Tools of the Trade: Mics and Recording Software

A couple of times now I've been asked what type of microphone and audio editing software I used when I did voice acting, so I figured this was as good a time as any to go ahead and address those questions in a public manner for future reference. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: All information presented here is given as a recounting of what has worked for me and/or what I have heard has worked for other amaateur voice actors. If you choose to test out these tools/techniques for yourself, please do so wisely, considering the risks and possible negative consequences of doing so.

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FAQ

Q: What type of mic do you use?

A: I own a laptop, but actually never used the built-in microphone because it picked up so much background noise.

To avoid that, for about 90% of my voice acting "career," I used a GE Mic that was basically a headset with a swivel boom that plugged into my computer's microphone jack.

It recorded well and was pretty easy to use, but the snag was that the boom was really easy to break. I went through two of those mics that way before I finally caught on, and moved on.

Right now I'm using a Logitech Mic (not for Voice Acting, for Skype, etc.). It's a fairly popular brand in the Amateur Voice Acting world for their clear sound, but some run really expensive.

Mine is fairly inexpensive, and I defnitely recommend it for its sturdy boom and ability to plug into my computer's microphone jack like the GE.

Unfortunately, it's really sensitive and prone to popping and picking up really slight movements. Also some other Logitech headsets plug into your computer through USB instead of a jack which for me has always felt a little less convenient; however, I know people who prefer it that way. To each his own.


Q: Those were both headsets; have you ever tried a standing mic?

A: I've never used a standing mic, and as such I don't know enough to make commentary as to how they perform.


Q: What software do you use to record lines?

A: For recording I used (and still use) Audacity. It's a free software that I
downloaded here

I never really tried anything else because it's always worked well for me (though unfortunately, it's prone to crashing--To prevent crashing, I would continue recording five seconds after the last word I was recording and just sit in silence before carefully pressing the "Stop Recording" button.)

My favorite features in it were "Amplify," "Noise Removal," which granted, took some playing around with, but worked, and given that it is free, I think it was worth it.

Also, I combined Audacity with another free software called LAME that allowed me to export .mp3's with Audacity.


Q: What other recording suggestions do you have?

A: I like mics with wind socks (little sponge-like covers over the mic that can help eliminate background noise) As little as they are, they can be really useful in eliminating pops, breaths, etc! And if one can't be found, I've heard that holding a foam sponge held between you and the mic can do the same job.

I found this interesting, too; YouTube Voice Actor HavekReekel recorded this video on how to eliminate recording pops.

Secondly, for a good quality recording I always tried to record in a quiet space (no fans, no humming lights, no loud apartment mates or pets, etc.) that was either compact or had little open space as open space tends to create a really inconvenient echo.

Like I said before, I used a laptop for recording, so closets, cars, etc. really worked well, but even using a room that was just filled with STUFF helped immensely.

But finally, I'd say that recording lines is a really subjective experience, and not everyone is going to work their way through it in the same way. My methods were in no way perfect, but they worked ok for me and likewise, other voice actors should strive to find their own way of making recording work for them.

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I hope you enjoyed this FAQ. Take care!

--Alex