Proper Microphone Technique

To greatly improve the sound of your recordings, get closer to the mic. The farther away you are from it, the more you pick up the room around you. Your voice starts to sound thin and distant, like a home video. Get closer and your voice is more intimate--the prototypical narrator sound.

Another advantage to getting closer is the microphone itself may accentuate the lower frequencies in your voice and that can make you sound more powerful. How close? Put your lips between four and six inches away, about the width of your hand. Don't talk down into the mic. Instead position it above your nose pointed down at your lips. Also, don't position the mic dead center of your lips. Move it over to the right slightly, say 20 degrees, off axis. This leaves a clear view of your script, too. Obviously, locate your recording area away from noisy equipment, such as computer fans. Put a little distance between the mic and the noise source. Also, avoid salty foods immediately before your recording session. Have some tepid water nearby and apply a little lip balm. These will keep your mouth and lips lubricated. Nibbling on some sliced apples can help overcome dry mouth, too.

When you're ready to record, turn away from the microphone. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Take another deep breath. Open you mouth, turn back to the microphone and begin to speak. This technique eliminates the sharp intake of breath and lip smack that often occur when starting to speak. Speak clearly and slowly. You can always tighten up your recording during the editing stage. If you make a mistake, go back to the nearest sentence start and continue on again, even if you flub just a word or two. Cutting in a single word or phrase is difficult and doesn't sound natural.

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