No-Budget ADR Booth.

[Metrostar]

I thought I would share this picture of my ADR set-up at home. The only money I spent on it was the microphone stand ($30). I'd previously used a broom duct-taped to a cat scratching post. I kid you not! I already had the NTG-2 and the Tascam.

Anyway, I wanted to make the point for others here who are working on films without money, something like this in the guest bedroom will work quite adequately. I recorded one of my actors like this last weekend and the audio came out really, really nice.

It's deeper than it looks and I live in a fairly quiet neighborhood. The actor wears some really nice headphones that seal well around the ears, watches a specially prepared video of his/her scenes and reads from a script that has lots of room for notes by the actor.

In the words of a famous space pilot and smuggler: "She may not look like much kid, but she's got it where it counts". Or something like that.

 

[DanielCFilms&Productions]

Very Cool!

This works well, too.

Definitely an effective way to record sound without a budget. I've used similar equipment in a small closet also to keep the reverb out. Works like a charm. Only thing is the need for the actor to see what he is saying on a small screen. Any way to attach a small 9 inch screen to the back panel and run it to your computer?

 

[LasVegasIRA]

I've used my walk-in closet for ADR and vocal recording on songs for years. It works beautifully since it's already full of echo cancelling clothes, shoes, hats, etc...

 

[Alcove Audio]

Any way to attach a small 9 inch screen to the back panel and run it to your computer?

Well, now you're talking about a "complicated" set-up. These types of set-ups are used for music and basic VO on the cheap. I've found that actors inexperienced with ADR tend to concentrate on watching themselves and not their dialog performance, so quite frequently I turn off the video monitor in studio so they will concentrate.

 

[DanielCFilms&Productions]

Well, now you're talking about a "complicated" set-up. These types of set-ups are used for music and basic VO on the cheap. I've found that actors inexperienced with ADR tend to concentrate on watching themselves and not their dialog performance, so quite frequently I turn off the video monitor in studio so they will concentrate.

Yes i agree! They need to be able to hear their voice repeatedly before recording the clip. Even inexperienced actors performing ADR can learn this fairly quick with a little practice before recording. What i mean about the monitor is only for visual and not audible. Using a small closet definitely helps and keeps the cost at a bare minimum. And sounds great too. I learned this from experience doing ADR for my 1rst feature. Worked like a charm. Just a zoom recorder and good condenser mic, headphones and a monitor. Highly recommended.

 

[DanielCFilms&Productions]

Well, now you're talking about a "complicated" set-up. These types of set-ups are used for music and basic VO on the cheap. I've found that actors inexperienced with ADR tend to concentrate on watching themselves and not their dialog performance, so quite frequently I turn off the video monitor in studio so they will concentrate.

On the cheap yes! No not that complicated. microphone and small external monitor connected to the computer. Or mic connected to the recorder. Recording either straight into your editing/audio software or to the recorder itself. really the only tough part is sync dialogue. But fairly simple and quick setups.

 

[Alcove Audio]

The issue, as I see it, is where to put the monitor. If you place the monitor in front of the talent it becomes a source of audio bounce, which defeats the purpose of the baffle. Or, if you put it off to the side, they look off mic.

As you can probably tell, I'm extremely finicky when it comes to sound.

Also, as I said, actors inexperienced with ADR tend to concentrate on watching themselves and not their dialog performance.

Sync is up to the talent. As long as it's close you can manually edit it so the sync is perfect or, of course, use one of my favorite tools, VocAlign.

 

[DanielCFilms&Productions]

True

The issue, as I see it, is where to put the monitor. If you place the monitor in front of the talent it becomes a source of audio bounce, which defeats the purpose of the baffle. Or, if you put it off to the side, they look off mic.

As you can probably tell, I'm extremely finicky when it comes to sound.

Also, as I said, actors inexperienced with ADR tend to concentrate on watching themselves and not their dialog performance.

