Ever find yourself second-guessing your sound?

“What’s that weird noise I’m hearing?”
“My recordings don’t quite sound right.”
“Oh no… I’m not hearing anything at all.”
“Is my audio quality ready for this big project?”

If you’re a voice-over artist, you’ve probably asked yourself these questions at least once—and if you haven’t yet, you will. The real question is: When should you audit your signal chain and recording environment?  

Let’s start by breaking down what those are.  

 What’s a Signal Chain?  

Your signal chain is simply the path your audio takes from your voice to your ears, including all the gear in between. 

A basic voice-over signal chain usually looks like th is:
Voice → Microphone → XLR Cable → Audio Interface (with preamp + ADC) → USB Cable → Computer/DAW → Audio Interface (DAC) → Headphones/Monitors

You might also have or add other gear, like a standalone preamp or in-the-box processing like plugins, but this is your basic home studio setup.

What’s a Recording Environment?

Your recording environment is the space you record in—your “home studio.” Whether it’s a pro booth, a walk-in closet with panels and flannels, or a fortress of moving blankets—if that’s where your mic lives, that’s your recording environment.

When Should You Audit Them?  

In short: whenever something changes.

Here are some common triggers:  

 Physical Changes to Your Space

• You’ve moved to a new recording space
• You’ve repositioned your booth, desk, or mic
• Furniture or gear has shifted around
• You’ve added, removed, or changed acoustic treatment

Equipment or Software Changes

• New microphone
• New interface
• New computer
• Different monitoring setup (headphones or speakers)
• DAW or operating system updates
• Outdated drivers finally catching up with you 

When Audio Quality Drops

• Hiss, buzz, or hum appears 
• Static, clicks, or pops sneak in
• New reflections show up out of nowhere
• Volume mysteriously drops
• Recordings start sounding muddy, boxy, or hollow

Changes Around Your Space

• Seasonal shifts (HVAC noise, open windows)
• New appliances or electronics
• Construction, activity, or changes in adjoining rooms or outdoors

 Before Big Projects

• Before recording a demo
• Before a major client project
• Before a live-directed session

At Regular Intervals

• Quarterly or twice a year
• Acoustic materials can settle or sag, and gear can slowly degrade
• Subtle changes sneak up on you over time, so a routine check keeps you ahead of them

Signal Chain: Your First Stop When Troubleshooting

Is this thing on? (No, don’t tap your mic.)

When something sounds off, it’s e asy to overthink. (“Maybe my interface firmware is haunted!”). Instead, start simple. Check you  r signal chain: 

• Is phantom power on?
• Are your cables firmly connected?
• Is your interface actually selected in your DAW?

Sometimes the fix is that simple.

As you build your career, it’s smart to keep some “known good” gear handy—like a spare XLR cable or a small travel rig (mic + interface). Swapping pieces out one at a time can help you pinpoint issues fast.  

If you’ve run through your checks and are still stuck, don’t be afraid to call in a pro. It can save you time, money, and sanity (not necessarily in that order).

Why It All Matters

The quality of your audio is one of the clearest signs of professionalism. Clients won’t always tell you if your sound isn’t up to par—they’ll just quietly choose someone else. Especially for remote work, clean, consistent audio is often the deciding factor between “almost booked” and “you got the gig.”

Final Tip

Keep a reference recording from when your booth soun ded its best (ideally one that’s been approved by a coach or audio pro). From time to time, record the same script and compare. If something sounds off, you’ll catch it early.

Audit regularly. Sound great. Book more. Your best work deserves the best sound.

P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry,  sign up here!

P.P.S If you want to learn more from VO experts and grow the knowledge you already have, join our VO Pro group!

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Ah, the joys of getting to perform in-studio! You get to get out of wearing pajamas all day, interact with people face-to-face, and get some fresh air to boot. But, if you haven’t worked in-studio often (or at all), the first few times can feel a little daunting.

Fear not: we’ve got your back. With a few simple guidelines, you can represent yourself, and all of the work you’ve put in during your Such A Voice training, to the best of your abilities.

Arrive Early (But Not Too Early)

Recording studios aren’t huge spaces. While most of them feel pretty swanky and look really cool, the people who regularly work there are busy with multiple projects; they won’t have tons of time to just hang out and chat with you (however laid-back the foyer may be). 

