With the advent of technology, there are more opportunities for voiceover actors than ever before - but remember there is also more competition. In order to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way, it’s best to situate yourself in a nice, broadcast quality home studio.
Building a studio in the comfort of your own
home will dramatically increase the volume and rate at which you formulate your
product, and as a result, your client base and bookings will also grow. In fact, it's absolutely essential these days to have your own studio to compete at a professional level. Here we
give you a few pointers when you’re just getting started and want the best a
home studio can offer.
Choosing the Right Space for
Your Voiceover Studio
Considering the realities of city
life (where voiceover work is abundant), many actors do not have a space that
could be considered a state of the art recording studio. Fear not - we’ve got
some guidelines to help you create a great studio when you think you have found
a decent spot.
●
Check to see if the room shares
any walls with adjacent spaces that make a lot of noise, such as a kitchen or
bathroom.
●
Look out for household
appliances/electrical devices that create noise close by, such as creaky
plumbing, elevators, garages, washer/dryer, etc.
●
See if the room overlooks an
outside space that could be problematic, such as busy street, lawn care, or
loud neighbors.
●
Make sure the room has power
outlets and ventilation - this is particularly important if you’re using a
small space such as a walk-in closet.
●
From an acoustics standpoint,
you’ll want to avoid square rooms at all costs.
Keep Sound From Entering
Rather Than Exiting
The rule of thumb with a home voiceover studio
is to focus on keeping the sounds of the city out, rather than preventing
sound you make from leaving. There are various ways to achieve this, depending
on the sources of noise you will be dealing with (examples could include
traffic, subways, trains, or live music venues). Regardless of the source of
noise pollution, there are some general tips for soundproofing your studio.
You must take time and be extremely thorough
with this step, as your soundproofing will only be as good as the weakest spot.
It’s good to begin with the spaces around doors/entryways and windows - and the
door itself. If your door is hollow, you could fill it with a special sound insulating
foam, or buy a new and denser fire door to put in its place. Another technique
is adding sheets of soundproofing material that hangs over the frame when you
close the door.
Ensure You Have All the
Essential Equipment
Now that you’ve found the space and made it
completely soundproof, it’s time for the fun part - buying your gear! There are
several vital pieces of equipment that every home voiceover studio will need,
including:
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Headphones
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Microphone (USB, Dynamic
Broadcast, or Large Diaphragm Condenser)
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Microphone Stand
●
Audio Interface
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Pop Filters
●
Shock Mount
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Acoustic Treatment
●
Computer
●
Software (Audacity is good for
beginners)
There is much more to talk about here but this will just give you a general idea of what you'll need.
There is much more to talk about here but this will just give you a general idea of what you'll need.
We wish you the best on your journey to
voiceover stardom, and hope this guide gets you started down the road to
success!
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