It is a super hard decision as to how much to spend on your first set-up. If you are not sure if you are going for it yet, I would recommend just getting something that fits your budget that you can start out with. If you are confident Narration or Voice Over is something you want to try seriously, I recommend buying a good beginner setup straight away so that you don’t have to buy twice.
Software
The first thing you need is a DAW or Digital Audio Workstation. There are lots to choose from, Audacity is a very simple choice that many beginners use but is limited in what you can do with it and so I recommend using software called Reaper from the beginning. That way you only have to learn a new skill only once. It has a free trial (which does roll over from the 60 days but please purchase the software as the price is extremely reasonable for what you get! I don't work for them in anyway I just think they rock!)
It is an extremely powerful workstation, and perfect for Voice Over and Narration work. I recommend getting this as soon as you can to start playing with, as it has quite a steep learning curve, but once you've got it, you've got it! There is a ton of community support and videos with tips and tricks on using the software!
I also have a Reaper config, FX chain and tutorials sheets you can use in the Reference Documents
Hardware
Microphones - Solid Set-Up
Let's take a look at the set-up I recommend if you would like to take Narration and Voice Over seriously:
Microphone Choice 1
Sennheiser MKE 600
Great for less-than-ideal recording spaces, lovely sound, and engineers and clients seem to love it! Really good for corporate VO as well as animation and audiobooks. I upgraded to this after a few years with my NT1 (see below) and it really is fantastic! My number one choice! Beyond this, we are moving to the high-end pro mics!
Full MKE 600 review - HERE
Buy the MKE 600 - HERE
Microphone Choice 2
Rode NT1 (not the nt1-a)
A great entry-level mic, that people use for their whole careers. This was my first pro mic and I recorded many, many projects on it! It is worth noting, that there is now a 5th generation model with XLR and USB connection and a cheaper Signature Series with just the XLR. I haven't tried these yet, I have heard that the Frequency Response is a little different with a touch of a boost on the top end but if it is anything on the original NT1 4th gen the added connectivity for the 5th Gen and the cheaper price point for the Sig Series sound fantastic! It is worth noting these hear everything so if you are worried about background noise I would say go for the MKE 600.
Full NT1 review - HERE
Buy the NT1 4th Gen - HERE
Buy the NT1 5th Gen - HERE
Buy the NT1 Signature Series - HERE
The Ultimate Voice Over Mics!
If you have been in the business a little longer, are looking to upgrade or you just want to go for the big ones here are the top industry mics!
Sennheiser MKH 416 - The big brother to the MKE 600. This was the shotgun mic the made shotgun mics a Voice Over artist's choice. A forward, confident, bold sound, perfect for commercials, but works for anything especially if you are worried about a less than ideal recording space.
Buy the MKH 416 - HERE
Neumann TLM 103 - Often reviewed as the best large diaphragm condenser mic for voice over. It has a gorgeous sound, very low self-noise and it is very standard across the industry! It will hear a pin drop so make sure your recording space is up to it!
Buy the TLM 103 - HERE
Neumann U87 Ai - This is often seen as the Holy Grail mic. I have heard many engineers say generally it is not needed for an at home studio, and the TLM 103 will be enough, but I have heard others say they can tell the difference and they love it! I would say, see if you can rent one and test it in your space first, as it sure is a big investment!
Buy the U87 Ai - HERE
Microphones - Super Budget Option
It is worth saying that if you intend to take Voice Over and Narration seriously, you should invest in one of the above options. However, if you are just starting out, and are not quite sure yet if you can commit the money, The Maono PD200X is a really solid entry choice. It plugs straight into the USB of your computer so is everything you need as a super budget option. However, when you want to try and move into the industry you really need a more professional setup to secure work.
Full PD200X Review - HERE
Buy the PD200X - HERE
Other Budget Options
While the PD200X is what I recommend I have added a couple of others for you to compare. You can often find YouTube videos comparing the sounds, and everyone's space and voice are different so you have a few options to check out.