As a good rule of thumb, arriving (as in walking inside) around ten minutes before your appointment time is a good idea. If you’re there for an audition, that gives you time to sign in and read the copy. If you’re there for a session, that gives you time to use the restroom and look over the script. 

Pro tip: don’t assume there’s parking. Give yourself time to scour the nearby streets, especially if you know the recording studio is in an urban location. You don’t want to walk in stressed and frazzled because you couldn’t find a space to fit your minivan.

Leave the Smelly Stuff at Home

Have you ever had the experience of walking past someone at the mall or gym who is doused in so much cologne or body spray that they would ignite at a gas pump? It’s awful. While they may love their scent, not everyone else shares the sentiment.

When you’re spending time in a small, enclosed space – especially if it’s for an extended period of time – any scented lotions or potions will stick around, which can be nauseating for anyone who comes after you (not to mention the possibility of allergies). On in-studio days, use unscented deodorant and lotion, and skip any body sprays or fragrances.  

BYO Pencil and Water, Just in Case

Almost every professional studio you work in will stash some bottles of water and a few pencils on the stand. However, it never hurts to be prepared with your own small bag of these items. I always take a few bottles of water, a mechanical pencil, a few mints, and some green apple slices, which can help with mouth noises.

Just Take the Note

New people, pay attention!

A very common pitfall I see with new-to-the-game talent is trying to defend your original choices when given a note. There are few things more awkward than watching someone green try to explain “the reason I did it like that was___” , for five minutes, while everyone politely nods and makes note of your lack of experience.

Ultimately, while you probably had good reasons for making your initial choice, the reality is that neither the production team nor the client care. (That sounds harsh, but I’d rather you hear it from me than from them.) If you are given a note or direction in-studio, say “thank you,” then make the requested change. The only exception is if you need further clarification to understand the direction.

Say Thank You and Follow Up

After your session or audition ends, remember to say thank you in person. If it’s a booking, it’s also nice to send a follow-up email or message, if you worked with the client directly (versus your agent arranging the session). In a world that moves too fast and can often feel impersonal, taking a few minutes to say thank-you goes a long way.

While in-studio, know that not everyone likes to shake hands or hug. Read the body language of the folks you’re working with before going in for an awkward goodbye. If they want to wave, wave. If they want a hug (and you’re okay with it), return a friendly hug. Learn to mirror the vibe in the room, and you’ll feel like you fit in with the general vibe, while also making others comfortable. 

Note that you do not need to send extravagant gifts as thank-yous. 64 gourmet cupcakes or expensive concert tickets make you look desperate, so a simple card (perhaps with a small item) will suffice for bookings. Trust me: I’ve seen casting directors and producers receive lavish items, and they just feel weird.

Hopefully, the next time you’re in-studio for a session, whether you’re seasoned or a newbie, these tips can help put you at ease and present like a pro!

Do you have other things to share about you prepare for professional sessions in-person? Share in the comments below.

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An animation recording session is slightly different from other voice-over genres such as commercial or narration. Aside from the fact that you are using many different vocal resonators and varying pitch(depending on the character and voice you are bringing to life) there are also technical aspects to be aware of. Let’s get into them!

Three Beeps

Timing is very important in animation, especially when something has been animated first, and/or is being recorded in one language from another (I.e. in anime when the original was Japanese and you are recording an English dub). There is one technique that lines up three beeps which are played through the voice over artists headphones to cue the actor to start speaking with the on-screen animation. Sometimes, there is a monitor in the booth with the images of the characters on screen. It’s important to view the facial expressions the animators have created since it can inspire and inform your read as an actor. I have been the culprit of “jumping the beeps”, getting so excited that I start speaking too quickly after the third beep. You want to take a deep breath and wait for that third beep to finish, and imagine a fourth beep to come in on where your character starts speaking. This technique is often used for ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) which is another voice-over genre.

Mouth Flap

“Flap” is the open and close motion of the animated characters mouth on screen. Animators and scriptwriters work together to match the flap to the timing of the voice actor’s lines. If you are lucky and work with wonderful engineers, they are on your side and can slightly compress the timing of your read to match up to the character’s mouth flap. However, you can’t count on this, and it’s best if you perform with accurate timing. You need to be aware of the timing you have for any given line, take note of the “mouth flap”, and make sure your line matches with the mouth flap of your character.

