Best products from r/VoiceActing

We found 121 comments on r/VoiceActing discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 146 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

4. Neewer NW-700 Professional Studio Broadcasting Recording Condenser Microphone & NW-35 Adjustable Recording Microphone Suspension Scissor Arm Stand with Shock Mount and Mounting Clamp Kit

    Features:
  • The Set Includes: (1) Condenser Microphone, (1)Adjustable Suspension Scissor Arm Stand, (1)Table Mounting Clamp, (1)Metal Shock Mount, (1)Pop Filter, (1)Ball-type Anti-wind Foam Cap, (1)3.5mm Male to XLR Female Cable. NOTE: Sound Card, 48V Phantom Power, 1/4" to XLR Cable & XLR to XLR Cable are needed to purchase additionally; If you want better sound effect, a sound card should be used; Please use a extra 48V phantom power adapter to connect it (phantom power adapter is not included)
  • The professional condenser microphone adopts the completely new audio circuit. Capture rich, full-bodied sound from sources that are directly in front of the mic. The cardioid pick-up pattern minimizes background noise and isolates the main sound source.
  • The adjustable scissor arm stand is made out of all steel construction, sturdy and durable. Folding type, convenient to carry. Can be mounted on the announcers' table. The double-braced arms add strength. *Max load: Approx 35oz / 1KG*
  • The microphone wind screen pop filter shield can ensure that your tracks are audible and easy to understand.And also it will make sure your message loud and clear, and banish the dreaded hissing and lisping sounds.
  • The metal shock mount features an angle adjustment with locking knob and can effectively reduce handling noise. The ball-type anti-wind foam cap can protect microphone against wind interference and singers' spit.The microphone can not be used with mobile phone and tablet computer. NOTE: It cannot work with Mac.
Neewer NW-700 Professional Studio Broadcasting Recording Condenser Microphone & NW-35 Adjustable Recording Microphone Suspension Scissor Arm Stand with Shock Mount and Mounting Clamp Kit
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6. Neewer Professional Microphone Pop Filter Shield Compatible with Blue Yeti and Any Other Microphone, Dual Layered Wind Pop Screen With A Flexible 360 Degree Gooseneck Clip Stabilizing Arm

    Features:
  • DUAL-LAYER POP FILTER: The first screen blocks air blasts as any pop filter normally would; The gap in between then disperses any remaining air pressure, so by the time it passes the second screen, the blast is easily contained to produce great quality recordings
  • ADJUSTABLE GOOSENECK: The steel metal gooseneck holder fully supports the filter's weight and keep it in place. You can adjust the angle and distance between the screen and the microphone to best fit your needs for yours lovely voice
  • CLERAER SOUND: Banish the dreaded hissing and lisping sounds that come when pronouncing the letter "S" and blocks those ugly "plosives" that follows "B" and "P". It is a great item for singers, streamers and actors alike who want help achieving the best possible performance and help protect the spitting all over your personal microphone
  • WIDE COMPATIBILITY: Adjustable screw rotating clamp with scratch-proof gripper can secure variety tubular mounting booms or microphone stands. Eliminates anyone's extra elements that prevents them from recording/projecting their best vocals to the public or their audience
  • EASY OPERATION: Swivel mount for easy installation, removal and location adjustment. Note: Microphone is NOT included.
Neewer Professional Microphone Pop Filter Shield Compatible with Blue Yeti and Any Other Microphone, Dual Layered Wind Pop Screen With A Flexible 360 Degree Gooseneck Clip Stabilizing Arm
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8. NEEWER Adjustable Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand, Max Load 1 KG Compact Mic Stand Made of Durable Steel for Radio Broadcasting Studio, Voice-Over Sound Studio, Stages, and TV Stations

    Features:
  • 【Adjustable Microphone Boom Arm】 Conveniently adjust the angle and height of this mic boom arm to suit your vocal recording need—just loosen the adjustment knob and adjust the boom arm. It’s also easy to fold up and carry. Perfect for stage/studio recording, broadcasting, TV stations, and more
  • 【Stable Arm Support】 With the strong springs and metal positioning screws, the boom arm is compact yet stable enough to support a load of up to 3.3lb/1.5kg. And the springs don’t get in the way of tightening the adjustment knob
  • 【Desk Mounting Clamp】 The desk clamp has rubber padding to protect the desk surface from scratches and scuffs. Compatible with most desks with a desktop thickness of up to 2”/5.3cm
  • 【3/8” to 5/8” Screw Adapter & Mic Clip】 The 3/8” to 5/8” adapter allows you to mount a compatible microphone (like Blue Yeti or Blue Snowball) on the boom arm. It’s not compatible with Blue Yeti Nano which has a 1/4” thread mount. The microphone clip mounts a microphone with a shaft diameter of 1.26”/3.2cm to the boom arm
  • 【Cable Straps & Solid Base】 The five cable straps help organize your microphone cable and make the boom arm look neat. The base connector is solid for durable and reliable holding
NEEWER Adjustable Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand, Max Load 1 KG Compact Mic Stand Made of Durable Steel for Radio Broadcasting Studio, Voice-Over Sound Studio, Stages, and TV Stations
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Top comments mentioning products on r/VoiceActing:

