Is Anyone Else Weird When Recording?

[Jessica Adnee]

I've found something strange...

I have this thing...

Whenever I record, in order to do my best I can't be wearing shoes. It throws me off. Being barefoot gives me better results. Having on clean socks makes it even better.

I really think I'm alone in this...

Does anyone else have something weird that has to be done when they're recording?

[Edwyn]

I sometimes go "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" and try to make that "kitty rumble" sound in the back of my throat. If I can keep it in a consistent tone it means I've warmed up for certain voices. That's probably not the practiced way of doing vocal warmups, I think. O.o

[ClymAngus]

I suppose it's anything that relaxes you and gets you in the mood for recording. Everyone to a certain extent has their own recording rituals. I purposely mess up lines or go off onto a tyrade at the mic. I find it gets it all out of my system and gets rid of any pressure. Feeling under pressure can really screw my voice at times.

[Fiona C]

When singing, I have to have one hand on my hip, or in a pocket. XD

And even if my first recording is more-or-less "flawless", I still re-record anyway. (I'm never satisfied with my performance.)

[Cristina]

I can't record during certain parts of the day. My voice just sounds like crap to me. I either have the do it right when I get up, or at night.

[soundcage]

I can't have mirrors or any reflective surfaces near me. I can't help but laugh uncontrollably when I see myself looking like the victim of a tragic farming accident, plus lipstick is so unignified on a dude.

[Lucien]

In general I have to feel right in my body before I record anything decent, so whether it's physical stretching, playful singing, talking in a very pronounced manner, shouting/screaming (in small controlled doses), taking a shower right before, wearing light, soft clothes, or not wearing shoes (I do tend to feel more rooted and lighter without those clunky things, and sets a more casual tone, making me feel more comfortable), nothing seems strange to me about it; Only thing that matters is making yourself comfortable and relaxed in your environment so that you can adapt quickly to any obstacles that are hurled at you during the session, however you can.

[Cefaclor]

I do sit ups. XD jk. No, I warm up my vocal chords by saying random things that the character would most likely say. I guess that helps me with understanding her personality.

[Matt Alan]

In general I have to feel right in my body before I record anything decent, so whether it's physical stretching, playful singing, talking in a very pronounced manner, shouting/screaming (in small controlled doses), taking a shower right before, wearing light, soft clothes, or not wearing shoes (I do tend to feel more rooted and lighter without those clunky things, and sets a more casual tone, making me feel more comfortable), nothing seems strange to me about it; Only thing that matters is making yourself comfortable and relaxed in your environment so that you can adapt quickly to any obstacles that are hurled at you during the session, however you can.

I'm the same way, to deliver quality performances I really have to be active, but comfortable....and I do the same routines it looks like of warming up. XD;;;

[Amby Leigh]

I average about... 5 lines and hour, because I am NEVER happy with my lines!

If make any kind of odd noise in the line or I say just one word the "wrong way" I redo it.

OH! And I ALWAYS need to have a bottle of water right next to me. Gotta stay hydrated ^.^

[Jessica Adnee]

Yea, I have the water bottle thing too. Only thing is that sometimes I don't even drink it. And I can't record without that. But I'm usually carrying around water anyway (a carry over from my water bottle obsession) so it's not really a problem.

[Mazkun17]

I can't say I've noticed anything strange I do. Just the normal warm up ritual, humming, singing my do re me's.

Bottle of water next to me, is a check and deffinate. Uncontrollable hand fidgetting, yep. Everything's quite normal. *Twitch*

Actually, I do fidget a lot when I'm recording, and I swing in my chair a lot too. But that's about it. I'm always barefoot, so i never have shoes on.

[fairuza]

I've noticed before I record my lines. I usually sit on the floor. I guess it kinda gives me more volume to my voice I dunno. I've noticed a change there. Also, I drink a huge glass of water,lol. And I practice my vocal ranges ranging from really high to extremely low as well as working out my diaphram.

