What Equipment Does A Voice-Over Artist Use?

Have you ever been told you have a great voice for voice-over? Maybe you’ve considered voice-over work? Perhaps you’re an actor and want to make extra money doing voice-overs? If that’s you, then you need to have a home studio. Although recording studios are still used in London, the ability to record from home is crucial. Even before COVID-19, home studios were becoming mandatory for any professional voiceover artist. Therefore, you need to know what equipment you need to get started.

This blog post will discuss the equipment & software that voice-over artists use to record their beautiful voices. So, if you’re ready to start your career in voice-over work, keep reading!

Quick disclaimer: The right equipment isn’t all you need. Voice-over work is so much more than the equipment you use, but I really hope this is a good start.

Voice-over artists are the hidden heroes of the media. Always there, always needed but never seen. They can be a voice that you don’t notice in your favourite TV show. Or a storytelling character reading tales to children while their parents sleep nearby. Either way, professional voice-over artists are enhancing all kinds of content. Thus allowing us to enjoy our time more by adding a personal touch to what otherwise could feel like noise. From E-learning and Corporate Videos, Hold Messages to Introduction Voices and Audiobooks to Cartoon Characters. The world of voice-over and the experts that reside within, can offer so many different services. Many of which you’ve never even thought of!

Some voice-over artists specialise in certain areas whereas some decide to dabble in all different kinds. Your specialist or niche might not require a totally different studio setup, but it may be worth having it in mind. For example, some software will be better to use if you’re recording a 10-hour audiobook over a 2 minute explainer video.

Anybody can hit the record button, read some text out loud and record a voice-over. However, it takes a lot of know-how and skill for the result to sound clean and usable. The basic equipment required can be fairly inexpensive, and you can get good results! It’s always a great idea to start somewhere and expand as you go along. Investing too much at the start of your career can be counter-productive. Also, some equipment you might not need at all, but it may help depending on your skill level and recording environment.

The first thing you need to start recording voice-overs is a good microphone. There are many different types of microphones available. Condenser, Dynamic, Shotgun, Ribbon… the list goes on. You can also get XLR and USB versions (more on this below). All the different types have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s essential to choose the one that best suits voice-overs. If you’re just starting, I recommend purchasing a condenser microphone. More specifically, a Large Diaphragm Condenser (LDC) Microphone. Condenser microphones are typically better for recording vocals than other microphones, and are fairly inexpensive. Although some can cost thousands!

When recording voice-overs you want clean audio. A shock mount is a crucial component for microphones to help eliminate inconsistencies. It’s so important, that it’s sometimes difficult to buy a microphone without one. Microphones that are Shock-mounted eliminate many vibrations, or “shocks”, that would otherwise get picked up and recorded. If you use your hands a lot while talking, this can create subtle movements in the floor that the shock mount absorbs. Not only that, but they help protect the microphone and its delicate components when you move the mic around.

What do I use? Neumann TLM 103
What did I start with? sE 2200A (I still use it as an engineering mic)

Apart from the types of microphone, there’s 2 main ways you can connect them to your computer to record your voice-overs: “XLR” (via an “Audio Interface”) and “USB”. My personal recommendation would be to avoid USB microphones. I’ve tried a few in my career and felt they lack flexibility and expandability for the future. Furthermore, all professional voice-over artists will eventually use, or switch to XLR so I strongly recommend starting out with it.

In order to connect your XLR microphone to your computer, you need an Audio Interface. These audio interfaces then connect to your computer via USB.

What do I use? Neumann EA 1 Shockmount
What did I start with? sE 2200a Shockmount (no longer available)

You’ve got a microphone sitting in a shockmount, but you can’t hold this in your hand while recording a voice-over! You need a stand. Or maybe even an “Arm”! Some people like to record their voice-overs sitting at a desk or table. If you’re one of them, then be sure and get yourself some kind of mic arm, or desk stand. Maybe you like to stand and emote with your voice-over script? Mic stands come in all shapes and sizes. When shopping for one, consider where they will need to go as some will be better for your space than others.

