As a voice talent, you want to give consistent superior outputs to your clients every single time. This goal is why you need nothing but the best voice over tool for every occasion.
Your microphone is the connection between you and what your clients hear. It captures your voice and allows for the transmission of your voice for voice over purposes.
When it comes to your work arsenal, nothing is more important than a microphone. This dedicated tool is one of the non-negotiables in your field since the quality of your work depends on it. Unfortunately, choosing the ideal voice over tool for your home set up can be daunting, especially for beginners.
Although picking microphones can be a bit complex, don’t worry. The ultimate way to learn more about this important voice over tool is to start with the basics.
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This post has been updated in August 2021.
Voice Over Tool in Focus: Microphone
If you’re a beginner in the field, you may think you can use any mic you can find. However, not all tools work the same. It would be a nightmare to use your old microphone at home to record a studio demo you want to send to a potential client. The quality of a poor mic will not impress!
A microphone is undeniably the most important voice over tool you need to get since the success of your voice over depends widely on it. The right microphone will bring you confidence, especially if you are recording something challenging.
There are many microphones on the market today. Most microphones control response sensitivity. This way, the microphone reacts to sound just the way you like it. This important feature will give you improved detail, no matter if there are one or two voices involved. The right voice over tool will also pick up the detail you want in your recording. So it is undeniably crucial to invest in a quality microphone.
Types of Microphones
If you researched which microphone is best for you, you’ve probably encountered numerous types, along with their many advantages and disadvantages. You may have read about boundary mics, shotgun mics, and ribbon mics. However, discussing all these may be a waste of your time and money since many voice over talents prefer one of two types: dynamic and condenser mics.
Condenser Mic
If you’ve ever been in a recording studio, you’ve probably seen a condenser mic. With this type of microphone, the sound is targeted to the side of the microphone. This quality is why you always see it pointing to the ceiling or even hanging upside down. When you use a condenser mic, the position does not matter as long as the source is aimed at the right side.
This type of mic is very sensitive to even small changes in volume. It is also sensitive enough to pick up even tiny nuances, which is what many voice over talents prefer- especially with a controlled home studio.
Its transducer allows the diaphragm to vibrate to a metal plate, which is the reason why this type of mic needs another power source, such as a battery of its own. When you are using a condenser mic, make sure not to drop it or record too loudly since it can damage its tube or large diaphragm.
Dynamic
A dynamic mic is the best type of mic for voice artists who perform on stage. With this mic, the sound should aim at the front.
This type of mic is powerful enough to handle louder sounds since it is not as sensitive as a condenser mic. Considering this, it’s impossible to overload a dynamic microphone. It can also handle the wear and tear pretty well compared to its other microphone counterparts. It can even withstand extreme temperatures and humidity.
This microphone works when the diaphragm vibrates due to sound pressure. This quality allows it to move a magnet through a coil’s magnetic field, which then causes electricity to flow. This system is called the transducer. However, the heavy diaphragm of this microphone may restrict its frequency and transient response. Because of this, it’s not a good choice for recording instruments. Thankfully, that is not a major concern for voice talents.
Dynamic microphones have a very simple construction. Therefore, you can expect it to be more affordable. It gives amazing sound quality for voice talents and has excellent specifications when it comes to particular conditions.
Choosing the Best Voice Over Tool
Now that you know the top choices when it comes to microphones, it’s time to go more in-depth. This way, you’re sure you are not wasting a huge chunk of cash for something that won’t serve your needs.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 1: Budget
If you look at different microphones in online or physical stores, you may be shocked by its price differences. However, don’t let this terrify you. The best voice over tool for you may not be the most expensive one. There are a lot of budget-friendly options that will suit your wallet.
A good microphone won’t necessarily put a huge dent in your savings account but still get the job done. When choosing a microphone, make sure that you pick one that suits your budget since you will need other equipment.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 2: Pick up pattern
The pick-up pattern is a feature that refers to whether or not the sound is picked up. For example, if you have an omnidirectional tool, it is expected to pick up sound from all possible directions. With a condenser mic, it will only pick up sound on the sides.
