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In professional voiceover, performance and interpretation matter enormously — but they can only shine if the recording itself meets the technical standards required in a most competitive market. Equipment does not create talent, but inadequate equipment can easily undermine it. Clients, platforms, and distributors increasingly expect broadcast-quality audio as a baseline, not as a luxury.
Microphones: choosing the right tool
There is no single "correct" microphone type for voiceover. Several designs are widely used, each suited to different circumstances.
Condenser microphones, particularly large-diaphragm condensers, are the most common choice for studio voiceover. They are sensitive, detailed, and capture subtle vocal nuance — ideal for narration, audiobooks, e-learning, and commercial work. They do, however, need to be used in an acoustically well-treated space as they are very sensitive to noise and reverb.
Dynamic microphones are less sensitive and more forgiving of poor acoustics. They are often used in radio studios or untreated rooms where rejecting background noise and room reflections is more important than absolute detail and can be better for performances where extremely high volume is required, such as shouting.
Shotgun microphones are highly directional and are commonly used in film and broadcast environments. They can work well for voiceover in specific setups but are less forgiving of head movement and room reflections when used indoors.
All three types are valid. The key is matching the microphone to the room, the voice, and the job.
As a reliable, neutral large-diaphragm condenser, the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure — which I use for nearly all my work — is an excellent choice. It delivers a clean, natural sound without exaggerated colouration and captures vocal detail with consistency and accuracy.
USB microphones: Why they are usually a compromise
USB microphones combine a microphone, preamp, and analogue-to-digital converter in a single unit. While convenient, they typically rely on cheaper internal components and a sound quality which may not match a good condenser mic.
For professional voiceover work, an XLR microphone connected to a dedicated audio interface almost always delivers better sound quality, lower noise, and greater long-term reliability.
Pop filters and plosives
Plosive sounds — the bursts of air produced by /p/, /b/, and /t/ sounds — can overload a microphone capsule, resulting in unpleasant noises.
A simple pop filter, a thin gauze, placed between the mouth and the microphone is essential. It allows close-mic clarity while preventing plosives from spoiling an otherwise good take.
Audio interfaces: The heart of the signal chain
An audio interface provides microphone preamplification, analogue-to-digital conversion, and a stable USB communication with the computer. It is not an optional extra.
The Audient iD4 — my choice — is a strong example of a compact, professional interface. It offers clean, low-noise preamps derived from Audient's larger consoles and excellent conversion quality and is more than sufficient for the most serious voiceover work.
DAWs: Recording and editing software
A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is required to record, edit, and export voiceover audio. For spoken-word work, reliability and editing efficiency matter more than flashy features.
REAPER is widely used in professional audio. It is stable, lightweight, highly configurable, and exceptionally cost-effective, making it well suited to voiceover recording and post-production.
Recording space: Equipment cannot fix the room
Even the best microphone will sound poor in an untreated space. Reflections from walls, ceilings, and floors cause audible room reverb, comb filtering, and colouration.
A treated recording space — whether a purpose-built booth or a well-designed improvised solution — is essential. The goal is not soundproofing, which is not practicable, but absorption: reducing reflections so the microphone captures the voice, not the room.
Plugins and audio repair
Plugins are tools, not substitutes for good recording practice. That said, professional voiceover work typically requires some degree of cleanup.
iZotope RX is an industry-standard suite for audio repair. It is particularly effective for removing mouth clicks, low-level noise, and occasional artefacts — problems that arise even in the best recordings — and saves hours trying to find and manually edit out such unwanted noises. I have iZotope RX 9 Mouth De-click and Mouth De-noise in my processing chain for every job requiring finished audio.
Editing, mixing, mastering, and effects: Knowing the difference
These terms are often used loosely, but they refer to distinct stages:
Editing: removing mistakes, tightening timing, reducing breaths if required, and assembling clean takes.
Mixing: balancing levels and applying processing such as EQ or compression to achieve clarity and consistency. If accompanying music is required then this includes the judicious use of sidechain compression so that the musictrack automatically reduces in level when the voice is present, ensuring that the narration remains clear and intelligible.
Mastering: final loudness adjustment and saving the sound file in the format required to meet the client's specifications.
Effects: creative processing such as reverb, delay, distortion, etc.. I am most frequently asked to apply a "vintage radio" effect to my vintage British voicover projects for an authentic 1940s sound.
Meeting ACX standards
Audiobook production for Audible and Amazon must comply with ACX technical standards, including requirements for RMS level, peak level, and noise floor.
These standards are non-negotiable. Meeting them is entirely straightforward using my dedicated processing chain.
Monitoring: Hearing what you are doing
Accurate monitoring is essential for judging noise, artefacts, and tonal balance.
Studio monitors provide a more natural listening perspective than headphones. Speakers designed for listening to music, which have bass and treble adjustment, are not suitable for voiceover work as they interfere with the sound of the recording, making it impossible to know if what the voiceover artist hears is the same as what the client hears. The Presonus Eris 3.5 monitors — my own choice — are an excellent option with a flat response, providing reliable monitoring.
Headphones are also indispensable, particularly for detecting clicks, distortion, and low-level noise. The Audio-Technica M50x headphones are excellent for their clarity, isolation, and durability.
Computing power: How much is enough?
For audio-only voiceover work, a hugely powerful computer is not required. Modern DAWs and plugins run comfortably on even very modest systems.
However, if you work with video at all — syncing, editing, or rendering — significantly more processing power and storage become important. The requirements change quickly once video enters the workflow.
Final thoughts
Professional voiceover equipment is not about prestige or expense. It is about consistency, reliability, and meeting objective technical standards so that performance can be judged on its merits.
Clients may not know what microphone or interface you use — but they will immediately hear the difference between a professional recording chain and a compromised one.