When I started in voiceover I was lucky to already have the equipment. It’s a funny story and one the many comedians share, the failed podcast. This is usually due to a comic coming up with an idea and running with it open mic style, as comics will do. I’ll get into that story later but for now, we will discuss equipment.
Circa 2014 I received a yearly Chanukah gift of gelt (money) from my parents. They are great people and as far as gift giving, they’d prefer you pick what you like. At the time I was about 3 years into my comedy career and ready to podcast. I purchased a microphone, a mixer, and coupled them with my MacBook Pro. Those are the item you need for a podcast but I went a step further and purchased a budget-friendly yet fancy Blue Spark Condenser Mic. I later purchased a Blue Snowball and thought of others but I am not a fan of that USB mic. (More on USB Mics) I never purchased a different USB mic and this review is a good reason why …
All The Parts You Need to Produce Voiceover
Did you know that you need a mixer to connect a traditional mic (XLR) needs something to get from one place to another? You do now! I got myself something pretty economical, the M-Audio M-Track 2 channel because it’s for fairly light use, vocals only. USB Mics plug directly into the computer and often include software. Either way, you still need something to edit the file and master the sound. I use Audacity currently. It is free open source software with a ton of plugins. You can go with Adobe Audition but why spend the money until it is necessary?
I’m a Mac User, What are You?
The computer is tricky because you can use just about anything. My MacBook Pro has been serving me well through my Voiceover venture. Before the MacBook, I was a PC guy with a Sony Vaio Laptop, a pretty good one at that. I have everything from Adobe Create Suite to Avid Movie Make and it worked well, just not as well as this MacBook Pro.
Finishing Touches
I have some other little tracks for soundproofing and that’s it. If you have a computer already you’ve covered the largest expense. Below is a full list of the items in my home studio. There are other mics, mixers, and computers available that will accomplish the tasks and the video above will demonstrate a few Blue Microphone options. You might like the Audio Technica AT2020 as suggested by my favorite coach David H Lawrence on VO2GoGo.com. I highly recommend going through the free webinar to help get you started, that’s what I did.
My Home Studio Consists of the Following:
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