u/JohannesVerne · 6 pointsr/VoiceActing

Ok, strap in because there is a lot to cover here! And before I get started, remember that there is rarely one correct way to go about any of this, and everyone will have their own experiences and thoughts, and although different (sometimes very different) that doesn't mean that they aren't both valid.

​

I'm going to get started with the gear, as it's actually one of the easier parts to cover.

You will want your own gear. Studio fees get pretty expensive when you are doing a lot of work, and buying your own gear will pay for itself in the long run. For those starting out (with a low budget) I recommend the MXL V67G, Behringer UM2, XLR cable, pop filter, mic stand, and shock mount. This isn't the only setup,and if you can find used gear you may be able to get even better quality stuff cheaper (or the same price). You will also want to spend some money on sound treatment if you can, but it's easy enough to use a closet or make a blanket-fort if you need to. Just remember, the thicker the material the more effective it will be, and layering works wonders when improvising a booth. I have a furnace on the other side of one wall by my booth, but with a layer of insulation, and three layers of heavy blankets, almost none of that sound reaches the booth (and what does can be cut out with a bass roll-off). Just remember to factor the treatment into your budget when you look for gear. You may be able to use materials you already have, but try to figure it out beforehand.

​

Now, the harder part: Where to actually get started?

The first place to look is voice coaching and acting classes, if you can afford them. Having someone dedicated to helping you grow as a voice actor can make a world of difference. As far as going out and getting jobs though, I do have a bit of advice.

Personally, I would avoid radio. While it can help get you used to he mic, radio announcing typically use their own style of voice that currently is avoided with voice over. Many agents are hesitant about hiring former radio hosts. But, in the end it's the quality of your voice that matters, so going into radio isn't going to kill your career before it can even get started.

There are various ways you can get in, but typically you will start out doing unpaid fan projects and stuff to get practice and experience (not necessarily resume experience, but personal experience with your setup and gear to work out any kinks). This is usually animation/character voice over, and can be pretty fun, especially if that's where you want to end up. Audiobooks are another entryway, as there isn't a huge barrier to cross before getting started. There are also far more books out there to be read that there are narrators reading them. On the other hand, there is a reason for that; it's usually low paying, long hours of recording and editing, and there is rarely much feedback to help you improve your voice.

You can also try and find small, local businesses that are just getting large enough to start advertising, and strike up a conversation with the owners. Get to know them, and their business, and let it be known that you do voice acting. If you do this enough, you will find yourself in the right place at the right time as they need a VO for a radio commercial, and start landing jobs that way. Unfortunately, for this you will need a demo.

​

The Demo:

For finding local work, it's perfectly fine to use homemade demo (so long as it's good). There is a lot that goes into one though, so I'm going to try and break it down.

*SCRIPTS***: You will want to find, at a minimum, five or six commercial scripts, preferably actual commercials and not "stock" practice scripts. Those are fine for getting feedback from other VO talent, but actual scripts work better for a demo. Preferably, find ten or more so that you have options. You will want them to have different tones, different pacing, basically ones that will allow you to show off a wide range in what you can do. The next step is to practice. A lot. And then some more. You want these to be perfect, as they are what people will be listening to when they are deciding to hire you or not. Sub-perfection won't cut it. Record them, and get feedback. Practice some more. Get more feedback. Keep doing this until you think you are ready, and get feedback on your final recording as well. If the overall impressions are good, then use those recordings. If there is still quite a bit of critiquing being done, especially on major stuff (background noise, hiss, or the read itself) keep practicing.

MUSIC
: There are a lot of sites out there that provide royalty free music to download, and these will be your friend. Find tracks that mach up with your reads, that fit naturally with what you already have recorded. If need be you can always re-take a script, but it's easier if you already have something that fits to work with. You may already eliminate some of your takes at this time just from lack of a good music track, but that's why you have extra!

