Desktop Acoustics for Voiceover at DVinfo.net

Tony Hall · January 27th, 2006, 10:52 PM

I'm just finishing Jay Rose's book on Audio production for DV, but I'm still not sure how to get set up for my voiceovers. Right now I'm planning on picking up an RE27 and doing voiceovers in my office.

I don't know if I need to construct a makeshift vocal booth in the corner or if there's some way I can do it at my desk. Surely radio broadcasters work in similar environments.

I already plan on following the book's recommendations on making the room acoustically acceptable for sound monitoring, but that won't help me at my desk. I'd like to be able to sit at my desk why I record directly into Vegas, but then I might have soundwaves bouncing off my monitor.

So, does anyone do voiceovers at their desk... any steps to make it do-able... and how much of an effect does the mic have on it.

I've searched the forum and I don't see anything on this topic.

Michael Wisniewski · January 27th, 2006, 11:17 PM

DSE has a good article on building your own table top voice-over box.
** you need to sign into the VASST website to read it.

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 27th, 2006, 11:33 PM

You can also check out Harlan Hogan's Voice Over DVD...it goes into several methods, and not only trains for what you need to know/do, but also goes deeply into what gear you should have, need to have, and then "lustful" gear that you'd like to have.
http://www.vasst.com/product.aspx?id...b-7ef0ee68f877

Tony Hall · January 28th, 2006, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle

You can also check out Harlan Hogan's Voice Over DVD...it goes into several methods, and not only trains for what you need to know/do, but also goes deeply into what gear you should have, need to have, and then "lustful" gear that you'd like to have.
http://www.vasst.com/product.aspx?id...b-7ef0ee68f877

I liked your article... the only problem is finding four 2'x2' peices of Auralex Metro... every place I look only sells it in large quantities.

I'll go take a look at that DVD.

Doug Boze · January 28th, 2006, 02:14 AM

Have you tried Markertek? They may not have the exact thing you mentioned, but they do have quite a selection, and not always in large quantities.

Matt Brabender · January 28th, 2006, 04:14 AM

Wouldn't a prominent concern be computer noise?
Or have you sorted that out?

Nothing worse that hearing the buzz of computer fans in the background.

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 28th, 2006, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Hall

I liked your article... the only problem is finding four 2'x2' peices of Auralex Metro... every place I look only sells it in large quantities.

I'll go take a look at that DVD.

Most Musicians Friends, Guitar Centers, Sam Ash, or professional audio stores sell the foam stock in separate packages. You can also contact Auralex for a dealer in your area. If lil' ol' Salt Lake City has a place that does...I'm sure you do too, somewhere.

Tony Hall · January 28th, 2006, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Brabender

Wouldn't a prominent concern be computer noise?
Or have you sorted that out?

Nothing worse that hearing the buzz of computer fans in the background.

The box that Douglas describes in his article would help block the sound of the computer. I also have the tower a few feet away and could put a blanket between me and the tower. I don't think that will be a big problem.

Tony Hall · January 28th, 2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Boze

Have you tried Markertek? They may not have the exact thing you mentioned, but they do have quite a selection, and not always in large quantities.

They've got a good deal on sound blankets, but I don't really see a comparable product to the Auralex Metro. I think Douglas recommends those because they are foam diffusers.

I may just shell out the dough for something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=278867&is=REG to put in front of my monitor. Although, I don't understand how the large peice of plexiglass helps with acoustics. It seems to me, an square hole would be better. Then I could hang a sound blanket on either side of my computer tower to help with that.

I haven't had an opportunity to expiriment with any of this stuff yet. Are sound blankets good for anything other than absorbing sound? I was thinking, I could probably buy a bunch of them (since they're cheap) and put one behind my desk, hang one behind my chair, one between me and the computer tower, and even cut one up to make a voice box (instead of the Auralex Metro).

