Recording Voice Overs?

B

Bigredf

Member
Hi guys,

What would you suggest to record voice overs for our show?

We are still a low budget show getting off the ground - for season one under such time constraints and low budget we literally recorded the voice overs on a microphone, under a duvet at home :grin:.

But this season I'm sure we can muster a greater solution.

So what would you guys recommend? Could I simply use a laviler mic in a room with the right acoustics? Or do you think we need to head to a recording studio and pay to do it properly?

interested to know what you guys think, as I don't have the experience to make this call.

Thanks

Sam
 
A properly acoustically treated room with a large diaphragm studio condenser microphone is the least you should be doing. Don't use just a lav. That won't sound good for VO. I don't like short shotguns for VO. Ultimately, if you have budgeted properly, then you should be doing this in a professional space with professional people that know what they are doing.
 
davefisk said:
Ultimately, if you have budgeted properly, then you should be doing this in a professional space with professional people that know what they are doing.
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And it hasn't been specified what budget or professional level we're addressing. Is this aiming for network distribution? Is it a web series?

It's easy to fire off the "spend money and hire a professional" answer every time, but that's not a one-size-fits-all. It's certainly the ideal solution, and the surest way to get professional results, but what level of production are we talking about here? That'll help us answer the OP's question with better advice.
 
Essami said:
You can easily do this without going to a pro studio. Just find a quiet room and dampen it to taste. You could get one of those foam thingies, like this: http://studiosetups.weebly.com/uploads/7/5/8/2/7582458/1290860.jpg

If you are rerecording dialogue then a LAV + shotgun is a good choise but if it's a voiceover then a shotgun or any decent condenser mic will give you a nice sound with just one mic.
Click to expand...

I too recommend a foam thingy (I think the common technical name is a microphone acoustic shield :) )
 
Well first off did you like the sound of the VO last time?

While the "under the comforter" technique will not impress clients and producers it is used regularly by radio folks. A good number of radio documentaries etc. you hear on NPR had the VO done under the covers or in a closet full of clothes.

A lav is generally not a good choice for VO, BUT if you used one and that is the sound you want then it is the best choice for you.

I also am not fond of shotguns for VO, BUT they are used for VO a fair amount.

BTW pretty much all shotguns are condenser mics so I think what Essami meant was a cardioid condenser.

Every mic has a sound, as do spaces. So what you should use depends on what you want it to sound like, and how much post you are going to do.

One camp is about getting the cleanest most neutral sound and then adjusting it in post and the other is about getting the sound in the can and hardly touching it in post.

I personally bounce between the two and am usually someplace in the middle. Again it depends on the sound you want. If you are not sure then a nice neutral sound lets you play with it later. If you know what you want and have the kit to make it happen then I tend to use it.

Common choices would be

Short shotgun. You are talking close to it and getting a big proximity effect so it can give you that "Imagine a World..." sound.
Large diaphragm cardioid condenser. Less proximity effect but better bass response so if your voice sounds good this is likely to make it sound better. Again different ones sound different so try a few.
Large diaphragm Dynamic. Mics like the RE20 and PR40. Often sound great on voices, are almost imposable to overload so you can scream into them and don't need phantom power.
Small diaphragm condenser. Good clean sound. Most are fairly neutral to a bit bright. Not your first choice for a "voice of god" type sound unless your going to create it in post.
Lav. Not a great choice because the responce is limited, they inherently have more self noise and well why? THe only real upside is it's easy to clip it on and go under the covers.

Using two mics is also not generally a good idea. You are ending up mono for a VO and the two mics could end up with phase issues. THe only real reason to do so would be so you have two choices later, but it's probably not a good idea to mix them together.
 
I'm not a fan of the small acoustically treated boxes. They still pick up the sounds in the room because one side of the box is completely open to record it.
 
Sorry if i ask: if i'd use a TASCAM DR100 inside the foam box, what kind of audio should it pick? I have even a RODE VIdeomic go that i could plug trough line input. Thank you
 
Cheers for all the replies people.

Our show is a recently started up commercial TV show broadcast here in New Zealand (its an outdoors show based on hunting). We would hope to achieve broadcast quality and standard going forward. Our budget is still currently low, but going forward we don't want to compromise quality to the point where its noticeable by the viewers, therefore will do what it takes to achieve quality.

David W. Richardson - I admire your ingenuity! Looks great, I mean this is the sort of thing I'd look at designing if the sound quality is acceptable, which I'm sure it is! What sort of mic have you got tucked in there?

Sam
 
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