You’ve got the Inside Voiceover Video Training Blog right here and I’m Susan Berkley, your host, from greatvoice.com. So a lot of people that are just getting into voiceover are kind of nervous about the whole home studio thing. Now, some people love audio gear, they play with it all their life. It is no problem. But a lot more people are kind of phobic about it, because this is all this new technology you got to learn. And when they think about a recording studio, they think about pictures they’ve seen where the board looks something like the deck of the Star Trek Enterprise, right? Really complicated. Or a 747.
It’s really not like that. The equipment has been getting, not only cheaper, but a lot easier to use. So let’s start with the money. How much you’re going to need to invest in your home studio to get started. I got to tell you it’s only hundreds of dollars, and maybe not even that much. You can get a great sounding microphone like the Blue Yeti, for about a $100, or the Apogee is $200. Those are both microphones that I, and my students use as USB mics, and we have others as well. But that’s a great place to start. And they really sound good.
Your software can be free. You can use Audacity or invest in something called Twisted Wave if you’re on a Mac, which is under $100. Very, very easy to use. And then all of the other peripherals, like your headphones and your mic stand, and things like that are really inexpensive. Now the next thing you have to think about is where you’re going to put your home studio. And that is also simpler than you think. So a lot of people think, “Oh, I got to do a big build out and build a soundproof space.” Not so. If you have a walk in closet, that could be a great place for you to start recording. And then over time, you’ll improve that. But many, many people record in closets with the clothing for sound treatment. And they get a surprisingly good, and even soundproof sound.
And then finally, well, how the heck am I going to learn how to use this? Well, that’s why we have a program like Home Studio How To, which you’ll see on our website, how to get started there. We can definitely help you with that. But again, not as difficult as you might think to learn a few skills. And I think if you invest a few hours of time playing with your home studio equipment, you’re going to nail it. It is not that complicated. I hope that’s helpful. I hope that puts your mind at ease. I’ll be back next week with more Inside Voiceover.
