Recording Studio of Stephanie Murphy, Voice Actor

Information about studio and equipment

Welcome to the studio! Other professionals or aspiring voice actors often ask me about my voiceover setup and gear. Here is a guide to my studio, with links to purchase the same equipment I use also provided.

Microphones

I primarily use 2 microphones for voiceover recording:

1. Electro Voice RE20
2. Neumann TLM102
3. I also have a Shure SM7b microphone which I rarely use, except for podcasting with a cohost. I think the Shure sounds better with a male voice. I love the way the RE20 and Neumann mics sound with my feminine voice.

Preamp

DBX 286s preamp/processor. Processor adds a noise gate, some basic EQ, de-essing, and compression. I’m so happy with this piece of equipment and love how it complements the microphones I use to further enrich the sound.

Mixer

Main studio mixer is the Behringer X1204USB 12-Channel Mixer.

Studio Mixer

For mobile use, I use the Aokeo mini-mixer.

Aokeo mini mixer

Monitor headphones

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphones provide real time audio monitoring. These are very popular monitor headphones, for a good reason.

Studio Computer

Intel NUC mini PC. Quiet, small, and powerful.

Standing Desk

I stand while I work for better breath control, posture, and overall higher quality sound.I converted a traditional desk to a standing desk, using the Workez Standing Desk conversion kit. I also use an anti-fatigue mat.

Accessories

I use a 24 inch large screen monitor for my studio computer. This monitor is nice and large, and enables me to read scrips from the screen and also visually monitor recording. I can easily do punch and roll recording for audiobook narration.

I use a clickless mouse or noiseless mouse. I have tried several, but my favorite is the Super Quiet JNL-101K USB mouse. It is very quiet and prevents clicks and scrolling sounds from showing up in my recordings.

Studio microphones are mounted on the Heil Sound PL-T2 microphone boom arms. These are great – quiet, sturdy, and unobtrusive.

10U Space Rack Mount holds microphone preamps.

Of course, XLR cables are needed to connect the microphones to the preamps. 1/4 to 1/4 inch cables allow sound to flow from the preamps to the mixer. Mixer outputs via USB to the computer. 1/8 to 1/4 converters sometimes come in handy. 1/8 to 1/4 cables connect a cell phone with standard headphone jack to the mixer for phone patch capability.

JOTO Under Desk Headset Hanger keeps headphones organized.

I use a microphone windscreen (aka muff.) My favorite is the MXL WS-002 windscreen. It’s substantial, durable, and easy to clean. No pop filtration is needed for me in my studio, but I do sometimes use a pop filter on travel equipment.

Some additional equipment I use for travel is:

• A tabletop mic stand that disassembles: On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand. It’s only disadvantage is that it is heavy, which can become an issue if it’s packed in a suitcase being taken on an airline with baggage weight restrictions.
• Zoom H4N mobile recorder is a good option for backup recordings of podcasts or important recording sessions while in studio – I simply record the main mix onto this device’s SD card. It also works well for mobile recording, especially a 2-person show or interview. It can record from the two built in microphones, and also has XLR, 1/4 inch, and 1/8 inch input ports. Great solution for mobile recording. It also has the ability to play back recordings from the device so that you can check the quality.
• On Stage ASFSS6 GB Dual Screen Pop Filter is a double screened pop filter that I sometimes use with mobile setup, or for other folks who are recording in my studio and need pop filtration.

Finally, I use a salt lamp to provide soft, diffuse, ambient light in the studio.

 

*Note: This page contains affiliate links, which give me a small referral fee if you purchase one of the items I link to without affecting your purchase price. If you are reading this page and find helpful ideas for your studio, please consider using the links provided here to purchase items.