Audio: 10 Voiceover Tips

Hal Robertson
March 2008

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You can often outsource the voice over task by hiring a professional to read your copy. This "voice" will record several versions changing word or phrase emphasis and speed, and it's just up to you as to which version to keep. However, for most small-time producers, it's common to record voiceovers in-house for budget and control reasons.

Whether you're recording yourself or professional voice talent, these tips will help you make the most of your voiceover recordings.

A great voiceover starts with a great script. Your copy needs to be clean and easy to read. Numbers under 20 should be spelled out, and others broken apart with hyphens. You may have to provide phonetic spellings for chemicals, technical terms and subjects with complicated names. Be sure to pre-read the copy before recording to verify the flow. Don't be afraid to mark the copy with notes for inflection or emphasis. It might feel funny, but it is important to read the copy out loud, using the mic and headphones. You'll get a better feel for the sound of the copy and the mic, allowing you to make any adjustments before you hit the Record button.

A vocal coach once said that proper hydration happens before the recording. While you should have a couple of bottles of water available for the voice talent, it's important to be properly hydrated ahead of the session. Drink plenty of clear liquids - preferably at room temperature. Avoid strong coffee, ice-cold soda and any drinks that contain milk products. Milk gets the mucus flowing and will dampen the performance. How about a nice cup of green tea before the session? Toss in a lemon cough drop for added insurance.

I don't know about you, but as I age, my seasonal allergies get worse. Spring and Fall are very challenging, and scheduling a voiceover session can be a gamble. If you need to take medication for allergies or other ailments, go easy. Find a treatment that has a minimum effect on your system, leaving you as clear as possible, both mentally and physically. If your medicine of choice leaves you a bit groggy, take it as far ahead of the session as possible to allow your body to adapt. If all else fails, bring some tissues and cough drops for insurance.

We've talked about it before, but the space you record in is critical. A professional vocal booth is isolated from the rest of the studio, and the interior has sound-absorbent material. If you're improvising a vocal booth, drape some heavy blankets around the microphone position. Better yet, step into a walk-in closet. The hanging clothes will absorb a lot of sound reflections. If possible, choose a location as far away from traffic as possible. If you can hear the air conditioning system, turn it off during the recording.

It may seem obvious, but the voiceover talent needs to see the copy. This means you should provide decent lighting over the recording area. If you're creating an ad-hoc space, place one of your video lights overhead on a boom stand. Use a small fixture to minimize the heat. If you have some diffusion, it will help minimize shadows on the copy. Don't forget to supply a music stand or some kind of surface for the copy. Print the copy with a slightly larger font. and double-space for easy reading. Break the copy into natural sections on separate pages, so the talent won't have to shuffle papers.

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