Mixing
:* Here is where you find your best takes, and the best sections of those takes. Go ahead and trim them down (keep the original file too, just in case) and start putting the best pieces together. You will want them set up so that no two takes that are back to back use the same style if at all possible. Keep it varied, and let them be distinct. You will want the takes trimmed to about 10 seconds, 15 at the most, before moving to the next take. You may also want the audio to overlap some. Put the music tracks with their respective takes, and work to set the volume. Too loud with the music and it drowns out your voice, too quiet and it doesn't do any good. This part is mostly played by ear, but get feedback before showing it off to prospective clients.

There are other things you can add, like sound effects and stereo mixes, but keep it simple to start. If you try to do too much, it's easy to get things messed up without knowing what is causing the issue. For local clients, just music will be fine, and not even all pro demos go overboard here. The goal is to highlight you
voice, not mixing skills.

​

Professionally produced demo:

When you think you are ready for an agent, you will need a pro demo. Most agencies won't even consider you if you don't have one. They cost a lot, but the return is well worth it. You
will* want to ensure that you go with a reputable studio; there are a lot of scams out there that will take your money and don't care if you have the skill for a good demo yet. Ask around and do your research to find the right studio. Listen to work they have done, and get other voice actors' opinions of them.

They will provide you with scripts and do all the mixing for you; all you do is read the lines to the absolute best of your abilities. Again, the point of a demo is to showcase your voice and talent, not the mixing. That's just a part of it so that the client knows how you sound in a full mix. The audio engineers making your demo know this, and it's their job to make you stand out. The quality of a demo is only limited by your own abilities.

​

I know I covered a lot, but hopefully you can find at least something useful in there. It's not a full guide to getting into voice over, but it should work as a starting place. If you want to listen to my demos to get a feel for what I am talking about, you can find them here. Feel free to ask any follow-up question!

u/Limro · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

Continuing the answer, /u/talbayne:

As mentioned above, XLR is a way to get super clear sound - more than USB.
The reason for this, is because the hardware converting the analog (actual) sound waves to digital input, called Analog-to-Digital-Convert (ADC), is better in a preamp, than inside the a usb-microphone... Or at least they used to be.

The ADC is actually just a small chip - or a part of a small chip - which are inside a regular computer chip. They have a number of input pins to register to register the sound from the actual microphone, as seen on this picture of a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - the bigger, black chip, reading XMOS upside down.

16 of those small pins come from the first XLR-input, and 16 from the second. This is because it's a 16-bit preamp, which you can also see from this screenshot.

Now - these ADCs used to require quite a certain amount of power, but do no longer. They can now be powered by 5 volts (to convert to 48 volts) - the output of a USB-port. Or... at least some of them can, and quite a few of them do a pretty decent job.

----
Time for examples in the USB-section:

  • The Røde NT-USB ($169) review.

    I have a friend who uses this, and I have a hard time not hearing it being just as good as my own microphone (longer down the list).

  • Bill Dewees talks about the Apogee MiC 96k ($20).

    That man knows his shit - pro dude, who makes 4k a week doing voice over.

  • The Excelvan BM-800 ($25) is in the opposite price range. How can this cheap thing work? Well, like the XLR-microphones it needs what's called phantom power, which is 48 volts - this comes pretty cheap ($20)... or you plug it into your desktop (laptop won't work, I've read).

  • The Blue Snowball Ice ($45) being compared to a few others.

    This one is extremely popular with YouTubers - for a good reason.

    ----

    Well, that's all good and nice, but what about the XLR options?

    When you go XLR, you need a preamp, which provides the 48 volts I described before - also known as phantom power.

    If you'd asked one year ago I'd say 'get the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2', but that was what I knew worked.
    Today you have two other options (from the same company):

  • Scarlett Solo - $99.

    I takes only one input - but you only have one microphone, right? It converts upto 24 bits (where as my own only goes to 16 bit).

  • Scarlett 2i2 (gen 2) - $149.

    This takes two inputs, so when you plugin your guitar you get a separate channel for each... It is also 24 bit, where as my gen 1 is only 16 bit.

    Are there others? Yes - plenty, but I don't know them.

    -----

    So microphones with XLR?

  • I have a Røde NT1 (as a kit) for $269.

  • The Blue Yeti Pro ($245) are spoken of as the next step up from its little brother (USB-microphone, mentioned above).


