A microphone doesn’t just capture your words. It will also capture your every move toward and away from the microphone. As you move closer, your voice may grow louder, richer, and deeper. As you back off a line, you may suddenly lose depth or the sound may even disappear completely. Consistent proximity yields consistent recording levels and a better sense of what is happening on playback.
To try this exercise, record a short script. Sit where you can comfortably breathe without straining your throat, and position your phone or microphone so you do not need to turn your head to read the page. Measure your approximate distance from the microphone using the width of your hand and do not move from your current position as you record three lines of script. When you listen back, your only concern is to listen for changes in recording levels, whether loud or soft, rather than focusing on the performance choices you may have made to bring the scene to life.
You will discover you begin to move during an intense line or perhaps one that you find difficult to read. You may move closer to intensify your voice, move back before a word that is too loud, or turn toward the script to keep track if you lose your place. This all feels natural to our conversations, but all this movement causes fluctuations in your recording levels. Instead of moving your body to get these results, you can achieve the same thing in your delivery by changing the pace, adding emphasis, changing your breath, and modulating the tone of your voice. Just keep your chin and your mouth pointed toward the microphone as you deliver the words.
Your mouth is not the only body part to worry about. If you look down to read the page on a table, your voice will sound as if it’s coming from below the microphone, and if you look away from the mic to view a scene on a laptop screen, consonant sounds may become softer. Ideally, the script or video scene should be positioned in the general direction of the microphone so your eyes do not have to move very far while your body and shoulders can remain still. If the device and the microphone don’t move at all during your performance, you are ready to move forward to the next step.
Another thing that often results in inconsistent microphone proximity are plosive P’s and B’s. Instead of moving back as you read these sounds, simply move your microphone to an angle so you don’t blow directly into it and add an acoustic pop filter to help eliminate those pops as well. Hold your mic at the original distance and record again only that phrase. If you back off for that one P or B and move back in when you deliver the next line, you will likely notice your volume drop off in between the two.
To start every new take, just be sure your feet are firmly on the ground, you’re not leaning forward towards the mic, and you’re keeping your mouth lined up with the mic as before. Then record a few lines and view your waveform if your software displays it. Your peaks don’t need to be the exact same levels, but you can spot inconsistencies caused by your body movements instead of intentional delivery. The best way to start a good take is with a solid performance position to begin with, so notice where you are placing your chin when you start the first word, and maintain that positioning until the last word.