[Kat Avery]

One of the excersizes I was taught was to stretch my mouth slightly and dampen my throat. Also, one of those peppermint candies work when it comes to hyping you up a little. :D

[Windy*]

I always have to be in comfortable clothes... most of the time I record in my night clothes for that reason! XD; I can't feel constricted in ANY way, and my everday get-up always feels heavy on me, especially when sitting down, which I do while recording at the computer... kinda have to. ^_^; But anyway...

No shoes, ever. >>; That bugs me. Water is a must, of course. :D And my computer windows usually have to be arranged in a certain order on the screen before I can record comfortably. >D;

*sooo OCD when it comes to recording* My lines take hours upon hours, too. :3 'Course, depends on the voice, but I'm a perfectionist no matter what. >>;

[Charil]

I can't stand when I record. I have to be sitting. 'Cause otherwise... I dunno, I have this really awkward leg twitching whenever I'm standing and acting, or even just speaking. Like, just standing there and prattling on, doing nothing else, and I start quivering like mad. I used to think it was because of the nervousness of being in front of an audiance, but it happens when I'm alone, as well.

Also, whenever I record, I usually read the line over a few times, to get a general feel for how it should be read, how the character would look when saying the line, etc. It's because of that that I usually end up doing a lot of awkward hand gestures, like a hand-to-heart for some more dramatic lines, hand-in-fist for threatening ones, pointing, shaking, face-covering... happens a lot with my eyebrows, too :0 Just helps me get into character better :)

Also, the mic has to be held in my left hand. I've tried it in my right, on my bedside table, on my laptop, it just doesn't work right.

And finally: the house must be empty. Or at least my mother and sister have to be downstairs watching television or something. But definately empty for shouted or loud and exciting lines.

[cabbagemcgee]

i usually record naked

or rather, i tend to laugh a lot and make fun of anything i'm about to voice act. gets me in good spirits. if this doesn't work, i play the guitar or go for a run.

[Jessica Adnee]

[QUOTE=cabbagemcgee]i usually record naked[QUOTE]

Please. Please tell me your joking. O.O

[Cosmo]

Im weird all the time except when im recording :D

I'm finding it hard to get comfortable/relaxed whenever i record myself, i think i just hate the sound of my own voice.

The weird thing is i've always been one for doing voices during conversation for emphasis, or when telling jokes and never really gave it any thought.
As soon as hit record my mind goes blank and my confidence takes a walk. :mad:

Im guessing i just need to get naked, arrange my windows, drink lots of water, sit down and hold it in my left hand, ill give it a try later. :D

Oh and i find im at my most confident at 4am in the morning, it's just a wild guess but i dont think my neighbours would be quite so entusiastic as i am ..... they seem to be real stick in the muds round here :shutup

[Jessica Adnee]

Yea. I realized that I cannot sing at all until after 1 AM. XD

[hideko_dahlia]

I jump around the room and talk to myself for like 5 minutes before I record. Oh wait, I *always* talk to myself. XD I'm constantly practicing, even if there's nothing to practice for. And a lot of times I act out what the character is doing. I bounce around in my chair, on my bed, jump, swing my fists.... I talk with my hands naturally. So recording is just.... talking exaggerated. I'm a very amusing person to watch talk.


Actually, the place I do the most is in my car when I'm driving alone. Its where I get all my inspiration for what I actually do when recording.

[Jason Axelrod]

I normally record standing or kneeling on the carpet rather than sitting in my chair. I'm usually kneeling though, it just feels right for some reason. By the time I'm done I've got imprints on my knees though, hehe.

Before recording I drink some water and I also do what Edwyn mentioned (if I'm understanding correctly). It's a good warm-up for some characters but it also helps clear up the throat pretty good since the phlegm can be damn persistant sometimes. (Pretty gross huh?)

One other thing is sometimes in the middle of recording, if I'm REALLY into it and I'm recording the line(s) several times because I haven't guaged it just the way I want to yet, I'll start rambling in that voice in weird ways and then sparratically go back to the line and back to rambling. Usually one near the very end of my rambling is the one I like :P

[Lucien]

You guys are weird.

