10 things every pro voice actor should have in their home studio

In the voiceover world, voice actors often do the majority of their work in their own home studios. These home studios can vary quite a bit in terms of gear and overall quality, but it’s definitely a shared experience that most of us have. While the barriers to entry for this field have lowered quite a bit thanks to inexpensive microphones other budget audio gear, the fact remains that you get what you pay for. At some point, most professional voice actors move beyond the inexpensive gear and purchase components that will stand the test of time. Me personally? I’m a “buy it for life” kind of guy.

With 20+ years of pro audio experience under my belt, I’d like to offer a list of things I believe every pro voice actor should have in their home studio. Some of this may seem like common sense, but I bet there are a couple items you wouldn’t think of in this list. Let’s begin:

1. A Broadcast-Quality Microphone

   A microphone is THE tool of the voiceover trade. Your choice of microphone will ultimately help determine the overall sound quality you can provide. It’s not the only factor, mind you, but it’s still an extremely important piece of gear that needs to be chosen with care.

   When shopping for the right microphone, you’ll notice that they can vary wildly in price. I’ve seen extremely basic USB mics online for $20, and I’ve seen vintage XLR microphones go for tens of thousands of dollars. For example, if you wanted to purchase a Vintage Telefunken U47 Tube Mic, you’re going to pay somewhere around $20,000 USD for it. Pretty wild, right?

   That being said, you can get a reasonably good microphone these days for hundreds, not thousands. With the myriad of brands and models that exist, you’re bound to find something acceptable in your price range. Or, if you want to just buy one mic and call it a day for the rest of your voiceover career, you could spend about $1,000 and be set. At that price point, many pros swear by mics like the Sennheiser MKH416, or the Neumann TLM 103, for their voiceover work. I use an MKH416 in my day to day work and can endorse it wholeheartedly.

   If you want to spend even more, you could opt for the venerable Neumann U87 which will set you back around $3,400. It’s pretty expensive. Sounds great, though. At these price points, though, you start to get diminishing returns, so you don’t necessarily need the most expensive mic to do great work.

2. Basic Mic Accessories

   In voiceover, we’re constantly battling noise. When it comes to using the microphone, you have to avoid handling the microphone while recording. Instead, opt for a mic stand or boom arm to hold your microphone. You can even go a step further and install a shock mount for your mic, so that vibrations don’t make their way into your signal when you touch your desk.

   Finally, you could consider a pop filter or screen to help reduce plosives. Sure, good microphone technique will help you avoid the issue, but having a nice pop filter can give you an extra layer of protection against any errant breath that might hit your mic’s diaphragm.

   Oh, and don’t forget your mic cables if you have an XLR microphone. Something with proper shielding will help reduce any RF interference that you might experience in your studio.

3. Audio Interface

   Audio interfaces are needed to connect your computer to your XLR microphone. There are tons of them out there, but I’ve found the most success with brands like Audient and Universal Audio. The most common high-end interface I tend to see in home studios is an Apollo Solo or Apollo Twin, depending on how many XLR inputs are needed by the voice actor. I have the Twin, myself, as I have two microphones hooked up at any given time. Your mileage may vary.

   The thing I really like about my Apollo Twin is the plugin system that it has available. Using real-time processing, I can employ legendary sounds from products such as the Avalon vt-737sp or Manley VOXBOX channel strips. And, instead of having a bunch of rackmount hardware in my studio, I can get all of those sounds out of a little audio interface roughly 6x6'“ in size. Keeps things nice and tidy, and sounds like a million bucks. I’ll take it!

4. Studio Headphones

   A good pair of studio headphones will help voice talent hear the smallest of details in their recordings. This is crucial, as we constantly have to listen for our breathing, mouth clicks, pops, smacks, and any other noises that might try to sneak their way into our audio. Good headphones allow us to block out the environment and really listen to our recorded audio with great attention to detail. I myself use Sennheiser HD 280 Pros, but there are a variety of options out there for different budgets.

