January 30, 2025 • 16 mins
So, you’ve decided to get into voiceover.
Whether you’ve decided you want to do this as a career or just looking to make some cash on the side, you need gear.
But not just any gear. The RIGHT gear. Because no one wants to overspend on a mic that makes you sound like you’re recording in a rest stop bathroom.
Lucky for you, I’m here to guide you through the maze of audio equipment and get you set up for success.
Mics: Audio-Technica AT2020, Rode NT1-A.
Audio Interfaces: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Behringer UM2
Acoustic Treatment: Mattress Toppers, Moving Blankets, PVC Pipe
Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
DAW Software: Audacity, Adobe Audition, Reaper
Extras: Pop filter, mic stand, XLR cables (Mogami and Hosa), surge protector, cable management
Upgrades:
Mics: Sennheiser MKH-416, Neumann TLM 103
Interface: Universal Audio Apollo Twin
Acoustic Treatment: GIK Acoustics, Auralex
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
So, you've decided you want to get into voiceover.
First of all, welcome you gorgeous bastard.
Secondly, whether you've decided you want to do this eventually as a career full-time orwhether you just want to make some side money and get good at it, you're gonna need gear.
But not just any gear.
Nobody wants to, for example, overspend on a mic that makes you sound like you recorded ina bathroom off an interstate somewhere outside of Sheboygan.
(00:27):
And lucky for you, your old friend Polly's here to guide you through the maze of audioequipment and get you set up for success.
Now again, the premise here is that you want this to be something
more than a hobby.
You want to start down the road to either being a part-time voice actor or maybe you thinkeventually you may want to do this full-time as a career, which also means you're getting
(00:53):
training, you're starting to figure out a recording space, but if you just need this to beor want this to be a hobby, God bless you.
Congratulations, this is probably not the video for you.
Get a Blue Yeti and have fun.
Now...
For context, what I'm not gonna do in this video is painstakingly put every link to everypiece of gear in the show notes and description.
(01:15):
I will list the gear, but I will leave it to you to find because I'm not here to sell yougear.
All right, we good?
We got all the ground rules?
Let's do it.
All right, let's get it out of the way.
First things first, the microphone, your bread and butter, arguably the most importantpiece of equipment in your stack.
Now, don't go nuts for beginners.
you want to balance right between quality sure but also affordability now i mentioned theblue yeti and yeah a usb mic up until this point for you may have been fine but if you're
(01:49):
serious or what i call veo curious you think you might want to start making money doingthis so you're committing to training and figuring out your recording space and yeah
you're gonna need a decent microphone xlr mics are the way to go why
because the sound quality and the upgrade potential in the XLR mic category blows USB micsout of the water and it's not close.
(02:13):
I mentioned affordability.
If you're on a budget and my God, who isn't?
Look no further than the AT2020 by Audio-Technica.
If there's a gold standard for entry-level mics, this mic is probably it.
And if it's not, it's the Rode NT1A.
Both
are fantastic mics, they'll make you sound good, they're reliable, and they're durable,and they won't make you break down and cry when you're about to pay for them.
(02:38):
Now, if you're gonna use an XLR mic, you can't plug that directly into your computer.
No, you need what's called an audio interface.
Connect the mic to the interface, the interface to your computer, and Bob's your uncle.
And the best entry-level interface that I know of is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
say it again the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
(03:00):
It's durable, it's reliable, it's a good basic interface, it has a good sound, you plugyour mic into it, you plug it into your computer and off you go.
Now let's say you're on an ultra tight budget like I was when I first started.
I'll recommend the Behringer UM2.
That was my first audio interface way back when and it's a rock-bottom price but it getsthe job done.
(03:24):
Not as robust as the Scarlett but
It'll get you started.
Next up, the recording space.
Now, I mentioned this before, you're gonna have to start figuring this out because if youget a quality microphone, a good mic is like a good mirror.
It's only going to reflect back what you put into it.
So if you're recording at the kitchen table with the refrigerator hum and the AC andeverything else, you're gonna sound like garbage.
(03:50):
Creating a quiet, sound-treated space is absolutely crucial.
Most beginners start with a closet, kids.
