Voice-over tips

AntonHunter · July 2023

Hi all, I've offered to record some voice-over stuff for a show-reel. Any tips? Specifically, which of these mics might you reach for first? Female voice, if thay makes any difference, and I'll likely use my SE Reflection Filter to deaden the room a bit.

Audio-Technica AT 3035

CADaudio M179

Aston Origin

AKG C3900

AKG D3600

GoldenAge Projects R1 Active mk3

Tbone RM-500

Tbone/Xaudia upgraded RM-700

Winny_Pooh · July 2023

Audio-Technica AT 3035 or

CADaudio M179

And deaden alot

Danny1969 · July 2023

You might find you need to build a makeshift booth rather than just use the reflection filter. You need the recording devoid of any reflections, especially any from plasterboard walls and windows as these will sound pretty bad once you have compressed the voice over in post.
Try a snatch then heavily compress it and listen back, that should show up any issues. Once we started to get a fair bit of voice stuff like podcasts and game audio we built a proper booth and made it so dead inside it was unnerving to be in at first.

octatonic · July 2023

We do a lot of voiceover work, sometimes tracking/mixing, sometimes as talent.
I record in the control room, which is treated.
Booths are almost always worse than that.

I use a ribbon (usually an AEA R84A) into an API 512c or UA LA610 then into a Distressor.
Sometimes I use a dynamic (RE20 or SM7b).

I generally think Reflection filters are a waste of time.
They don't mitigate a bad room.

Get a couple of Gobos: https://gikacoustics.co.uk/product/freestand-acoustic-panel-gobo/
I sometimes put them in front of the talent but that is more as a barrier so they don't see how many edits I have to do if they aren't pro VO artists.

Such as:

Image: https://scontent-lcy1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/343989105_943537783646627_4075881344358101824_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=Y4iwWkNB4MYAX98WnYX&_nc_ht=scontent-lcy1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBXvvFwmQuQRlvCLFp0AsQvHNPT6KzAEiqpTx37RY0R_g&oe=64B3026F

Out of the mics you list I would use the GoldenAge Projects R1 Active mk3.

There are two reasons for not using a condenser mic.
1) You just hear more room than you need.
2) You often want the proximity effect bass boost that dynamic mics offer (up to a point), also knowns as 'Voice of God' in the industry.

I haven't used an LDC on a VO since I was in the very early days of my career.
Some people use them, but usually high end mics, in very good sounding rooms for a specific effect (ie it specifically suits the talent's voice).

Any advice here is guesswork though- it really depends on how it is on the day, in the room with quality of the voice that you are working with.

AntonHunter · July 2023

Thanks @octatonic, that edit screen is something else!!

Will definitely investigate the ribbons then. The GoldenAge one has seemed a bit mid-heavy / honky on saxophone in the past, but I should try it in different situations.

And I don't think I've ever heard any pro engineers rate the Reflexion Filters as anything useful at all. I got it initially to help mitigate spill (I tend to do live in-the-room recording of jazz and similar), but I don't think I've ever actually used it effectively.

Thanks as ever all.

octatonic · July 2023

AntonHunter said:

Thanks @octatonic, that edit screen is something else!!

Will definitely investigate the ribbons then. The GoldenAge one has seemed a bit mid-heavy / honky on saxophone in the past, but I should try it in different situations.

And I don't think I've ever heard any pro engineers rate the Reflexion Filters as anything useful at all. I got it initially to help mitigate spill (I tend to do live in-the-room recording of jazz and similar), but I don't think I've ever actually used it effectively.

Thanks as ever all.

Metal instruments have inherent inharmonicity from the material- think of a struck cymbal, which can cause issues with mid heavy mics.
Voices are much smoother and benefit from microphones with a pronounced midrange.
You can EQ it of course too.

Stuckfast · July 2023

A good ribbon mic can work well, but personally I wouldn't use the Golden Age active one because they are as noisy as fuck, and hiss is really obvious on spoken word, especially when compressed.

I'd probably choose whichever of the CAD or the Aston sounds better on the speaker in question.

Yorkie · July 2023

A very interesting thread – thanks @AntonHunter for starting it.
Can anyone suggest one or two links so I can learn a bit more about the basics of the setup and some best practices in voice-over recording?
Cheers,
Jon

AntonHunter · July 2023

Stuckfast said:

A good ribbon mic can work well, but personally I wouldn't use the Golden Age active one because they are as noisy as fuck, and hiss is really obvious on spoken word, especially when compressed.

I'd probably choose whichever of the CAD or the Aston sounds better on the speaker in question.

I'll make sure to check my compressing stuff before I choose a mic, thanks. My Xudia rebuilt Tbone ones are pretty quiet, so I might try one of those. And maybe sell the GoldenAge....

Whitecat · July 2023

What audio interface are you using?

Asking because if you're in the Universal Audio DSP universe, they have a Unison plugin for room reduction that can be fairly astonishing - it's based around CEDAR noise reduction technology which is pretty much top-tier and it's called C-Vox. You could demo it for this session if you don't wanna pay for it, although I think it is on sale at the moment.

AntonHunter · July 2023

Focusrite Saffire Pro40, so nothing UA alas, but thanks for the thought.

octatonic · July 2023

Stuckfast said:

A good ribbon mic can work well, but personally I wouldn't use the Golden Age active one because they are as noisy as fuck, and hiss is really obvious on spoken word, especially when compressed.

I'd probably choose whichever of the CAD or the Aston sounds better on the speaker in question.

Didn't know this.
Yes if that is the case then best avoided.

I've been using Waves Clarity VX Pro to eliminate noise in VO.
It is pretty impressive.

A free alternative (for now) is this plugin which is in beta.
https://goyo.app/
I think it is even better than Clarity VX Pro.

@Stuckfast are you going to Gearfest this week?

Siejen · July 2023

The examples of the GOYO plugin are amazing…. Off to download beta now (against usual rules!) Thanks for the link.

octatonic · July 2023

Siejen said:

The examples of the GOYO plugin are amazing…. Off to download beta now (against usual rules!) Thanks for the link.

Welcome.

Stuckfast · July 2023

octatonic said:

@Stuckfast are you going to Gearfest this week?

Oh yes! I'll be there both days. You?

octatonic · July 2023

Stuckfast said:

octatonic said:

@Stuckfast are you going to Gearfest this week?

Oh yes! I'll be there both days. You?

Yeah I'm there Saturday.
I'll say hi.

Stuckfast · July 2023

Excellent. I'll be in the seminar area most of the day. Probably trying to stop it blowing away.

Howdy, Stranger!

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