Voiceover tips (recording the human voice)

stephentedsmith · #1 (**permalink**) 26th July 2009 , 05:49 PM

We record a lot of voice overs at ALT Recording Studios in Brighton. I've been unable to find much advice on the web about recording the human voice.

I've given an overview of what we do but would love to hear any tips or techniques used.

I always appreciate the difficulty in recording the human voice well. Colouration be it from roo acoustics, excessive compression, bad microphone techniques etc can ruin a recording. We hear the human voice everyday and so instantly know when it sounds wrong.

As with any recording it is always best to start at the source. In this case the voice over artist. Sitting comfortably, having good posture can work wonders.What I always try and aim for from a voice over artist is to optimise volume levels, reduce excessive sibilance and microphone popping, reduce excessive bass due to microphone proximity. In our control room at our Brighton studio we position the artists with their back to wall covered in auralex acoustic tiles to help avoid a boxy sound and create a pleasant reverberation ambiance.

Each mic has its own sound. At ALT Recording Studios we use Rode valve mics for recording voice over artists. We find it has a clean yet warm quality.

At the mix down stage I usually add compression but only with ratios up to 4:1 and a threshold of less than 5dB to get rid of the the peaks. To keep everything sounding natural I use a fast attack and a release time of around a 0.25 of a second. I always try and avoid gating, de essing and eq unless there are specific issues I am trying to remedy.

I've posted more details on our website

www.altrecordingstudios.com

http://www.altrecordingstudios.co.uk...okenvoice.html

terminal3 · #2 (**permalink**) 26th July 2009 , 05:55 PM

Hmmm, I almost always add a bit of EQ. A very soft bump at around 4khz (depends on the voice but this is the area to look at) and a roll-off HPF at 80hz (sometimes higher for females) will do wonders and also really help a voice standout in a busy mix. It varies, of course, but I generally start with those settings and adjust to taste.

A pop-shield is a must, too!!

terminal3 · #3 (**permalink**) 26th July 2009 , 09:26 PM

also... mate.. I have to ask... you're posting all these tutorials on a LOT of forums today. Is this just your way of spamming the universe to drive traffic to your studio website???

We appreciate information & knowledge, of course, but I think knowing your motives at this point would be great. Bear in mind that many of us use a number of forums and can smell a rat a mile off. It's a bit suspect as well that all of your posts say "more details on my website" but in fact there are no more details, just a verbatim re-hash of whatever it is you've posted here, or at PSW, or wherever.

Just be careful.

stephentedsmith · #4 (**permalink**) 1st August 2009 , 06:17 PM

Thanks for the tip. I very rarely eq the spoken voice unless I'm trying to correct something. Perhaps my EQ's aren't good enough as it always seems to make the voice sound unatural.

Am new to forums and trying a few out to see which one is the most useful.

dariunas · #5 (**permalink**) 28th October 2009 , 12:48 AM

Interesting...

I think for short lines, gating when done with the right settings is a good, worthwhile thing. At the end of the day, just gives you that little bit more headroom for any other audio elements such as music, FX etc.

If the noise is minor. Manual volume reductions on the affected areas is also a nice alternative that keeps the overall clip a bit more natural, but this is all time consuming when you're dealing with many lines...

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#1 (permalink) 26th July 2009 , 05:49 PM
stephentedsmith Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3	Voiceover tips (recording the human voice) We record a lot of voice overs at ALT Recording Studios in Brighton. I've been unable to find much advice on the web about recording the human voice. I've given an overview of what we do but would love to hear any tips or techniques used. I always appreciate the difficulty in recording the human voice well. Colouration be it from roo acoustics, excessive compression, bad microphone techniques etc can ruin a recording. We hear the human voice everyday and so instantly know when it sounds wrong. As with any recording it is always best to start at the source. In this case the voice over artist. Sitting comfortably, having good posture can work wonders.What I always try and aim for from a voice over artist is to optimise volume levels, reduce excessive sibilance and microphone popping, reduce excessive bass due to microphone proximity. In our control room at our Brighton studio we position the artists with their back to wall covered in auralex acoustic tiles to help avoid a boxy sound and create a pleasant reverberation ambiance. Each mic has its own sound. At ALT Recording Studios we use Rode valve mics for recording voice over artists. We find it has a clean yet warm quality. At the mix down stage I usually add compression but only with ratios up to 4:1 and a threshold of less than 5dB to get rid of the the peaks. To keep everything sounding natural I use a fast attack and a release time of around a 0.25 of a second. I always try and avoid gating, de essing and eq unless there are specific issues I am trying to remedy. I've posted more details on our website www.altrecordingstudios.com http://www.altrecordingstudios.co.uk...okenvoice.html
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#2 (permalink) 26th July 2009 , 05:55 PM
terminal3 Sound Guru Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: London Posts: 2,176	Hmmm, I almost always add a bit of EQ. A very soft bump at around 4khz (depends on the voice but this is the area to look at) and a roll-off HPF at 80hz (sometimes higher for females) will do wonders and also really help a voice standout in a busy mix. It varies, of course, but I generally start with those settings and adjust to taste. A pop-shield is a must, too!!
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#3 (permalink) 26th July 2009 , 09:26 PM
terminal3 Sound Guru Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: London Posts: 2,176	also... mate.. I have to ask... you're posting all these tutorials on a LOT of forums today. Is this just your way of spamming the universe to drive traffic to your studio website??? We appreciate information & knowledge, of course, but I think knowing your motives at this point would be great. Bear in mind that many of us use a number of forums and can smell a rat a mile off. It's a bit suspect as well that all of your posts say "more details on my website" but in fact there are no more details, just a verbatim re-hash of whatever it is you've posted here, or at PSW, or wherever. Just be careful.
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#4 (permalink) 1st August 2009 , 06:17 PM
stephentedsmith Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3	Thanks for the tip. I very rarely eq the spoken voice unless I'm trying to correct something. Perhaps my EQ's aren't good enough as it always seems to make the voice sound unatural. Am new to forums and trying a few out to see which one is the most useful.
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#5 (permalink) 28th October 2009 , 12:48 AM
dariunas Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 21	Interesting... I think for short lines, gating when done with the right settings is a good, worthwhile thing. At the end of the day, just gives you that little bit more headroom for any other audio elements such as music, FX etc. If the noise is minor. Manual volume reductions on the affected areas is also a nice alternative that keeps the overall clip a bit more natural, but this is all time consuming when you're dealing with many lines...
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