| +1 for a properly treated room. Frequently the most-often-neglected part of the equation for VO work (probably 'cause it's the most expensive).
As for gear....look for a microphone with smooth off-axis response. Some talent are very good at maintaining a proper orientation to the mic, others not so much. If they deviate from the sweet spot, an unforgiving mic will show it. So think carefully before you put up a 416! (Good mic, no doubt....just a little dicey with a moving target.)
I'll probably get some finger-wagging for this, but I do like to use hardware to compress a bit on the way in. Not as much as the track will probably end up getting in the mix, but a little does help. If your talent isn't well-trained in microphone technique, this can save you....if nothing else, a limiter to prevent the occasional over. The choice is not super-critical, as people here have said. Put a quality module in your lunchbox and you should be set. And if you have to add more compression later with a plug in, at least it won't be working as hard.
EQ....it's nice to have a hi-pass available on the way in. The rest can be done later. |