Timestamps

Next to each of your character’s lines, there is usually a timestamp. This tells you how your line matches up to the animation and the length in minutes/seconds of your line. While you shouldn’t obsess over this timestamp, you need to have an awareness of the length of time your line should take and stay within that ballpark. The director will assist you by saying something like “you have a bit more time on this one so [fill in a note on characterization]”. This is why a musical ear or mindset can be helpful, since timing is such a crucial element to animation and voice-over.

Quick Character Development

If the character you are voicing has been animated with big eyes and has been described as a sweet, energetic, young person – use that in your character development! Physicalization is so important in voice-over, and animation is no exception. We often don’t have time to mull over character ideas for voice-over, especially in an audition. Unlike the theatre world (where I personally began my training) we don’t have a table read to discuss characters and intention for days or weeks. In terms of timing, you need to be able to work with the on-screen animation or image you have been given and use facial expressions and physicalization that reflect that character instantaneously. Timing is important in sessions, so have your toolbox of vocal resonators, facial expressions, pitch variation, and physicalizations at the ready.

Animation is such a fun and creative art form, but like any artistic medium such as music, ballet, or painting, you need the technical foundation to be able to exercise true freedom and creativity. Keep in mind you are collaborating with a director, animator, scriptwriter, and an engineer to make this project a success. You are certainly not alone in the process, but keeping all of these elements in mind will lead you to a productive voice-over session.

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SAV: Hi David! Thanks for joining us today. I’m amazed by how much work you’ve done within the entertainment industry. From writing and producing a short film to performing on-screen as an actor, and now you’re doing voice-over! How did you know the entertainment industry was something you wanted to be apart of?

McClain: I’ve always gravitated toward creative pursuits, but was never particularly confident in my artistic talents until I found I could channel those impulses through technology and my voice. Everyone wants to be heard and I’m grateful that I have these outlets to express myself. I hope that through my screen acting and my voice-overs, people are entertained, informed and encouraged to think for themselves and make the world a better place, one word or deed at a time. That may sound corny, but it’s completely sincere. I think the world would be better off if we listened to each other more and just learned to enjoy and appreciate life.

SAV:  Some voice actors will take other related classes that can help improve their performance, like improv. What on-screen acting skills do you apply to your everyday voice acting reads?

McClain: As a screen actor, I’m good at improv and I’ve been trained in script analysis and developing characters. That training dovetails wonderfully with what Such A Voice teaches. In fact, all of my training and experience as a theater actor, screen actor, and broadcast journalist is helping to make me better at voice-overs. I feel that the way the SAV training has supplemented all of that has really set me up for success!

SAV:  What about voice-over made you say, “this is something I want to do”?

McClain: I’ve always had the ability to communicate effectively through my writing and my voice and I’ve enjoyed using my abilities as a high school history teacher, a broadcast journalist in the U.S. Army, a theater actor, and a screen actor, so I felt that I would enjoy doing VO too. I’ve always thought that being a VO talent would be fun. I also came to voice-over because I thought it was simple. Now that I understand it better, I know that it’s not all that simple – which makes me want to do it all the more! In short, I came to it because I thought it was fun and easy, but I’m sticking with it because it’s fun and challenging!

SAV: How would you describe your voice to clients and agencies?

McClain: I’ve been told by SAV voice coaches that my voice is friendly and intelligent, that I make an excellent explainer and that I’m very versatile. That all fits with my personality and my professional and life experiences, so I think that’s a fair assessment.

SAV:  What was your favorite part about working with the demo production team here?

McClain: The scripts which I received from SAV were great – right up my alley – and Angela Castonguay was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. I genuinely enjoyed working with her and was impressed with how much she cared about getting it right and helping me to put my best foot forward. After dealing with her, and my voice coach, Warren Richardson, I’ve just been very impressed with my coaches and everyone else I’ve dealt with on the SAV team.

SAV:  What kind of voice-over work have you done?

McClain: I’ve booked a couple improv VO gigs and one VO commercial, but I’m really just getting started as a professional voice actor, even though I have a lot of related experience. As a Public Affairs Soldier in the U.S. Army for 20 years, I wrote and read a lot of news, some features and did narrations from time to time. I enjoy talking about things that interest me and that I think are important for others to know, which is probably why I was successful as a history teacher and as a military broadcast journalist. I believe in playing to those strengths and using my natural enthusiasm in narrations and commercials, but I would also love to unveil my talent for doing character voices and take a stab at animation at some point in the future.

