There are a lot of options out there and what is a popular consumer option may not necessarily be the right option for your needs as an Auditioning Voice Over Actor.

Price

There are many, many options that run the gamut in consumer to professional. Find the budget item that works for you.

This is an investment and a good microphone will last for years to come.

Plan on spending a minimum of $100 for all the necessary components.

USB vs XLR

USB plugs directly into your recording device or computer without a need for a power source. It is an affordable and popular option for beginners and those on the go.

XLR requires a preamp power source to record onto devices. It is the professional type microphone and requires a little more advanced knowledge.

I personally use USB microphones for their convenience.

Key Components

Condenser Microphone

Best choice versus Dynamic or Ribbon Microphones.

They are also called capacitor microphones. These mics have a thin membrane — called the diaphragm — and a thicker metal plate. The diaphragm is made out of material that conducts electricity (usually something like gold-plated mylar). When air passes through the membrane, it changes the distance between the diaphragm and the metal plate. The resulting change in capacitance produces an electrical signal that gets converted into sound.

Large Diaphragm

A diphragm of 3/4 inch or larger will give you richer tones needed for quality VO sound

Cardioid Pattern

The standard recording pattern that eliminates background noise and isolates voice close to the microphone from one side.

Audio Jack Monitoring

Allows the user to use headphones to hear the results in realtime with zero latency.

This is a critical component you will want to have.

Consider the Microphone’s Frequency Response

A large diaphragm microphone is designed to pick up lower frequencies such as a deep male voice, a bass drum or even a bass guitar.

The small diaphragm or small capsule microphone is designed to pick up higher frequencies such as the female voice, the brightness of an acoustic guitar or shimmering cymbals. You may have seen these as the overhead microphones on a drum kit or above an orchestra.

Hertz, named for the German physicist Heinrich Hertz, measures the number of cycles per second. Where the human voice is concerned, this means the number of times the vocal folds vibrate per second.

How Many Hertz is the Human Voice?

• A healthy male voice usually falls between 110-120 hertz
• A healthy female voice usually falls between 200-210 hertz
• Children’s voices usually fall between 300-400 hertz
• The higher the vibrations per second, the brighter the sound.

Extra Equipment

SHOCK MOUNT

Shock mounts help to remove the extra sounds that the mouth makes by blocking the air hitting the mic’s diaphragm capsule. These are essential but can be home-made for those on a budget with a pair of tights and a coathanger.

POP FILTER

Pop filter will reduce harsh mouth noises and Sss and Ppp sounds. This is critical to separation from the newbies.

HEADPHONES

It is very important to use a good pair of headphones when recording your voiceovers. This is because you don’t want the microphone to pick up sound from your speakers, or even sound egress from poor quality headphones.

PC OR LAPTOP

This is, of course, something you likely already have and will need to manage your voiceover business. When recording and editing your voice recordings and your dialogue you will need your laptop.

SOFTWARE

Adobe Audition Mac OS X; Windows Automatic speech alignment; pitch correction; parameter automation; HD video playback; clip spotting; cross-platform design. Importantly has an editor view and a (limited) multitrack view. This is a professional program. $15 p/m

Audacity Mac OS X; Windows Conversion and remastering for old recordings; multi-track recording; multi-file import and export; sync-lock tracks. It does have issues but good for starters. Free

Sound Forge Mac OS X; Windows Noise reduction plug-ins; musical instrument file processing; floating window docks; tabbed browsing; interactive tutorials. This is a professional sound editor. $399

Pro tools Mac OS X; Windows 64-bit sound engine, powerful AAX plug-ins, killer virtual instruments, and extensive range of other features, Avid Pro Tools provides professional-level toolset and is used throughout the world. It is a multi-track environment. $599

Logic Pro Mac OS X Logic Pro provides easy to use audio and recording facilities for voiceovers. It is affordable compared to other recording software in the industry but includes just as much audio recording and production power. Again, is a multi-track environment. $199

Garageband Mac OS X This Apple only audio recording and editing software is easy to use. It can also be used as voice over the software to create radio-style shows, record and edit voiceovers; record interviews add jingles or sound effects. It is very limited in its capabilities and doesn’t have audio-metering which is essential for professional use. $5.99

Twisted Wave—Mac OS X - is an easy to use audio editor. It supports Audio Unit plug-ins and many file formats have good multichannel and lets you easily add, remove or reorder channels.

Microphone Placement

RECORDING AT HOME

You need a quiet space with density to absorb sound and not enhance echo or bounce. A good place to start is a closet with a lot of clothes. Even a blanket over the head can work wonders.

Moving Blankets

Foam Sound Panels

At Home Hacks

Please Do Not Use:

• gaming headphones with a mic attachment
• a handheld recorder like a Zoom
• a stage mic (or dynamic mic)
• a web cam mic

Microphone Recommendations

These are what I recommend based on my own research and experience. There are A LOT of lists out there with differing opinions.

Many have the Blue Yeti high on the list and some other products I did not mention. For various purposes every mic has strengths. This list is specifically geared towards Voice Over Beginners.