How do I get THAT sound?!
Whether you want to get into podcasting, voiceover work, audiobook recording or commentary, John Merriman, producer and award-winning studio owner creates exactly THAT perfect sound for each context
Does the type of microphone make a difference to the sound?
To a certain extent, yes. However – the type of voice will have far more influence over the sound. You can’t expect a timid voice to excitedly communicate a winning goal, or a brash voice portray comfort in a sensitive conversation. Once you’ve the right voice artist, or a voice actor is able to perform with the correct projection, then you’re over 50% of the way there. The rest, yes, will definitely be helped or hindered by the microphone, and associated technology and acoustics.
We were recently recording a radio drama for the BBC with Will Young as the voice actor. For the spoken word, we used a very open microphone, a Sontronics Orpheus – in an acoustically dead environment. However, as part of the drama, he performs a song. For this, we switched him to a valve microphone, running through a vintage pre-amp and outboard equalisation, before being run back into Pro Tools. The contrast, as you’ll hear, helps the listener understand the context. The open large diaphragm condenser allows an almost transparent canvas for the voice artist, whereas, the warmth of the singer, and the intimacy captured by a valve mic, just changed everything – particularly for the emotions required of this song.
What microphone is best for a podcast?
Any microphone will work – even the microphone in your phone, or the phone of the guest being interviewed, however what is elevated by using a specific podcast microphone is the immediacy of the sound. A podcast mic is like any other, (normally dynamic) microphone, though it has more foam between the cage and the capsule, to catch plosives (Ps and Bs). It is also designed to be mounted rather than hand-held – so often has a stand attachment built in. They’ve often got excellent rear/side rejection, meaning that other sounds in the room are not picked up. Like all dynamic mics, there’s something else to take into account – the proximity effect. Simply put, when you’re very close to a dynamic mic, you’ll pick up all the low warmth of the voice. But move back even a couple of centimetres and all that immediacy vanishes. Ensure you’re never talking straight into the capsule, but that the blast of air from your voice will be able to bounce across the diaphragm rather than straight at it, causing a pop. It is actually the use of compression that can make a lot of the difference, once you’ve nailed a consistent position from the mic. The compressor, set with a lower threshold, will smooth out all the dynamic range allowing the gain to be increased – giving a feeling of “in your face”. Raising the threshold will allow a wider and more contrasting dynamic range of the voice – it depends on the demographic of the listener, the topic being discussed, and the general feel of the podcast as to which setting is most appropriate. Our online course, Sculpt, has a great tutorial on this, and the accompanying handbook has all of the settings written in it.
How do I get the right sound for an audio book?
Audiobooks are a great source of income for the voice artist – but there are some major pitfalls to avoid.
Firstly, you need a really low noise floor. That means, all of the background noises (consistent ones like traffic hum, air-con, heating, fans) need to be eradicated – and intermittent sounds (bangs, sudden vehicle sounds, aeroplanes, and talking) need to be stopped. A studio is therefore the best context for this, or at very least, a room with incredible insulation at the windows, and no risk of interruptions. Once the outside world is kept out, the inside acoustics must be controlled so as to ensure the room gives almost no sound back to the microphone. Diffusing and thick absorptive materials are the best for ensuring the source of the voice is the only thing that reaches the microphone, and not any reflected sound. The right room, and the right voice means you’re at latest 50% of the way there. Now we need the right microphone. a large diaphragm microphone will ensure every detail is captured – but, I’d argue, almost even more importantly, a stand that will not, and cannot drop, or move! A slow drooping stand is impossible to work with, as editing between two parts of a day will sound drastically different, even if the droop was gradual over a period of hours – and therefore impossible to spot.
I’d recommend a hand’s span between the capsule and the mouth, and always use a tablet, rather than paper – as they’re silent.
Compression again plays a big part in getting the right sound, so ensure you’ve got the right gain levels (without anything peaking) and the right average volume (which you can achieve using compression). There are many rules for submitting audiobooks, so ensure you’ve read the specific platform guide in terms of chapter markings, silence at the start and end, and formatting.
Sound Better
Using microphones correctly makes a huge difference to the sound – in collaboration with the right space, and the appropriate voice artist.
Crown Lane Studio has rooms that are suitable for every application. We often experiment with a range of mics, to find the one that is enhancing in the right places, add EQ, de-esser (if the S’s are too strong), and compression and of course a pop-filter, to ensure plosives are controlled. We’ve recorded everything from the most sterile recordings (to train the UK Tiktok text-to-voice female voice to using a silky ribbon microphone for a major chocolate brand’s commercials.
For more learning on this, try our Sculpt course, or check out our podcast on the topic.
Crown Lane, where you Sound Better.
