When recording, you always want to try to get the best possible sound from the source.
Type of Microphone
Microphone quality has increased over the past year to the point where many phone and gaming mics produce capture pretty decent audio. Experiment with the microphones you already have before shelving out for new equipment.
[su_box title=”What to listen for in a microphone” style=”default”] Your microphone should capture clear and crisp audio, meaning it doesn’t sound distant, muffled, or ‘like you’re underwater’. I personally would avoid a device with automatic noise suppression since it can distort certain aspects of the audio. [/su_box]
Personally I have a dedicated USB-enabled microphone that I use as my primary and then I’ll use my phone if there’s minor spoken re-takes I need to do. The only microphone I would not recommend is an onboard laptop or computer microphone.
Avoiding Plosives and Pops
As we expel air when we speak, some of our phonetics produce windy sounds in recordings that are harsh on the ear.
- Plosives or pops are large, breathy sounds that happen when we say “Pah”, “Bah” or “Fah” or similar sounds.
- Clicks are sharp, short bursts of breath that follow a “Tah” or “Kah” sound in English.
- Sibilance is a whistle when we say sounds like “s”
Preventing these issues at the recording stage is always preferred to the fiddly business of trying to remove them during editing.
[su_box title=”Tip 1: Use a Shield” style=”default”] A shield is a fabric screen mounted between the microphone and the person. It’s designed to catch some of the air and reduce the impact of plosives, clicks, and sibilance. [/su_box]
[su_box title=”Tip 2: Keep your Distance” style=”default”] You want to be close enough to the microphone to be clear, but not so close that every breath is captured in recording. 6-9″ away from the microphone, with the shield in between generally produces good results. [/su_box]
[su_box title=”Tip 3: Try a new Angle” style=”default”] You can further minimize undesired audio blips by recording at an angle. Get into position facing the microphone, then twist your head slightly to the left or right (approx 45 degrees or where 10:00 or 2:00 appear on a clock). The angle helps direct the bulk of the air away from the mic. [/su_box]
Volume Levels
If you’re recording using a dedicated microphone with software like Audacity, you’ll be able to see the volume levels as you record. If you’re too quiet, the microphone won’t pick it up – hence why we recommend standing 6-9″ from the microphone. If you’re too loud, the audio levels get “blown out” – they reach the maximum frequency and it sounds screechy.
[su_box title=”Recording Loud Sounds” style=”default”] You’ve probably seen singers turn away or hold back the microphone when they belt a loud note. This is to keep the audio from blowing out. To record loud sounds like a musical belt, a yell, or a scream – step back from the mic. This lets you keep the emotional intensity without compromising the audio quality. [/su_box]
Environment
Sound bounces off hard surfaces and is absorbed by soft materials. When recording, we don’t want sounds to bounce around because those echoes will show up on the recording.
To minimize resonance, try to record in a place that has soft materials like curtains, carpet, or bedding. In my early days I would do things like put the microphone right in front of curtains or do the recording under a blanket to make sure the audio was absorbed.
Needless to say, recording in a quiet space without interruptions helps. When you record make sure to turn off:
- Phone alarms, notifications, and calls
- Computer notifications
- Background electronics like fans
It also helps to let any co-habitants know you’re recording and to put up a sign to remind them not to disturb you.
Recording Strategy
One of the benefits of pre-recording lines is that each line or even line segments can be recorded as many times as needed until you get the result you want. My personal mantra is: record small and record many.
Break all the lines into small complete chunks. Then record chunk by chunk, trying it a few different ways with different tone, pitch, emotional inflection etc. You can also record it exactly the same way each time to give you the biggest set of samples to work with in editing.
To save myself time, what I’ll do is record multiple attempts in a single recording, but leave myself with 2-3 seconds of silence between each attempt. I end up with 1 file per line and all the attempts in that file, where I can split up the attempts based on the silence gaps.