything above and/or below that can approach an omni pattern. Dynamic mics that have a good pattern are the Shure SM-7B, Heil PR-30, ElectroVoice RE-20 and Audio-Technica BP40. For condensers, I have liked the sound of an AKG C-1000S but am presently using a Russian-made Oktava MK-319, which has good rear rejection. Sometimes putting an sE Reflexion Filter or something similar behind the mic will help. In really difficult acoustic environments, some people use shotgun mics. But you still have to cope with the acoustics in FRONT of the mic.Headphones? Yes! When you play back through speakers, the sound is influenced by the acoustics of the room. Headphones eliminate that. But don't get cheap phones - anything in the $100 - 200 range would do. It is possible to pay over $1,000 for phones, but that is overkill. I have been a fan of AKG for decades, but some people like Sony, Sennheiser or Shure. Get what feels comfortable. To get rid of pops, most everyone has been using pop screens. Foam windscreens work , but I use a WindTech PopGard 2000 as it does the job and doesn't need a gooseneck. But you should start by aiming the mic at your mouth, and aiming your mouth about 45 degrees away from the mic.

[@voices]

Wow! What a fantastic comment - thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@maestraviajesprod.2972]

Hi, I am Geraldine , a voice over talent from the Philippines and doing already voice projects to different voice company abroad. But, still feel I need a lot of learning to do to cope up with vast of competitors . I am very happy to discover your channel. Thank you!

[@CHRISDABAHIA]

Glen Kippel Thanks so much, Glen!

[@chlungat17]

..Hi,Ms. Geraldine I'm also from Philippines . Pangarap kO pO talagang maging Anime Voice Actress . Mag a ask lang pO ako paano pO ba mAg simula? 😁

[@chlungat17]

..Hi,Ms. Geraldine I'm also from Philippines . Pangarap kO pO talagang maging Anime Voice Actress . Mag a ask lang pO ako paano pO ba mAg simula? 😁

[@uwuawoo3987]

Funny how you mention electronics making noise. So for the longest time, I was trying to figure out this buzz. Turns out, it was my microphone picking up the RGB light frequencies on my keyboard. And the buzzing frequency varied by colour. White was the noisiest. It was the craziest experience.

[@voices]

Ahhh yes, lights can be the worst culprits for noise. I bet white was the worst because white uses red, green, and blue at equal values to create white. Glad you've got it figured out!

[@gregwigle6693]

This was incredibly helpful and instilled much more confidence than I had before I clickedplay.

[@voices]

That's great to hear. Thanks for the comment, Greg.

[@almurray2374]

Wow , what a difference in room noise between Tommy and David . Sound levels and background noise ! Tommy had way better sound ! Thank you for the tips

[@janedoe-hq9vn]

Lol..sitting here, taking notes and every time the subject of acoustics came up, the AC kicked on & I can hear it in the hallway, outside by the window and even hear the air blowing through the vent...Im so used to it I didn't notice it until it was pointed out...will definitely have to remedy this... Great video. Very informative, professional, as well as, straight to the point on each subject. Much appreciated. 👍

[@tiffanymacfarlane1065]

Only started looking into this gig today and this information was priceless thank you so much! Very easily understood, not too technical, just real. Thanks so much Tommy.

[@voices]

Thanks so much for watching -Randy

[@moniquelynwone8228]

Thank you so much for doing this for people who are interested in doing this line of work really appreciate it 🥰

[@voices]

Our pleasure! -Randy

[@cleveschmalz4526]

Great overview by a professional in the industry

[@larryvaughn5843]

Mogami or Canare cables plus Neutrik cable ends make good mic cables.

[@Brndndutton]

Wow. Lots of great information in here. Thank you so much. 🙂

[@voices]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cyrusjafari7392]

Thanks a lot for sharing such a wonderful and helpful voice over video clip. God bless!

[@voices]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RazvanDaba]

Great webinar!

[@voices]

Thanks for watching, Razvan.

[@shannonstewart6354]

Thank you for this great information.

[@voices]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sayseriously]

Ableton Live is an excellent tool for VO. Especially "clean-up"...

