Suggestions on correcting my initial audition recording?
Hey there,
I've been creating videos and recording personal audios for the last few years and I think I have a voice that could be useful in the voiceover world, so I've decided to give this a go.
My initial recording was rejected because it was 'heavily processed and contains many plosives'.
I'm not quite sure what that means and how to improve it...so I would love some feedback on how to get my audio up to industry standards/expectations, not just for this audition but also for future projects.
Here's the audio (53 secs long):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/39khr0xclv9xx35/Audition%20Audio.wav?dl=0
A few other questions...
1) What editing software is recommended?
2) I'm using a Blue Yeti microphone and am curious about any tips/tricks to get a soundproof background, as I don't have a recording studio/soundproof room currently accessible. Would recording in a car work? Any other options?
3) Any other resources or tools you'd recommend for someone just getting started who wants to start off strong by creating quality audios?
Thanks in advance for suggestions/feedback.
- Jordan -
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Hi Jordan!
Let me go over what I found in the take first and then I'll answer your questions.
So, first of all, there's a lot of background noise and room echo. This is really impacting the quality of your recording. It's imperative to be able to get some acoustic treatment for your space.
There are also several pops and mouth noises on the recording. This is usually caused by recording too near to the mic and without a pop filter. Please add a pop filter to your setup and record a bit farther away from the microphone.
The volume is very loud which gives the impression as if the file is compressed because of this. There are areas where there's some distortion happening which is a cause of excessive gain.
Now to answer your questions:
1. We have an article on DAWs you can get your hands on. You can read it here: https://help.bunnyinc.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115000567930-4-Digital-Audio-Workstations-for-VO-artists I personally use Pro Tools and I love it even though it's expensive.
2. We have talked a lot about acoustic treatment in this space. We have 2 articles on the topic actually. One that gives you some practical handy tips for treating your space. If you want more in depth concepts and learn more about the topic, we also hosted a webinar. You can check the video or read the recap.
Here are the links:
https://help.bunnyinc.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203461624-Tip-5-Basic-acoustic-treatment-is-not-rocket-science
https://help.bunnyinc.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115000007524-Acoustics-101
Now, keep in mind that USB microphones are not recommended for professional voice over applications. These microphones include lower quality AD/DA converters and preamps which will add unnecessary hiss noise and can even make the voice sound thin and quite dull. These microphones are designed for podcasts, scratch takes or streaming due to their practicity, but not for professional applications. Even though it's more expensive, it's better to always have an interface with good preamps and an XLR microphone to maximize the potential of the mic's capsule without losing anything due to conversion.
3. I recommend you get a coach and/or get some enunciation classes. The first and most important thing when becoming a voice actor, is to be able to convey ideas naturally and with a client's remarks in mind. There will always be different ways in which you can read a script, so it can get challenging to channel what is being requested without falling into a loop of confusion.
We created an article on this regard with some tips on how you can learn more about voice acting and get started with your practice. You can read that one here: https://help.bunnyinc.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115000468024-3-Ways-to-Learn-More-About-Voice-Acting