Hi everyone!
Sorry for the slight delay in getting this next behind the scenes post to you…but it might be for the best…because i actually had to re-record one bit of the audio the other day! ^^; Now that everything is finally recorded, i will soon move on to editing the audio files, but first, i thought i would share some of my process with how i record my audios! ^^
I know i’ve said in previous places multiple times before, but when i first started making audios, i didn’t even have a proper microphone…i was using my laptop’s built-in mic, and i would tilt my laptop towards my face so i could record…ah, the dark times xDNow, i have quite the setup and i think it might be a little more lengthy than you think! ^^ I’ll try to explain my recording process as simply as possible, but forgive me if i ramble a bit~! (Though i suppose most of you are used to my unfiltered rambles by now, hehe) ^^
First off, i ALWAYS do more than one take recording. I think some people might be imagining that i read through my script once and then i’m finished…but no! No no no! It takes so long!! ^^; Basically, i always do AT LEAST 3 takes. After trial and error, i’ve found that the first take is almost never the take i end up using for the final audio, but it's completely necessary for both warming up my voice, and for deciding on where to place vocal emphasis on certain lines. However, there are some very rare times where i get it on the first try! (If i remember correctly, Venti Comforts Crying Listener was done in one take!) ^^That said, 99% of the time my recording process is usually: record full script, listen to recording, take notes on what i want to change, record second time, listen to full recording, take notes and decide if i need a 3rd take, or if i just want to do a partial take (re-recording specific parts or lines)….aaaaand repeat for as many times as necessary!
Sometimes in the editing stage, i frankenstein the different takes together to make one superior take, as long as the tonal flow isn’t interrupted from the different versions…i want you listeners to have the BEST version of all of the lines, after all! ^v^But because of this process, my raw recording file is often VERY long. If the audio is an hour, i usually have about 3 hours of raw audio files to sort through for editing.
This also means that the entire process of recording itself takes pretty long! There are times when i record after work if the audio is short enough, but mostly i try my best to record on weekends. It often takes several hours between recording and listening back to the takes and making notes…! ^^; But it’s a process i don’t mind!
Originally, i used to always record at home in my apartment, but as i got more particular about my audio’s production quality, it became much harder to do so…~ ^^;;; Sadly, the apartments i live in always appear to be in noisy neighborhoods, so it’s always a bit of a gamble if i’m able to record at home without hearing car horns…or dogs barking…or people yelling at each other on the street…! ^^;;; It’s always SUCH an endeavor to edit those sounds out, and it adds on hours during the editing process…!
So i’m VERY grateful to you Patrons for supporting my ability to rent out a recording space to record my lines! >v< It helps me so much! The place i use is often used for musicians, so it’s VERY sound proof! Occasionally i see vocalists coming in too…though i’m sure i’m the only one in there using it for Venti audio purposes lol >v<
Occasionally i split the recording process across multiple days if it’s taking too long, but i usually try my best to avoid that; many voice actors speak of this, but there are days when your voice simply won’t cooperate the way you want it to, and sometimes you’ll sound different from day-to-day…so i always try to record all on the same day if i can help it…because who knows if i’ll sound the same tomorrow! ^^;
Alright, here's some additional silly things you may not know about my process~!
Getting into Character:
-In regards to getting into character, on the days that i record, i basically spend an hour or two getting into the specific character’s mindset before i record… and on a more fun note, i often wear outfits or hairstyles similar to the character’s attire when i record…never full cosplay or anything like that, but if i have clothes in a similar cut or color to the character, i try and wear those to record…and more specifically, i always put my hair in braids when i record Venti specifically…i’ve been doing that for years! ;v; it’s a silly little thing, but i feel like it helps!
