Recording Audio
Voice Acting is an art! The voices you hear in commercials, cartoons and video games are typically performed by talented people who spend years honing their skills.
DIALOGUE can be easily captured in HIGH QUALITY using your cellphone if you know what you're doing. In this unit, you'll learn how to:
Capture the Audio cleanly and with minimal noise
Edit the Audio
to remove unwanted elements such as dead air and noise
to layer several different elements together
Save the Audio into files that can be used by other programs
Write out your script! It's VERY hard to "wing it" without making mistakes - your voiceover work will go much faster if you are reading from a script. Your classmates (the one's waiting for the headset next) will thank you for it.
Recording with your MOBILE DEVICE
If you have an IOS or Android device, your may be surprised to learn how GOOD the audio that it captures can be! DOWNLOAD the right APP: Look for apps that allow you to use "Superior" quality settings before you start recording:
Android Audio Recorder
ANDROID APP
Download and install "Audio Recorder"
Set to record in HIGH QUALITY
Set to record in MONO
IOS Recorder Plus
APPLE IOS APP
Download "Recorder Plus" or "Voice Recoder Free"
Click on the SETTINGS (gear) button in the top left corner
Set format to WAVE
Set Quality to HIGH
Click DONE
iPhone Settings
Be sure that the Recording type is set to WAV and use a HIGH quality
Cellphone Audio recording Tips 2019.wavRecording Technique
MIC LOCATION: Locate where the MICROPHONE is on your device - record a test message and tap around the phone's edges - be sure THAT's the end you speak into!
PROXIMITY: Hold your device about 5" away from your mouth - just like a microphone
AVOID PLOSIVES: Angle the phone so that it's not in direct line of your breath - that will avoid "plosive" pops (P's and B's) that can ruin a recording
OTHER RECORDING PITFALLS
Background Noise
There's NO PERFECT WAY to remove background noise once it's recorded, so DON'T record it!
Get to a quiet space like a sound room or empty hallway. Avoid or turn off fans or machinery.
Avoid recording around hard surfaces that reflect sound
Improper GAIN - The "Input Volume" of your recording device is better described as "GAIN"
If it's TOO LOW, it can be too hard to hear, and be susceptible to electronic noise or hiss once amplified
If it's TOO HIGH, it's WORSE as it can CLIP and distort the recording beyond repair
Poor Digital Recording Settings
The quality of a digital recording is limited by the FREQUENCY, BIT DEPTH and FILE FORMAT of the device being used. Check your settings on your recording device, and if possible, set it to values of at least 44100 FREQUENCY (Sampling Rate), 8Bit Depth, WAV or AIFF file format. Avoid the iphone's M4U
NEXT ASSIGNMENT
Using your mobile device, record yourself counting DOWN from TEN to ZERO; Then, share that file to your Google drive, save to your computer and open it in Audacity.
Next Step: The Countdown Exercise
Recording from WINDOWS v7
You can record sounds played through Microsoft WINDOWS applications (like your web browser) using our Audio Editor, AUDACITY, if you set up audacity as follows:
PREFERENCES: INTERFACE
Host: WIndows WASAPI
Recording Device: Speakers (loopback)
Anything played on a website should be recordable, including mouseclicks etc.