    Steep price for a starter, right? Well, the sound from it is not too bad, and this is where you need to remember what I wrote in my previous post - Your clients want clear sound. You can get clear sound from the USB-devices as well, but there will still be some quality loss between them. Decide for yourself what you want, and how much you want to spend on it.
    This list can go on forever, but it's getting late right now, so I'll holdt that here.

    ----

    I talked about sound treatment, yes?

  • /u/sureillrecordthat has a great YouTube channel, where he posted a "booth" to record in (hear the actual recording at about 13:03.

  • If you don't have a walk-in closet, you can do as I already posted and make sure you cover the microphone from reflected sound waves.

  • If that's not an option, put up cheap panels to absorb the sound waves. They work SO DAMN WELL.

    Best of luck with your adventure :)
u/felimimimi · 5 pointsr/VoiceActing

Hey! I'm in the same boat as you... It is definitely easy to get overwhelmed with the crazy amount of info online. I fought that by picking a few resources and making my way through them, I was able to make good headway. There are some amazing resources online that help tremendously, I like these:

https://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/01/how_do_i_get_started_in_voice_acting.html - great collection of resources
http://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com/ - such an amazing site by Dee Bradley Baker
http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/ - Crispin Freemans podcasts (more tailored to animation voice actors, but the first intro podcasts are so candid and have really invaluable advice).
This book is great: http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Over-Voice-Actor-What-Behind/dp/0984074007

Before you are ready to make a professional demo, you really need to practice your craft (even signing up for Voiceactingalliance or CastingCallClub etc just to get started practicing for example). I'm sure you've heard this, but acting classes, improv classes, singing classes etc- are part of that practice.

If you do have the experience of acting and cold reads and just want to hear demos in the market now, this site is amazing:
http://www.voicebank.net/
Youtube also has great videos of working voice actors talking about demos, just do a search of "voice acting demo" or something the like.

If you are a pro producer, that is great, but right now it is not just the skills of putting together a demo that is really important for you - it is the character that you bring to the mic that is the kicker (even in Commercial demos), so once again, practising the craft of acting itself is probably the most important thing for you at the moment.
Hope this helps even slightly, it was kinda a stream of consciousness from one new-ish VO to another. :)

u/russiandressing · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

+1 for being in the same boat as you! 31/F/originally from NY. Professional singer of 10+ years; have always been told I have a very unique and soothing voice. I've honestly been stewing on this for over a year and hadn't pulled the trigger until last week. I sat down and figured out what it would ACTUALLY take me (financially and space-wise) to give it a real try.

I have a closet in my current "studio" with all of my guitars and what not; I figured I could commit to turning this space into a booth. I did the math and realized I could treat the space acoustically for $179. eBay had 2" foam panels for way cheaper than anywhere else. Is it the BEST product out there? Probably not - but it will definitely get the job done.

Equipment wise, I figured out that I'd need an updated USB interface and a dedicated VO microphone. I ordered both of those things for $130. Here's what I ordered:

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007NQH98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

USB interface: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QHURUBE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Again, not top-of-the-line products, but I did my research and these both seem to be solid choices for beginners. I've cleared out the closet and I'm currently waiting for the panels to arrive. They get here tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to install them on Thursday or Friday morning. They need to "sit" for a bit to uncompress. Haha.

Anyway, I hope my story has helped you! As soon as I get my booth set up, I plan to take webinars and learn, learn, learn. I'll also spent a significant amount of time just recording practice scripts. I learn by doing, so there will be a LOT of doing going on. Haha. I feel as though I could be a tiny bit ahead of the game since I have experience recording and I'm comfortable with recording software and gear. I've also been using my voice as a tool for over 10 years..but in a different way.

Good luck and feel free to hit me up if you need some motivation! I know I've doubted myself multiple times since committing, but I've gotta go for it.

u/TheUncleShow · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

You have TWO options

1)If you have cheap motherboard and dont have add-on sound card and you dont want to buy any equipment, the BEST one bar-non, praised in every review is Samson Q2U, it has both USB interface [so you dont need to buy anything extra] and XLR port so you can upgrade if you want like buying 50-70USD Mixer or USB Audio Interface or if you have good sound card 10$ XLR to 3.5mm cable and record directly to sound card in 24bit/48hz, you should Yyoutube search its model name and see big YT channels benchmark it and listen to their vocie.