Not every pick-up pattern of microphones has the same breadth. Other types of microphones also offer fantastic voice pick up like an omnidirectional mic. Meanwhile, some products have a very narrow pick up point. If you want more of the room sound, you cannot go wrong with a condenser or dynamic microphone.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 3: Frequency response
Frequency response is one of the key factors of microphones. The frequency response is the range of frequencies that can be detected by your microphone. However, simply knowing the range is not enough. You have to figure out the responsiveness of the mic as well as its specific frequencies.
You also have to consider the outputs that you will be recording. A great mic that can pick up mid-range and high frequencies is a fantastic choice if you want your voice to be the focus.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 4: Tone curve
The tone curve is one of the most obvious characteristics of a microphone. Many microphones have a neutral tone, while others produce a very dark sound. There are also ones that boast an upper mid-range sound.
When you are examining microphones, understand that every voice over tool has a unique tone. There are voice over talents that prefer a flat response for accurate representation, while there are also others that choose microphones with specific frequency ranges. This feature works well if you are using your mic for a particular purpose. You should always match your microphone to its source and recording purpose. This way, you can achieve the type of sound you want.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 5: Transient response
The aspect of the microphone that determines how receptive it is to the transients of a sound is also essential to consider. If you want your sound to be crisp, you need to factor in transient response. For example, the pause in a sentence is transient. Some people want a fast transient response, especially when it comes to vocals.
The secret to a good recording is to always have the transients stand out. The rule of thumb is a microphone with a heavier capsule has a lower transient response, and microphones that have a large diaphragm tend to be the slowest. Condensers are known to have a fast transient response.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 6: Saturation
One of the most challenging aspects when it comes to understanding microphones is the saturation of your voice over tool since it is subjective to the amplitude and frequency. When it comes to saturation, it encompasses a lot of things – warm, clear, whole, and thick, among many others. The great thing about microphones is that it is up to the interpretation of the user and how they want their voice to feel. When talking about this aspect, it becomes more of an art and skills rather than science.
Voice Over Tool Consideration 7: Proximity effect
If you are picking up a directional microphone, you should know a thing or two about proximity effect. When the voice over tool is placed closer to your mouth, the low end builds up as it captures sound. This quality can be very useful or not depending on what your preferences are. The degree of the proximity is based on the capsule your microphone has in which the air pressure is ported.
Making Sound Better
Even if you have the best voice over tool on the market, you will not get amazing results if you don’t make an effort to improve your performance. Here are surefire ways to make the most out of your microphone.
Preparation
When you have purchased your microphone, and you need to record a demo, don’t rush into recording it immediately. You have to practice a lot to achieve excellent sound quality. Try to record a trial piece before you record your final output. This step will let you determine which parts sound great and which one you need to improve. Establish the good parts and smooth out the ones that you need to work on. You should have your vocal technique down pat when you are recording, so you won’t be wasting time.
Technique
Voice talents should not limit their preparation to an hour before they record their work. For example, you have to know the ideal distance between your mouth and the microphone. The distance of the microphone and the vocal source should always remain consistent. And this can only be achieved through trial and error. You may notice voice talents with little to no experience may still fidget when they are standing in front of the microphone. Try not to make this mistake.
Another voice technique you should also master is to avoid popping sounds. When you highlight P’s and B’s in your script, the recording will have bursts of air, known as popping. It is also essential to pay attention to excessive hissing, which is called sibilance. This issue usually happens when you’re saying F’s and S’s.
Additionally, shape your vowels effectively. The consonants should not be highlighted as much as the vowels. This feature will let your words have more character. Your phrasing should also come with believable emotion, which is within the style and vibe of the script.
Consistent environment
Ideally, you should have full control over your sound. However, it’s very hard to achieve this if your recording environment keeps on changing. The more you have control over the studio, the better the audio quality will be. This way, when you do retakes, you can match the audio quality of the older recordings.
This Voice Over Tool Will Change Your Career
A great mic is critical to your success in the voice talent industry. Beginners and experts alike cannot overestimate the importance of microphones. This voice over tool can make or break your career as a voice over talent.
So be sure to choose the mic that works best for you!
Start your own voice over today with Bunny Studio!
