|
Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Dec 29, 2016 11:30:04 GMT -8
So I've noticed over the years how much people talk about the importance of soundproofing, or at least keeping background sounds as minimal as possible, to keep voice recordings as clean and professional-sounding as humanly possible. And that's a great point, but I'm curious about something else.
How to make sure the voice recording you're doing doesn't bother others -- anything from annoying your roommates with incessant talking (easy), to being able to record moderately loudly without annoying the neighbors (medium), to keeping said neighbors from calling 911 in a panic when you are voice acting a character who is screaming at the top of their lungs, being murdered (melt-your-face hard mode).
I wouldn't call my space literally "sound-PROOF" (since *that* would involve double walls and floors and all those other expensive pro sound studio installations) but reasonably sound-RESISTANT (and I have plenty of time, fortunately, when I can record without outer noise being an issue with my set up!)
But I'm starting to feel a bit penned-in with the lack of lustrous screams, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I *also* think I'd be right in guessing that there are, in fact, other apartment dwellers who scream in various roles that call for it, so I'm wondering if I'm missing some golden key here, or what.
(Also, this question comes with -- how to TEST the soundproofing for not alarming neighbors to make sure it works!)
Thanks everyone!
One solution I've thought of is recording in the car -- I've tested it and it has about the same quiet-level as my studio. The only question is, what sort of places are good to park where, again, people don't call 911 on you.
|
|
HolyJunkie
Member
Posts: 3
I Am A(n): Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Writer, Game Developer, Artist
|
Post by HolyJunkie on Jan 1, 2017 3:16:43 GMT -8
One cheap method I have (on account of a lack of closet) is as follows: -Set up a chin-up bar in a doorway (the kind you can get for like... 20-40 bucks at a fitness store) -Drape a comforter (or thick blanket) over the chin-up bar, both halves going down towards the floor. -Set up mic along with script and light (if paper script) in between the two blanket halves- I personally use a bar stool or tall wooden chair. -Drape more blankets for more effective soundproofing, or even use foam stuck between multiple layers of blankets, using friction to keep the foam held in place.
Or if you're really cheap, just drape the blanket over your head and the microphone. It's mildly uncomfortable, and makes it hard to see a script if you need to read it.
|
|
TianaCamachoVO
Member
Posts: 4
I Am A(n): Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Writer, Singer
Pronouns: she/they
|
Post by TianaCamachoVO on Jan 2, 2017 19:43:10 GMT -8
I was taught this by one of my coaches; depending on where you live, you will never, ever be able to fully soundproof your areas. I'm getting a physical booth build right now in my basement with very barebones materials. This is what I have been doing in the meantime; creative blanket boothing using a closet. You know that part you hang clothes from? Mine is really strong, so I use it as a pulley to pull a blanket over like a curtain, I have a foam mattress cover I threw in the corner to act as a a sound absorber, with a pillow right behind my mic to act as a makeshift bass trap, and I record out of there. I usually use the light from my laptop to read my copy, or just have the copy pulled up on my laptop. The best part is? If you push your clothes to opposite sides of the closet in a certain way, you can also absorb more sound.
|
|
|
Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 2, 2017 19:59:55 GMT -8
Thanks, both of you! This is pretty much what I was afraid of. I've already got sound dampened pretty well in my closet/studio (like I said, "sound resistant" not "sound proof".) But I'm still feeling a bit confused, because I'm wondering how *anyone* records bloodcurdling screams without having the neighbors call the cops because they think the VA is either getting murdered or murdering someone else. Even in a house, rather than an apartment, wouldn't passersby be able to hear it and be terrified? Just how well does a scream travel out of a typical home studio? Or do VAs just put up with the risk of police coming to search their houses/apartments for the bodies?
|
|
|
Post by CodePhoenixVA on Jan 2, 2017 22:57:51 GMT -8
I've always just risked it since I try to record whenever no one is home. There was one time I had to record an audition in my dorm room, and the lines I was given were... really aggressive to say the least. By the time I finished recording, campus security was knocking on my door asking if everything was alright. After showing them my mic and setup they believed me and left. From then on I always put a sign on my door saying "Voice Acting in Progress, please don't call security" whenever I had to record.
Honestly if you record in a house you should be fine as its hard for that noise to bleed to the street/neighbor's house, but for apartments/dorms I can imagine that it would be really difficult to sound proof it completely.
|
|
HolyJunkie
Member
Posts: 3
I Am A(n): Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Writer, Game Developer, Artist
|
Post by HolyJunkie on Jan 3, 2017 1:27:15 GMT -8
In terms of neighbours... well, not much you can really do, not without tearing out your drywall and throwing in some soundproof-variant insulation. That stuff's expensive compared to regular heat stuff. Oftentimes I just let folks know when I'm doing a bit. My voice in general resonates well, but my shouting doesn't travel that far, so it's all fine in my case.