[hideko_dahlia]

Well, yeah... What do you expect, huh? We're voice actors...

(Yay! I'm weird!)

[ChrisDark]

I do the usual. Talk to myself, moonwalk, take pictures of me all of a sudden bursting out into blood, the usual.

[StNick79]

Yikes! at the signature above. mannn when the hell did that happen? and where? if the batter was a donkey, the catcher's head would be rolling into the dugout.

[Dagita]

I agree with Lucien.

My computer broke so I'm not recording sh*t. I'm going to get a Mac when I get the money I believe.

[Nosce]

I'm going to get a Mac when I get the money I believe.
Your funeral. :neutral:

I myself do a lot of random voice stuff when I'm bored or waiting for something, but when I record I usually just stick to the job and don't go off on one.

[Lucien]

Your funeral. :neutral:

Actually, I record with an IMac; they work great with sound.

And as far as my previous comment goes, consider that I'm the guy who posted this; http://www.voiceacting.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=7203.

[Jessica Adnee]

And as far as my previous comment goes, consider that I'm the guy who posted this; http://www.voiceacting.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=7203.


You know, I was actually going to say something about that! XD

You hypocrite!

I kid, I kid. XD

[Dagita]

I do the same as Lucien while I warm up, except my hair is only end of the neck long, not past the shoulders..

[fairuza]

I can't stand when I record. I have to be sitting. 'Cause otherwise... I dunno, I have this really awkward leg twitching whenever I'm standing and acting, or even just speaking. Like, just standing there and prattling on, doing nothing else, and I start quivering like mad. I used to think it was because of the nervousness of being in front of an audiance, but it happens when I'm alone, as well.

Also, whenever I record, I usually read the line over a few times, to get a general feel for how it should be read, how the character would look when saying the line, etc. It's because of that that I usually end up doing a lot of awkward hand gestures, like a hand-to-heart for some more dramatic lines, hand-in-fist for threatening ones, pointing, shaking, face-covering... happens a lot with my eyebrows, too :0 Just helps me get into character better :)

Also, the mic has to be held in my left hand. I've tried it in my right, on my bedside table, on my laptop, it just doesn't work right.

And finally: the house must be empty. Or at least my mother and sister have to be downstairs watching television or something. But definately empty for shouted or loud and exciting lines.


WOW! That's how I feel before I voice act as well. How shocking!:O

[Charil]

Woah, really? :0 That is weird :D

[EKYO]

I usually talk to (read: harass) myself in between reading of the lines, whether I'm auditioning or recording lines. More often, I make noises... like, I'll make kitty mewls and zombie noises. Hell, I do that even when I'm not recording anything.

The cord of my mic headset has to be sitting on my lap, it can't be behind me. This is because I like to twist it around my hand while I'm recording... at least, I think that's why. XD

That's pretty much it. I don't do anything interesting... I don't care if people are home, but whenever they are, I usually talk to myself again if I have to do really loud-screamy lines ("Idiot, you should've waited till you were alone. Now you're going to be commited for screaming about pastas and bloodshed...")

[sgtkira]

Well when I record I usually say certain lines as a character to warm up and get the voice down like for Light I would say a couple of times "I shall be the God of my new world" or for Ryuk I might say "Apples" or for L I will say "I am L" and stuff like that :)

[wta2k6]

I hyperventilate before recording(not like a health issue or anything that's just what I do)...
<.<
>.>

[Shintarou Inuzuka]

If I have the costume or something similar, I often cosplay as the character while recording lines for them. Most of my acting experience before I joined the VAA was stage acting, so I'm used to being in costume and having the visual around me as I record lines. If I don't have the outfit, I generally don't cosplay, of course ^o^ But, it adds to the realism.

I also have a few other tricks up my sleeve.