Why?
Because it works.
The hanging clothes in the closet, and even if you have shelves and shelves of foldedclothes, that can act as a sound absorption unit.
Just make sure that closet isn't right next to your furnace or your AC or has a windowthat faces the street.
(04:14):
Toss in some foam panels.
Hell, you can even use mattress toppers.
Moving but I bought a this was years and years ago.
I bought a 10 pack of moving blankets on Amazon for like I want to say about 70 bucksThey're still hanging in my studio today.
Just because it's a cheap solution doesn't mean it's not a good solution Conversely justbecause it's an expensive solution doesn't always mean it's a great solution.
(04:38):
Alright, so you're saying okay Paul I don't have a closet in my place that's gonna work.
What the hell do I do next?
best option is a portable booth.
There are companies that sell portable booths like the tri booth, or you can head to HomeDepot or Lowe's, get yourself some PVC pipe with a little ingenuity.
You can build a PVC pipe frame, drape some moving blankets over it, and now you've got aspace that will at least tamp down the reflections from inside the recording space.
(05:08):
If you got a little more means and a space that'll work, maybe you want to invest in somedecent more pro level sound absorbing and sound treating gear.
There are companies like Aurelex and GIK Acoustics.
They have great catalogs online.
I would consult with a professional audio engineer to have them review your space, even ifit's by video, but you can get good foam panels, good
(05:33):
clouds for your ceiling in your booth.
A cloud is just a sound absorbing panel that goes about a foot below your ceiling.
And remember too that, you know, your goal is not to build a completely soundproof room.
Soundproof means there are no sounds getting in from the outside.
That's very tough to do and it's very expensive.
(05:54):
Your best goal right now is to make sure that the sound, that the space is treated suchthat the reflections are gone.
Meaning there's no slapback.
There's no echo.
It doesn't sound like you're recording in a reverb chamber.
All right, next up, headphones.
I've had these deals and if you look closely, you can see there's gaff tape holding thesethings together.
(06:16):
But these are my Sony MDR V700s.
I've had these for, God, 30 years?
And even 30 years ago, I think I paid.
250 bucks for them.
So they're pro level, they're not cheap, that's not what I recommend for beginners.
A good alternative is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones.
They're comfortable for most people, and by the way, especially if you're, let's say,doing audiobooks or long-form content, do not undersell comfort.
(06:45):
Also, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros, they both have solid, what we'll call flat sound.
The problem with consumer
Headphones is that oftentimes they're built to sweeten the sound they're built for musicconsumption And they'll pump up the bass they'll pump up the super high-end You want as
(07:06):
flat and accurate a sound out of your headphones for doing voiceover as you can possiblyget that means the sound is not colored by the phones themselves at all both those options
I named are under 200 bucks, and I don't think you can go wrong either way on one more
note about headphones.
Two main categories, open back versus closed back.
Closed back are like my Sony's, right?
(07:28):
They're closed to the back.
There's no holes, no ventilation.
They go over the ear entirely and they seal out the sound from the outside.
The reason you want that is when you're working close to your mic, you don't want yourheadphone sound to bleed into the microphone.
All right, software.
Let's talk about
DAWs for a minute, Digital Audio Workstations.
(07:51):
I'll preface this by saying just about all of them do the same thing.
They allow you to record and edit and output a professional format, whether it's WAV orMP3 audio recording.
It doesn't matter as much which DAW you choose, it matters that you choose one that isintuitive for you, that is easy to use for you, and you master it.
(08:14):
Now...
Some people will disagree with me on this, but I'm going to say it anyway.
think Audacity is a fantastic choice for most people starting out.
It's free.
Hello, that's in your price range.
And despite what some people will tell you, it's a very powerful digital audioworkstation.
And for most people, it seems relatively intuitive.
(08:36):
So I think Audacity is a good starter choice.
If you want to move up, there's...
Adobe Audition, which is what I use because I've been using it since it was cool edit prodecades ago and it's just something I'm comfortable with.
But there's also Reaper and many, many more.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss plugins.
Plugins are small ancillary programs, if you will, that can clean up and enhance youraudio recordings.
