Finding the voice sweet spot...
You've heard it, that voice that just sounds oh so good, so velvety smooth.
Rich, deep, full.
This voice is on point to describe the product or service you're hearing about.
It sounds so amazing.
What makes that happen?
Well, some folks are born with it, but others get it in post production.
The slightest tweak to a voice can make all the difference in the world.
I found this out when I was doing some of my first semi professional voice work a few years ago.
The talented person we had mixing our audio for this work was a great guy named Ken, and Ken was an absolute audio gremlin.
Ken heard things that normal people didn't and had an ear for making voices and mixes of music and narration sound just right.
One of the best things he taught me was that a small slowdown in the mastering of your vocal track will not only help get your message across to your listener more clearly, but it will also translate into a slightly richer vocal sound.
So what Ken taught me was to take the entire track for my voice and slow it down by 2.3%.
That's the magic number for my voice that takes it from Radio Robb to RADIO ROBB.
Your own audio may benefit from something quite similar that will noticeably increase the quality of your vocal recording because of the pacing and if mixed properly, the pitch and perceived richness of your voice or voice actors.
Bear in mind, the slightest tweak can make a difference and it may take a bit of trial and error to locate what that magic number is for your voice or your talents' voices.
Normally a 2-3 % change is right about in the sweet spot, and will vary on the pitch and timbre of the voice being used. Lower voices will be closer to the 2.5% slow down mark, while higher voices will be near the 3% mark.
The goal is not to change the sound of the voice so drastically that it sounds like a different person, but rather to take the existing vocal work and simply add a bit more depth to it.
Want your podcast, advertisement, or audiobook to sound even better?
Drop us a line here at Westport Studios and we can have a no obligation conference to get you helped out.
~WPS