1) Choose the right microphone for the task. In a noisy location, a highly directional microphone like a ‘gun’ mike, which is sensitive to sound coming from a very narrow angle, will assist in cutting down background noise. An omni-directional microphone, on the other hand, might be more useful for recording an atmosphere track - city traffic or birds in a forest.

2) Keep the recording clean. It is always preferable to record sound in a controlled environment. If you must record away from a sound studio, try to record in a place free from noise and traffic. Always monitor your recording through headphones. The ear is extremely selective instrument compared to a microphone so take time to listen through headphones which will help to objectively gauge what extraneous sounds are being picked up in the background. Dialogue with the night sounds of merrily chirping crickets might be an unwelcome addition for a midday shot in your film.

In cases where you wish to record a particular sound effect against its background, it is far better to try and isolate the effect by itself first, then record a long section of background separately. These two tracks can be mixed together at a later stage when you have far more control over the balance between them.

3) If you have to record at home, choose a room that is acoustically ‘dead’ rather than one which is ‘alive’. A living room with carpets, curtains and furnishings to absorb and 'deaden' sound is preferable to recording in a kitchen or bathroom with hard reflective surfaces that will produce unwanted echos. Remember that you can always add room acoustics for atmosphere during the mixing process but you can’t remove them from the original recording. Anticipate the sorts of things that could most likely interrupt your recording - unplug the telephone, feed the dog.

4) Microphone technique. Be aware of the following: If you are recording dialogue, mount the microphone on a stand. Some microphones are very susceptible to the sounds induced by fidgeting hands as you hold the mircophone. When recording scripted dialogue, make sure that no paragraph runs directly across a page turn. Paper is noisy. The explosive popping sounds produced by air being expelled after the letters ‘p’ or ‘b’, can be avoided if the subject speaks above or across the mircophone. The sounds of noisy locations can be reduced by positioning the microphone close to the subject. This, however, makes for a very intimate sound where the actual mechanical noises of the mouth become more prominent than normal.

5) Like film, sound tape can be under or over “exposed”. A tape which was recorded at a low level will produce tape hiss when boosted to the correct level during transfer. Recordings made at a level higher than the recording media can cope within, will produce distortion. In spite of the huge 'dynamic range' of digital recorders, it is possible to distort the sound if the recording level is too high. In fact, digital recorders are less forgiving than their older analogue cousins, and will quickly produce a very ragged and nasty sounding distortion if over recorded. Irrespective of whether or not the sound is to be heard at a low level on the final sound-track, ALWAYS make sure that the original recording is kept at the optimum level as it can be made to sound quiet and more distant at the time of the mix. This will help keep tape hiss, electronic mixer and amplifier noise to a minimum. Use the recorder's UV meter as a guide.

A blog on sound recording: <click here>
Recording from a voice actor's perspective <click here>

Return....