(09:01):
The one I recommend and still by the way used to this day is Isotope RX Elements Pack.
Now I use the full blown program but the elements package is a starter pack and it'll helpyou remove excessive background noise, clicks, other little audio gremlins that sneak in.
It's an investment sure but it's one that you won't regret because it will start it willsave you a ton of time and effort.
(09:25):
One word about plugins, do not overdo them and in the beginning you don't even know whatoverdoing it means so use them lightly if at all.
and get a sanity check from another voice actor, ideally an audio engineer.
All right, let's talk about what we're going to call the extras, for lack of a betterterm.
Those little other things that you can use that do make a 1 % or more difference and willadd up.
(09:51):
Pop filters.
Lots of controversy over this.
Some people say if you're using proper technique, you don't need a pop filter.
I believe that that's largely true, but...
If you're just starting out, your technique is probably not great.
There's no shame in using a pop filter.
What's a pop filter?
It stops what we call plosives, anything that's aspirated into the mic, specifically peas,popping peas and bees.
(10:15):
You're blowing air out of your mouth when you make these sounds.
You're building up pressure and then releasing it and it can make a bassy sort of pop inthe recording.
Here's great news about pop filters.
They're dirt cheap.
10, 20 bucks, get one that works with your mic.
Research that a little bit.
and you're off to the races.
Next up, a mic stand.
Now, there are so many different studio configurations, it's impossible to recommend oneor even a handful of mic stands that are gonna work for you.
(10:41):
This is not a huge over-thinking choice that you've gotta wring your hands over, figureout what your setup is, where your mic's gonna be, where you're gonna stand, get a mic
stand that fits, you don't wanna be holding your mic with your hand.
Cables, can't stress this one enough because it's bitten me in the ass before.
Get Good Quality XLR mic cables.
A decent cable is gonna last longer, it's gonna shield against electronic noise in yourbooth.
(11:04):
And two of the most reliable are, and I still to this day, I've got all my cables throughthis company.
I still don't know how to pronounce them.
I'm gonna say Mogami.
Mogami?
Mogami.
Mogami.
That's probably not it.
And Hosa are both reliable cable brands.
All right, we talked about some of the acoustic treatments you can use, whether you're ina closet or some other sort of space.
(11:26):
The idea, and I just want to circle back on this for a minute, is not to treat everysingle square inch of your space.
It's to treat the areas where the sound reflects.
Typically in front of you, typically behind you, and yes to the sides, but not quite asimportant.
Also, don't forget your floor.
Put a good sound absorbing rug down and your ceiling.
(11:47):
And finally, surge protectors and cable management.
You get one power spike and it can fry out your entire setup.
Make sure if you do nothing else, protect your investments with a surge protector.
And while you're at it, this is, hmm, maybe this is the hole in my game, I'm okay aboutcable management, but I'll tell you this, I was much better when my son was tiny, and I'm
(12:10):
better again because I now have a dog.
Now Gus isn't a chewer, but you still wanna keep your cables where small kids, pets, cats,is that a separate category of pet?
Where all the little things in your house can't get to them.
I just discovered on Amazon a few days ago, there are entire cable management systems andpackages that you can buy.
(12:31):
Go research that.
Go get yourself a good supply of cable management stuff.
All right, so now you're about ready to get off the ground.
You've got your mic, you've got your audio interface, you've got your space treated,you've got your cables managed and your...
power manage and you've MacGyvered all this stuff together so what do you do now?
Well you'd be kind of an idiot if you didn't make some test recordings and these are gonnabe the first of test recordings you're gonna make for the rest of your life because your
(12:56):
studio is always a work in progress.
Record, see how you sound, adjust your mic, maybe adjust your acoustic treatment, figureout where the sweet spot on the gain is on your audio interface, how much volume you're
giving your recordings.
The goal here is good, clean,
Distortion free sound so you say Paul.
(13:17):
I'm pretty good I've been at this for a little bit and I might be ready to upgrade I gotyou.
So let's say you've been rocking that NT 1a or the AT 2020 and you're ready to move up I'drecommend either the Sennheiser Mkh416 which is what I have in my booth That's a shotgun
mic and it is the gold standard for shotgun mics for things like short form promocommercial
(13:43):
It's got a nice bright high end and it tends to cut through the mixes in thoseenvironments.