Tony Hall · January 28th, 2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle

Most Musicians Friends, Guitar Centers, Sam Ash, or professional audio stores sell the foam stock in separate packages. You can also contact Auralex for a dealer in your area. If lil' ol' Salt Lake City has a place that does...I'm sure you do too, somewhere.

Markerteck has a good deal on the cheap stuff. Musician's Friend didn't have much. Here's what I think I'm going to do and if anybody spots any big mistakes let me know:

I'm going to construct the vocal box like DSE describes in his article and put it on my desk. In the top, I'm going to make a 3" hole to drop a mic in from above. I'm going to line it with cheap acoustic foam.

Behind my seat, I'm going to put some SonicClear Sorber panels standing up so that the corners are opposite each of my studio monitors. I'd like Auralex MAX-Wall's, but they're a bit pricey for what you get.

When I do voiceovers, I'll just throw a sound blanket over my computer tower (probably no more than five minutes at a time).

This should keep my voice and monitors from bouncing around the room.

The only thing I'm not sure about is whether I need some diffusion behind my desk. Many of the MAX-Wall pictures on the Auralex site show the walls set up behind desks. What specifically does this do?

Douglas Spotted Eagle · January 28th, 2006, 06:11 PM

Vor just voiceover work, you don't need the rear panels. These are generally for damping rear-wall reflections coming from your monitors, helping to drop the level of nodes.
http://www.vasst.com/resource.aspx?i...3-71f2c8418a6c has a brief discussion of this issue.

Tony Hall · January 29th, 2006, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle

Vor just voiceover work, you don't need the rear panels. These are generally for damping rear-wall reflections coming from your monitors, helping to drop the level of nodes.
http://www.vasst.com/resource.aspx?i...3-71f2c8418a6c has a brief discussion of this issue.

Thanks Douglas, the article pretty much filled in the gaps.

January 27th, 2006, 10:52 PM	#1
Tony Hall Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: springfield, OH Posts: 344	Desktop Acoustics for Voiceover I'm just finishing Jay Rose's book on Audio production for DV, but I'm still not sure how to get set up for my voiceovers. Right now I'm planning on picking up an RE27 and doing voiceovers in my office. I don't know if I need to construct a makeshift vocal booth in the corner or if there's some way I can do it at my desk. Surely radio broadcasters work in similar environments. I already plan on following the book's recommendations on making the room acoustically acceptable for sound monitoring, but that won't help me at my desk. I'd like to be able to sit at my desk why I record directly into Vegas, but then I might have soundwaves bouncing off my monitor. So, does anyone do voiceovers at their desk... any steps to make it do-able... and how much of an effect does the mic have on it. I've searched the forum and I don't see anything on this topic. __________________ Tony "Good taste is the enemy of creativity" - Picasso Blog: http://www.tonyhall.name

January 27th, 2006, 11:17 PM	#2
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	DSE has a good article on building your own table top voice-over box. ** you need to sign into the VASST website to read it. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

January 27th, 2006, 11:33 PM	#3
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	You can also check out Harlan Hogan's Voice Over DVD...it goes into several methods, and not only trains for what you need to know/do, but also goes deeply into what gear you should have, need to have, and then "lustful" gear that you'd like to have. http://www.vasst.com/product.aspx?id...b-7ef0ee68f877 __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

January 28th, 2006, 02:14 AM	#5
Doug Boze Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 218	Have you tried Markertek? They may not have the exact thing you mentioned, but they do have quite a selection, and not always in large quantities. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759

January 28th, 2006, 06:11 PM	#11
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Vor just voiceover work, you don't need the rear panels. These are generally for damping rear-wall reflections coming from your monitors, helping to drop the level of nodes. http://www.vasst.com/resource.aspx?i...3-71f2c8418a6c has a brief discussion of this issue. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

January 28th, 2006, 04:14 AM	#6
Matt Brabender Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 230	Wouldn't a prominent concern be computer noise? Or have you sorted that out? Nothing worse that hearing the buzz of computer fans in the background.