-Voice acting IS a form of acting, and “acting” itself looks different for many people, but for me, it feels like letting the characters borrow my voice. If my voice and emotions are a set of paints, “acting” for me feels like handing those paints over to the characters and watching over them as they paint a picture for themselves. When i’m acting, it’s not me - it’s never me. It's strange, but when i’m recording, it truly never feels like me, it always feels like someone else is residing within me for a while and simply using my voice...which for me, is a good thing! It’s what allows me to say lines without feeling bashful about it! ^^ But most importantly, that's what makes it so fun for me! And that’s also why i take so much time and care with “getting into character”…because for me, acting and performance is entirely the thoughts and feelings of the character, never my own. All of this may sound silly or over-the-top, but this is how i feel~ I feel it’s very important for there to always be a firm, observable boundary between my own feelings and the characters i voice. And possibly because of this, when i’m acting, i’m basically “in the zone” and not much really fazes me…it’s kinda cool! ^^
...That said, there ARE rare times when i unfortunately fall entirely out of character while recording a line! And it’s pretty much ALWAYS in regards to feeling embarrassed! ^^; I’m pretty immune to most romantic lines because of how much romance content i consume, but every now and then i’ll say a line that would make even ME blush, and sometimes, without meaning to, i’ll completely slip out of character mid-line! No more being the character, no more unfazed character saying their feelings, just Luna in her recording space, holding her head in her hands while blushing furiously ;//v//; It doesn’t happen TOO often, usually only once or twice a year, but every now and then…! AaaAAaAAaaaaa moving on!!! >///<
Physical stance when recording:
-I always try and maintain the same physical stance as the characters when recording - mainly, if the character is sitting, i record while sitting. If the character is standing, i’ll record while standing! Any audios where the characters are laying down, i do record at home so i can actually lay down! It may seem pointless to some, but how you sound when you’re sitting up and how you sound when you’re laying down are very different! Your airflow changes, and it affects your voice! And if i want to provide a convincing performance, it’s necessary! >v< (totally not motivated by me just wanting to record while being cozy, noooo) ^v^;
The kissing scenes:
-In regards to kissing scenes, i get the question “how do you record your kisses” more often than any other question…! ^^; i wish i had a secret technique, but it’s nothing magical! I know some voice artists kiss their hand or an actual physical object in front of their mic, but every time i try to do that, i feel like it muffles the sound and i have a hard time getting a good recording…kisses are already pretty quiet sounds to begin with, so i personally don’t kiss anything physically when recording…i just get as close as i can to the microphone without touching it and sorta kiss the air in front of it? xD It’s nothing complicated! My mouth is already pretty noisy though…editing out mouth sounds even when just saying lines is already the bane of my existence, but we’ll talk about that more in the editing behind the scenes post~ ^^; (Oh! But for binaural/ear kissies, i DO actually kiss the mic, because binaural mics are made for that! It makes recording kisses so much easier, phew ^^)
My Equipment:
I have two microphones. My main microphone is a simple USB Audio Technica condenser microphone…i got it on sale a few years ago at my local computer shop so i have no idea if this counts as a “good” mic or not, but based on its price point, i’d say it’s probably a middle-of-the-road kind of mic~ It’s definitely not the fanciest, but it’s served me well! I’m planning on upgrading soon though… i wonder what i should get…! (if you have any microphone suggestions, feel free to let me know!)I also have a 3dio binaural mic - this was a huge splurge i made with my donated funds back when i had a Kofi account for donations... ^^ It’s their cheapest model, but still it’s the fanciest audio equipment i own! I treat it with EXTREME care, but it does such a good job of getting those binaural portions recorded!
And for you lovely Patrons…i’ll let you know a little secret…i used BOTH microphones to record this upcoming audio… :3 So please make sure your headphones are working, ok~? You’re really gonna want them for this one! ^v^
I suppose that’s about it for now? I’m most likely going to start editing this audio in earnest this weekend~ Editing is always such a looooooooooooong process, so whenever i need a break from staring at my editor, i’ll share some behind the scenes about the editing process with you~! ^^Thank you so much for always being so patient with me ^^ Please take care this week, ok?
-Luna ♡