It goes without saying that performers have seen great change in the entertainment industry due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, as many await the restarting of productions across the country and adjust to a new normal, voiceover performers continue to work.
“While most production may be shut down, Disney Animation is still cranking,” said SAG-AFTRA National Voiceover Committee Chair Keythe Farley during the June 9 President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement presentation Mastering the Basics of Home VO Studios. “And while the Warner Bros. lot is quiet as can be, folks in the video game department are doing more work than ever.”
SAG-AFTRA voice work has a wide reach in animation, video games, audiobooks, podcasting and even commercial and industrial work.
For performers looking for work-from-home opportunities or those considering a transition to a new part of the industry, voiceover work may be a viable option. Along with taking voiceover classes and creating a reel, they will need studio space in the home.
This isn’t to say that your studio has to be an exact replica of a professional studio booth, but there are some simple things you can do to get started. Here are some techniques and words of wisdom to consider as you begin to construct a studio of your own.
Hardware & Software
The most important tools needed to begin building your home studio space are, well, the tools themselves. Unlike self-tape auditions that involve a comparatively simpler setup for recordings, your home studio space needs to be equipped with hardware and software that can produce a high-quality recording and allows you to send submissions to employers in a timely fashion. SAG-AFTRA Foundation Don LaFontaine Voiceover Audio Engineer and Booth Director Mike Varela points out that “high-quality” doesn’t have to be expensive. These are the crucial pieces of equipment needed:
YOUR COMPUTER. Whether you use a desktop or laptop or a Mac versus a PC, age is the most important factor to consider when it comes to your computer. The older a computer is, the more prevalent hardware issues become, which can affect audio quality. A common and noticeable hardware issue is fan noise.
“As a computer ages, [its] fans begin to kick in, and in the audio world, you want to keep fan noise out of your recording,” said Varela.
However, if replacing a computer is too much of an investment, a solid state drive can be helpful. An SSD has the advantage of running more silently than internal computer drives, which cuts down on noise.
YOUR MICROPHONE. Voiceover artists have the option of purchasing either an analog mic or a digital USB mic. Most industry professionals use analog, as it can provide better sound quality, but it should be noted that these types of mics require additional purchases, such as an audio interface or sound card. USB mics, however, are often less expensive and easier to work with, as they can be plugged directly into your computer without the need for an additional audio interface.
Whichever you choose, what’s important to remember is that your mic is an investment, and as SAG-AFTRA Foundation National Director of Voiceover Programs Aric Shuford notes, a pricier item may generally serve you better in the long run.
“A $50 mic is not going to be the same as buying a $200 mic that’s going to have better innards [and] reproduce sound a lot better,” said Shuford. “This is an investment, so if you spend a couple of hundred bucks on that microphone [and] take care of it, it’s going to last for 10, 15 years.”
YOUR HEADPHONES. Brands such as Sony, AKG, Sennheiser and others come in a range of different looks and prices. For those considering their choices, Varela recommends purchasing headphones that go over the ear and are not noise canceling.
“You’re looking for reference, or flat audio, to come back from the microphone … [because] you really need to hear all the artifacts in the recording,” said Varela, referring to factors like frequency changes, movement and loudness.
Also be mindful of fatigue. Wearing headphones for hours at a time can cause headaches and other adverse effects. If you’re able, test a pair to ensure they are the right fit and limit your usage to a few hours.
A Quiet Place
If you’ve ever made a self-tape audition for a film, TV or commercial gig, you know the importance of having a quiet space free of distractions or interruptions. The same is true for audio recordings: In order for a recording to be usable, there needs to be as little noise as possible.
Creating near-silence may seem daunting, but, luckily, many homes already come with an enclosed space: the closet.
As a “space within a space,” closets are already largely isolated from sounds that are hard to control, such as traffic. In turn, this makes it easier to address more manageable sounds like home appliances or central heating/air. While many professional studios use professional-grade acoustic insulation, Shuford, Farley and Varela recommend using blankets or a carpet on the floor to better your acoustics. Software can also help lessen noise, as many plug-ins include tools to specifically address noise reduction. Several recording programs such as Pro Tools, Reaper, Logic and Sound Studio come equipped with multiple plug-ins, but plug-ins can also be purchased from other developers to operate within different recording programs, as well.
