01
What are the four decisions that matter most?
Microphone distance, room surfaces, one microphone per speaker, and monitoring while you record. Distance sets the ratio of voice to room. Soft surfaces kill reflections. Separate microphones make multi person recordings usable. Monitoring means you find problems during the session rather than a week later.
02
What each decision buys
The four that cost nothing outperform the one that costs money, which is the opposite of how most people approach it.
| Decision | Improvement | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone a hand's width away | Very large | Nothing |
| Soft surfaces in the room | Large | Nothing, use what is there |
| One microphone per speaker | Large on multi person | A second microphone |
| Headphones on while recording | Catches faults during the session | Nothing |
| A more expensive microphone | Small | Money |
03
Microphone distance in practice
A microphone close to the mouth, roughly a hand's width to a forearm's length away depending on the type, captures a strong voice and little room sound. Moving it further away quickly adds echo and background noise. Clip-on microphones make consistent distance easy.
Keep the distance steady through the recording.
04
Improving the room cheaply
Soft furnishings absorb echo: sofas, curtains, rugs and bookshelves all help. Recording in a smaller, furnished room usually sounds better than a large empty one. Avoid rooms with bare walls and hard floors.
Hanging blankets temporarily can make a big difference.
05
One microphone per speaker
Giving each speaker their own microphone keeps every voice clear and balanced. When several people share one microphone, the quieter speaker often sounds distant.
Separate tracks also help when clipping one person's contribution.
06
Monitoring while recording
Wear headphones and listen during the recording, at least at the start. You will catch problems such as crackling cables, low levels or background noise while they can still be fixed.
A short test recording before starting is worthwhile.
07
Setting levels
Set levels so normal speech is strong but loud laughs and exclamations do not distort. Leaving some headroom avoids harsh clipping on peaks.
Check levels again if the speaker changes position.
08
Clean audio improves the words
Clear sound also makes on-screen text more accurate, since clear speech is easier to get right in writing.
Good audio pays off twice.
Spend thirty minutes getting the room and microphones right once, write the setup down, and repeat it every session. The time is recovered many times over in clips that need no rescue.
09
Half an hour that pays for months
- Get the microphone close. A hand's width beats a metre by more than any equipment upgrade.
- Record somewhere soft. Curtains, carpet and furniture do what expensive treatment does.
- Listen while you record. Headphones on during the session catch faults you cannot fix afterwards.
Record one session properly and send it through.
Questions people ask
- Is expensive equipment necessary?
- No. A cheap microphone close to a speaker beats an expensive one across a room, every time.
- What is the worst room to record in?
- Anywhere with hard parallel surfaces and nothing soft. Kitchens, meeting rooms and empty offices are the common offenders.
- Do I need a microphone each?
- For two or more people, it makes the largest single difference, both to how it sounds and to how the frame behaves.
- What if I cannot control the room?
- Get closer. Distance is the one variable you almost always control, and it partly compensates for a bad room.
- And the accuracy of the text?
- Considerably, since the text comes from what was said. Clean sound is the cheapest accuracy improvement available.