[@SoundArtsOnline]

Totally awesome. Thank you!

[@JohnKostohryz]

Excellent!!

[@michaelpoblador9600]

Thank you.

[@ronechols]

Awesome! Great advice from a pro.

[@bigapplevoiceover4830]

Thank you excellent content!!!!!!!!

[@AnthonyMartinsRock]

Great. Still relevant.

[@dungeonsdudesdragons]

Next payday I'm switching from "Guest" to "Member" to start auditioning!! Next payday because I didn't factor in our the current state of the Canadian Dollar. haha

[@wynvalentosh8252]

I use a cisno BM-800 with a focusrite Scarlett threw my Daw Ableton....

[@SnowAngelfish]

Good luck escaping jet airplanes without a isolation booth.

[@msross2323]

Great information. Thank you.

[@thinbluelaneproductions3798]

Thank you so much for this video.

[@voices]

Thanks for watching!

[@richelecaragianis3794]

How do I book a zoom with you Tommy and have you review one audition ( or my ACX profile postings)?

[@jimmckeon]

Very well done. Informative and appreciated! Thank you. One question. Is Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio software Apple OSX compatible?

[@voices]

+Jim McKeon It looks as though there is a Mac version! www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforgepromac

[@danmeck5978]

Great advice. Question - can someone with a speech impediment ie a lisp, be a VO artist?

[@voices]

That's an awesome question! Yes, absolutely. Brands are always taking strides to become more inclusive, and unique voices may be exactly what they are looking for.

[@danmeck5978]

@@voices thank you!

[@HelenaBlondell-sn9jk]

I am listening to a pre recorded version…informative & scary for me with no budget but wanting to jumpstart voiceover work. (26June’23) Helena B. (Tommy Griffiths)

[@laurentsaffard6318]

Hoping it's not too late, here are tips for you to save time and money: - How to choose the mic you need: It's quite simple actually, if your room has no acoustic treatment and is not soundproof, forget about condenser mics. Choose a dynamic mic, it will pick up a lot less external noise and ground floor. Instead of what, you will destroy your recordings while trying to eliminate them. A Samson Q2U is perfect + it has a USB and XLR connection. So, you can start, with the USB, then buy an audio interface later and use the same mic, then upgrade the mic...Don't listen to stupid reviews saying that you need a Neuman U87 or similar. These mics are intended for singers. To record a range of voices from Pavarotti to Celine Dion (sic), in other words very low to very high notes. Speech are never going that low or high! - Don't set up too much gain (learn the difference between volume and gain) if you're not in a booth, and in general. Your recordings will sound boommy, you will pick up mouth noises, plosives and you will lose the noise reduction of the dynamic mic - If you have a window from where external noise are coming, always face the windows. If you have the windows in your back, the noises will go straight into the capsule - Avoid neon lights, fridge, fan, air cond...and any other source of noise. Switch off your mobile (or air plane mode) - Check that no cables are in contact with each others, it creates interference - Install voice meeter banana and take the time to learn how to set it up. It has a red square easy to use to adjust the tone of your mic and reduce the echo. In your computer settings, go to the levels of the mic you use and low the max volume to 80%; you will avoid the "self noise" some cheap mics might have. - Make your sound as good as possible before to start recording. You shouldn't do any other treatment than the noise reduction, clicks and Ess (instead of what you have problems to fix). Your recordings will end up on the screen of a sound engineer to be mixed on a video, with music...the more you manipulate your recording, the more you make his job difficult (I am specifically talking about normalization, compression and EQ), plus, he/she has a better ear than you will ever have, better tools, experience...and that's his job! I believe it will solve a lot of the problem we face when we start. Remember : If you have a problem, someone might have it before you. Search Google and KZbin. If you have any specific questions, just ask. 😊

[@Simmymind360]

Hi.thank you for your tutorial. A question if you dont mind..) do you ever do a raw recording for auditions or is it a necessity to edit your audition before you send your file?.. look forward to your response. Thank you.

