When it comes to creating dynamic media, every creative director out there knows that voice-overs are a key ingredient. Voice-overs are like the hidden characters of a story. You can’t see them, but the content isn’t the same without them
Recording a voice-over isn’t exactly hard to do. However, the quality of your voice-over is another thing. If you really want to make sure your voice-over recordings sound clear, then you need to use the right equipment. So, if you think your recording equipment really may not be up to the mark, then use the guide below to get an idea of what to buy.
Microphones
Well, microphones are obviously needed to capture sounds and of course, the voice-over talent’s voice. But, the kind of microphone you use will have a drastic impact on the quality of the overall production. You generally have 3 options here: USB Microphones, Dynamic Broadcast Microphones, and Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones. Each of these microphones has its own set of pros and cons. For instance, USB microphones are convenient. You just need to plug them into a computer and start recording. However, you will still need to carry a computer. Plus, the output quality isn’t that great.
When it comes to quality, Dynamic Broadcast Microphones are a much better option. But, they are very complex to setup, especially with a computer. Convenience is not a strength that these microphones have. Large Diaphragm Condenser microphones are the best in terms of sound quality. However, they have a very sensitive capsule that can end up catching even the slightest vibrations and plosive sounds. Added to that, they are also hard to setup.
So, assess your requirements before you choose any of these microphones.
Pop Filters
Voice-Over microphones, even the most basic ones, are great at capturing voices. However, they also have a disadvantage. Since they are extremely sensitive, they also end up catching plosive and sibilant sounds. For instance, pronouncing a word that begins or ends with the letter “P” can create a popping noise. This noise can tend to be a bit too much for the microphone capsule. Similarly, words with the letter ‘S’ can create hissing sounds, which also present a problem to the microphone’s’ capsule.
Pop Filters are used to prevent this from happening. They are basically screens that are fixed onto a microphone stand and positioned right in front of the microphone. These filters basically diffuse the vibrations that create the plosive and sibilant sounds.
Shockmounts
Shockmounts are basically suspension setups that help diffuse noises and vibrations that a microphone would otherwise pickup. The noises and vibrations we’re talking about here are not those produced by the recording. Rather, these are the noises and vibrations produced when a microphone is handled or moved around during a recording. What shockmounts do is they suspend the microphone using a setup made of rubber or any other noise diffusing material. This helps filter out all those unwanted vibrations and allows the voice-over artist to move around with the microphone.
ABOUT ROBERTA –
Roberta is a Professional and Award Winning voiceover Actor, as well as an accomplished on-camera actress and spokesperson. She lives in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area and is the owner of Roberta Kennedy Voice Talent and RK Productions, Inc.
She voices for companies around the world using her state of the art, broadcast quality studio. She’s hired for commercials, web demos and explainer videos, product infomercials, documentaries, promo/imaging, political ads, e-learning videos, podcasts, guided real estate tours, telephony/IVR projects, high profile corporate presentations, video games and character animation.
Her voice is described as: playful, contemporary, compelling, commanding, inviting, sultry and smooth. A hip edge with sophistication, bold, warm, interesting and engaging are also commonly used adjectives to describe her voice. Her home studio is equipped with ipDTL, ISDN and phone patch capability with lightning fast turnaround times! A voiceover talent with over 20 years of voiceover acting experience, she offers a full range of voiceover services at highly competitive rates & will work with your budget to help you promote your business to new levels of excellence!