Introducing a Voice Over

D

David Evans

Well-known member
Hi guys,

I'm editing my short film and I have to record and mix a voice over. It’s not the first time I do this, but still I could really use some help with two things that I’ve been wondering:

1 – I will not record the voice over in a studio, so I need to know what I can do to improve the audio as much as possible. I will be using an Audix SCX1 and a MM1 into the camera (Ursa Mini 4.6k). What are the best techniques to record? Should the person be against a wall or far from it? Maybe adding egg crates or some other material to better cut the bouncing of the sound?

2 – When mixing voice over with the actual audio of the scene, I believe it should stand above everything else. But when the voice over comes in, does the scene audio drops suddenly or a second before? And when the voice over stops, does the scene audio increases in the same logic?

Thanks!
 
There was recently a thorough discussion of VO recording in THIS THREAD.

As for the mix, the VO should blend seamlessly. If the underlying layers (nats, music, SFX) make a noticeable dip as the VO comes in, and a noticeable rise after, you're doing it wrong. Just like dialog, it should sit just above everything else but should "fit" into the mix.
 
Thanks Alex, great reading! I might have a hard time finding someone with a big enough closet to fit a person and the microphone with the stand, but there was one guy at that thread that mentioned recording in a car. I actually always found that cars had great isolation but never thought of recording inside one. Would it work ok? I have a garage where I park my car.

What about the SCX1? I understand that large diaphragm condensers are kings in recording VO, but you think I can get good VO with my SCX1? I'm using the MM1 as a preamp and the camera to record the audio. I struggle a lot to get the audio noise free but there's always some sort of noise (not room tone, just hiss) in there. Can a XLR cable introduce noise or is this something that's always there? I mean, the MM1 is a good preamp, it should have a very clean noise floor, right?

Thanks
 
You don't have to have a full, walk-in closet. Just one large enough to stand in. The mic can be rigged creatively if there's not room for a full stand in there.

But the field solution I posted at the end of that thread is also easy to asemble if you have C-stands, furniture pads (sound blankets), and clamps.

Hiss can come from several places. Cheap cables and connectors can introduce noise, typically over longer distances (10'+), due to lack of integrity with grounding and isolation.

Really, it could be the mic itself, since the SCX-1 is rated at 14dB of self-noise. That's not bad, but not terribly low (compare to the RØDE NT1-A at only 5dB of self noise) and is likely a part of the issue. That level of self noise can fall below the typical ambient noise floor when shooting on location, but once you put it in a quiet environment you're going to hear it for sure. And depending on how much gain you're adding with the pre-amp, any self noise from the mic will be amplified.

Of course, the lauded Neumann U87 that is a favorite in voice studios is rated at 12dB of self-noise, so...

Not sure about the audio circuitry form the Ursa Mini, so I can't comment on that except to say that cameras often have higher self noise, which is why external recorders are advisable.
 
Alex, I also own a AT8035b. Would it be more suited to record VO? There's nothing worst than VO with hiss...

Thanks!
 
David Evans said:
Alex, I also own a AT8035b. Would it be more suited to record VO? There's nothing worst than VO with hiss...
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I assume you mean 4053b? The 8035 is a shotgun, and there is no "b" model. It's rated at 16dB noise.

A lot of this is handled through proper gain staging. That's the process of making sure that every stop through the signal chain where the level can be adjusted, is adjusted for optimal signal/noise ratio so that noise isn't amplified, added, or passed on from that point. In this case, you have the gain adjustment on the MM-1 and the input level adjustment on the Ursa Mini. (I'm not familiar with the camera's audio controls, so there may also be relevant settings in the menus.). I'm also not sure if the Ursa Mini actually bypasses the internal pre-amps when set to line-level input, or if it just pads down the input to the pre-amps. If it's the former, added noise is less likely. If it's the latter, there could be noise added.

VO recording should also help minimize the noise. The source is so close to the mic that the signal input is pretty high as compared to boomed dialog, so there should be a higher signal/noise ratio from the start. That's why mics like the Neumann are fine even with 12dB of self noise.

One other major factor: how are you listening when you hear this noise? Through headphones from the camera? If so, is the noise still there when the audio is played back through your editing monitors? The headphone pre-amps in most cameras that I've ever experienced are pretty poor, and hiss that is heard when monitoring from the camera is strictly in the headphones and not actually recorded.
 
Thanks guys,

Alex, I was wondering if I should use my Audix SCX1 or just rent a VO oriented mic for this job. I called the rental company and they recommended the Shoeps V4. What do you think? Would you suggest a different mic?

Thanks!
 
Placement, proximity, and room acoustics are your three most important hurdles. Try the Audix while controlling those issues and see if it works for you.
 
Thanks Alex. I will have just one shot at this as the actress is going abroad next week. So this friday will be the D-day to record :). I love my Audix, really. I was just wondering if it'd be worth it to try a VO kind of mic. One thing I notice is that the Audix is very susceptible to pop. So I bought a simple pop filter and I usually wrap a woman's sock around it. I get better results mic'ing it from above, as if I were booming it, but much closer.

How would you place it? Pointed at the mouth? Pointed at the floor and the actress talking a few inches below?

Thanks
 
David Evans said:
Thanks Alex. I will have just one shot at this as the actress is going abroad next week. So this friday will be the D-day to record :). I love my Audix, really. I was just wondering if it'd be worth it to try a VO kind of mic.
Click to expand...

You have between now and Friday to experiment on your own. Record your own VO. Play it back in your edit suite, and see how well that works for you. And try it more than once; if the first attempt isn't great, that's not a reason to go with plan B. Adjust some things and try again. Repeat as necessary until you get it where you want it. This will also give you a better understanding of placement and controlling the environment before you have to do it for real on Friday.

David Evans said:
One thing I notice is that the Audix is very susceptible to pop. So I bought a simple pop filter and I usually wrap a woman's sock around it. I get better results mic'ing it from above, as if I were booming it, but much closer.

How would you place it? Pointed at the mouth? Pointed at the floor and the actress talking a few inches below?
Click to expand...

This was covered in the other thread I linked above. Point it at the mouth, but speak across the mic at a 45º angle, rather than directly into it. That'll avoid the plosives and sibilance that can create pops and distortion. A pop screen in addition to that can help. And a distance of 6" is a good starting place; you don't need to be right up on the mic.
 
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