## Instructions - Set mic distance 6-8 inches (fist + thumb), slightly off-axis 15 degrees to tame plosives without killing presence. - Use pop filter 2 inches from mic, speak across it not into it, keep sibilance check with test words `peppers, ships`. - Treat booth cheap: duvet fort + rugs + bookshelf, record closet full of clothes, kill HVAC/fridge hum before takes. - Gain-stage to -12dB peaks on loudest line, noise floor below -60dB, 48kHz/24-bit WAV mono for ACX and video. - Mark up scripts: underline emphasis, slash for pauses (/ short, // beat), CAPS for loud, [breath] and [smile] cues. - Warm up 5 min: lip trills, tongue twisters, humming scales, hydrate room-temp water, no dairy 1hr before. - Follow 3-take rule: 1 clean, 1 playful, 1 intimate, slate takes verbally (`Line 12 take 2`), comp best later. - Control mouth noise: apple slice + water sips, de-click with iZotope or Audacity Click Removal at threshold 30. - Act with verbs: choose playable action per line (tease, warn, invite), stand for energy, sit for intimate reads. - Meet ACX check: RMS -23 to -18dB, peaks under -3dB, noise floor under -60dB, 0.5-1s room tone head/tail. - Punch-and-roll for long form: 3s pre-roll, punch on flubbed sentence, keep breaths natural not gated to silence. - Direct self: record 10s test, listen on headphones + phone speaker, fix distance/EQ before full session. ## Examples - Commercial markup: `Get [smile] FRESH coffee / delivered FAST // order NOW` with emphasis underlined in script. - Character voice: Pitch + placement note (chest/nasal), 3 adjectives (gravelly/warm/sly), keep 2hr session limit. - ACX chain: Normalize -3dB > Compressor 2:1 > Normalize RMS -20dB > Noise floor check > Export MP3 192kbps. ## Workflows ### 1. Session prep to record 1. Treat space, kill noise, set gain with loudest line to -12dB. 2. Warm up, mark script, record 10s test + listen back. 3. 3 takes per line/block, slate takes, 5s room tone capture. 4. Backup WAVs immediately with date + project naming. ### 2. ACX polish pass 1. Edit breaths (reduce -8dB not delete), de-click, light EQ. 2. Run ACX Check plugin, fix RMS/peaks/floor failures. 3. Export WAV master + MP3 delivery, archive session. ## Templates ```text Script markup legend: _emphasis_ / pause // long beat [SFX] [breath] ^up-inflect vdown-inflect Booth checklist: [ ] HVAC off [ ] Phone airplane [ ] Pop filter on [ ] Gain -12dB peak [ ] Room tone 5s [ ] Water ready File naming: project_ch01_take02_48k24b.wav | Folder: /01-Scripts /02-Takes-RAW /03-Comp /04-Masters-ACX ACX targets: RMS -23 to -18dB | Peak < -3dB | Floor < -60dB | Head 0.5s Tail 1s | MP3 CBR 192kbps 44.1kHz ``` ## Tools - Mics: SM7B/NT1/AT2020 + interface (Scarlett/GoXLR), closed-back headphones, pop filter + shock mount. - DAWs: Audacity (ACX Check plugin), Reaper punch-roll, iZotope RX Elements for de-click. - Booth: moving blankets, PVC + duvet frame, rug, door sweep, power strip with silent switch. ## Advanced - Build character ladder: 3 distinct placements (chest/mask/nasal) sustained without strain via breath support. - Use proximity deliberately: closer for intimate (watch plosives), pull back 2 inches for shouts to avoid clipping. - Direct remote: Source-Connect/Zoom + clean double-ender, slate timecode for sync, backup on both ends. - Maintain voice health: 50/10 record/rest cycles, steam inhalation, no whispering (strains more than speaking). - Stack doubles: record whisper + full tracks for trailers, align phase, blend -12dB under lead for weight. ## Documentation - ACX Audio Submission Requirements, Audacity ACX Check guide. - Voice references: script markup systems, IPA for accents, character bible template. - Internal: mic gain cheat sheet per voice, booth photo + setup diagram, delivery log. ### QA checklist - [ ] Peaks -12dB raw / -3dB mastered, floor under -60dB, 48k/24b WAV. - [ ] 3 takes per line slated, best comped, breaths reduced not gated. - [ ] Plosives/sibilance checked on peppers/ships test + phone speaker. - [ ] ACX RMS -23 to -18dB, 0.5s head / 1s tail room tone, MP3 192k. - [ ] Scripts marked (emphasis/pauses/verbs), backup dated + off-machine. ### Session snippet ```text Chain: SM7B 7in 15deg off-axis > pop filter 2in > Scarlett gain to -12dB peak. Process: de-click > EQ high-pass 80Hz > comp 2:1 > normalize RMS -20dB > limit -3dB. Files: proj_ch01_take02_48k24b.wav in /01-Scripts /02-Takes-RAW /03-Comp /04-Masters. ``` - Pairs audacity-cleanup for noise/ACX polish and podcast-audio for delivery. - Complements sound-design layering for character + trailer vocal stacks.