The great thing about a shotgun mic is it also mitigates less than ideal recordingconditions.
If you maybe have not the lowest noise floor or you have some other considerations whereyour room could be tightened up or for whatever reason you can't get there.
(14:07):
I might recommend a shotgun mic and there's none better than the 416.
Now if you've really got your space nailed down and especially if you do a variety of allkinds of genres or you do regular long form content, the Neumann TLM 103 is highly
recommended.
The thing you have to know about this mic, unlike a shotgun, it's extremely sensitive.
(14:29):
So you've got to have a good buttoned up space and a very low noise floor.
Interface, when you're ready to upgrade that, I'm going to recommend the Apollo Twin.
We talked about plugins before.
The Apollo Twin has the ability to load plugins directly into your audio interface so thatthey take a lot of the heavy lifting off of your computer and you can process in real
(14:51):
time.
And finally, acoustic treatment.
When you're ready to upgrade that, you may want to move from moving blankets and masterstoppers to actual pro level.
good sounding panels like from RLX or GIK Acoustics.
Alright, the whole point of this video is to drive home the fact that your studio, you canstart small, it can evolve over time and it will grow with you over time.
(15:16):
You don't have to make all the upgrades at once, nor should you, but you can get startedwith the right gear and with a little creativity and you can get a setup that not only
works well, but works with your budget too.
This is not a race to have the most expensive gear, guys.
It's about knowing how to use what you have.
And in the end, it's about you developing both as a voice actor and as an audiotechnician.
(15:42):
All right, if you got value from this video, especially if you're new to the channel, giveus a like, a subscribe, and you can go back through the library of videos we have and find
stuff that I think will help you.
Hit that notification bell so that you'll know when we publish a new video every...
And most importantly, if you have a comment or a question, leave it either in the YouTubecomments and questions section or on the blog at voPro.pro where you can also get my Move,
(16:09):
Touch, Inspire newsletter that comes out every week for voice actors.
It's absolutely free.
Each message includes an idea to move you, a thought to touch you, and a quote to inspireyou.
Tons of free resources, tons of valuable information, including info on the VO FreedomMaster Plan where we teach voice actors to market directly to prospects to generate more
leads, more audition opportunities, more opportunities for recurring work.
(16:34):
Don't forget to leave a comment and thanks so much.
The more we talk and exchange information and have civil debate, the better, strongerindustry we have for everybody.
Thanks so much and we'll see you back soon.
So, you've decided you want to get into voiceover.
First of all, welcome you gorgeous bastard.
Secondly, whether you've decided you want to do this eventually as a career full-time orwhether you just want to make some side money and get good at it, you're gonna need gear.
But not just any gear.
Nobody wants to, for example, overspend on a mic that makes you sound like you recorded ina bathroom off an interstate somewhere outside of Sheboygan.
(00:27):
And lucky for you, your old friend Polly's here to guide you through the maze of audioequipment and get you set up for success.
Now again, the premise here is that you want this to be something
more than a hobby.
You want to start down the road to either being a part-time voice actor or maybe you thinkeventually you may want to do this full-time as a career, which also means you're getting
(00:53):
training, you're starting to figure out a recording space, but if you just need this to beor want this to be a hobby, God bless you.
Congratulations, this is probably not the video for you.
Get a Blue Yeti and have fun.
Now...
For context, what I'm not gonna do in this video is painstakingly put every link to everypiece of gear in the show notes and description.
(01:15):
I will list the gear, but I will leave it to you to find because I'm not here to sell yougear.
All right, we good?
We got all the ground rules?
Let's do it.
All right, let's get it out of the way.
First things first, the microphone, your bread and butter, arguably the most importantpiece of equipment in your stack.
Now, don't go nuts for beginners.
you want to balance right between quality sure but also affordability now i mentioned theblue yeti and yeah a usb mic up until this point for you may have been fine but if you're
(01:49):
serious or what i call veo curious you think you might want to start making money doingthis so you're committing to training and figuring out your recording space and yeah
you're gonna need a decent microphone xlr mics are the way to go why
because the sound quality and the upgrade potential in the XLR mic category blows USB micsout of the water and it's not close.
