Voice Over Home Studio Booth
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Since COVID, home studios have become common in the voice over industry (though they had existed for some time before that). These studios come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. They range from inexpensive closet booths using what's already available to pre-fabricated booths that can costs thousands of dollars to custom builds that require the help of contractors and sound engineers.
First, let's talk about what a home studio is! A home studio allows voice actors to record from home, whether that home is in a big market like Los Angeles or New York City, or in small town elsewhere. As long as they have a well treated space and a solid internet connection, a VA can do VO from almost anywhere. Second, the most important quality of a home studio isn't how it looks--it's how it sounds. The audio produced by a home studio needs to be free of unnecessary noise (buzzing, hums, reverb, and also dog barks, lawnmowers, music, etc.) without the need for added processing to make it sound good. The ability to produce high quality raw (unprocessed) audio can take a lot of the stress off of recording remotely. And while a professional audio engineer can do a lot with an imperfect recording, the easier a performer can make their job, the better. Creating a home studio space that has a low noise floor (the quietest part of a recording) that is free of outside noise can be challenging. It's also important to consider the quality of audio a booth can produce not just in the short term for auditions but also should a session be booked (which can last several hours). Currently I record out of a closet, which I was interviewed about by David Goldberg at Edge Studio for the "Show and Tell" series. I learned how to arrange my 3'x4' space using materials I already had (quilts, rugs) and materials I needed to purchase (moving blankets, mass loaded vinyl) and materials I needed built (a raised platform--a new addition not seen in the interview). While having a pre-fab booth is great and can almost guarantee an excellent recording space, I recommend at least starting out learning how to select and treat a space, because that knowledge comes in handy when one has to MacGyver something out of a hotel or vacation rental. Speaking of travel! Having a travel rig is super handy Sound treatment SC, IPDTL, non-paid for services. Creating a travel rig and studio tips |
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FAQ
►What Kinds of Services Do You Offer?
Short answer: When I am hired for a voiceover job I record my performance and supply either raw, lightly edited, or lightly processed audio to the client, depending on their preference.
Long answer: When I am hired for a voiceover job, I can record on my own using a script that the client provides (self directed), or I can work directly with the client in person or via a program like Zoom or Source-Connect (directed session). Regardless if it's self directed or directed in session, if I'm in my booth I record the audio on my end. After recording from my booth, I will supply either raw, lightly edited, or lightly processed audio to the client, depending on their preference.
I have a long list of genres I perform in: Animation, Anime, Audiobooks, Audio Dramas, Automotive, Documentaries, Commercials, Corporate Narration, E-Learning, English Language Training, Explainers, Museum Guides, Narration, Podcasts, Political, Singing, Video Games / Interactive and Performance Capture.
Don't see something you're looking for? Drop me a line! [email protected]
►What's Your Turnaround?
To respond to inquiries: Typically within a day, often sooner.
For auditions: Typically within a day, often by end of day--sooner if needed.
For completed jobs: Typically by end of day, often sooner. It depends on the amount of editing I do, if any. If no editing is needed, I can submit recorded audio to the client immediately. I always record in the booth, even when doing a directed session and the client is recording on their end. I do this in case the connection breaks or their copy glitches. Redundancy for the win!
►I'm From Another Country... Can I Still Hire You?
Yes! I've worked with many people from around the world. If there's a large time difference it's easier if the project is self directed, but I can accommodate a directed session with enough notice.
►How Can I Reach You About A Project?
The best and fastest way to reach me is via email: [email protected]
►How Much Do You Charge For A Project?
It depends on several factors, such as length of the finished project, genre, and where / when / how long it will air. No two projects are the same so to get an idea of what fair rates are for your project, I recommend checking out the GVAA Rate Guide.
I am Non-Union, which also influences how much some projects cost, but if you'd like to hire me for a Union job (or want to convert a Non-Union project to Union that you hired me to) there are ways to do so and I can help with that too.
►Voiceover looks like so much fun! How Can I get Into voice acting??
First of all: It is!!
Second of all: There's no one way to get into VO, which is a beautiful thing when you think about it. There's also not one particular path required to have a fulfilling career--loads of people make a lot of money doing things like Corporate Narration and Commercial work, or they love to read and work exclusively in Audiobooks, or they're into character work and focus all of their time and energy into Video Games or Anime.
Most VOs have a mix of genres they do and that mix is as individual as a thumbprint.
If you're interested in learning more about getting into voiceover, I recommend checking out Dee Bradley Baker's awesomely encompassing site, I Want To Be A Voice Actor. It will give you insight on the industry, equipment, demos, and what to do if you're starting from absolute scratch.
Short answer: When I am hired for a voiceover job I record my performance and supply either raw, lightly edited, or lightly processed audio to the client, depending on their preference.
Long answer: When I am hired for a voiceover job, I can record on my own using a script that the client provides (self directed), or I can work directly with the client in person or via a program like Zoom or Source-Connect (directed session). Regardless if it's self directed or directed in session, if I'm in my booth I record the audio on my end. After recording from my booth, I will supply either raw, lightly edited, or lightly processed audio to the client, depending on their preference.
I have a long list of genres I perform in: Animation, Anime, Audiobooks, Audio Dramas, Automotive, Documentaries, Commercials, Corporate Narration, E-Learning, English Language Training, Explainers, Museum Guides, Narration, Podcasts, Political, Singing, Video Games / Interactive and Performance Capture.
Don't see something you're looking for? Drop me a line! [email protected]
►What's Your Turnaround?
To respond to inquiries: Typically within a day, often sooner.
For auditions: Typically within a day, often by end of day--sooner if needed.
For completed jobs: Typically by end of day, often sooner. It depends on the amount of editing I do, if any. If no editing is needed, I can submit recorded audio to the client immediately. I always record in the booth, even when doing a directed session and the client is recording on their end. I do this in case the connection breaks or their copy glitches. Redundancy for the win!
►I'm From Another Country... Can I Still Hire You?
Yes! I've worked with many people from around the world. If there's a large time difference it's easier if the project is self directed, but I can accommodate a directed session with enough notice.
►How Can I Reach You About A Project?
The best and fastest way to reach me is via email: [email protected]
►How Much Do You Charge For A Project?
It depends on several factors, such as length of the finished project, genre, and where / when / how long it will air. No two projects are the same so to get an idea of what fair rates are for your project, I recommend checking out the GVAA Rate Guide.
I am Non-Union, which also influences how much some projects cost, but if you'd like to hire me for a Union job (or want to convert a Non-Union project to Union that you hired me to) there are ways to do so and I can help with that too.
►Voiceover looks like so much fun! How Can I get Into voice acting??
First of all: It is!!
Second of all: There's no one way to get into VO, which is a beautiful thing when you think about it. There's also not one particular path required to have a fulfilling career--loads of people make a lot of money doing things like Corporate Narration and Commercial work, or they love to read and work exclusively in Audiobooks, or they're into character work and focus all of their time and energy into Video Games or Anime.
Most VOs have a mix of genres they do and that mix is as individual as a thumbprint.
If you're interested in learning more about getting into voiceover, I recommend checking out Dee Bradley Baker's awesomely encompassing site, I Want To Be A Voice Actor. It will give you insight on the industry, equipment, demos, and what to do if you're starting from absolute scratch.