SAV:  Besides recording your demo, how have you prepared yourself for auditions and gigs? (marketing, website building, etc.) In other words, what are the ingredients in the kitchen that are responsible for making Dave McClain’s voice known to clients and agencies?

McClain: For starters, I already had a website for my acting and writing www.DavePro.info, so I’ll be adding my VO activities to that page and my professional Facebook page as well. I’ll be continuing my training and work as a screen actor, as I pursue my VO career, knowing that both of those complement each other. In addition, my voice coach, Warren Richardson, has prepared me well to market myself effectively in other ways. I also made it a point to secure an acting agent (Ruben Bermejo at The Boysen Agency) who also deals with VO talent. Beyond all that, like everything else in life, it’s about working hard, overcoming obstacles and being a little lucky. All three of those have served me well in the past, so I believe that I will be successful as a voice-over talent.

SAV: Who’s someone in the industry who you look up to?

McClain: I’d love to have the voice of a James Earl Jones, a Morgan Freeman or a Matthew McConaughey, but Warren Richardson has helped me to see the advantages of the voice I have and to tap into and develop those strengths. I guess you could say that I look up to everyone I just mentioned.

SAV:  Any New Year’s resolutions? (related or not related to VO)

McClain: Just to take over the world. Or my little corner of it, anyway. Ha! I’ve been steadily building my screen acting career over the past two-and-a-half years, doing more acting jobs and making more money each year than the one before, and I intend to do the same with my VO career. It may not be very specific or measurable, but what I really want to do is be as successful as I can be in my career, always enjoy what I’m doing and keep my priorities straight – working hard and having fun pursuing my professional and creative passions while keeping family and friends first.

Take a look and listen to some of Dave’s work at his website!

Eager to get your start in voice-over? Check out our introductory webinar to learn more about how to get started!

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Over the course of your voice-over career, you may be asked to go into a professional studio for a recording session. If it’s your first time, congratulations! Here’s what to expect, as well as some tips, for when you go into a studio session for voice-over.

Arrive having warmed up. Whether you sing in your car on the way to the studio or arrive early and warm up your vocals in the car, make sure that you are good to go when you enter the studio. Recording studios oftentimes do not have an area inside to get warmed up.

Make sure to wear quiet attire. Wear clothing that doesn’t make noise, like things that are soft and/or cotton. You don’t want to wear clothing that makes noise when you move, or the microphone will pick up the sound. That also goes for jewelry or anything in your pockets like change or keys that can make a sound.

Make sure to bring in anything you may need for the session. Have a water bottle to take in with you so that you can take a drink of water if you need to. You may also want to bring a pencil or highlighter so that you can make marks on your script as needed.

If you have the script beforehand, make sure you read through it and practice a few times. You want to go in having a good understanding of the script and tone, but do not practice the script excessively. If you over-practice the script, it won’t be as easy to take direction and make adjustments to your read while you’re in the studio. If there are any pronunciations, acronyms or general tones that you are unsure of, ask about them before you start recording. If you do not have the script ahead of time, ask for a few minutes to read through the script and ask any questions if necessary.

The audio engineer will help you get adjusted when you enter the vocal booth. Once you get into the booth, the sound engineer will adjust the microphone according to your height. Sometimes they will ask if you would rather sit or stand and you can let them know your preference. Do not touch or adjust the microphones or any equipment on your own. The equipment is very expensive and will all be adjusted by the audio engineer. If you need any sort of adjustment made, ask your engineer for help.

Once you are all set up in the booth, the engineer will check your volume levels. They will ask you to start reading a portion of the script so that they can make any needed adjustments to the levels. They’ll also ask if you can hear everything properly. In your headphones, you’ll be able to hear your voice as well as the voice of the engineer and director. Make sure that you can hear them and that the volume of your own voice in your headphones is to your liking.

When receiving direction from the client, stay positive and focused. Before you start recording, the client will likely give you an overview or give you some direction on tone. If you’re unclear on the direction, you can ask questions, but try your best to take what direction they give you and do your creative best. They will make adjustments as they see fit. Don’t get overwhelmed if they give you a lot of feedback, direction, or ask you to read it several times in different ways. They are making sure that they have all the audio they need from you while you are in the studio with them. A lot of times they’ll want to get several different takes or want you to read the same line in different ways.