If you can stretch to an interface here is a very affordable XLR mic:
Audio-Technica AT2020 - HERE
If you cannot afford an interface you will be looking at USB options:
Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ - HERE
Rode NT-USB+ - HERE
Blue Yeti - HERE
Blue Yeti X - HERE
Audio Interface
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - A very standard interface, I see them in studios all the time. They are cheap and reliable, sure you can spend more but this is a great starting point. I recommend the 2i2 over the Solo as there are just a few more features that make it useful, plus you get another input if you ever need it! You will need an interface for any XLR mic to supply Phantom power and for plugging into your laptop.
Full 2i2 review - HERE
Buy the 2i2 - HERE
Headphones
Once you have the above, you will need a good pair of over-ear headphones, anything will do as you start out, but eventually, you want to look at getting a pair of over-ear headphones. They should be Monitor headphones or Audio Mixing headphones, which are different to headphones you might buy for listening to music. If you think of popular headphones like Beats or something with Noise Cancelling and extra bass, it is very hard to hear the real sound of your recording, the headphones affect the sound. So you need a pair that gives you the true sound so you know how to mix the finished track.
The industry standards are Beyer DT770’s, there are many others, I just love the Beyers and again, see them in studios all the time!
Full DT 770's review - HERE
Buy the DT 770's - HERE
Laptop
For this, I really recommend a Macbook Air M3. I used to have a PC outside of my booth and would run cables for the monitor and use Bluetooth for the mouse and keyboard because the fans were too loud. Now I have the Air it comes into the booth with me, and I can use it for auditions while I am travelling too! It handles everything I throw at it easily, including audio post-production, video editing and even some gaming believe it or not! (No Man's Sky runs great!)
Buy the Macbook Air 13" M3 - HERE
Buy the Macbook Air 15" M3 - HERE
External Drives
It is SO important to back up your recordings! If anything goes wrong, at least you will be able to recover your work. I backup the project files from Reaper and the exported WAV files at the end of each recording day.
SanDisk 4TB SSD - This Solid State Drive is very fast, stable, and silent, 4TB is looooaaaads! If I were to only have one, it would be this. However, I have both this and the drive below because I am a backup nerd!
Buy the SanDisk 4TB SSD - HERE
WD Elements 2 TB HDD - This is a hard drive, so it can make some noise when it is writing data (so do not use this when recording), it is also not as stable, and slower to transfer data but it is cheaper!
Buy the WD Elements 2 TB HDD - HERE
Room Treatment
The most overlooked thing to think about is treating your recording space to keep away atmospheric sounds like cars from outside, or air conditioning, and stopping any reflection of your voice so that you don’t get an echo in the recording. An excellent professional Mic can sound awful in a bad space, so this is SUPER important and will dictate what kind of mic you should be looking at. THIS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
This video shows you a pretty solid on-the-fly DIY recording space and teaches you the basics of treating a space.
You want to choose a space that is pretty quiet to begin with, and then you have a few options.
The Blanket Fort
Make a frame from mic stands, clothes racks or any thing you can find! PVC tubes work really well. Cover it with blankets, the heavier the better. Many people use movers blankets but when I first started out I just used all the duvets and things I could find in the house. When I upgraded I went for specially made Sound Blankets, and I know a few people that have bought the premade portable vocal booths which they say are great!
I must say the best quality I have found are the ones from https://vocalboothtogo.com/ I think there Producers Choice blankets are really good!
The Converted Space
Find a room or closet you wish to convert and then surround yourself with soft surfaces. You can use blankets, pillows anything you can find! You can look at foam panels but remember you want to add MASS and not just soft things. Mass stops external sound so layers can be really helpful! Don't forget bass traps to take away as much of that boxy sound as possible!
The Home Booth/Studio
When you are ready to invest more seriously in your narration or Voice Over career you can look at building or purchasing a proper sound-isolated booth, but a fort or closet Is totally enough to get started!
Coaching
Once you have your setup you are ready to start practising and applying for jobs! It is really worth getting some coaching when you start out, especially if you do not have any experience in performance or are unsure on the tech side! There are a ton of great coaches out there, and it is all about finding the one that works for you! If you would like to get some coaching with me you can check out my coaching page here:
For anything else throw your questions in the comments! Happy narrating!!!!!!