For anyone looking to work with audio, a big question always crops up. Do I go with a home studio or a professional studio?
There are pros and cons to each, and there is a lot to look into to see what is more suitable for the type of voiceover you want to produce.
A voice-over can be done either in a professional voiceover recording studio or in a home studio setup. With audio editing software so easily accessible, there is no reason you can’t lay down some takes in the comfort of your own home.
With this being said we’ll break down the pros and cons in the battle of home vs professional studio and give you some tips and tricks for your own setup along the way.
Home Studios
Home studios have grown in massive popularity over the last 10 years. Possibly due to the flexibility of working from home, and the ease of producing your own podcasts or streaming gameplay.
Let’s explore the pros and cons of a home studio.
Pro: Time
One of the biggest pros to having your own home studio is time. With a professional studio, you have to achieve recording and complete it in a certain time frame. With a home studio, you have the luxury to record and edit whenever you want to.
If you don’t have a big deadline coming up soon, then you can record whenever suits you, which promotes a much more relaxed environment. Likewise, if the deadline is coming up soon, then you can get to work immediately, without having to book a studio.
Pro: Cost-effective
Another pro is that you can control the cost. Recording in a professional recording studio can be quite costly, but with a home set-up, you decide what equipment you need, which in turn can save you a lot of money.
What about the cons of a home studio?
Con: Pricey
For your own studio, you will have to foot the bill for equipment, and depending on what you are trying to achieve, it can end up being a bit pricey.
Premium equipment can cost a lot and making sure you are skilled enough to get the best out of your equipment and software will take time.
Con: No Soundproofing
Another con is that you won’t benefit from complete sound isolation. You can attempt to soundproof but there is only so much you can do, without going deep into your home structure.
Professional Studios
What are the pros of a professional studio?
Pro: Professional Work
Simply put, you are in the hands of professionals. Not only are you paired with incredibly skilled sound engineers, but you also get to work with top-of-the-line equipment.
Did we mention that everything is set up for your arrival, making sure the right equipment is ready and waiting when you get there. You can rest assured that you will be getting the best quality audio from your session, and it will be edited with expert hands.
The main takeaway with a professional studio is that the recording studios are designed with sound in mind. The acoustics will be perfect with no interruption from external factors (unless that’s what you want).
Those are a few of the pros, but are there any cons?
Con: Price
The main con with a professional studio is the price tag. You are paying for the premium equipment and the skills needed to get your audio where it needs to be.
Some studios can be pretty costly and depending on where you record, can bring on a host of charges.
But don’t let this put you off. If you do your research, you will find that different studios offer different pricing and charge for different things.
Our Top Tips to Setting Up Your Own Home Studio
One of the big pros of a home studio is that you can go as simple or as complex as you want, but there are some key things to consider when setting up your home studio.
The first major thing is where you want your studio to be. Things such as where your house is located can have a big impact.
If your home is near a busy road, over a flight path or if you have loud neighbours, this could impact your sound when recording. If you are located in one of these noisy areas, then room isolation is key to having a great recording session.
Room isolation is making sure that the noise outside your recording room doesn’t enter.
The main thing with room isolation is to increase the material of the walls. There are a few ways to do this. If you are looking for a permanent solution the one way is to build thicker walls or install absorbent panels. If this isn’t an option then duvets are now your best friend!
Layering duvets and attaching these to your walls will help keep out exterior noise. This simple home hack could make a massive difference if you rent or if you are recording somewhere that is not your normal studio space.
Some people opt to soundproof a specific area of their studio to help with their internal acoustics. This can help with sound absorption, reduce echo and reverberation that would otherwise be picked up on the microphone.
Regarding microphones, you need to make sure you have the right mic for the job. Different microphones are needed for different projects. The main ones you may need are either a dynamic or a condenser mic.
Ultimately you can tailor the equipment you use to what you want/need to achieve.
Chatterbox
Looking to record in a voiceover studio? Book a session in our Chatterbox studios, based in Farringdon, London. With no charges for set up, backups or file transfer and flexible booking of an hour, half/full day or a whole week. Our rates are tailored to your project and budget.
Contact us to book your sessions today by calling (0) 203 744 3558 or get in touch via our contact form here.