Don’t get flustered. It’s okay if you mess up. There is no need to apologize or be hard on yourself, it happens. Just stop, take a deep breath, and begin again.

Remember to be flexible. Sometimes the director or engineer will need to make adjustments to the audio or the script. Be patient while they work through any adjustments. Have a pencil ready to make any changes to the script on your side.

Once they have all the audio they need, they will let you know you are finished and you can exit the booth. Take the time to shake their hands and let them know you enjoyed working with them! Clients are more likely to have you back on a project if they enjoyed working with you.

Good luck with your session and remember, have fun!

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I have been coaching students toward making their career-launching voice-over demos for over five years now, but the last time I recorded one myself was fifteen years ago, when I officially launched my own VO career. Since recording those initial commercial and narration voice-over demos (and subsequent promo and audiobook voice-over demos) way back when, I have been fortunate to perform in thousands of recording sessions. And by culling excerpts from a variety of those gigs, I have continuously updated my original reels and added new ones to my portfolio. But a few weeks ago, I was presented with an interesting opportunity to record a new voice-over demo from scratch, and thought the experience would be a great one to share with those of you getting ready to make your own voice-over demos.

I am on the roster of a studio with a client that produces a lot of projects for fragrance and fashion brands. They suggested that the studio create a new, specialized talent voice-over demo category that could showcase industry specific spots, to help facilitate casting future projects. So, the studio asked me to record a complimentary Fragrance and Fashion voice-over demo. It was a win-win situation. I would get a free voice-over demo produced in a niche I didn’t have much experience, and the studio would build a new category of voice-over demos to improve their business. The session went great and was a lot of fun. And, though not totally comparable to a first-time voice-over demo recording session, it put me in a mind to offer some helpful tips.

Arrive early to relax and prepare. Whether or not you have had time with the voice-over demo scripts beforehand, it’s important to never be rushed – or rushing. In my case I arrived early, in part, because I had not been sent the scripts and wanted some time to review them. Either way though, it’s a good idea to give yourself some chill time before the session starts. Sit quietly and contemplatively, relax your body and mind. The more at ease you are the better you will be able to access what you need for a great performance. This is not a novel idea, nor unique only to a voice-over demo session, but when you’re getting ready to perform a range of things in a single session it becomes all the more important. Having that interior peace and calm allowed me to focus like a laser on the diverse group of voice-over demo scripts.

Bring what you need to be comfortable. That means different things to different people, but for me, feeling the first pangs of a cold on a chilly winter day, it meant a lot of warming layers for the transit and a bag of Throat Coat tea. This stuff can be liquid gold when your throat isn’t cooperating. And since I had just come from a previous booking on a medium-length narration job, just having it as insurance against fatigue or phlegm was important.

Be flexible and listen closely to your director; but be comfortable doing your own thing. Once in the session, the producers and engineer had me watch videos to provide the specs they wanted for each script. Then we talked a bit about direction so we were on the same page. And, once in the booth, I started each first take with that interpretation, then tried out different approaches on subsequent takes. A few times those first takes were spot on and ultimately what they ended up using, but a few other times we found that flexibly evolving the direction yielded the best reads. By playing around, having fun and letting my instincts guide me, I was able to perform some solid takes that, while not a total departure from the producer’s’ initial direction, were uniquely mine. Even if you have very little experience this should always be your goal.

Be a good egg in the studio. Whether it’s the first or fiftieth time you’ve worked with someone, help make their job as easy as possible by being drama-free and not annoying. Because of my years of experience, there were times I wanted to pipe in about this or that but simply held my tongue because it would not have been helpful. I just remembered that there is always a bigger picture at play for them and simply let my work do the talking for me.

Which brings us to the last point: project confidence but not arrogance. I did my best to impress with dynamic performances and efficiency (never underestimate the importance of saving time for your client – and for you, to get on to that next audition!), but was humble and gracious throughout. Even when the producer exclaimed at the end that “you were really bringing it today, Alan!” I just smiled and thanked him. For most people, quiet confidence goes a lot further than braggadocio. There are a lot of talented people in this business, and I never forget how lucky I am to be part of it. The many years between voice-over demo sessions reminded me both how far I’d come and how some things never change.

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Alan Schwartz is a nationally recognized voice over talent who has served as the voice for Sprite, Verizon, Smirnoff Ice, and “Alex” from the Mac Operating System, among others. You can find more of his work at ajsvoiceover.com.

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