[@jaimesk1688]

I have seen .wav requested for audition, but had to submit .mp3 in Voices.com Almost anyone can send .wav for the job now, so it's mainly new ad agencies that get picky for .wav auditions. One risk is....you do all of a short script and they run with it. Thus the advice at voices: keep it kinda brief, don't finish the script....protects your work.

[@smorisch]

When I'm hitting -6 to -3 sounds distorted to me. I'll try to amplify in post.

[@larryvaughn5843]

So you are then amplifying distortion?

[@smorisch]

@@larryvaughn5843 no. I will record at a lower rate and then amplify.

[@larryvaughn5843]

@@smorisch Sometimes the mic itself can be overloaded. Gain staging: What is gain staging? Gain staging is the process of making sure the audio is set to an optimal level for the next processor in the chain in order to minimize noise and distortion. By gain staging through your analog and digital systems, you can achieve the best possible sound for your recording. So the mic could be considered the first link in the chain.

[@evhaineflemente5669]

Hello..do you have a video or advice for begginers..

[@voices]

Hi Evhaine, thanks for your message! Take a look here on our website for lot's of great resources for beginners: www.voices.com/help/talent-library

[@tdvouk5629]

What mic are you using? sounds great with your voice!

[@voices]

Definitely ask +TommyGriffithsRadio :)

[@TommyGriffithsVoice]

+Tristian Doe Just saw this! Thanks, TD- I use either a TLM 103 or Rode NTG-3 Shotgun, depending on the mood...

[@larryvaughn5843]

@@TommyGriffithsVoice The Rode NTG-3 is similar to the Sennheiser MKH 416, which is widely used by voice over artists.

[@johnebi4599]

from Nigeria. Could you recap the recording softwares again? budget friendly.

[@jaimesk1688]

You can get very busy with Audacity. It's free.

[@lupitarodriguez1664]

don't have a preamp. I have the at2020 USB (direct to the computer) where do you adjust the -6/-3 dB? (mentioned at minute 11.26) newbie here to all things audio/editing

[@voices]

Hi Lupita, this refers more on setting levels on an audio interface (if available). Connecting the mic directly (Mic to Computer) will have limitations when setting levels. Hope this helps!

[@StefanTravis]

-6 - -3dB? _No one_ has a dynamic range that narrow. Perhaps you mean the speaker should _aim_ to be in that range, knowing they can't.

[@jaimesk1688]

They mean...aim for a >peak< of -6 to -3. Don't go abve -3, and even that can be dicey in short bursts (that actually pass -3). Same as the advice "rarely light up the yellow".

[@mamandapanda185]

@@jaimesk1688 I was confused, too, but isn't that what loudness normalization is for after recording?

[@PunchbuggyBlue]

Phone patch....what is this? Is Skype good enough?

[@BackyardSwingset]

Skype is the new phone patch and works perfectly if you have a good internet hard connection. i've also been directed many times through skype voice only wirelessly and have never had any problems!

[@justingreenberg1234]

nice

[@siddhesh91ef]

its just chit chat on video i think this video shows practically how to do recording editing

[@darkdawn2]

Does it work in Ethiopia or for Ethiopians?

[@voices]

Yes, we post voice over jobs in 160 countries.

[@wynvalentosh8252]

Zzounds is your best friend.

[@voices]

Absolutely!

[@repalmore]

19:17 Body noises? Don't let Adam Swalwell hang around. You know what kind of body noises he makes in public, who knows what he will do in private. ;o)

[@a1guitarmaker]

Bad math. Negative 3 IS higher than negative 6. Why confuse people. Learn math! It's simple.

[@jaimesk1688]

You quickly learn what the numbers mean when you record.

[@jaimesk1688]

true enough, though: -3 is 'higher' s a number and as a recording power..

[@garbygarb31]

The fact that this dude need to say listen to y our recordings before sending out let s me know I just saved 40 minutes by not watching this video

[@blaktatt]

People do it ALL the time - believe it, or not

[@janedoe-hq9vn]

Wouldn't that be similar to proofreading a paper one wrote? Check the work. 👍😉