Voiceover Setup

I recorded my first live voice over session today. The clients didn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure I was the best voice over artist they’d ever heard. Anyway, this article isn’t about making sure everyone knows I’m amazing—though it will contain plenty of that—it’s a list of the tools I use to record my first voice over job.

So.

Here we go!

Note that this is not a comprehensive list. It won’t contain pros and cons. It’s just my setup and I’m telling you about it because I use it to make money as a voice over artist and … it works.

Computer

Apple 16” MacBook Pro. I absolutely LOVE this thing. I had a 15” MacBook Pro but then on a whim I got the 16”. The keyboard is so much better. You don’t need anything fancy to do voice overs, but it helps.

Software

Adobe Audition. There are a couple of professional options when it comes to software. Audition is my preferred method since I already have an Adobe Cloud subscription. Audacity is another. Pro Tools is another. I don’t use many of the bells and whistles in Audition—most of the time I just record a clean file and let the agency do whatever adjustments they want—but they’re there in case I have to do them myself.

Microphone

Shure SM7B. I didn’t think a nicer microphone was going to make a difference. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s expensive, but I absolutely love the sound quality it produces. Well, that I produce, but you get the picture. This microphone makes my voice sound so rich and clean. I use to use a Blue Yeti podcaster mic, which was okay to start with, but the Shure SM7B blew it out of the water.

Recorder / Audio Interface

Zoom H4N Pro. You can’t just plug a microphone into your computer. The Zoom H4N Pro is a fantastic little device. There are other alternatives with better bells/whistles/knobs, but living in a tiny Manhattan apartment, I prioritize size over almost everything else. It’s the size of an old school cell phone. You can record onto the Zoom H4N if you don’t have a computer handy and/or just as a backup.