Clicks, pops, a hissing S—mouth noise is the bane of  all voice over talent. Sure, folk remedies like eating green apples and sipping teas and other potions can help, but now there are some technical fixes you can use to minimize, and maybe even eliminate the problem altogether.

Try this handy pop screen trick

In case you’re brand new to voice over, a pop screen is an inexpensive  device that hangs in front of your microphone. It  looks like a piece of panty hose pulled over a wooden hoop.  Pop filters are  designed to minimize the sound of popping ‘p’s and other plosives (T’s, D’s etc).

You should use a pop screen every time you record and make sure it’s properly positioned (see YouTube for videos).  But sometimes a single pop screen doesn’t do the trick.

The answer? Double up! Hang a second pop screen about an inch away from the first.  You’ll notice a marked difference and even a reduction in the dreaded sibilance, or a hissing S.

Bring out the BIG GUNS and never worry about mouth noise again!

Did you know that there’s something called audio restoration software? It’s  designed  to fix common audio problems such as hums, hisses, buzzes, clicks, clipping, and unwanted noises. It’s  a must-have for every voice over artist that wants to be able to produce pristine audio quality from your home studio. You can  remove noise and crackles, take out hum, and even remove specific sounds like coughs or passing traffic.

At Great Voice, we like the Izotope RX3 audio repair suite. At $299 its an investment for a new beginner, but as your voice over career starts to take off I consider it a “must-have” for your home studio.

Of course you’ll need to know how to use it. We offer a Tech Check at every Voice Over Bootcamp and private consultations  with our audio engineers are also available. Got questions? Call  us at 800-333-8108 or info@greatvoice.com.

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Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company,
a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world
how to become successful voice over actors.
The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com. Mouth noise got you down?