On Amazon USA, its 59.99 for microphone with cable and there is "secret kit" for 62USD with free Samson Studio headphones and anti-wind ball

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG

Bundle for just 3$ more: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FWN32HI

2) If you have good sound card, or you want even better sound for same price then the 20$ Behringer Ultravoice Xm8500 Dynamic Vocal Microphone is the best in this category, its not worst then Samson Q2A it just dont have USB, nor cables bundled so its cheaper, its just the microphone and plastic box, you can also search in YT and listen to reviews.

Then you also buy 40USD BEHRINGER Audio Interface 1x XLR/TRS 1x 1/4" 2X RCA USB, Black 1-Channel UM2, and for 60USD you have the best cheapest combo possible, just dont forget XLR to XLR cable, they go from 6 to10-15USD depends on length, Amazon Basics cables is great option, quality, but you can buy whatever you want, but amont cheap cables Amazons are known quality, no gamble.

So i guess it all comes to 70USD with the cable and youll have semi-pro beginner setup.

In any case, if you going to record on your desk and will do keyboard typing you want some space, you may add 23USD Microphone Boom arm that screws on to the table and has your MIC on it, you can lift it up when you dont use, also microphone "improves" sound quality because you wont have to touch the mic and it wont pass your touching noises or keyboard typing to the mic and it comes with Pop filter bundled.

Personally I was going to buy the first one but decided to buy the second one with XLR to 3.5mm cable since my sound card is good and will allow me 24bit/48hz and even 96hz recording

Also if it wont be good trough my sound card sicne it was so cheap i can always add good USB Audio interface.

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002KZAKS

Cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QMIT1YK

Audio Interface: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EK1OTZC

Microphone arm/Boom with Pop filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JHCL3KS



P.S. No matter what, DO NOT BUY ANY MICROPHONE TYPES Except Dynamic! Otherwise you'll be cursing yourself.

Dynamic doesn't need phantom power [its a separate headache that most mics need 48v phantom power] and its the least sensitive type made for Voice, when you talk it will record just you, all others, especially the USB popular Blue brand mics will record your scratching, air conditioner, your cat, your neighbors and mouse farts across the street, they all good to use-in Audio treated room, when people isolate the room for audio or audio booth, in regular peoples room, Dynamic mics is the Best way to go.

u/DeadDillo · 5 pointsr/VoiceActing

First, I listened to this from the mindset of a casting agent. From that perspective, I stopped after the Pet Meds spot sounded exactly like your slate.

Then I listening to this from a fellow VO, here's some suggestions:

It sounded like you did the entire thing in one sitting. This is bad. I know this is just a quick sample to show us here, and that's fine. As a general rule, each spot needs to sound like it was recorded at different times in different studios, with different mics, and engineered by different engineers. You want it to sound like the demo is made up of actual commercials playing on the air that you've cut and pasted together.

What are you shooting for with your future career? Do you want to do character-based stuff for anime and cartoons or commercial stuff? This demo was sort of a weird mashup of the two niches mixed together.

Actually that got me thinking: You COULD do a whole demo reel of character voices doing commercial spots that are ridiculously out-of-character for the copy the voices are reading: A Brooklyn accent for a Victoria's Secret spot - a snooty English accent for a Mexican restaurant, a happy, kid-friendly voice for a monster truck rally, etc. If you can pull the character voices off believably (and that is the key) then this would definitely be memorable to an agent or casting director. A little secret: if you can make em laugh, you get remembered and doing something like this would definitely be different to the person listening.

The key to doing this is to pull off solid, believable character voices. Your accents and affectations need to be spot-on exact. If you cant do a particular voice believably, dont include it.

However doing a demo like that could also backfire. The agent wouldn't know how to place you. They'd be saying, "Is he wanting to do commercial work or character stuff? I dont know."

Technically speaking, your mic needs some EQ. The sound was very harsh in the mid-range area and not much in the lower frequencies. A little EQ and compression would help.

I hear a little bit of room tone. Overall this isnt too offensive, but you should try to go for as dead of a sound as possible.

I put together a list of tips and suggestions for new voice artists on creating their demo. Some of the things I already mentioned here, but there's a lot more included.

I know you are looking for a coach right now, but do everything you can to learn as much as you can BEFORE you get a coach. If you are aiming for character stuff, read Yuri and Tara's book, "Voice-Over Voice Actor." It will give you some insight into the world of voice acting.

And a great all-around textbook (pretty much the bible for VO, really) is Jame's Alburger's "The Art of Voice Acting" which has tips, techniques, and more information than you could imagine about getting started and doing things the right way the first time.

