The vast majority of voiceover recording is done FLAT, with the idea of hearing nothing but a quality recording of the voice in a completely neutral environment. Which means you
need to be careful about where you place your mic and will likely need to experiment in finding the best way to record in as quiet and as reverb-free an environment as possible.
Here’s a few simple things to do to help get you there.:
First, avoid rooms that have a lot of tile or exposed hard wall surfaces, particularly bathrooms and kitchens. Conversely, choose a space that has curtains, bedspreads, heavy
fabric furniture or clothing in it. Sound bounces off walls and comes back with a slap.
Fabrics are great at absorbing sound and keeping it from bouncing those sound reflections
back at you. Interestingly enough, you can also get help with a room full of books on
bookshelves. The sound reflection will break up in the hundreds of miscellaneous book
spine surfaces and dissipate before it can bounce back so easily.
But for many working VO actors, the perfect environment is… their clothes closet. Ever
notice how when you step up to one or inside a walk-in, how the whole outside world
seems to suddenly hush up? Your clothes are literally absorbing all the extraneous sound
and creating an oasis of peace and tranquility. It’s sound recording nirvana in your own
little custom-made box!
And yes, there are challenges to recording in your closet, including the concept of coming
OUT of the closet – whoops, wrong video – let’s go back IN.
My favorite is an old friend who lives in a tiny condo with a sliding door closets. She’s
pulled enough out to barely squeeze herself, a folding chair and a mic stand in when she
records. She runs a 20 ft cord to her desktop, presses the record button then sidles into the
closet where it’s so tight, a winter coat winds up on top of her head. In time you get used to
anything) and the recording quality she gets: magnifique!
There’s another way to get that quiet closet effect right on your desktop and it’s pretty
ingenious. It’s a desktop mini-booth and it’s quite effective at minimizing room reflections.
You simply put your mic inside and you’re on your way to making clearing recordings.
Google desktop vocal booth for gobs of choices.