How To Build A Budget Recording Studio For Voice Actor

A home recording studio is something most VO professionals need to have. A professional-grade studio setup might seem out of reach for most beginners in this field.

After all, quality audio equipment does not come cheap now, do they?
However, it costs are much cheaper than previous years.

But these days, even if you are a rookie Voice Actor on a tight budget, you too can set up a decent recording studio with minimal investment. Here is how it can be done.

The Lynchpin - A Decent Mic

At the heart of your home recording studio lies the mic. This is where you should spend most of your budget... starting with a top notch mic. In these days of podcasting frenzy, you can find tons of mic options in the budget and bargain basement segments online.

While some USB mics can be had for as low as $25, it is recommended that you aim much higher than that for a cleaner sound, more natural sound.

Ideally, you should be looking somewhere around the $200-$300.00 range for a decent recording mic. The keywords to look for are “cardioid condensor microphone.”

These microphones are ideal for voice recording as they have excellent noise canceling qualities. Audio Technica and Blue are two newer brands that have some strong contenders around this price bracket.

Essential Accessories - Pop Filters and Pre-Amps

Every aspiring voice actor should have a decent interface between their recording mic and the PC/mobile devices.

You can look for simple pre-amp interfaces that cost under $100. Although, the better pre-amp/interfaces will cost more. Look for devices that have a power rating that matches your mic specifications. If they can hook to both Android and iOS devices, that is another plus point.

If you are a beginner voice over talent, you will also need a pop filter to weed out the nasty “booms” that arise every time you utter a word involving a “B” or “P”.

These sounds create air bursts from your mouth, called “plosives” in professional VO circles. A good quality pop filter worth all of $10-$20.00 will put an end to your worries about unwanted booms in your recordings.  

Sound-Proofing Your Studio For Voice Acting

To produce the best quality audio, you need a sound-proofed recording space. This can be had by using some good quality acoustic foam. Numerous options are available in the market at various prices. For a small room, around $100 worth of foam might be enough.  

Three Insights You Learn When You Work On Audiobooks As An American Voice Actor

Professionals in the field of voice over recording often get to work on different types of material.

Some are as short as a few seconds worth of ad scripts, while other gigs can involve reading an entire book (even boring non-fiction works no less!). Working on audiobooks can be a mixed bag.

Some can deliver a very pleasing and fulfilling experience, while others yield nothing but a dull, endless grind. Here are some pieces of wisdom that experience in audiobook creation brings to one’s mind:

The Importance of Time Management For Voice Over Recording Nashville, TN

An American voice actor once noted, the longer the source material, the more crucial time management becomes for a professional. It doesn't matter whether you are dealing with a piece of fiction or non-fiction.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the number of pages and chapters you have to finish. You need to plan in advance to get the job done properly. Mad dashes towards the end of the deadline will not work here. That will suffer your performances.

The World Is Full Of Things You Had No Clue About

There are folks all over the place writing about the strangest, weirdest things possible under the sun! And as an American voice actor you often get to read in-depth about some of them.

Not only do you get to learn about new stuff, but you might also turn into a bit of an expert on some of them as well. The whole process of reading the text aloud and then listening to the recording gives you a chance to absorb all that stuff into your brain.

Editing is Important & Underrated

When you buy a poorly edited book, you don’t have any compulsion to finish it off. In fact, many books in the realm of non-fiction are never completed by their readers, which is often not the case in fiction.

But when you delve into the world of voice over recording , you have no choice but to complete the book to satisfy your paying clients.

In the course of your work, you will inevitably come across long, rambling tomes that feel as though they were never put through the wringer that is the editing process. Once that happens, you will truly start to appreciate the effort put in by editors out there in the world of publishing!

Why The Art Of Storytelling Is Important For A VO Narrator

If there is one thing I have learned in my long years in the business of voice over work, it is the importance of storytelling. When working as a professional Narrator, you will come across scripts of all styles and lengths.

Regardless of whether it is an ad for a new product, or a PSA, or a work of non-fiction, a script always has a story to tell. As the voice-over professional, it is your job to find the story hidden inside and relate it the best way you can to your audience. 

A Good American Storyteller Always Analyzes the Script

Never look at a script as just something that you need to mindlessly spew out of your mouth in style. That is simply the wrong way of working as a VO artist. All scripts have an underlying message for the audience.

Look at the words that try to speak to the listener, and thoroughly understand what they are trying to tell. Your's will become a much more convincing and persuasive voice when you know the story you need to tell with your own unique way of telling it.

Understanding The Product vs Becoming a Character

Some scripts for a narrator simply involve you delivering a few lines about a specific product. The storytelling aspect may seem a bit thin in these scripts, but they are nonetheless present.

The story here is all about the product: you need to understand it and how it relates to the audience. Visualize the situations where the product offers maximum value.

In other scripts, you are not just a floating voice, but an actual, concrete character. These scripts are easier to grasp as the storytelling aspect is often quite deep here. Character stories can be much easier to read and analyze.

If you want to become a great American storyteller, you need to learn the words and phrases in the script that need maximum emphasis.

The Art of Pause and Emphasis

Some bits of dialogue come across better when you say it with added gravitas and emotion. Often, slowing down the speed of your speech or using vocal dynamics is a nice trick to grab the attention of the listeners. To make the most of this technique, you need to focus on the keywords and phrases in the script.

This is where analysis of the script becomes so critical. When you start to look at every script as a kind of story, you learn to zoom in on the richness of content within the script.

But that kind of awareness does not happen overnight. It takes time to perfect, and that is why, as an American storyteller you should focus on the art of storytelling when you embark on a career in voice over acting and recording. 

A Recording Studio Set Up Guide For Professional Voiceover

In another blog post, we examined how you can easily get all the equipment you need for a beginner recording studio for just a couple of hundred bucks or so. But having professional-grade equipment at your disposal is only half the battle won.

To get the best out of your voice over Nashville, TN studio, you will need to know the best way to create a recording environment.

Ideal Space For Recording Voiceover 

VO recording is best done is small, intimate spaces. All you need is enough room to comfortably accommodate one person, namely, the professional voiceover talent... which is probably YOU! When it comes to selecting the ideal space for your recording studio, always keep in mind that less is more.

Giving All Surfaces The Foam Treatment

This is a very crucial aspect of prepping your chosen space for professional-grade VO recording.

There is no such thing as too much soundproofing. If there is an open surface inside your recording space, cover it with foam. And we are not just talking about windows and doorways here. Get some foam over the walls, the ceiling, and every other surface around.  

You can use acoustic foam panels, bass traps, throw pillows, and even thick comforters to get the job done. Although, I highly recommend installing profesional acoustic foam such as that made by Auralex Acoustics.

One important area that many beginner voiceover talent miss out on is the wall surface behind them. Since the mic is positioned towards this space, you should be looking at making this surface as acoustically dead as possible. 

Where To Place The Mic

There is no single right answer to this conundrum. There are many different ways in which you can place a mic in your recording space to get the perfect sound. Some folks place it in a corner facing the rest of the space, allowing the person to speak into the corner, reducing reverbs and reflections.

Another option is to place the mic in the center of your recording space, ideally 7-8 inches away from your mouth, depending on the mic itself.

Make sure that the mic is angled away from your mouth, but still pointing towards it, This will help it avoid catching your breath (plosives)while still capturing the sounds coming from your mouth.

If you want to do pro voiceover you will also need a pop filter in your studio. Keep it right in front of your mouth so that it can deal with any plosives that you emit during your speech.

Of course there is more you will need in terms of recording/editing gear which I'll cover in another blog article.