How Good Can Voice-Over Sound Using Only Adobe Audition Stock Plugins?Â
May 30, 2021
Do you need expensive third-party plugins to create professional-sounding voice-over audio?
Not necessarily.
In the video below, I take a raw voice-over recording and build the entire processing chain using only the stock plugins included with Adobe Audition.
The goal wasn’t simply to make the recording louder. I wanted to improve the tone, control the dynamics, reduce problem frequencies, smooth the sibilance, and give the voice a more polished, finished sound—while still keeping it natural.
In the walkthrough, you’ll hear the recording before and after processing and see how I use:
- Parametric EQ to correct unwanted frequencies
- Dynamics and compression to control the performance
- A second EQ for tonal sweetening
- Light additional compression for warmth and consistency
- De-essing to control harsh sibilance
- Gain staging to keep level changes from fooling your ears
One of the most important things to understand is that the plugins themselves are only the tools.
The settings I used were chosen for this voice, this microphone, this room, and this recording. Your voice may need something completely different.
That is where experience and a trained ear matter.
Adobe Audition’s built-in plugins are absolutely capable of producing excellent voice-over audio. Third-party plugins can offer different workflows, character, and creative options, but buying more plugins does not replace knowing how to hear a problem and make the right processing decision.
Watch the video and listen carefully to the difference between the raw recording and the finished sound.
Want to hear what I can do with your voice?
The processing in this video was designed specifically for one voice, microphone, room, and recording.
Your audio deserves the same kind of individual attention.
Send me a short raw recording and I’ll personally review it. I’ll listen for anything in the recording itself that may be limiting your sound, and I’ll show you what your voice can sound like with professional custom processing.
If I hear something that should be corrected in your recording setup first, I’ll tell you that too.
There’s no obligation to purchase anything.
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