There are a ton of resources out there that can help you.

I'd also look into Voice Over Club Its sort of a good entry-level start to professional coaching. They have a monthly fee and have several training courses laid out like e-learning modules. Its very affordable and a good way to start out. From there, you can start looking for one-on-one coaching.

Also, dont overlook classes in your area. Stage acting, improv, comedy classes, etc are all really good resources to learn the fundamentals needed for the business.

And lastly, don't forget about /r/recordthis. This is a great way to practice, get advice from peers and maybe even make a couple of bucks.

Hope this info helps you. If this is something you want to do...REALLY want to do, then jump in head first. Keep pushing yourself. Keep learning and growing. Dont give up.

u/Trifax · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

So it is the mic after all. I knew something was up!

I understand that a lot of the better gear is cost-prohibitive and it's not super realistic to dive in and buy a u87 or something. But you need to start with an XLR microphone and a pre-amp. Sounds like you have a good ear for what a good voice recording should be like—background noise isn't bad, the copy is free of mouth clicks and whatnot, and you're smart enough to steer clear of the blanket "noise reduction" processes that ultimately hurt your audio.

My advice is to save up a bit, if you're serious about this. Because your voice is awesome—it's versatile, you get the cadences, and the more time you spend with this imaging stuff the better you'll be. And it's so much fun. So save up a bit, get the Focusrite 2i2, an AT2020 (or XLR mic of comparable pricing if that's what's reasonable for you in the short term) and a better DAW than audacity. My recommendation is Adobe Audition, but Reaper is another popular option that is full featured for $60. About as affordable as it gets for the tools you'll need.

If you wanna send me some raw takes, I can run them through the processing chain I use for commercial/radio voicing. I've done that for a couple other people here on reddit and it seemed to help them out in getting some perspective on what good processing can do for a voice, and what ultimately comes down to the mic you use.

u/Loki77515 · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

If you really think you want to be a voice actor, then I would recommend you either read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Voiceovers-Everything-About-Money-Voice/dp/1932907904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406763796&sr=8-1&keywords=terri+apple

Or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Over-Voice-Actor-What-Behind/dp/0984074007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406763812&sr=8-1&keywords=voice+over+voice+actor

These both do a good job of explaining what it really means to be a voice actor (turning yourself into a small business).

Taking regular acting lessons is probably your best bet. There isn't really a "voice acting school" that you can go to besides something like Voice Coaches http://voicecoaches.com/ (who are actually pretty good and have a bunch of online courses for you and help you make a demo [a demo being recordings of you reading things so clients can hear what you sound like]).

Also, you need to learn how to "read conversationally," which basically means being able to read in such a way that you don't sound like you're reading off a script. I would actually say that simply being able to read conversationally is more important than being able to act, since a majority of voice work is not for movies or animated features, its for things like commercials, instructional videos, automated messages, etc.

u/VoicingDuff · 5 pointsr/VoiceActing

I'll be frank with you, using a kinect is probably not the ideal way of starting out in voice acting, even if it's just for fun. Is it possible for you to save up a small amount of money and buy yourself an actual mic for the purpose of vocal recording?

There are plenty of inexpensive microphones out there. Buying something like the CAD U37 might be a perfect way of getting a real feel for voice acting. You can probably audition for a lot of projects, and you won't be instantly rejected because of poor audio quality.

Now, there's a lot more than can be said here, but for now, consider saving up and buying an inexpensive mic. If you are going to go with this route, remember to download and learn how to use a program called Audacity, and how to use noise removal. I think this is enough information to help you get started.

EDIT: I almost forgot about pop filters. If you're going to invest in getting a mic, you need a pop filter. You can find them on Amazon for cheap.

Good luck on everything,

Cheers

u/Dracomies · 5 pointsr/VoiceActing

Controversial post but I'm happy to argue my point.

Acoustic foam is overpriced for what it does. Especially Auralex.

It's ingrained by a Youtube mentality that acoustic foam is the best form of sound treatment and it's not.

I've worked with many so many actors who've only worked with acoustic foam and they discover that (shocker) acoustic foam doesn't do squat against shouts and screams. It still gives you nasty reverb. The acoustic foam is *not* enough. And they all figure out that something else needs to be added. So yes, as you mentioned, you need to back it up with something else. Either acoustic panels made with Owens Corning 703 or Rockwool. Or if you don't have the tools and don't have the time, large, thick comforters or moving blankets and pillows which cover all bare surfaces as an extra layer.

