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.