Voiceover Answerbase
A collection of my answers to VO and Voiceover questions. Ranging from basic "how-to's" to detailed VO studio fixes and hacks.
VO Weekly Workflow – The Throwaway Take
Why do we need any of those extra takes? Is there another assumption which might be undercutting our success? What if we limited ourselves to just one take?
VO Weekly Workflow – Don’t Fear “Delete”
Deleting an audition take is a courageous act. It requires a significant amount of gumption to highlight one of our efforts behind the mic and tap that
VO Weekly Workflow – Go Back & Begin Again
Thinking a bit about how we can spiral during auditions. The need for "perfection" can cause endless takes. Does that help us?
Weekly VO Workflow: Dedicated Controls
With a number of audio interfaces, there's a tendency to simplify the control panel. While this gives a very clean look to the device, it means that what a given knob or button controls changes depending upon what mode you are in. Well designed separate controls show exact settings and allow immediate adjustments. Analog interfaces can aid creativity in the vo studio.
VO Weekly Workflow: In Praise of Scarlett
While maintaining that operational simplicity, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Generation 4 then solved two major issues impacting many voice actors and podcasters: reliably setting input levels with Auto-Gain, and dealing with sudden changes in performance volume through the "SAFE" mode.
VO Weekly Workflow: What Gear Travels Well?
Once you decide to hit the road with your voiceover recording gear, how do you bring along "everything you need, but nothing you don't"? Here's what I've found works well...
VO Weekly Workflow: Recording On The Road
How much VO gear do you need when you travel? Or more importantly, should you be bringing anything with you at all? Before focusing on what recording equipment to take along, it might be helpful to ask just what we are trying to accomplish. Challenging conditions lie in wait when on the road.
VO Weekly Workflow: Crafting a Creative Space
Our studio working environment matters a great deal. The ability to be instantly creative behind the microphone strikes me as the oft-overlooked variable when developing a home recording space.
VO Weekly Workflow: Switching Sides
In choosing software, our needs are niche... Narrators, podcasters, storytellers, and voice actors remain a small subset of those people who record audio at home using their own equipment. The bulk of the product or software development remains geared towards singer/songwriters or home music recording enthusiasts. Our home VO studio requirements remain an outlier. So, how to choose?