Sync is up to the talent. As long as it's close you can manually edit it so the sync is perfect or, of course, use one of my favorite tools, VocAlign.

true, unless you some how mount a 7 inch monitor to the back of the box within the foam, but then it can become tedious. Probably a bit to small to bounce audio back, but still a slight mission. Your idea for the box i personally much like especially when you have to record audio on the run. I.e. Stubborn actor that refuses to come to you to record ADR.

 

[A.D.]

true, unless you some how mount a 7 inch monitor to the back of the box within the foam, but then it can become tedious. Probably a bit to small to bounce audio back.

Nope, something that close with the talent facing it will bounce it straight back into the mic. It would occupy the same relative area as a wall would do (consider perpective), only it would have a very quick return time in comparison. Those panels are there for a reason. There are ways of mitigating the effect of course, by angling it/placing it further away etc, but actors/singers do have a habit of talking off-axis when allowed/encouraged to do so, which can ruin the take.

Your idea for the box i personally much like especially when you have to record audio on the run.

No probs! Glad my info was useful.

Though evidently not as useful as Alcove's pictures relating to my post.

Maybe I should talk in pictures from now on? This is a filmakers forum after all. Words are for the actors, right?

 

[Alcove Audio]

Maybe I should talk in pictures from now on? This is a filmakers forum after all. Words are for the actors, right?

A picture is worth a thousand words......

 

[A.D.]

 

[sfoster]

Sync is up to the talent. As long as it's close you can manually edit it so the sync is perfect or, of course, use one of my favorite tools, VocAlign.

i didn't know it was possible to do that manually. I've just been using FCP voice over functionality and trying multiple times. What tool is used for manual sync? That VocAlign is awesome although not worth the investment given my current circumstances

 

[Alcove Audio]

Manual sync is good 'ol "slice and dice." You cut out littles pieces, stretch little pieces, add little pieces, etc. and hope for the best - just like everyone else did before there was VocAlign and other cool tools.

Just remember - nothing beats a great production dialog performance. Get it right on the set.

 

[sfoster]

Manual sync is good 'ol "slice and dice." You cut out littles pieces, stretch little pieces, add little pieces, etc. and hope for the best - just like everyone else did before there was VocAlign and other cool tools.

Just remember - nothing beats a great production dialog performance. Get it right on the set.

I have to replace an actors voice entirely since he has went rogue on me.
It took me many tries before I was able to get the lips to match up exactly for even one take.

I can't just chop up a sentence or it will be unnatural, and when I change the speed in FCP it drops a couple octaves. I don't think I have the right tools

 

[AudioPostExpert]

Much of the advice in this thread seems to be along the lines of; "some treatment is better than nothing", which of course is true but only useful up to a point. Having minimal treatment and getting the talent close to the mic to cut down on your ADR room's acoustics will cause other problems, such as picking up too much breath sounds, lip smacks and other extraneous noises only heard when up close, mic proximity effect and of course incorrect perspective. This last one is always carefully considered in professional film making and almost never considered in lo/no budget film making! With the result that even if the dialogue does sound nice and clear, it doesn't match the perspective of the film or the audience's aural POV and therefore drags them out of the scene rather than involving them in it.

You really need to treat a bigger area, to allow the talent to get further away from the mic without picking up room ambience and to allow recording ADR off axis where necessary to match the visual action.

I can't just chop up a sentence or it will be unnatural, and when I change the speed in FCP it drops a couple octaves. I don't think I have the right tools

I'd be surprised if FCP doesn't have a function somewhere to allow you to time stretch/compress without also changing the speed (pitch). Have a close look at the options available and the settings for those options. Once you find a time compression/stretch function be careful not to over do it, more than 10% or so and you are likely to start introducing audible artefacts. Dialogue editing and ADR editing are tricky animals to get right and ADR even more so if there is not production sound to use as a guide. Once the editing is dealt with, the mixing of the ADR is also very tricky, which brings us back to what I mentioned above about perspective and is further complicated if you have to cut the ADR with production sound.

G