Just so long as you don't get swatted.
|
|
|
Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 3, 2017 6:30:27 GMT -8
Thanks! LOL, right -- I live with my mom who's elderly and in a wheelchair, so I *definitely* can't risk getting swatted, and honestly, I don't want to risk even putting her through the stress of a cop call. =) I think I'll go with the idea of recording any screaming lines in the car, since I understand they're actually usually pretty insulated for sound, and at least it's about as quiet as my closet-studio for background noises.
|
|
duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
|
Post by duffyweber on Jan 5, 2017 10:23:36 GMT -8
Depending on your neighbor's hours, record during the day. If they're first-shift, they won't be home 'til 5, anyway. Screaming should be done before then, and nobody will know. ; )
Of course, if it's a heavily populated building with stay-at-home moms and dads or the elderly, that sort of changes things.
|
|
|
Post by Dice Cut Tomatoes on Jan 18, 2017 19:12:11 GMT -8
Have you tried recording in the car? How is that working out? I wish I could record in a car! I don't have one since I'm in Tokyo.
I was just talking about this problem yesterday with my husband. Every time I have to record any shouting or screaming you can hear that it impedes my performance - I get all constricted and you can tell that I go from being the character to being a person who is afraid to shout/scream. During an online workshop the coach kept jumping on me for smiling during the angry/shouting parts because it affected the sound of my performance, but I couldn't stop giggling because in the back of my mind I was like "Oh crap, it's 3:00 in the morning and I am shouting angrily at Lilo. What will my neighbors think of me?"
I try to overcome it and just shout anyway, but in the back of my mind I know there's a baby living on the other side of my wall. :/ I don't want to scare the baby, or the mother lol.
Hopefully there is a way to set up another system. I'll let you know if I come across anything!
|
|
|
Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 18, 2017 20:43:51 GMT -8
I recorded a set of screams for a horror game in the car -- I *still* felt like I had to hold back, but it was my first car session so I may have just been too timid. The main thing is figuring out where to park: Hmmm... the middle of town where someone THINKS I'm being murdered or the middle of nowhere where no one would hear if I WAS being murdered? LOL Yeah, I'm not sure what to say when there's a baby sleeping next door. =/ Have you tried talking to the neighbors and asking them when you could yell without disturbing the baby? There's too many people in my apartment building all the time for that, like duffyweber was saying about heavily populated buildings, but maybe an option for you?
|
|
|
Post by Dice Cut Tomatoes on Jan 20, 2017 4:55:18 GMT -8
LOL! That's a good question about location. I imagined you being in a parking lot and the thought of walking by and hearing someone screaming bloody murder in their car for voice acting cracks me up! But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm definitely guilty of belting and rocking out to music to the point people at the stop light have stared... I can't believe how fortunate the timing is, but the neighbors are moving out! Maybe this won't be a problem for me much longer.
|
|
|
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jan 23, 2017 23:46:56 GMT -8
This is one of those difficult predicaments with no great solution. If you're in a house, I don't think you'll have to worry---the screams wouldn't really carry outside too much unless you had the windows open, which you probably wouldn't anyway since it would cause background noise. When possible, I try to put my recording setup in an area of my room that doesn't have a shared wall (like one that borders the outside instead of say, a neighbor's bedroom). If I have things to record from home that I know will be loud, I try to record them early enough to where no one will likely be asleep already, and save the quieter stuff to record at night. Most people tend to be pretty okay as long as you're not yelling at all hours of the day and night, but sometimes you do get jerks---my roommate got a really nasty note about her singing from our upstairs neighbors and now we feel self conscious making too much noise. If you're looking for a new place, explain to the landlord what you do for work (which you'll have to do anyway), mention that you are willing to cooperate with quiet hours but that there will be times that you NEED to make noise since this is how you make your living (even if you're doing unpaid work this is one of those times when a white lie can't really hurt, lol) - some buildings market themselves as "quiet living" and this is probably not a great option for anyone who has to sing, yell, practice an instrument, etc. A building comprised of a younger demographic such as college students might be more tolerant of noise than a building with a lot of elderly people or families with babies. This isn't always an option because people in certain cities don't really talk to their neighbors, but it can be worth a shot: When you move into a new building, either talk to the neighbors whom you share walls with if you see them around, or leave a note on their door, and say something like, "Hi, I'm _____ and I just moved into apartment 10 next door. I just wanted to let you know that I am a voiceover actor and there are times when I may need to get a bit loud when recording from home. Please do not be alarmed if you hear shouting once in a while as I am just acting as part of my job. I will do my best to keep this type of recording to reasonable hours and short periods of time. If there are certain hours of the day that you are usually gone, or certain hours that you need quiet, please feel free to let me know and I will try to accommodate as much as possible. If you have questions or concerns at any time, you may knock on my door or give me a call at _____. Thank you!"
|
|
|
Post by Nyan on Jan 24, 2017 13:56:49 GMT -8
I actually looked up the cost of renting a studio because of this. The budgets I work with for paid stuff wouldn't cover a recording studio but there were a few places with music/band rehearsal spaces. If you're doing a paid gig at least might be worth seeing if you can rent out one of those? You would prob need to check with the owner that they are happy you using it for VO and check the sound is good but it may provide you a good workaround.
|
|