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The Voice-Over Roadmap

VO Pro Tip: Trust your ears over your eyes

Published 24 days ago • 1 min read

Ears over Eyes

Hey Reader,

Have you ever finished a take that felt incredible, but then you looked at your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and started second-guessing yourself?

Maybe the waveform looked a little "thinner" than the previous take, or perhaps you noticed a small spike and immediately thought, "Oh, I must have clipped there." It’s a common trap: we start editing with our eyes before we even listen back.

The truth is, your eyes may not show you the full pictures, but your ears (and the client's ears!) are the ultimate judges of your work.

Here’s why you should trust your ears first:

  • Waveforms aren't everything: A "perfect-looking" waveform doesn't guarantee a perfect performance. A take with slightly lower volume or an errant spike or click, might actually have the exact emotional nuance or "conversational" tone the script requires. And that's way more important than a minor technial flaw (which can likely be easily fixed)
  • Visual distractions kill flow: If you’re staring at the screen while recording, you’re likely focusing on the technical side rather than the acting. This can lead to a stiff, "announcer-y" read instead of a natural one. If your monitor is visible in your booth, try not to get distracted by it while performing.
  • The "Click" Trap: You might see a tiny vertical line and assume it’s a mouth click, but when you listen, it’s completely inaudible or something you didn't think it was. Ignore things that you see as flaws, but don't hear as flaws.

A tip I've given for a long time is to always listen back to auditions with your eyes closed as a final check, preferably on good headphones in a quiet space. This is more relevant to how the client will be listening to it, as they likely won't be pulling your file into a DAW and watching the waveform. Trust your ears over your eyes.

-Michael

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The Voice-Over Roadmap

The Voice-Over Roadmap is an educational platform for Voice-Over Talent of all experience levels to start, grow, and sustain a profitable business as a professional VO Talent. It is the creation of Michael Langsner, Professional VO talent with over 12 years of experience voicing projects for brands like Adidas, Google, Dell, Levi's and many others.

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