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VOICE OVER HOME STUDIO When Your VO Performance Is Spot On, Sound Quality Doesn't Matter So Much?  By Ilja Rosendahl
Producer, Actor, Songwriter, Musician, Voice Actor
Technology advances have come a
long way in changing the world we live in, and this is also true for the
voice over industry. What was once a restricted business for a few who recorded
in external recording studios is now open to all professional talent with a
home studio and online capabilities. But in contrast to the ever-improving technical
quality of other media, the majority of modern voice overs is delivered below
industry standards.
Why? In the past, it was the studio
engineer's responsibility to arrange the recording setup and the voice actor
focused solely on the performance. Now, both tasks must be tackled by those who
have a home studio. With recording equipment becoming more and more affordable,
it is tempting to think that a top voice over can be recorded on a shoestring
budget. But is the result really professional?
CLIENTS MIGHT HEAR DIFFERENTLY The way a product is presented is
a major factor in deciding if people think it's good and like it or not, even
if they can't explain why. And the ability to pick an original versus similar
products is often underestimated. Same with your product, voice over recordings. While you might feel satisfied with the sound quality, maybe your client thinks
differently, and you don't notice it because instead of receiving the necessary
feedback from the client, you are simply not chosen after auditioning or not booked again, left without
a clue. But if your recordings sound pure and clear, there is a better chance to
succeed.
For example, a tennis pro can play with a
frying pan better than most of us would with a professional racket. But how
many tennis players have you seen lately with a frying pan on the court? So,
why would you care less about your sound quality? It can be a reason why you
make it or break it in the voice over industry, since recording issues can
overshadow an otherwise solid performance.
EASY WAY EXCUSES
Really? After your recordings are mastered
and used as finished audio, even small sound issues in your recording space and
chain will become quite obvious to any listener. So, you can't really hide it.
True, a lot can be done with
software tools. However, as with cameras, the better the raw picture, the
better the result after editing will be. So, plugins should be left to
polish what's already there. And studio engineers know that it's always better
to avoid the problem at the source instead of getting rid of it after
recording.
THE RIGHT WAY ... Managing the recording sound is vital
for your voice over business. Experiment with professional tools and actively seek
feedback on your sound quality to present yourself in the best way possible. The
following exercise can help you as a starting point for a general soundcheck of
your recording room:
If you detect any
issues, make the necessary improvements and then proceed to further elements of
your recording setup. ------------------ ABOUT ILJA Ilja Rosendahl is a producer,
actor, songwriter, musician and voice over artist. Since 1997 he has starred in feature films and
TV series and voiced
media projects for blue chip companies all over the world.
In 2001 he started the Electronic Alternative Rock solo music project Latent Anxiety, which
has released 7 studio albums and garnered several awards.
Ilja holds a PhD in Natural Sciences and is a member of various associations in
the entertainment industry. In 2020 he launched VOTIPS with
technical and training resources for voice over talent. VOTIPS: www.votips.com/course.html
Wikipedia: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilja_Rosendahl |
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Comments (1)
James Conlan
2/5/2020 at 10:22 AM
This is good advice, Ilja, and too often overlooked or misunderstood. I particularly appreciate your concern about "sucking the life out of your voice." But I would hope people are also paying attention to two hardware issues. First, many people go cheap on the microphone, often choosing a USB mic to save a few bucks on an interface. I'm not that acute a listener, but I can usually hear it when someone is using a Yeti. And second, one needs to invest in a good pair of headphones and put them on, both when recording and when editing. Sloppy edits aren't as apparent when listening with speakers, but pretty clear with headphones. These issues will also negate a good performance.
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