Create your own soundtrack

Environmental concerns
So far, we’ve a condenser mic, suitably positioned and suspended, plugged into a phantom-powered XLR socket on the audio interface and the digital signal is being fed into your audio recording or video-editing software (see ‘Sound software’ on the final page). The mic connection is balanced, so there’s no interference, and the digital link and computer system are reasonably quiet.

But what’s that whine in the background? The mic is so sensitive that it’s picking up the whirr of the computer’s fan. When choosing a condenser, get one with a cardioid pickup pattern – so called because the pattern is heart-shaped – which means it’s sensitive at the front, less so at the sides, and not sensitive at the rear. This helps cut down on noise emanating from particular directions, unlike an omnidirectional model, although it’s just as good, if possible, to move the computer into another room.

Double-glazing lessens the intrusion of road noise, and recording when the house is empty (with the phone unplugged) is also wise, but there’s still the acoustic properties of the room. As the mic moves further away, it picks up reflections from your voice bouncing off walls, tables, equipment – any hard surface – so deaden the room as much as possible.

Drawn curtains, soft furnishings and carpets help absorb unwanted reflections. Some people even resort to wall drapes and baffles on the ceiling to further dampen the acoustic. If you want a particular ambience, it’s best applied later in software when the recording’s over.

Time to perform
The secret to recording a good narrative is to prepare. Unlike live broadcasts, in which the presenter often has to wing it as events unfold, you’ve got the time to get notes together.

However, if it’s all too tightly scripted, you’re likely to come across as stilted because it’s hard to write natural-sounding speech – that’s why good speechwriters are worth their weight in gold. Type up notes as the sequence unfolds, checking facts as you go, and aim for a steady pace, with pauses so the audience can take in the visuals.

Naturally, you need to be able to hear what you’re doing, perhaps while recording, certainly while talking over a backing track, and definitely when checking each take. During the recording, you can’t monitor backing material on speakers because it’ll feed into the mic, so headphones are essential.

Closed-back types, as used in recording studios, are the best buy because a well-fitting pair eliminates backing-track spill into the mic and is useful for rough mix monitoring in noisy environments, or when you can’t crank up the main speakers. The AKG K 171 Studio, retailing at about £80, is a good choice, as is the similarly priced Beyer Dynamic DT100.

Once you’ve rehearsed and checked that the recording level meters are showing a healthy signal, not so high as to distort and not so low as to need a level boost afterwards, relax and press Record. Some people find it useful to speak as if talking to a friend sitting opposite. That way, they’re less self-conscious about the performance and sound more natural.

If you fluff, don’t worry – you can try again until it’s right. Also, if the sound of your voice coming over the headphones is offputting, take them off, but remember to turn the headphone level knob right down during the take.