VO Weekly Workflow: Crafting a Creative Space

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time in other people’s closets. From the first time working with another voice actor to improve their sound, I was trying to solve the challenges of extracting good quality audio from within the relatively imperfect space of a reclaimed closet.

Fifteen years ago, it was generally rare to encounter a voice actor that had a complete VO-specific studio in their home. Here in San Francisco, the bay area agencies had begun requiring voice talent to submit auditions from home well before the pandemic hit. However, prefab booths and dedicated spaces were not yet common. Voice actors just found quiet parts of their living spaces and simply used their phones to send auditions.

That worked for a little while until it became apparent that better quality auditions translated into more successful results. While the acting choices mattered, sending poor quality recordings increasingly became the equivilent of trying to view a beautul landscape through dirt encrusted glasses. Why ask a potential client to listen through poor audio quality? Better to invest in a dediated space to make it sound good. That trend became widespread, causing voice actors to seek solutions.

That’s when VO’s began moving into their closets, then wondered why things didn’t sound right. That gets at the unique issues we all face when recording VO at home – voiceover and narration requires a well treated space to support our creativity.

In more than a few closets I visited, physically getting behind the microphone meant wriggling into a form-fitting workspace not unlike a Formula 1 driver’s cockpit. In a performance medium that demands physicality, quick changes of attitude, and freedom of expression, that kind of restriction could easily be heard through the microphone.

The ability to be instantly creative behind the microphone strikes me as the oft-overlooked variable when developing a home recording space. Sure, there will be shelves to remove and hard surfaces to treat. Certainly, you’ll deal with reducing sources of environmental noise. Yes, you’ll realize that your neighbor has a weirdly regular habit of using a leaf blower. All that can be addressed.

However, it’s important not to lose sight of what inspires you. It cannot be an afterthought. Your recording space is where you’ll be doing your creative work. That’s not a place to take shortcuts.

The next time you step into your recording space, take stock of how it makes you feel. Is it dusty and cramped? Or do you smile and think, “now it’s time to play!” This is where the good stuff gets created.

Have you tested your studio’s audio quality to make sure it meets professional standards? For a free review of your vocal recordings, please use the upload tool on my Audio Review page.

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