I'd Rather Be Writing

At the upcoming STC Summit, I'm presenting a session called "Developing a Personal Voice in Audio." In this presentation, I'll explain how to "deliver video tutorials with a friendly, personable voice by implementing several audio techniques common to professional voice talents and sound engineers. One way I prepare for presentations is by writing a series of blog posts about the topic. So over the next two weeks, I'm going to write 10 posts about developing a ... Read more..

One of my goals in creating engaging video tutorials is to develop a warm, personable, natural voice, like the voice of an encouraging friend or mentor. In search of this more personable voice, last year I attended a voiceover workshop in my area. The voiceover coach explained that good voiceover artists start by imagining a situation—in their minds they imagine who they are, who they’re talking to, and what kind of situation and environment they’re in. Voiceover ... Read more..

A while ago I was gathering feedback on different tech comm deliverables. I asked a user if she preferred videos or written material when learning software. I thought she would immediately say "videos," but it was a toss up for her. In her mind, videos involved long stretches of narration that included sitting passively at her computer, waiting for the narrator to get to her question but never really getting there. A lot of people feel ... Read more..

Getting close to your microphone usually results in something called "the proximity effect." As you get close, most microphones amplify your voice in a rich, deep way. The proximity effect can make you sound like a late-night DJ. Some microphones give you the best proximity effect when you're practically kissing the mic. Unfortunately, as you get closer to a microphone, the microphone starts to pick up more sounds from your mouth. Say the word "pick" or ... Read more..

Voiceover professionals often recommend that you smile while you narrate. Smiling injects a touch of warmth and charisma in your voice. Just a few touches here and there can make the entire tone of your voice noticeably warmer. I recorded three samples for comparison. In the first, I just read a paragraph in my normal reading voice. In the second, I actually scrunched my eyebrows down in anger. In the third, I smiled. Listen to the ... Read more..

When you're recording screencasts, a lot of people think about microphones, and focus on the technical setup behind your sound. But really, your audio starts with the vocal cords in your larynx, the upper part of your throat.  Your voice is your main instrument, not the microphone. (Here's a picture of some vocal cords.) One of my biggest problems when narrating a screencast is that my throat gets all clogged up. I have to hit the ... Read more..

One of my first recommendations for achieving a natural, believable voice is to employ more free narration rather than always reading a script. I recommended this because all the video tutorials on Lynda.com are narrated at the same time as they are recorded, and the less you read, the more natural your voice sounds. However, I realize that unscripted narration, even just a few sentences, can be problematic. Eddie VanArsdall commented that using this method often ... Read more..

If you don't want to sound as if you're reading copy (if you want to instead sound as if you're speaking conversationally to the user), consider using more inflection. Inflection is a change in the pitch in your voice, moving up or down the scale as you talk. Lack of inflection pretty much defines the reading voice. If you read a paragraph of text in a normal reading voice, you won't hear much inflection. But if ... Read more..

I've postponed writing about microphones for several reasons. First, there are hundreds of different microphones suited for all kinds of situations, from vocal music to kickdrums to broadcasting and more. Also, microphones can get expensive, and not everyone has the same budget. So there is no right voiceover microphone for every person and situation. However, I'll try to present a simplified view of microphones. Read more..

The final tip in my list of techniques for developing a personal voice in audio is to breathe correctly. This is actually the hardest technique for me, so I have saved it for the end. Strangely, in normal conversation, most of us don't have any trouble breathing. But when we start recording voiceovers, we start talking a little faster, with more energy and fewer pauses. Watch tip #2 clip from Chris McQueen at Techsmith about breathing. ... Read more..

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://idratherbewriting.com/podcasts/podcampslc_voiceovers.mp3] Download MP3 Length: 45 min. A couple of weeks ago I presented on voiceover techniques to an audience of about 35 people at PodcampSLC. I should have researched my audience a little more before the presentation because, from what I could tell, most people were there to learn how to start a podcast rather than learn voiceover techniques for professional screencasts. Hence, I received no questions at all (okay, one person asked one question). It was still ... Read more..

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://idratherbewriting.com/podcasts/developingapersonalvoiceinaudio.mp3] Download MP3 Download the PowerPoint PowerPoint in Zip file (in case you have trouble with the above) Length: 60 min. A while ago, our chapter held a half-day eLearning event, and I presented a version of my Developing a Personal Voice in Audio presentation (similar to what I presented at the STC Summit in Dallas). The recording has been sitting on my hard drive for a while, and I thought I'd finally release it. I've also included the rather ... Read more..

[caption id="attachment_8265" align="alignright" width="125" caption="The Perfect Voice"][/caption] One trend I think we'll see more and more is the decrease of professional voiceover actors in screencasts when those voiceover actors are merely reading a script they don't understand. As an example, watch some of the tutorials at lynda.com. The narrators may not be professional voiceover actors, but they are subject matter experts. You can tell they're not just saying words they don't understand. They're narrating and showing intricate parts of ... Read more..