(02:13):
I mentioned affordability.
If you're on a budget and my God, who isn't?
Look no further than the AT2020 by Audio-Technica.
If there's a gold standard for entry-level mics, this mic is probably it.
And if it's not, it's the Rode NT1A.
Both
are fantastic mics, they'll make you sound good, they're reliable, and they're durable,and they won't make you break down and cry when you're about to pay for them.
(02:38):
Now, if you're gonna use an XLR mic, you can't plug that directly into your computer.
No, you need what's called an audio interface.
Connect the mic to the interface, the interface to your computer, and Bob's your uncle.
And the best entry-level interface that I know of is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
say it again the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
(03:00):
It's durable, it's reliable, it's a good basic interface, it has a good sound, you plugyour mic into it, you plug it into your computer and off you go.
Now let's say you're on an ultra tight budget like I was when I first started.
I'll recommend the Behringer UM2.
That was my first audio interface way back when and it's a rock-bottom price but it getsthe job done.
(03:24):
Not as robust as the Scarlett but
It'll get you started.
Next up, the recording space.
Now, I mentioned this before, you're gonna have to start figuring this out because if youget a quality microphone, a good mic is like a good mirror.
It's only going to reflect back what you put into it.
So if you're recording at the kitchen table with the refrigerator hum and the AC andeverything else, you're gonna sound like garbage.
(03:50):
Creating a quiet, sound-treated space is absolutely crucial.
Most beginners start with a closet, kids.
Why?
Because it works.
The hanging clothes in the closet, and even if you have shelves and shelves of foldedclothes, that can act as a sound absorption unit.
Just make sure that closet isn't right next to your furnace or your AC or has a windowthat faces the street.
(04:14):
Toss in some foam panels.
Hell, you can even use mattress toppers.
Moving but I bought a this was years and years ago.
I bought a 10 pack of moving blankets on Amazon for like I want to say about 70 bucksThey're still hanging in my studio today.
Just because it's a cheap solution doesn't mean it's not a good solution Conversely justbecause it's an expensive solution doesn't always mean it's a great solution.
(04:38):
Alright, so you're saying okay Paul I don't have a closet in my place that's gonna work.
What the hell do I do next?
best option is a portable booth.
There are companies that sell portable booths like the tri booth, or you can head to HomeDepot or Lowe's, get yourself some PVC pipe with a little ingenuity.
You can build a PVC pipe frame, drape some moving blankets over it, and now you've got aspace that will at least tamp down the reflections from inside the recording space.
(05:08):
If you got a little more means and a space that'll work, maybe you want to invest in somedecent more pro level sound absorbing and sound treating gear.
There are companies like Aurelex and GIK Acoustics.
They have great catalogs online.
I would consult with a professional audio engineer to have them review your space, even ifit's by video, but you can get good foam panels, good
(05:33):
clouds for your ceiling in your booth.
A cloud is just a sound absorbing panel that goes about a foot below your ceiling.
And remember too that, you know, your goal is not to build a completely soundproof room.
Soundproof means there are no sounds getting in from the outside.
That's very tough to do and it's very expensive.
(05:54):
Your best goal right now is to make sure that the sound, that the space is treated suchthat the reflections are gone.
Meaning there's no slapback.
There's no echo.
It doesn't sound like you're recording in a reverb chamber.
All right, next up, headphones.
I've had these deals and if you look closely, you can see there's gaff tape holding thesethings together.
(06:16):
But these are my Sony MDR V700s.
I've had these for, God, 30 years?
And even 30 years ago, I think I paid.
250 bucks for them.
So they're pro level, they're not cheap, that's not what I recommend for beginners.
A good alternative is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones.
They're comfortable for most people, and by the way, especially if you're, let's say,doing audiobooks or long-form content, do not undersell comfort.
(06:45):
Also, the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros, they both have solid, what we'll call flat sound.
