I agree wholeheartedly that a good script and a good performer are the top priorities.

For the script, I'd say keep it simple and straightforward. I'm very much of the "less is more" school of thought when it comes to voiceover. As for finding talent, do you have a community, college or public radio station near you? If so, ask around, or put up a flyer asking for help. Many of those old-school disc jockeys and news announcers have great voices and are comfortable reading into a microphone. If you're lucky, maybe you can even borrow their studio to do the recording, especially if it's a nonprofit/educational kind of documentary.

As for the recording environment, if you can't find an actual recording studio, there are other options. What you're looking for is a room that's as close to acoustically "dead," with no echoes, as you can find. Small carpeted libraries with lots of books on the shelves are great, since the irregularly shaped books act as natural acoustic baffles. A while ago, Douglas Spotted Eagle had an online tutorial about how to make a recording box out of foamcore and acoustical foam. I'm sure you could Google it and find it.

Remember to get the microphone close to your talent. A cheap mike 1.5-2 feet away from the talent, in a room with no echoes, will ALWAYS sound better than an expensive mike 3-6 feet away in a hard, echoey room.

If you are looking to invest in some equipment to help you, I have a couple of ideas:

1. Audio Technica makes a very good large diaphragm microphone, the AT2020, that does a nice job for about $99. You'll need some kind of preamp or mixer and a recorder, or if you have a camera with XLR inputs and phantom power, you can probably record right into the camera and be O.K. AT just came out with a USB version of the same mike [ http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...CONDENSER.html ]
which might be just the ticket for your needs.

2. I recently picked up a Zoom H4 compact flash recorder for under $200. I'm really impressed with the quality of the built-in mikes. I've recorded some radio documentaries with this unit, and would have no hesitation using it for voiceover work as well.

One last thought: check out "Producing Great Sound for Digital Video" by Jay Rose (Focal Press). It's a great primer on all things audio, including some good, practical, low budget suggestions for voiceover production.

You definitely want to detach the mic. You will pick up camera noise, like the tape transport, if you don't. In fact, if you go the closet route, your going to want to quiet the camera even further, maybe by putting a coat over it or something.

Audio help on documentary
 

Bless you, Grazie! I have read many of your postings and have been impressed with your "Yankee ingenuity" (pardon the expression) approach to video problems.

For step #2 I assume you mean detached mic. I have no shame Grazie, what does NLE mean?

Planned a trip to the UK but cancelled when the dollar tanked, but still hope to go. Like to see you sometime. Thanks,

Low Budget Ed

Yoiu don't need to get expensive or too fancy. A decent audio interface can be had for a couple of hundred, a small mixing desk from Mackie, Tapco, or Behnringer another hundred, and a couple of hundred for a proper microphone and you'll be in business. For that matter, you can get a USB mic designed for Podcasting that will combine the mic and interface for a few hundred as well., perhaps something along these lines - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...o_B_H_Kit.html As for software, Audacity is available free in both Windows and Mac versions and does a very capable job.

NLE = Non Linear Editor (your edit software/hardware)

You have a mic attached to the MA300? Then that is the one to use - you WILL need a longer xlr cable. Pop a fresh tape in the camera and just record the v/o.

Grazie

Ed,

No, there's no reason to take an "overdubbing" approach.

Leave the original shot tape alone.

Just load up a fresh tape, and record your audio directly to it.

You can just leave the lens cap on the camera, or if you like, point the camera at your face and hold up papers with the scene/take info, or even just flash finger symbols to indicate the "takes" or "breaks" or whatever you like.

All that matters is that you record your narration to tape, then digitize that into your NLE just like your visuals.

You combine them in your NLE at the time of editing.

It's the simplest way to do VO narration.

Good luck.

Audio help on documentary
 

Thanks again, Steve. The USB system sounds interesting. Will check with B&H.

Audio help on documentary
 

Thanks for an uncomplicated way to record my VO. I will record exactly as you have advised.

Ed

Audio help on documentary
 

Spot on, Grazie. Will get a long XLR cable, step into my clothes closet, and have at it. Thanks again,

Ed

Audio help on documentary
 

Thanks Shaun. Will check website.

Ed

Audio help on documentary
 

Thanks Marco. I'll get a long XLR cable and make a camera cover out of 2in foam & gaff tape.

Ed

It seems to me like using the camera as the recording device for VO is going the long way around. If you can record directly into your workstation with a decent mic and interface, you'll have much more flexibility and control plus potentially much better audio quality in general ... for example, the camera would not allow you to "punch in" and record multiple takes of a line you were flubbing yet such a facility is standard equipment with most audio software. You also don't have to capture the tape afterwards.

Take a look at this clip on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGb_Z44iymA

like this...

http://centrance.com/products/mp/

Regards,

Ty Ford

Oh Ty:

Why did you have to post that, now I really want one!

Dan