Best solution to record VoiceOver when you can't reach a studio

S

Stelvium

Well-known member
Hola guys,

i was wondering what you guys use to record the speaker voicefor a VoiceOver when you are in a location with no pro studios that allow you to record the speaker voice professionally.
I heard about porta booth but wanted to hear your opinion!
Thx
 
A plush carpeted room, avoiding close-by walls and shutting down noise emitting devices like HVAC, refrigerators an such. Automobiles also work surprisingly good (not running of course), again, a plush interior is better.. in the center away from glass. A cardioid mic would be preferred. Both in a quiet location when most folks sleep.
 
ddixon said:
Super full walk-in closet.
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Yes, something like that should work pretty well to absorb all those horrible sound reflections. A old-time ultra-lo-tech solution was to put the talent (and their mic) under the covers of a bed (presumably with a torch so they could see their script :) ). Sounds ridiculous but was apparently quite common on low-budget movies where cast and crew were staying in hotels.
 
THis is still quite common for radio documentaries.
clang said:
Yes, something like that should work pretty well to absorb all those horrible sound reflections. A old-time ultra-lo-tech solution was to put the talent (and their mic) under the covers of a bed (presumably with a torch so they could see their script :) ). Sounds ridiculous but was apparently quite common on low-budget movies where cast and crew were staying in hotels.
Click to expand...
 
We track in the field for almost all our daily pieces. We've even tracked for full-blown feature pieces(10-20 individual tracks) in the field. Over the years, I think I've cut tracks almost anywhere you can think of: cars, broom closets, janitorial closets, bathrooms, offices, hallways, outside, the back of an ambulance(not running), etc. I own two "lip mics" and use one the majority of the time. Most audio guys don't like the sound of them, but when you're in an uncontrolled environment, you do the best you can and having a mic that doesn't sound quite as good as a "normal" mic is better than a track full of extraneous background noise(especially when you are at a racetrack). I used to put a fleece jacket over one of my reporters heads while they cut tracks. I used to call it the 'cloak of shame', because sometimes it took forever to cut tracks with them. In the Beta days, I used an entire 30 min. tape recording three tracks for a 1:30-1:45 piece.
 
The NPR radio show This American Life recently did a program as a live performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the opening segment was of an opera singer and books-on-tape narrator who accidentally locked herself in a closet in her hotel room while recording some narration. It's pretty hysterical and something all of us who have shoved ourselves into closets for similar reasons can connect to.
 
Gary but if i buy one of these SE electronics noise filter and i use it with a Tascam dr100 ( omni function) that i recently bought on ebay and i often carry with me, do the sound come with good quality?
Thanks
 
As Rick says try it.

Some reflection absorbing material will help behind any mic but beware that you do not end up making it sound as if it is being recorded in a box.

A quiet room with minimal echo of reflections can be used to record V/O and I have done many sessions on location in living rooms and all sorts of offices.

Clap you hands to test how much reflective echo is in any room and as said an omni mic will allow you to get it close without too much bass proximity effect, it will also allow you to reduce the gain and therefore lower the noise floor that is present in the room.
 
Thx guys! For the future what kind of condenser mic would you suggest to me ( not big budget)?
thank you
 
i was looking on amazon that material to glue inside a square box to isulate the sound. Any link suggested would be highly appreciated
thx
 
Just posted this in another thread:

As odd as it sounds - in a pinch, find out who has a BMW/mercedes/Lexus - "who's got the nicest car here?" (usually the business owner - luxury cars have a lot of sound insulation and usually big engines which call for even more insulation), park it somewhere as quiet as possible and record your VO in the car (with the engine off). You may get blown takes from a bird or passing car but monitor carefully and you'll usually get a much deader, quieter track than anywhere else at the location. (I saw a video once about building the first generation of Acura Sedans… they showed how they were blowing foam into the a-pillars and everywhere else to beat mercedes in quiet).

And to all the people who will say "but what about all the glass"? Just try it. Watch your mic placement, but all the fabrics and a couple bodies and you shouldn't have bad reflection problems. And it usually beats the hell out of the hard-walled meeting room or stairwell people usually go to in a corporate shoot.

One trick to monitoring like this? Good headphones and close your eyes. Cutting off your visual sense lets your brain put more processing to audio. You will hear a lot more stuff, like squeaks from the seats, etc. If you can see it, your brain says "this is normal". With your eyes closed, every little sound leaps out - I think your brain is working harder to make sense of sensory input when your primary input goes down.
 
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