Recording the Spoken Word

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Perry Anne Norton

Recording and Editing

Voice-over recording is generally less labor intensive than recording a singer. A clean signal path, a good condenser mic (or a dynamic mic with a good preamp that has very little color), and only slight (if any) compression during recording are the three most important factors.

The best strategy is to get a clean sound up front by capturing the voice's natural warmth at a sufficient level. Just let the mic, the actor, and the proximity effect — a directional mic's tendency to boost low frequencies at close range — do the work for you (see Fig. 5). Dom Camardella calls the proximity effect “the voice of God” or “the Isaac Hayes effect.” Dynamic mics are often better for achieving the effect. Voice actors take advantage of proximity to add fullness to their vocal sound. However, working close to the mic can emphasize undesirable sounds such as breathing and plosives that can lead to editing headaches (see Web Clip 3).

You can edit out distracting or unnecessary catch breaths (quick inhalations) to tighten up a recording if necessary, but experienced v/o talent will mark breathing points in the script in advance so that breathing sounds natural and doesn't draw attention to itself or add length to carefully timed copy. As a rule, you don't want any reverb or EQ going in, though for certain actors with sibilance issues you may want to incorporate a de-esser or a tiny bit of frequency-dependent compression after the fact.

You might be surprised at how often clients want to edit the raw vocal files themselves. They may add EQ or compression to your recorded files to match other spots they've created — so remember, clean is king. Know your client's expectations up front and use EQ sparingly, if at all. You'll understand the inherent challenges if you're the one editing prerecorded files with a lot of compression or EQ on them. I know an editor who had to improvise and replace every single f sound in a long file, because it arrived completely compressed or gated to the point at which that consonant was lost. Because the recording involved a celebrity talent who would have been expensive (and embarrassing) to call back to the studio, it became a tedious project that fell on the editor.

Copy That

While it may seem obvious, it's critical to ensure that you have final, approved copy. Ask about any timing constraints (for TV or radio spots) so that clients don't waste your time and their money rewriting copy during or after a session. Time the copy yourself before the session. Advise the client if it's likely to run too long, and make editing suggestions if you have a good working relationship. Determine in advance if you will charge extra for that guidance.

Editing copy is the client's job, but as a project studio producer, it often becomes your problem. You don't want to rely on fixing it in the mix for v/o work any more than you do for music. It's amazing how many times the wrong “approved” copy comes into the studio, is recorded, and then must be edited or rerecorded (for more on copy preparation, see Web Clip 4).

Under most circumstances, capturing the spoken word is not as demanding as capturing a singer's performance. When you are recording dialog, consider recording multiple tracks, which simplifies tweaking for vastly different voice qualities. Number each take and mark the preferred ones in the script as you record, while slating each new take with an audible marker of where you are in the script. For example, record the slate “Oxford University Press, Lesson 4, take 3,” followed by a visual cue for your actor to begin speaking. Number all takes in your hard copy as you go, and circle the best ones; that will speed up your editing later (see Web Clip 5). Another task that may come later is recording pickups. Pickups are retakes recorded out of sequence that you or the client decide should be redone, usually at the end of a session (sometimes days later).

As a project studio producer, your clients may come from other cities, states, or countries. To gain a client's trust, voice-over pro Rick Adamson suggests taking clients through a dry-run phone rehearsal for style and pacing. After the recording session, he often delivers two full takes of everything, keeping the file clean for the client's engineer to compress or EQ as they see fit (for more on dealing with off-site clients, see Web Clip 6).

Talent in the Raw

From time to time, clients may suggest using new, unproven talent because they want “regular-sounding” people. Be aware that raw talent tends to “pop” and go off-mic more often, because their technique will also be raw. Keep in mind that pro voice actors employ the same techniques as other actors. Help your talent find ways to relate to the copy, use timing and phrasing, make the read sound spontaneous, or get into character. As in music, a good sense of cadence and an ear for natural inflection both go a long way (see Web Clip 7).

Jon Van Horn, former engineer for Full House Productions in New York and now a project studio producer, stresses the importance of a good working relationship with clients and talent. “I always try to make them laugh and be casual, and above all, to make people really, really comfortable to get the best results, whether they're new talent or old pros. Half of the work is how you relate with the voice-over person you're working with. Be supportive and professional with everyone. You always get better results and repeat business if you're encouraging and positive — so keep the peace, and use diplomacy.”

File Delivery

Know what final file format is required by your client before you begin your session. That will be determined in part by how the audio will be used. For example, many of my clients are authors who want short excerpts of their books recorded for use on their Web sites. They may look to you for guidance because they won't care about bit resolution or sampling-rate terminology.

A session recorded using 16-bit resolution and a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and then rendered to MP3 with a compression rate of 128 Kbps or higher will produce a file that is of decent quality without bogging down a Web site. Because of their small size, finished MP3 files can often be emailed to the client for approval. Other clients, including those who put voice to picture for commercials or other video, will likely require uncompressed WAV files or even 24-bit, 48 kHz recordings. If you're rendering higher-quality (and thus larger) files, you'll need to deliver them by FTP or put them on a CD to send to your client.

O Clients, Where Art Thou?

It's easy to start locally and offer to do public service announcements (PSAs) for nonprofits or commercials for local businesses on the cheap. Use your imagination and contact companies you think could benefit from using audio as a marketing tool. Avoid high-maintenance, one-off clients if you can; as the saying goes, “Some money costs too much.” Look for clients who respect your time and who pay promptly by PayPal or other secure system.

You might also take a look at producing audiobooks. The drawbacks are the labor-intensive nature of the recording process and the need for access to a wide range of vocal talent. Paul Ruben in New York is a widely recognized audiobook producer. Rather than trying to compete, I work with emerging authors creating short promo clips (see Web Clip 8). If you want to explore audiobook production, you'll need to cozy up to the big publishing houses.

Good Night, and Good Luck

The voice-over industry is a service industry. Ultimately, you will need to please your clients. You will need to put aside your own ego, even if your client or talent is difficult to work with. Never be dishonest, but if someone makes a mistake, take responsibility as the engineer rather than making the client or actor feel inadequate, and you'll get a better product. Use the best equipment you can afford, and keep trying new methods to improve efficiency. Learn from your mistakes, but not at your clients' expense. With a bit of imagination for wooing off-the-radar clients, voice-over production can be a good opportunity for a music producer-engineer with the right studio environment to expand his or her client base and bring in extra cash.

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Perry Anne Norton is the founder of PanRight Productions (www.panright.com) and works with clients in the corporate, nonprofit, government, and education fields. Special thanks to Phil Lee/Full House Productions, Jon Van Horn, Rick Adamson, John Billingsley/SuchaVoice.com, Jim Salvito, Francis Sullivan, Dom Camardella/Santa Barbara Sound Design, and Felicia Sullivan.