As a point of reference, look at how much Auralex foam you are getting, how much it weighs and how much it costs.

If your work is primarily just narration work and/or commercials and you don't do character work with screaming, etc. then it should be fine. But if you need to belt out yells, acoustic foam will not cut it.

What you can do are three options or a variation of three options.

  1. You can get 35 POUNDS of moving blankets for $59.99. These give you 12 for $60. These are 12 blankets totaling 35 pounds of moving blankets. https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Max-Moving-Packing-Blankets-Furniture/dp/B073V5CRQ7/ref=zg_bs_9628861011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z8XD4XC8X6FTQM1SNFTC

    Use all of them and cover all bare surfaces.

    General rule of thumb. Snap with your fingers and clap with your hands. If you get little to no echo, that's when you're done and when you stop.

  2. If you have the tools and oodles of time, you can make acoustic panels. And there are three different ways to go about it:

    Method 1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBHYiWIJhUA

    Method 2

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ApIWbjvcA&t=382s

    Method 3

    Or if you don't have the time, the know-how or the skill to make acoustic panels (I suck at DIY and I'm not thrilled on spending too much time on them), you can do Method 3 which is what I did. Buy the Owens Corning 703 or the Rockwool (4 inch in thickness). Buy a Body pillow case like this: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Ultra-Soft-Body-Pillowcase-Breathable/dp/B07CFRBTXW/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=body+pillow+cover&qid=1556809522&s=gateway&sr=8-8 Stuff it in there. Done in 20 seconds. Make sure the ends are properly closed. (choose the ones with a zipper) Place it anywhere. Doesn't look as nice but head-to-head it sounds identical to the other methods. I've recommended this to other actors who were frustrated that acoustic panels were taking too long. They did this and their sound improved vastly and they said it was super easy to do. Credit to Markhowie for the body pillows technique. It works!
u/JokerEvoker · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

I'm assuming by "box" you mean audio interface.

If you're looking to be cost-efficient, I personally would suggest starting with an H4N Pro (or the cheaper non-Pro variant) and a mic such as the MXL 770. You'll also need an XLR cable.

The H4N, if you take care of it, will last you a long time and will give you many a good recording. It has built in mics, as well, and they are good quality, but external mics are typically better to have, if possible. However, if you're on a budget, you can easily use just the H4N and its built in mics without any issue, so long as you also get a windscreen. Be sure to have an SD card (I can't remember if it comes with one on its own as I purchased mine as part of a kit that came with a few accessories) as well, to record your files to.

u/KnightEffect23 · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

Like the other comments say, I'm still in the "not liking my own voice phase" i like to think i have a good voice but I still never like what i record. But other than that, I highly recommend getting a decent mic. Aim for XLR, if you can, over USB microphones. They are a bit more expensive but totally worth it for quality. the NW-700 is a really good beginner Microphone. As of now its only $27 which is awesomely cheap for an XLR, although you will have to buy a phantom power, little box that powers the microphone since the computer itself cant generate it, but thats only an extra $17. And a small adapter to actually go into your PC. This is by no means professional but any XLR is better than a USB microphone, in my opinion.

Microphone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XOXRTX6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Phantom Power: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-1-Channel-Microphone-Condenser-Recording/dp/B014H8AWGC/ref=pd_bxgy_267_img_2/132-8551522-3088534?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014H8AWGC&pd_rd_r=ee89c156-a0db-4f07-b5fd-08246cdd8db3&pd_rd_w=oJwwl&pd_rd_wg=2W4Tj&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM&psc=1&refRID=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM

​

Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=pd_bxgy_267_img_3/132-8551522-3088534?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IRVQ0F8&pd_rd_r=ee89c156-a0db-4f07-b5fd-08246cdd8db3&pd_rd_w=oJwwl&pd_rd_wg=2W4Tj&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM&psc=1&refRID=GZSZ5G9AGGFHYCWXQWJM

​

I myself am no professional but have been into this for a while and had this very microphone for like 2 years. I've since upgraded to an AT-2020

u/Goldilocks02 · 8 pointsr/VoiceActing

I'd agree with what the others are saying. I'd have very strong doubts about buying that.

When I was looking up what to get, there were lots of recommendations for the AT 2020 (not the USB one).

