“Do not take the attitude of, ‘This isn’t a big deal…It’s just an audition.’ Every audition should be ideally treated as though it is a paying job. In fact, a great sounding audition can often turn into a paying job without you ever having to re-record the script.” 

By the way, you should really own that book. It is 100% worth your time to read and implement what Dan says!

I’m not suggesting people aren’t giving their best performances for their auditions. What I want to address is talent missing a competitive edge by sending away sub-par audio for consideration. Without a lot of effort, you can start sending out better sounding auditions right away. Today even! 

Why is this important? Because our clients aren’t just studios and creative directors. Increasingly, we are working with indie producers that want a quality voiceover that they can just drop on the timeline and know that it is killer. As Dan says, a good sounding audition might just turn into a paying job without re-recording!

Hopefully I’ve got your mind wondering, “So what can I do to improve the sound of my auditions?” Thankfully, it’s not hard to do. Diligence is the key. Here’s what I do.

Record in a quiet and treated space. You don’t have to have a Whisperroom (although they are nice) to get a quiet, dead room to record in. I’m not going to talk about studio design here, but make sure your room is as dead as it can be.

Edit with care. If the breaths need to be taken out, take the time to remove them. Use room tone where necessary. On a related note, make sure you keep your editing chops sharp. It’s one of those skills we need to be really good at.

Consider processing. Now I know there are those that will disagree with me about this, but I typically add 1.5:1 compression to my auditions and then normalize to -3 db. It levels out the audio and makes the volume more consistent. At the least, consider normalizing to -3 db. If you need help setting this up, ask your voiceover colleagues. (Heck, you can even hire folks to help you with this. It’s money well spent.)

All of this presupposes you are recording in your home studio with your “everyday” setup and in a quiet space. What about recording auditions on the road? Can’t you just plug in that cool new iPad microphone and start recording?

Hardly. You still need a quiet space to record. Let your ears guide you on this. You can setup a nice little “booth” using all the pillows from the bed and sofa in your hotel room. Your relative’s walk-in closet (with the clothes still in it) will work great too. (I’ve recorded in both of these environments.) You’ll want to be extra diligent editing to make sure it sounds the best it can before sending it off.

The truth is, it’s not just an audition. It may very well be the only chance you get to make an impression on a potential client. If you have a great performance but your audio stinks, you may find your audition was passed over for someone who had a better sounding clip that they could use right away. 

We are professionals, always honing our craft. A great audition performance deserves the best audio you can deliver. Happy auditioning!

I’m not talking about romance. No, this is something far more serious. I’m talking about audio interfaces for the voiceover studio!

What’s an Interface?
An audio interface connects to your computer via USB or Firewire and converts analog sound into digital information that your recording software can work with. That is, it gets the sound into your computer.

Examples of audio interfaces include the MBox, MicPort Pro, Apogee Duet, PreSonus Audiobox, M-Audio FastTrack, and many others. Most have a microphone jack and some also have line input jacks.

For the voiceover talent, the simplest path to getting audio in your computer is plugging the microphone into your interface, and then plugging the interface into your computer. If you have a dedicated microphone preamp, like a dbx or Aphex unit, you might plug your microphone into that first, then take the output of the preamp to the line input on your interface, and then into your computer. 

Why Not Use My Built-in Soundcard?
“Hey, my computer came with RealHi Super-Duper Hi-Def Surround Sound! I even paid extra for it! Why can’t I use that for recording too?”

While the OUTPUT of your fancy on-board sound card might be incredible, the INPUT will never match that of a dedicated USB or Firewire interface made specifically for the task. 

Most computer users listen to sound. They don’t record it. The manufacturers know this and skimp on the input circuitry. Plus, on-board sound cards are prone to letting system noise through. Sometimes, you can literally hear the hard drive spinning (or some electronic artifact to indicate it).

Which Interface Should I Get?
The choices are wide and varied. Mac or PC? USB or Firewire? One input? Stereo inputs? Are you going to record multiple voices at once or maybe your band someday too? 

For voiceover, the simplest and most effective choice is the Centrance MicPort Pro. I won’t bore you with the technical details here since you can read about them at Sweetwater or another reputable retailer. The short story: the MicPort Pro turns any microphone into a USB microphone and it works on both Mac and PC.

USB Microphones
What’s that, you say? USB microphone? Yes, there are USB microphones that connect right into your computer. The audio interface is built into the microphone itself. Popular models include the Audio-Technica 2020 USB, Samson G-Track, and Blue Yeti.  

I’ve used these microphones and I have to admit, they do sound pretty good. I used the AT2020USB for many auditions and booked a number of jobs with it. However, the one time I tried to record an actual project with it, the client specifically said they didn’t like the audio. I re-recorded the project with my main studio microphone and all was well. They could hear the difference. 

USB microphones are fine for getting an audition in. But in a voiceover world that is increasingly competitive, I think we need every edge we can get. If the MicPort Pro will let you use any microphone via USB, with zero headaches to setup, why not go for the better sound? “Good enough” are two words that do not apply to the microphone that records your voiceovers.

Wrap-up
We’ve all heard the saying, “You only get one chance to make a good first impression”. When it comes to auditioning, you only get a few precious seconds to make that impression. Using your on-board sound card is not something you want to do if you want your audio to sound professional. 

My vote is for the MicPort Pro, but really any dedicated USB or Firewire interface for professional audio is going to be better than the on-board sound card. The MicPort Pro is easy and relatively inexpensive considering what it does. 

So get interfaced and start recording better voiceovers! GBY!