Voice-Over Processing On The Neumann TLM 102

Voice-over artists, content creators, and others who make content by recording their voices come to me for help. I can improve the audio quality of voice recordings captured by a microphone. A voice-over artist from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, approached me looking for help with his home studio. Although his recording quality has been getting him work for the past five years, he wants to see if there is room for improvement. His main concern was that he might require more than one type of processing. He does not get consistent sound when he delivers different kinds of performances. So, he’s asked for my help. I requested an example of his raw voice recording to take a closer look.

The raw voice-over submission was captured on a Neumann TLM 102 microphone, running through a Universal Audio Apollo Twin audio interface, and then to a digital audio workstation on a Macintosh computer. His voice is captured in a 6’X6’X4’ PVC booth covered with acoustic blankets located inside a bedroom.

I reviewed his voice recording submission, and here’s what I found. Although the raw recording was done well, it revealed some small reflection sounds in the upper mid-frequency range. Reflections like these can be caused by hard reflective surfaces in his booth or room that reflect his voice back into the microphone at a slight delay (milliseconds). The interaction of his pure voice with these reflection sounds can create problems, leaving the voice recording sounding less than optimal.

Once I had identified any issues in his recording, I set off to resolve them and address his concern about the lack of consistency in sound. First, I suggested minimizing the reflection sounds I noticed in his recording space by doing one or more of the following. He can rotate his mic position, move (or remove) any reflective surfaces near his mic, like a computer monitor or desk in his recording space, or move his entire PVC blanket booth toward the center of his bedroom (further from any wall or window). These adjustments could help further prevent the microphone from picking up those reflection sounds. In the meantime, I created a custom processing setting for him, including EQ adjustments to even out the frequency balances in his recording.

Finally, I addressed his issue with a lack of consistency in his voice recording sound. I suggested that if he feels his different reads/performances captured on the microphone sound inconsistent, the problem can likely be solved with an appropriate gain level adjustment for each delivery. I explained that unless you are looking for a particular sound effect, the processing is best used to balance the frequencies and dynamics of a voice recording to reveal an accurate, clear representation of your voice.

You can have me diagnose your voice recording and get a free example of what my custom processing can sound like on your voice with your microphone captured in your room. Follow the instructions here to get started.