Voiceover home setup: mic, booth and room

Most voiceovers that sound amateur are let down by the room, not the microphone. An expensive condenser mic in an empty, hard-walled room sounds worse than a modest mic in a closet full of clothes. Fix the room, then buy a mic, then everything else.

Echo comes from sound bouncing off hard, flat surfaces. A walk-in closet is the classic home booth. Otherwise, hang moving blankets or thick duvets behind and beside you, put a rug down, and record facing into the softest part of the room. A portable vocal booth or reflection shield helps, but only after the room itself is soft.

A USB microphone plugs straight into your computer and is the simplest start. Dynamic mics (for example the Samson Q2U, Audio-Technica ATR2100x or Shure MV7+) pick up less of the room, which makes them forgiving at home. Condenser mics (for example the Rode NT-USB+) sound more detailed but also capture more echo. More options in best podcast microphones.

Closed-back headphones let you hear yourself without the sound leaking into the mic. A pop filter stops p and b sounds from thumping. You only need an audio interface if your mic is XLR-only; see recording with an audio interface.

Software can now do a lot that used to need a treated studio. Echo removal reduces room sound, noise removal handles hum and hiss, and loudness normalisation evens out the volume. Try a test take in the free voiceover recorder before you spend money on gear; you may need less than you think.