The problem with consumer
Headphones is that oftentimes they're built to sweeten the sound they're built for musicconsumption And they'll pump up the bass they'll pump up the super high-end You want as
(07:06):
flat and accurate a sound out of your headphones for doing voiceover as you can possiblyget that means the sound is not colored by the phones themselves at all both those options
I named are under 200 bucks, and I don't think you can go wrong either way on one more
note about headphones.
Two main categories, open back versus closed back.
Closed back are like my Sony's, right?
(07:28):
They're closed to the back.
There's no holes, no ventilation.
They go over the ear entirely and they seal out the sound from the outside.
The reason you want that is when you're working close to your mic, you don't want yourheadphone sound to bleed into the microphone.
All right, software.
Let's talk about
DAWs for a minute, Digital Audio Workstations.
(07:51):
I'll preface this by saying just about all of them do the same thing.
They allow you to record and edit and output a professional format, whether it's WAV orMP3 audio recording.
It doesn't matter as much which DAW you choose, it matters that you choose one that isintuitive for you, that is easy to use for you, and you master it.
(08:14):
Now...
Some people will disagree with me on this, but I'm going to say it anyway.
think Audacity is a fantastic choice for most people starting out.
It's free.
Hello, that's in your price range.
And despite what some people will tell you, it's a very powerful digital audioworkstation.
And for most people, it seems relatively intuitive.
(08:36):
So I think Audacity is a good starter choice.
If you want to move up, there's...
Adobe Audition, which is what I use because I've been using it since it was cool edit prodecades ago and it's just something I'm comfortable with.
But there's also Reaper and many, many more.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss plugins.
Plugins are small ancillary programs, if you will, that can clean up and enhance youraudio recordings.
(09:01):
The one I recommend and still by the way used to this day is Isotope RX Elements Pack.
Now I use the full blown program but the elements package is a starter pack and it'll helpyou remove excessive background noise, clicks, other little audio gremlins that sneak in.
It's an investment sure but it's one that you won't regret because it will start it willsave you a ton of time and effort.
(09:25):
One word about plugins, do not overdo them and in the beginning you don't even know whatoverdoing it means so use them lightly if at all.
and get a sanity check from another voice actor, ideally an audio engineer.
All right, let's talk about what we're going to call the extras, for lack of a betterterm.
Those little other things that you can use that do make a 1 % or more difference and willadd up.
(09:51):
Pop filters.
Lots of controversy over this.
Some people say if you're using proper technique, you don't need a pop filter.
I believe that that's largely true, but...
If you're just starting out, your technique is probably not great.
There's no shame in using a pop filter.
What's a pop filter?
It stops what we call plosives, anything that's aspirated into the mic, specifically peas,popping peas and bees.
(10:15):
You're blowing air out of your mouth when you make these sounds.
You're building up pressure and then releasing it and it can make a bassy sort of pop inthe recording.
Here's great news about pop filters.
They're dirt cheap.
10, 20 bucks, get one that works with your mic.
Research that a little bit.
and you're off to the races.
Next up, a mic stand.
Now, there are so many different studio configurations, it's impossible to recommend oneor even a handful of mic stands that are gonna work for you.
(10:41):
This is not a huge over-thinking choice that you've gotta wring your hands over, figureout what your setup is, where your mic's gonna be, where you're gonna stand, get a mic
stand that fits, you don't wanna be holding your mic with your hand.
Cables, can't stress this one enough because it's bitten me in the ass before.
Get Good Quality XLR mic cables.
A decent cable is gonna last longer, it's gonna shield against electronic noise in yourbooth.
(11:04):
And two of the most reliable are, and I still to this day, I've got all my cables throughthis company.
I still don't know how to pronounce them.
I'm gonna say Mogami.
Mogami?
Mogami.
Mogami.
That's probably not it.
And Hosa are both reliable cable brands.
All right, we talked about some of the acoustic treatments you can use, whether you're ina closet or some other sort of space.
(11:26):
The idea, and I just want to circle back on this for a minute, is not to treat everysingle square inch of your space.
It's to treat the areas where the sound reflects.
Typically in front of you, typically behind you, and yes to the sides, but not quite asimportant.
Also, don't forget your floor.
Put a good sound absorbing rug down and your ceiling.
(11:47):
And finally, surge protectors and cable management.
