Being a voice over actor requires a lot of specific equipment to help support your ambitions and endeavors. Like a photographer, musician or any other type of creative entrepreneur, you won’t be able to get your career off the ground without the right equipment by your side. Not all voice over equipment is created equally, so being a smart consumer who researches before he purchases is also a must.
You never see great athletes succeeding without having the right equipment and gear to help them jump, run and maneuver higher, faster and better. It’s kind of the same thing with voice over work: You can’t perform your very best without having the right equipment and gear to empower you to sound your best.
To help you find your way, we’ve put together this authoritative post on buying the best voice over equipment, which also includes pricing and location info.
The Right Computer
You need a good computer as the starting point for everything you want to do. Either a Mac or PC will do, just as either a desktop or a laptop will do. A laptop provides mobile-recording possibilities, though, and voice over actors just starting out may be attracted to the cheaper price points of a laptop. Check out the Mac choices here, the Dell desktops here and the Dell laptops here.
The Right Microphone
Next, on your list of things to acquire for your voice over work should be the microphone. This is arguably the most important part of your whole objective. The quality of your microphone plays a massive part in the quality of your voice during recordings, so it pays to research microphones thoroughly.
The best microphone, bar none, in the marketplace right now is Blue Microphones The Bottle Tube Mic, but it’s exceptionally pricey, retailing at $5999. If you have that kind of dough to spend—or just really think that you can take your voice over talent to another level with equipment like this—then head on over to Music 123 to purchase it.
If, however, you want to be a bit more mindful of your budget, there are definitely cheaper alternatives out there. You can always go with sE Electronics sE4400a – Single microphone, which is described as a highly suitable, all-around great microphone to have for voice over work. It retails for $649, so if it tickles your fancy, purchase it at Sweetwater.
The Right Headphones
The voice over actor has to hear himself well to produce great sounds! That makes getting the right headphones absolutely essential. The very best types of headphones to use when recording voice overs are the closed-back, circumaural headphones. The reason that these are tops is because, as the name implies, the backs of the ear cups are very solid, thus stopping any sound from leaking out. As a practical result, there’s simply going to be a lot less, unwanted noise that will be picked up from the microphone during recording.
The good news is that closed-back, circumaural headphones are a lot less pricey than the microphone you’ll need for voice overs. Excellent models are already available for only a few hundred dollars. One of the better models of its kind is the Sony MDR-7520 Professional Studio Headphones, which is available for $364.83. Get it here from B&H Photo Video. Another good choice that won’t cost you as much, but is still a solid pair of headphones, is the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Circumaural Closed-Back Monitor Headphones. It retails for just $89.95, and you can get it here from B&H Photo Video.
The Right Microphone Stand
A best practice is that you, as the voice over talent, shouldn’t handle the microphone. That’s where the stand comes into the picture. Not touching the microphone will result in a lot more consistent as well as even-sounding recordings, which is essentially what you want!
When recording voice overs, you generally have two choices: to sit or to stand. Depending on your preference, you can opt to buy a studio arm or desk stand (for sitting) or a microphone floor stand (for standing).
If you’re into sitting while doing your voice over work, you should look into a desk stand like the Shure S37A – Microphone Desk Stand, which you can get here from B&H Photo Video. It’ll run you just $24.15, illustrating the fact that you don’t need expensive equipment for this aspect of voice overs. If you want to buy a better model, though, you can always go for the Audix ATS10 Microphone Table Stand for ADX112 and ADX118. It costs $99, and you can get it here from B&H Photo Video.
Another option for sitting while recording is the studio arm. Studio arms are more expensive than desk stands, just because there’s more material that you’re paying for. A good choice would be the O.C. White Deluxe Microphone Arm and Riser System for $139.95 from B&H Photo Video. Get it here. If you’re looking to get a cheaper studio arm, perhaps you’re a voice over actor who’s just starting out in the business, and then the MXL BCD-Stand Desktop Microphone Stand for $67.95 is a good bet.
Some voice over professionals believe that they have to stand because it gives them the best results. Sometimes, it’s just what’s more comfortable, physically. If you fall into this camp, then look no farther than the K&M 21070 Tripod Microphone Stand with 32” Boom that you can get here from B&H Photo Video. It’ll cost you $59.99, but you don’t have to pay very much even for a decent-quality microphone floor stand. For only $21.99, you can get the Auray MS-5230F Tripod Microphone Stand with Fixed Boom. Get it here from B&H Photo Video.
The Right Shock Mount
The role of the shock mount is to suspend the microphone in order to lessen undesirable vibrations and rumbling. You mount it at the end of the microphone, and it essentially holds the microphone. If your microphone already has a built-in shock mount, you’re lucky, but if not, then consider these possibilities.
The Rycote Invision Studio USM Universal Large Diaphragm Microphone Shock Mount is ideal for larger diaphragm microphones, not just studio-recording ones. It sells for $119.99, and you can get it here from Dale Pro Audio.
Another solid choice is the Samson S01 Spider Shockmount, which you can get here from Amazon.com. It’s just for Samson’s CO1 condenser microphone, but it will only run you $29.95.
The Right Pop Filter
Last but not least on this list is the pop filter, a screen that diffuses the highly undesirable sibilant and plosive sounds that people make (these are the “S” sounds that hiss and the “P” sounds that pop). These sounds can get picked up too excessively depending on the sensitivity of your microphone. The screen will normally just attach to the microphone stand with a clamp.
One of the best models on the market right now is the sE Electronics Reflexion Filter PRO – Acoustic Absorber. This is a top-of-the-line model, but you get what you pay for. It’s $249.99 at Amazon.com, and you can get it here.
Voice over actors who are looking to still purchase a reliable entry model that won’t cost as much can safely go with the Auray PFN-6 Nylon Pop Filter with Gooseneck (6”). Retailing for only $18.95 from B&H Photo Video, it demonstrates that a working pop filter doesn’t have to be extremely fancy to still get the job done for most voice over situations.
Get Great Gigs with the Right Equipment
Once you start using professional equipment in order to maximize the output of your voice over production, you’ll notice that you’ll be taken more seriously than ever when you send in your demo reels to various casting professionals. That, in turn, can only mean one thing: a better quality and choice of voice over acting gigs!
Sure, some of the equipment can be expensive, particularly the microphone, which is the heart and soul of your recording objective. However, consider this: A moderate investment to get the right equipment can well yield exponential benefits down the road when your potential clients and employers are impressed by the high quality of the voice over work that you present to them. And that’s exactly what it’s all about!
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