Best Practices
As you start producing voice auditions and other audio recordings, there are a few habits you should begin to develop. First, follow a set order of operations to ensure the correct audio input device — audio interface (with analog microphone) or USB microphone — is selected and picking up sound. Varela cautions those using laptops to be aware of where the audio is being sourced.
“Laptops have built-in microphones that pick up sound, and the order in which you plug in devices might mean the difference in using your nice microphone or the one in your laptop,” he said. “You need to explicitly choose the hardware so your computer doesn’t make the assumption for you and choose the wrong microphone.”
In general, get into the practice of checking the audio settings in your software program before every recording.
Most importantly, as you get started with voiceover, you may find yourself focusing on the technical aspects of your recording. But remember, your main priority during recording is your performance and delivery.
“You’re here as actors first and technicians second,” said Varela.
Do as many takes as needed, but if a mistake is made, don’t stop the recording; pause, breathe and keep going, and know that you can edit afterwards.
The Power of Editing
Speaking of editing, there are some basic techniques that new voiceover performers should learn and utilize when recording: deleting, comping and normalizing.
While deleting is a straightforward action used to remove the unwanted parts of a session take, comping or compiling takes things one step further by piecing together parts from different takes to make a newer, smoother and more cohesive recording.
Normalizing is a way to change the overall volume of your recorded audio in fixed increments to reach a target level. Normalizing can be advantageous if you are employing either of the aforementioned techniques when submitting voiceover auditions or if your recording is later edited to include dialogue with other performers’ voices and matching levels of volume is desired.
Fortunately, normalization is a feature that is standard in all recording programs and can be executed with the click of a button.
WAV versus MP3
It may seem like a conversation about WAV and MP3 audio files was best had about a decade ago, but, even today, it’s important to know the differences and benefits of both formats.
WAV stands for “waveform audio file,” and it is an uncompressed or “lossless” audio file format that can be edited without affecting the quality of the recording itself. An MP3 (“MPEG audio Layer-3”) file is a compressed audio file format that makes it easier to send audio electronically and can shorten upload times due to the compression and smaller size of the audio file. The difference between the two is that while WAV files can be edited at a later time, MP3s are permanent.
Said Varela, “You can never gain back [missing or damaged audio] quality on an MP3.”
Both formats have their strengths and weaknesses, and it’s best to save as both a WAV and MP3 to retain high audio quality for both learning and work purposes.
VOICEOVER WORK requires the same level of dedication, investment and experience as any other type of acting or work within the industry, and building a studio is an investment in your future.
“The idea is that this money that you’re spending is not making you poor; it’s giving you an opportunity to make more money than you spend,” says Farley. “That’s how entrepreneurs work, and that’s what we all are as actors: We are entrepreneurs.”
This information is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual, product or company by SAG-AFTRA. It is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of other industry professionals. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided here.
View the PTEOE presentation Mastering the Basics of Home VO Studios at youtube.com/sagaftra.
Photo: Voiceover performer Dee Bradley Baker in his home studio.
7 Items Needed to Build the Foundation of Your Home Studio:
Studio Gear List
1. Computer (Mac or PC laptop/desktop approximately seven years of age or newer)
2. Microphone (analog or USB)
3. Cables (XLR for analog or USB)
4. Audio Interface/Sound Card (for analog microphones)
5. Pop Filter
6. Microphone Stand (with boom arm or a desktop stand depending on the size of your space)
7. Headphones (closed back versions; no noise-canceling models)
Software Options
These programs came highly recommended by our experts:
Pro Tools
Twisted Wave
Audacity
Reaper
Logic
Sony Sound Forge
Adobe Audition
Sound Studio
Source-Connect
SAG-AFTRA Foundation Offers FREE Voiceover Classes
Due to COVID-19, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Don LaFontaine Voiceover Lab in Los Angeles and the EIF Voiceover Lab in New York are operating virtually. Many of the Voiceover Labs’ classes, programs and services are now being offered online, including online booth sessions (for real-time recording of voiceover with a VO Lab audio engineer), online voiceover consultations (for discussing voiceover-related topics with a VO Lab audio engineer) and more. Visit sagaftra.foundation to create a SAG-AFTRA Foundation user account, complete the VO Lab eligibility process and sign up for classes today!
News
- Tags:
- SAG-AFTRA Magazine