5. Reference Monitors

   It’s also good to have a nice pair of Reference Monitors (speakers) in your home studio. With their higher wattage, they can actually reproduce the sound that you are creating more accurately. This means that they will give you a better, truer idea of what you sound like than your headphones can. There’s a place for both of these things in your studio, but they serve different purposes. I typically record with studio headphones on, and then do my final edits while listening on my larger speakers at my editing station. Brands like KRK and Yamaha are good to check out. I recommend considering the KRK Rokit 5’s.

6. A Modern PC (Or Mac)

   You don’t have to break the bank on this one, but it’s nice to have a computer that is relatively modern and up-to-date. I’d recommend a computer built within the last five years or so, with components that are compatible with the other hardware you intend to use. For instance, some audio interfaces only work with Thunderbolt which is a common connector on Mac computers. Some PCs have it, too, but you’d have to check before buying these things to make sure they are compatible.

   Other than that, as long as you have a CPU with at least 4-8 cores, 8-16GB of ram or higher, and a good amount of storage space, you should be able to record voiceover content with your computer. It’s not a resource intensive task for PCs or Macs to handle, honestly.

7. A Data Backup Solution

   There’s nothing worse than recording content for a client, only to get hit with a power surge and lose all the data on your computer. How do we avoid this? Simple: have multiple backups of your data. I recommend having one on site backup, such as an external hard drive or NAS. Then, consider purchasing an off site backup plan with a company like Backblaze. This will ensure that, even if you lose your house and personal possessions in a 100-year flood, your data is still secure somewhere offsite, just waiting for you to download it and get back to work.

8. A Quiet Recording Environment

   This is, arguably, one of the most important things to have as a voice actor. It’s hard to deliver broadcast quality audio when you’ve got a dog or child making a bunch of noise in the background. You also don’t want to hear the AC or furnace in your recordings. A quiet recording environment can alleviate these issues. By choosing the quietest room in your house, away from these noises, you can ensure that you’re delivering audio free from extraneous noise.

   Additionally, if you want to go the extra mile, you can purchase a vocal booth designed for this very purpose. I personally use a Whisper Room, which is a booth constructed to keep as much noise out as possible. I walk in my booth, shut the door, and suddenly its quiet enough to hear a pin drop. There are similar options from competing companies, such as Studiobricks, that can also do the trick.

9. Acoustic Treatment

   Whether you’re in a spare closet, bedroom, or a vocal booth, you’re going to need acoustic treatment on the walls and other hard surfaces. This prevents your voice from bouncing off these surfaces and making it into the microphone as reverb/echo. Ideally, your recording environment should sound dead. When you clap your hands, the walls shouldn’t clap back.

   I use 4-inch-thick foam on my walls and surfaces to help alleviate echoes and reverb. Others use insulation like Owens Corning 703 to do the job, or they will purchase acoustic panels from reputable brands like ATS. Whatever you use, make sure its thick and has enough mass to absorb sound in your environment.

10. Source Connect (or an equivalent)

    Source Connect is a piece of software that allows recording studios to talk to each other. In the simplest terms, it makes it so that the microphone in your home studio is connected directly to the other studio. This allows the engineer on the other end to record your signal as if you were in their studio next to them. This is commonly used for voiceover jobs that are secured through agencies, and many agents will require that you have access to Source Connect before they even start sending you auditions.

    Otherwise, if you’re not working with an agency, the live-directed session you do might instead take place on meeting software like Zoom, Google Meet, etc. My advice would be to download the free trial of Source Connect regardless, to at least get it set up and practice using it. Then, when someone inevitably asks you to do a live session with Source Connect, you can pay for the software at that time and hit the ground running.

Conclusion

With these ten recommended items, your studio will be ready to take on almost any voiceover project. You’ll ensure that the work you put out is indicative of a true professional, and you’ll be able to enjoy a setup that lasts for years and years. With anything like this, it’s important to do your research, consult professionals for recommendations, and make sure that the items you buy are worth it for the work you’re doing.

If you found this list helpful, send me a message and let me know!