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=at2020&qid=1574291411&sr=8-3

At the time, I couldn't get that specific model and went with the AT 2035 instead.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2035-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B002T45X1G/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=at2035&qid=1574291312&sr=8-2

Phones playing up so I can't actually see what I'm typing right now, but hope this is helpful! They're good mics and are a good way to get started. You'll need a bit of extra kit though.

u/zVulture · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

There are two really good Mic's to use (both from Blue Microphones):

Blue Snowball - $50 - This is what I use and it works well for starters. The issue with it is that it has 3 Gain settings and that's it. I have found myself limited trying to record softer or louder voices by these settings.

Blue Yeti - $120 - This has a better gain control and I have found in multiple sources that it is recommended over the snowball. The 70 dollar difference though isn't a small deal though.

u/GIMLItherealOG · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

Have this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XOXRTX6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but I don't use the pop filler as I feel it lowers the overall volume, what does peaking mean? I'm quite new to this but voice acting is pretty fun haha.

u/tempfakeusername · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

Hello friend. Honestly I have no idea what I'm doing recording wise but there's a ton of stuff like this that works.
focusthingy
someotherBoxtypeThing

Some microphones have headphone jacks for real time monitor as well.
It'sNotevenBlueWTF
Local Guitar Center will probably have some variations of these.

P.S.
Does't look like Snowball Microphone has real time monitoring, but Blue Yetti is close in price:
finalLink-Fight

u/awezed · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

I got a Neewer for $30, same set up, and it's been with me about 2 years now? Still doing pretty great. I saw a comment that had concerns about the arms in these bundles and they're right, those arms are squeaky as hell. Definitely worth the money I paid, but also definitely worth getting a new arm.

Here's the link in case you're interested: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JrI1Db0M19SN6

u/DepressingPanda · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

It seems to be a better deal than the one on amazon Amazon. Though amazon has free shipping, I'm not sure if TechWoot's shipping price will make it more expensive than amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1375432643&sr=8-1&keywords=Blue+1950+Yeti+USB+Microphone

u/TNBenedict · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

I'm not a huge fan of desk stands for mics when doing voice-over. One of the biggest drawbacks is that it limits your options for positioning the microphone with respect to your mouth. Getting closer or farther away necessitates a change in posture rather than a change in position of the mic itself, which will affect other aspects of your voice and your ability to act.

Another drawback is that any vibration in the desk itself will transfer to the mic. You can address this to some degree with a shock mount for the mic, but no shock mount is perfect. They can attenuate, but can never completely remove vibrations.

If at all possible, a better course of action is to use a microphone stand that sits on the floor. This gives you the option of sitting or standing when you act, it isolates the microphone from other sources of vibration, and a good mic stand will stick with you for years. This one's about twice the cost of the desk stand you found, but I know a couple of voice actors who use it:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Tripod-Boom-Microphone-Stand/dp/B019NY2PKG

u/LucidBurrito · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

It may not matter much to you but that boomarm is hilariously noisy, the springs pop and clang st the slightest touch. I recommend a floor standing mic stand, like this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019NY2PKG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3Hy6BbZ6635GS

u/lazyasianstudent · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

This might be a little bit over your budget (I'm very bad with currency) but this is a great microphone to have. I use it myself and the quality is superb for what you pay for.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409526740&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+yeti

u/xStigga007x · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

Don't have any experience with either of the mics you mentioned.

However, I do have the AT2020 and can definitely vouch for it.

With the AT2020, I bought a mic arm that brought its own mic (Neewer NW-700). When I first listened to the raw input of the NW700 I didn't really notice much of a difference. However, most recently I actually put them to the test.

Check out the difference for yourself.

AT2020 is an XLR condenser mic that requires a DAC for power and to be connected to a PC. There is also a USB version of the AT2020.

u/fumblesmcdrum · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

The way Condenser mics work requires them to have 48V "Phantom" power, which is transmitted over the microphone cable. This won't come from your PC, you'll need an audio interface that is capable of supplying phantom power over it's connector.

Here's a cheap one .

That button on the front supplies the 48V you need to operate your condenser mic.

EDIT: Even Cheaper . But I don't know about its quality

u/mikewoodsays · 6 pointsr/VoiceActing

Bare minimum: you need an audio interface, such as the Behringer UM2, an XLR cable, and a DAW, like Audacity. There are more expensive and higher quality options for all of the above, of course.

u/affordavoice · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

I use these two:

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB:

http://amzn.com/B0006H92QK

MXL V67G:

http://amzn.com/B000JRPYGE

The MXL is my preferred of the two, but it is an XLR mic so it requires an audio interface (I use an M-Audio M-Track), or at least an XLR to USB adapter.