In my previous blog post, I discussed different types of microphones and what they would be used for and when, but have you ever been nervous on camera before? It is common for people to get nervous and stand in front of a camera, but it is also common for many to become nervous when behind a microphone as well. Audio production also includes a plethora of voiceover work, whether these include working on the radio, advertising, and even personal projects. However, when the time comes to record, it is not uncommon for people to freeze up and suddenly become quieter behind the microphone. When I first started recording myself for different projects I was working on, I found myself deathly scared to record for a long period of time; however, with time and practice, I found these issues soon to not be a concern anymore.
My friends asked me to join them on an episode of their podcast a while back and needless to say, it did not go well. I was not prepared for how nervous I was to speak on a live podcast, and I surely thought I wasn’t going to be. I was constantly asked to speak louder and I was fumbling over my words far more than I ever would. After the show, I was rather disappointed with my performance and with some advice from these friends and practicing other techniques, I was quick to increase my abilities in dealing with the microphone.
There are many reasons for someone to be nervous when dealing with this type of work and it is okay to feel this way. One of the most common reasons for this is simple inexperience, as many people fear the way they may sound over the microphone or maybe social anxiety could be an issue. It is important to be able to effectively communicate through a microphone because it is an extremely valuable skill to have within the audio industry. Regardless of the issue that is plaguing you, there are a number of techniques that you can practice to help familiarize yourself with the microphone.
When speaking through a microphone, it can turn out to be a very one-sided conversation, especially when it comes to working with the radio. It can be very helpful to imagine yourself talking with another person as this can make your solo conversation feel and sound more natural. Another very common mistake that is made when speaking behind a microphone is simply not speaking loud enough, and it is important to speak firmly and as if you were speaking to a group of people several feet away from you. Yes, it is possible to not sound loud and clear enough even with a microphone. When speaking into a microphone, try recording yourself and listening to the playback a few times after every recording session. If you perform this action after every session, you will eventually become far more comfortable with your voice and more confident in the process. People will want to hear your voice, so go ahead and practice because microphone work is an essential part to most pieces of work in audio production. Have you ever had any stressful experiences with microphones? How did you get better performing with a microphone? Let me know! If you have in the comments and if you thought this blog was beneficial, make sure to subscribe for additional content.
I will catch you in the next one. Stay Classy!