Insiders Guide to Pro Voice Over Recording Sessions
- Ian Russell
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Voice over recording sessions are the core of any voice over business. For voice actors and all the creatives involved, these sessions are where preparation meets artistry and technical skills, culminating in the final product rolled out to audiences.
As a professional voice actor, I've participated in over 2,000 voiceover recording sessions, and my experience has been that no two sessions are ever exactly alike, although there are commonalities. For starters, some sessions can be live-directed, while many others are self-directed, with any pick-ups (changes) made after the edited audio is sent in.
Home Studio Setup
While recording sessions in studios have returned over the last couple of years, especially in the larger cities, the vast majority of voice-over work is now captured in home studios. It's crucial, especially when you are starting out, to get things right before the recording begins. This setup includes preparing yourself, your recording environment, and equipment, such as microphones, audio interfaces, headphones, and software.
Decisions like what software (Digital Audio Workstation - DAW) you will use to capture the audio (ProTools, Reaper, Audacity, etc.) and considering how the session will be connected if your client is listening to the performance are all key. Common ways to connect to clients are Source Connect, Sessionlink, IPDtl, and Cleanfeed. These enable your client to directly capture your audio into their DAW. Many also like to listen through videoconferencing applications like Zoom or Google Meet.
Make sure your script (either printed or on screen) is in the right place to see on a stand or clipped somewhere and your microphone placement is correct. Backstage has a helpful blog about mic placement. For vocal sessions involving a wide range of performance, such as games and animation, make sure you have easy access to your interface (either manually or via your computer) so that you can adjust your input level appropriately.
To stand or not to stand is a personal preference, although I think standing offers more freedom in your performance. It's important to be hydrated and wear clothing that is both comfortable and quiet. It can sometimes be so obvious it's missed, but don't forget to take off watches or jewelry that might resonate sound with animated arm movements.
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The Equipment
I've always built my businesses around the concept of "buy the best equipment you can reasonably afford." I now own two higher-end microphones: a Neumann TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416 that I can switch out depending on the session type. No doubt that higher-quality microphones capture the subtle nuances of the voice, but some of the plug-and-play USB microphones offer great quality at an affordable price for those starting out. Eventually, aim for an XLR-connected condenser microphone as approximately 85% of studios choose condenser mics for their sensitivity and clarity. ```
Audio interfaces connect the microphone to a computer, ensuring a high-quality sound recording. USB Mics will have an 'on-board' interface while XLR condensers will need a separate piece of kit. The processors in a separate interface will likely be of higher quality than the USB mic's. This is because they provide a barrier between the noise from your PC and your mic and allow you to control gain while providing the power to your microphone.
You also need to be sure that you can hear the audio recorded accurately so quality headphones (I use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro) and monitors also play a critical role, allowing you to hear your audio clearly when editing and during any playback during the session.
Perhaps most important, you need a good space in which to record. I work in a state-of-the-art Whisperroom, but my first work was recorded in my walk-in closet. I often hear about people asking about 'soundproof' studio spaces. What they usually mean by this is how to prevent sound from outside impacting the recording: sounds from inside your house, traffic passing by, aircraft flying overhead, or the dreaded leaf blower in your neighbor's garden. Nothing in the home is likely to be truly 'soundproof,' and clients understand this. If something noisy is happening, ask for a 2-minute break, fetch another glass of water, and then resume once the leaf blower has moved on. Almost as important as the need to control reflections inside your recording space is how sound waves bounce around and impact your recording. Quality audio blankets, foam, bass traps, and diffusers really help to elevate your sound.
The Recording Process
If you are with an engineer, consider connecting early to test your levels and ensure that your connection is stable. Many will ask you to do this, but if not, it can demonstrate professional awareness by offering it yourself. Be willing to discuss the project, review the script, and go over any specific notes or directions with the director or producer. Ask about tricky pronunciation in advance (i.e., medical terms/fantasy names). Again, this shows professionalism on your part. This discussion is helpful for aligning expectations and creating a shared vision for the project. If you have the script in advance, review it thoroughly and have some ideas about how you might perform it, but be open to the ideas the director will bring too. Review your audition to remind yourself of the performance that booked you the project in the first place.
It's important that everyone, including the voice actor, feels supported and motivated to deliver their best work. By connecting early, there may even be time to be social and get to know who you are working with better.
However, there will be times when the recording session begins straight away, as the expectation is that the details may have been sent in a previous email and the homework was done well before the live session. There will be times when you don't get the script until right before the recording session or even sent to you after the connection has started.
Try to relax, and remember that you were picked because the client thinks you are the right talent for the project, and everyone wants that decision to be right. Most directors will maintain a positive and encouraging dialogue. The focus tends to be on praise with small tweaks to your performance between reads. The term Frankenstein may come up because it's not unusual for fragments of some or all of your reads to be stitched together to create the perfect solution for their needs (known as Frankensteining).
Occasionally, there is a room full of directors, producers, and creatives online, maybe in different countries, all involved in getting the project done while meeting several different expectations. This usually happens with the very high-end recordings and can be slightly more stressful.
Voice actors who are hired for the same project sometimes come together online to record the project together, but many voice projects are done individually and then put together. Group sessions are more common for in-studio recordings.
Post-Recording
Once the recording wraps up, either you or the audio engineer starts the editing phase. This process involves cleaning up the audio by removing mistakes and unwanted sounds, and balancing levels for consistency. This can often take longer than the actual voiceover recording.
At home, having software to help streamline this can save hours of time. iZotope RX and Waves are just two common plug-in editors that can help with things like mouth clicks, pops, and de-essing. Pozotron can help with longer-form work such as audiobooks by proofing what you have narrated against the manuscript.
The engineer may also incorporate effects or enhancements, depending on project requirements, but it is rare that you would be expected to add this kind of post-production. This stage is essential, as around 60% of the final audio quality hinges on careful post-recording editing. As a rule of thumb, allow 3 times the length of the script for editing. So if your script is 60 minutes long, allow 3 hours for editing.
The Final Product
After editing, be sure to review the final audio file and check for possible pickups before delivering to your client. Final audio is almost always delivered as a high-quality WAV file, either 48k/24bit or 44k/16bit. An exception may be audiobooks where the file size may be very large, so MP3 files saved at 192 kbps or higher Constant Bit Rate (CBR) would be expected.
Voiceover recording sessions embody what voice actors and many audio engineers do on a weekly basis. From the initial setup to the finished product, each step has basic components with lots of variations in between.
Being prepared, relaxed, and professional are essential and indispensable elements for every recording session. When these factors align, it becomes a fulfilling experience for all participants and exponentially increases the likelihood for future collaborations.
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Ian Russell is a British Voiceover Artist specializing in commercial voice over, narration, video game, character voices, animation and more. He is a frequent guest speaker on conference panels and podcasts, sharing knowledge about voice over. Read More >>