What do I use? Focusrite Scarlet 2i2
What did I start with? Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (it’s very reliable!)

Once you have a good microphone, you’ll need some software to record and edit your voice-overs. There are many different types of software available and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. To begin with, I recommend using Audacity. Audacity is free software that is easy to use and has all the features you need to create high-quality voice-overs. Not only that, but because it’s used by so many people globally, there’s loads of tutorials out there to learn how to use it. However, you may find quite quickly that it has some limitations as you progress your voice-over career. As a result, it’s very rare to find a professional voice-over artist still using Audacity.

What do I use? Hercules MS533B & Studiospares Desk Boom Arm
What did I start with? Hercules MS533B (it’s been an amazing purchase)

Your voice-overs need to be the highest quality possible. In order to get the best sound quality, you’ll need a good pair of studio headphones. Headphones allow you to listen to your recording as their being recorded in real-time. Also, when editing, they help you make sure that your voice-overs are correctly balanced and mixed. Headphones can be purchased for relatively cheap prices and from many retailers. For best results, you’ll need a pair of “closed back” headphones. These cover the ears completely. They help prevent the sound from the headphones being picked up by the microphone. This is called “bleed”. They also create an immersive environment so you ears are hearing only what they need to hear.

What do I use? Adobe Audition
What did I start with? Audacity

What do I use? beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
What did I start with? beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (you’ll struggle to find any other headphones in a voice-0ver artist’s home studio!)

A professional voice-over artist will always be chasing the perfect quality voice-over recording. There’s many techniques you can learn to achieve that. There’s also some things you can buy to help achieve that too:

Cables are an obvious requirement. They’re cheap and easy to find but you might want to get longer cables to suit your needs.

Pop Shields can help to remove “plosives”. Your microphone will pickup a difficult-to-edit sound if your P’s and B’s are too plosive.

Reflection filters help to prevent the microphone picking up too many reflections that bounce around the room.

Acoustic “foam”, Bass Traps, curtains and other treatment. This is a whole other blog post… but the recording environment is as important as the microphone.

Studio Monitors. Speakers made specifically for pro-audio. I personally have never used them, but they can be a worthwhile investment for many.

How much should I invest in the equipment? What’s the minimum investment?

There isn’t an easy answer to this. If you’re just starting out, there’s no point spending £750 on a microphone when a £150 microphone will do. You can always upgrade in future once you’ve made some money doing voice-overs. You can then sell your existing equipment to make some money back. Voice-over artists do this all the time so you might be able to get a bargain on the second-hand market. To get started straight away, some microphone manufacturers have a “bundle”. Some are better than others, but they’re a great place to start.

What’s the difference between dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones?

Dynamic microphones are generally better for live performances, as they are more resistant to feedback. Radio studios tend to use these. Condenser microphones are typically better for recording voice-overs and other vocals. They create more natural sounding voice-overs. Ribbon microphones are mainly used to record loud instruments like drums .

Is it better to record in an external studio or at home?

Nearly all voice-over artists will work from a home studio. Some hire a professional studio because of issues with their home recording environment. Or maybe if the job is so important that they want some help and to guarantee the audio quality. Also, the end-client will sometimes want to book a studio in London. Whatever the case, it’s definitely worth getting some professional studio experience.

A voice-over artist uses many pieces of equipment. Microphone, headphones and editing software just to name a few. These are the essential tools in their arsenal of equipment to help them succeed at what they do best – bringing your words to life with engaging voice-overs!

Selecting the correct equipment is super important to achieve the best quality recordings. Soon, you’ll be on your way to creating high-quality voice-overs that will impress your clients and make them come back for more!

Feel free to visit my website for more information and sample reels.

Contact me today to find out how my expert equipment can provide you with extremely high-quality voice-overs!