Home Studio: What to Buy? Know Your Goals & ‘Don’t Overthink It’, by Dan Lenard

Is your VO recording booth a sweat box in summer? “I’ve heard both male and female voice actors tell of recording in only their underwear because their booth was so hot,” notes voice actor Greg Thomas. “Even if the booth starts out at a moderate temperature, after you’re in there for 20 or 30 minutes, your body heat alone will cause the temperature to rise significantly.” Well, being a DIYer, Greg had a cool idea for escaping the heat – and shares his plan for air conditioning a booth (recording in undies optional) …

Generally, producers want voice actors to provide them with recordings that have not been processed (compressed, equalized, etc.). That lets the producer process the file to meet the individual client’s needs. But if an engineer/producer – like Erick Gomez – were sitting next to you, here’s a peek at the equipment and process he might advise …

Excess Temperature, Humidity & Dust   By Mike Harrison Voice Actor ©2008 Mike Harrison   As most home studios today are computer-based, consider your PC or Mac the heart of your…

“It’s been an extremely interesting year for my home studio,” says veteran voice actress Bobbin Beam – and that’s an understatement. Beseiged by audio gremlins that had her literally crying over spilled milk one day, Bobbin evenually took the advice of consultant friend Dan Lenard and simplified her home studio life – resulting in quicker audition and job turnaround, and improved audio quality …

In your voice over home studio, you need a way to accurately hear what you’ve recorded. Thus, ‘monitor’ speakers and/or headphones are crucial. But in this guide to monitors, Edge Studio owner/director David Goldberg cautions that different speakers have different characteristics. Here’s what to know before you buy …

Are you mixed up on home studio mixers? Coach Marc Cashman sends a reader’s question about mixers to Home Studio Master Dan Lenard, who advises “You don’t need a mixer” – and weighs in with alternatives …