The human voice….stop and consider for an instant, what a superb instrument it really is. In the right hands it is actually capable of anything including evoking powerful emotional reaction from the listener. But why are we such robust critics of vocalists? The way in which we respond to popular shows like ‘America’s Got Talent ‘, or ‘The Voice ‘ you would think we are all specialists with hidden talents when it comes to the human voice. Well the truth is maybe we actually are.

One of the biggest issues engineers are up against when attempting to capture the human voice is just how attuned we are to the sound of our voices. We are so familiar with the human voice that we instinctively know if something doesn’t sound right or is even a little off the mark.

While most of us might not be able to elaborate a great deal on the specific reasons on a technical level we’re going to be more than aware of the fact that the recording or delivery isn’t of a high quality as our ears are highly sensitive to the way the human voice should sound. We are able to also spot a shallow or emotionless delivery from a mile away.

It’s essential if you are recording the human voice you get a high quality take each and every time especially if you are recording in a professional environment like the reading of an ebook or for a CD release. It’s typically recommended that you create a stress-free atmosphere for a vocal talent as the best voice over artists or singers are assured and relaxed about the task at hand and trust in their own capabilities.

There are some technical aspects that may help like employing a pop filter to eradicate plosive noise. The vocalist should ideally have a good microphone technique which allows them to reactively move away from the mic or lean in dependent on the subtleties of the task to hand. While this might sound simple it certainly isn’t and takes practice and experience.

One of the finest things you can do to help your own recordings sound more professional is by utilising a pop shield. Plosive noise is one of the most identifying factors when it comes to low quality recording and investing in a reasonable pop filter will truly help your recordings pop.

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