Voice Over

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Peer Landa

Yes, you are correct, the human voice is a "single point-source", but the human receptors -- our ears -- are two points. That's why we do voiceover/looping in stereo.

-- peer

The binaural pair of ears allows us to localize a single point source of sound to the precise location from which it originates. When we hear it in stereo, we localize the source to a single point. When you are recording, you record a single source and place it on the stereo soundstage during the mix. Where is the appropriate point for voice-over, thus invisible, narration? Dead centre behind the screen. Stereo recording is for when the source is spread out across the sound stage or moving about within it. A narrator doesn't do the former and shouldn't do the latter. If you are recording music, OTOH, the violin more to the left and the trumpet more to the right makes sense. That kind of dispersion does not occur with a single person speaking.

[Chad Johnson]

So Peer, are you actually arguing that recording voice over in stereo is the proper way to do it, or is it that you are just sticking to your guns whether you are right or wrong? Why don't you ask some actual pros how it's done? A large diaphragm condenser is the De-facto mic to do VO, though a Senn MKH-416 is sometimes used for movie trailers. Sennheiser 421 is a dynamic option. I use the Rode NT2000, or the M-Audio Sputnik. But the Rode NT2a is just as good sounding as the NT2000, but is 200.00 less.

I understand if all you have is a D-50 or some stereo mic, but if you actually have an LDC and choose not to use it I suggest you do some real research on the subject of VO recording techniques. Do you realize we are trying to help you get a better sounding VO? We wouldn't argue with you if we didn't care. I want your work to sound as good as possible.

Here's a video about VO mics, and he doesn't even mention stereo VO recording as an option, much less a preferred method:

Getting Good Sound for Voice Over: Mic Shootout - YouTube

[Vincent Oliver]

Maybe just consider that Peer has invested in a D-50 and that is what he wants to use. He has been given enough good information in this forum and maybe the next step will be to invest in a better mike. At the moment he just doesn't quite see the argument for using a mono mike, but that will come after a few recording sessions with the D-50.

Good luck Peer, let us know how the voice over work goes.

[Chad Johnson]

Indeed Vincent.

Good luck Peer!

[Jon Fairhurst]

A vanilla mix for 5.1 is as follows:

* All dialog is centered. This includes speech from on-screen actors as well as narrators. One exception would be for off screen voices. These may be panned off screen. Another situation is where the actors are shown in a cave. The echo to the non-center speakers is generally done in post from a mono source, rather than live with multi-channel mic'ing. This keeps the voice source solidly centered.

* Music is panned wide to avoid conflict with the dialog. Rather than realistic orchestral seating, basic seating is retained, but pushed wider. There may be some reverb on the back channels, but the musicians are not seated behind the viewer. For source music (music that appears to be generated from the scene), the source location may vary to enhance the illusion of the music coming from the scene.

* Sound effects and Foley may come from any location to immerse the viewer in the environment. On screen footsteps would be from front speakers. A flock of birds might go from front to rear. Cave drips might come from all around. However, avoid the center speaker if there is dialog. Big booms include the LF effects channel. (Music generally isn't routed to the LF channel, since different systems have difference cutoff frequencies. It's up to the system to handle their crossover and subwoofer.)

Of course, film sound is creative. These are guidelines, not rules. But it's good practice to keep the dialog centered and to not let it move around whatsoever. The phase changes of the end audio system and the room can't be predicted by the producer. Movement of the stereo image for dialog can have unwanted artifacts that are distracting and should be avoided.

[Bill Davis]

Personally having done literally hundreds of paid studio VO sessions over my career, (in dozens of professional recording studios back before those became sorta obsolete) I can safely say I've never once stood in front of a stereo mic to do one.

Ty Ford who often hangs here does a lot of VO work as well.

I'm pretty sure he'll have the same report.

It just isn't typically done.

But if you like doing it, have fun, I guess.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Of course, in a pinch one could use a stereo mic and use a single channel. Kind of like shooting a 3D movie and making the 2D version by using a single view. There's no rule that you have to keep both channels.