Getting Started in VO, Part 1: Thinking About a Recording Space
When I first began my career in voiceover, you didn’t have to know anything about recording. And I didn’t.
Here’s how things worked.
I would get a call for an audition. After driving to one of several recording studios in downtown Seattle and parking I would check in at the front desk and then wait. When it came time to audition, I’d be sent to the recording booth where I would read from the copy that I’d had been given to study. Once I was done, I’d check out, head home and wait to see if I either got a callback or was simply offered the role. Easy. And once recording began, there was a skilled audio engineer to do all of that work. The thought that I would ever do any of it never occurred to me.
It had occurred to a few of my VO friends who had equipped themselves with home studios. They were getting enough work that they could afford to and all of them liked the convenience of not having to leave the house for an audition or a session.
Then the Covid pandemic struck, and everything changed. All the recording studios shut down. Now there was simply no choice. You had to have a home studio. You had to buy recording equipment and know how to use it. You had to be not only the talent but also the engineer for your recordings.
And when the lockdown ended it soon became apparent that we would not be going back to the way things had been before. I no longer go to a studio to audition or often even to record. I do that from home.
Does all this seem just a wee bit daunting? It did to me initially, but I soon discovered that, honestly, it isn’t really quite as complicated as one might imagine. And being something of an autodidact, I’ve had a great time learning new skills. So, I’d like to take you through each step in the process of getting up to speed and I’d like to begin by discussing where you will record.
You’re going to want a quiet place (obviously), somewhere isolated from the common noises found in and around the home or apartment. Birds chirping, dogs barking, lawnmowers roaring, kids playing, air conditioners and other appliances running, planes flying overhead—I’m sure you can think of many more. You cannot have any of that on a recording you send to an agent or casting director.
Creating a space that allows you to record excellent audio can cost a lot of money but it can also be accomplished by spending very little. And as with everything you will need, you will have to decide what you can afford. One thing to keep in mind though: if you’re just starting out don’t make the common mistake that many novices do and buy really expensive equipment. It’s better to wait until you start booking work and then upgrade your home studio.
So, where should you setup your recording space? You might be surprised to learn that an excellent spot already exists in your home or apartment. It’s the common closet. The clothing that is kept there is both an effective and inexpensive way to absorb reflections (that echo you hear in your bathroom because your voice is bouncing around and off of hard surfaces). A closet booth may be a little bit tight and if you’re the sort of person who is easily claustrophobic, this may not be an ideal solution for you but it won’t cost you a thing.
Another possibility, if you have a spare room that you can dedicate as your studio, is to construct your own booth out of PVC pipe and acoustic blankets. That’s what I have currently, and I’m guessing it cost me about $150 for the pipe and fittings and a couple hundred dollars for good acoustic blankets. PVC pipe and fittings are readily available at the larger hardware stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, and the folks there will usually cut the pieces to your specifications at no extra charge.
I would recommend that if you go this route you use acoustic blankets for sound absorption. The kind I prefer are available from a company called VocalBoothToGo (find them at http://www.vocalboothtogo.com). These blankets have a lot more layering than thinner moving blankets, making them much more effective at sound absorption.
VocalBoothToGo also sells premade PVC structures for you to assemble but they are quite a bit more expensive than doing it yourself. You can, however, get some useful ideas of what a structure for your booth could look like from the various plans they have available and base your DIY version on one of those.
If you have the money—and you will need CONSIDERABLY more of it—you could purchase a premade booth. These are available in various sizes and shapes and often include such features as doors with windows, ventilation and built-in acoustic panels. A Whisperroom booth that is 3’6” X 2’6” has a starting price of $5,545 (and I don’t believe that includes shipping) while a Studiobricks booth that is only a bit larger will cost you close to $10,000!
I’m not saying you shouldn’t go that route if you want to and can afford to. But if money is an issue, you do have other options.
In any event, once you have your space setup the next thing to consider is what sort of equipment will go into your booth. We’ll take that up in part 2.
More sources for info on home recording booths:
Mike Delgaudio, the “Booth Junkie” has a great video about recording in your closet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7NI6RvSK-Q
Tom Dheere of Edge Studio just posted a good video about Home Recording Wins and Woes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFmQa20afUc
Also, two fellows who offer help in setting up your Home Studio –
Dan Lenard: https://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com
And George Whittam: http://www.georgethe.tech.