You get one power spike and it can fry out your entire setup.
Make sure if you do nothing else, protect your investments with a surge protector.
And while you're at it, this is, hmm, maybe this is the hole in my game, I'm okay aboutcable management, but I'll tell you this, I was much better when my son was tiny, and I'm
(12:10):
better again because I now have a dog.
Now Gus isn't a chewer, but you still wanna keep your cables where small kids, pets, cats,is that a separate category of pet?
Where all the little things in your house can't get to them.
I just discovered on Amazon a few days ago, there are entire cable management systems andpackages that you can buy.
(12:31):
Go research that.
Go get yourself a good supply of cable management stuff.
All right, so now you're about ready to get off the ground.
You've got your mic, you've got your audio interface, you've got your space treated,you've got your cables managed and your...
power manage and you've MacGyvered all this stuff together so what do you do now?
Well you'd be kind of an idiot if you didn't make some test recordings and these are gonnabe the first of test recordings you're gonna make for the rest of your life because your
(12:56):
studio is always a work in progress.
Record, see how you sound, adjust your mic, maybe adjust your acoustic treatment, figureout where the sweet spot on the gain is on your audio interface, how much volume you're
giving your recordings.
The goal here is good, clean,
Distortion free sound so you say Paul.
(13:17):
I'm pretty good I've been at this for a little bit and I might be ready to upgrade I gotyou.
So let's say you've been rocking that NT 1a or the AT 2020 and you're ready to move up I'drecommend either the Sennheiser Mkh416 which is what I have in my booth That's a shotgun
mic and it is the gold standard for shotgun mics for things like short form promocommercial
(13:43):
It's got a nice bright high end and it tends to cut through the mixes in thoseenvironments.
The great thing about a shotgun mic is it also mitigates less than ideal recordingconditions.
If you maybe have not the lowest noise floor or you have some other considerations whereyour room could be tightened up or for whatever reason you can't get there.
(14:07):
I might recommend a shotgun mic and there's none better than the 416.
Now if you've really got your space nailed down and especially if you do a variety of allkinds of genres or you do regular long form content, the Neumann TLM 103 is highly
recommended.
The thing you have to know about this mic, unlike a shotgun, it's extremely sensitive.
(14:29):
So you've got to have a good buttoned up space and a very low noise floor.
Interface, when you're ready to upgrade that, I'm going to recommend the Apollo Twin.
We talked about plugins before.
The Apollo Twin has the ability to load plugins directly into your audio interface so thatthey take a lot of the heavy lifting off of your computer and you can process in real
(14:51):
time.
And finally, acoustic treatment.
When you're ready to upgrade that, you may want to move from moving blankets and masterstoppers to actual pro level.
good sounding panels like from RLX or GIK Acoustics.
Alright, the whole point of this video is to drive home the fact that your studio, you canstart small, it can evolve over time and it will grow with you over time.
(15:16):
You don't have to make all the upgrades at once, nor should you, but you can get startedwith the right gear and with a little creativity and you can get a setup that not only
works well, but works with your budget too.
This is not a race to have the most expensive gear, guys.
It's about knowing how to use what you have.
And in the end, it's about you developing both as a voice actor and as an audiotechnician.
(15:42):
All right, if you got value from this video, especially if you're new to the channel, giveus a like, a subscribe, and you can go back through the library of videos we have and find
stuff that I think will help you.
Hit that notification bell so that you'll know when we publish a new video every...
And most importantly, if you have a comment or a question, leave it either in the YouTubecomments and questions section or on the blog at voPro.pro where you can also get my Move,
(16:09):
Touch, Inspire newsletter that comes out every week for voice actors.
It's absolutely free.
Each message includes an idea to move you, a thought to touch you, and a quote to inspireyou.
Tons of free resources, tons of valuable information, including info on the VO FreedomMaster Plan where we teach voice actors to market directly to prospects to generate more
leads, more audition opportunities, more opportunities for recurring work.
(16:34):
Don't forget to leave a comment and thanks so much.
The more we talk and exchange information and have civil debate, the better, strongerindustry we have for everybody.
Thanks so much and we'll see you back soon.
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