Preparing to read copy for a voice over can be stressful. Knowing that each recording can have an impact on your chances of future gigs, being nervous about the competition, or whatever else that runs through your head can all have a negative impact on your recording. Get familiar with the script, understand what you can, and just be yourself. Trust that your skill and experience that has gotten you this far will continue to carry you.
You can read more tips for preparing for a voice over recording here: https://www.audiolinks.com/blog/how-to-read-copy-as-a-voice-over-actor/
Archives for January 2013
Create An Environment For Good Recording
Music has a lot to do with conveying emotion, so it’s no surprise that not everything about a recording can be fixed with technology and a good audio engineer. Get a good environment set up for your recording studio. Clear away the clutter and mess, and maybe even add some sentimental decoration to get you motivated. By having a recording area that keeps you in a good frame of mind, you’ll be able to start off on the right foot when recording.
You can read more tips here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/01/11/3-psychological-hacks-to-a-better-recording/
Record Via USB Mic With Android
Using the USB Audio Recorder PRO app, many Android devices are now able to utilize USB microphones. This feature has been available for iOS for a while, but it’s new to Android functionality. Being able to use your USB microphone for mobile recording can drastically increase recording quality since the integrated microphones are rarely known for producing high quality recordings. The app itself is available for $4, but considering the options that it opens up, it’s pretty inexpensive.
Clearing Unwanted Distortion
Distortion has its place in music, but unwanted distortion can ruin a recording. Distortion can result from a microphone receiving too much sound. Think of someone on the other end of the phone screaming; their voice will be far from clear. Some simple solutions include moving the mic farther from the source, or even using a different type of microphone.
You can read more tips about distortion here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/church_sound_audio_distortion_–_finding_the_source_and_clearing_the_air/
Eliminating The Hum Of A Ground Loop
A ground loop is an electrical problem that can present as a noisy hum. Some musicians like to use a three-to-two pin converter plug as a quick fix for the problem, but that can remove the important safety features of using a grounded outlet. Start by plugging all of the equipment that will be handling your audio signal into a single power strip (be careful not to overload it!). This works because all of the ground lines in your gear will eventually lead to a single ground point, the wall outlet, eliminating any chance of a difference in electrical potential, which is the root cause of a ground loop.
You can read about other ways to avoid or fix a ground loop here: http://en.audiofanzine.com/recording-mixing/editorial/articles/banish-ground-loop-hum.html