[majia]

Hmm haha i want to say yes, because when i record I start talking to myself, which apparently is unhealthy :sweat. I also tend to hit my head on the desk when i can hear what i want to sound like in my head, but not be able to get it to come out using my voice. Or even when not recording and just watching something i'll end up trying the voice in my room, living room, with family, etc.

[fruitfly]

I can't record with a bra on. I can wear the most restricting pants, tight heels.. I could record in my prom dress, just as long as I were bra-less.

I always make faces when I'm trying to get into character. Villains get the sexy face. Snobs roll their eyes and smile condescendingly. Normal girls.. look normal. I also make a lot of auxilliary noises before lines to help me get the emotion correctly. For instance, "Did you really think you could defeat me?" would have a nice evil "HAH!" before it that gets cut out in editing. I've found that with especially emotional lines if I gasp a lot (crying) or kind of rev myself up (angry) the extra energy shows through in the line, so even if you don't hear me panting in anger, that sound is still just barely in my voice, and I believe it makes things sound much more real.

[HiLoPe]

I can't record with a bra on.


Lol, that's really weird ... just imagine going to a studio and you go like :-P and the engineers go like :shock::twisted::boom

Great, just super-great :D

[Scarlotte]

I can't wear any jewelery. I always have this pile of bracelets, necklaces and earrings beside me whenever I record because I wear them all day, but I just can't record with them on. Not even rings, although I wear them less often. And the headbands are taken off. ^^;

[Kyo_Starr]

I can't record after a certain time of night (10:30-ish), even if I'm in the mood... my voice gets all scratchy. Scratchiness is actually desirable for certain voices, but not the vast majority... :'D

I have a weird need to be completely, absolutely alone when recording. Nobody else in the house is optimal, but that doesn't happen often. I dunno, I can't seem to relax enough to record when I know somebody else will hear me and raise an eyebrow... :sweat

Let's see, what else... I tend to fidget when I'm singing, which sometimes messes up the take, but I just can't sit still! Go figure P: I also tend to express the emotional quality of lines with my body as well as my voice (eyes wide for excited lines, clutching the mic in a death grip for angry lines, huge smile for happy lines, etc.) Someone should place a candid camera on my computer, it would yield some very interesting results... >D;

[LiTTLe_BuNnY_BLuE]

when i record.. for some reason i always have to stand up. and i can never do it when there are people in the house... because im self concious lol

[crossblades08]

After I have fumbled up a word/line after several attempts, I need to start babbling in coherently using words that sound like what I'm trying to say. It's weird but helps be to say hit correctly... eventually.

Also, I can't wear glasses while I voice act. Even if I have to read something, they just annoy me.

[ichigo_m]

i usually have my elbow on my table and my cheak rested on my hand. also i'm always bearfooted.

Oh and i CANNOT record without my headphones on.

[Tekkaman Blade]

I average about... 5 lines and hour, because I am NEVER happy with my lines!

If make any kind of odd noise in the line or I say just one word the "wrong way" I redo it.

OH! And I ALWAYS need to have a bottle of water right next to me. Gotta stay hydrated ^.^

This entire post applies to me :lol:

I tend to get all serious for certain lines, or I go completely goofy, depending on the character. When some lines are longer, I tend to make weird faces to warm up my mouth so I don't start messing up lines.

[Lucien]

According to a silly girl I know, I put my index finger to my lip like I'm saying "shh" before I dive into my line.

[codeblackhayate]

If I start screwing up a line, I change character voices to the strangest one I can manage to make myself laugh and get rid of anxiety. I'm a selfconsious perfectionist, so making a line "not perfect" and more absurd used to squik me. Now I've discovered a bit more of my range! XD

I also must record from 11PM-2AM with lots of sugar in my system and either a popcicle or fruity flavored beverage.

[rebelcheese]

I can't record after 10:00 PM, my voice gets all slurred and I fumble words a lot. Come to think of it, I can barely function after 10:00 other than watching TV. I also have a mental block around a few words, so when they pop up I tend to take twice as long recording them because I tend to screw up. :sweat

I barely swear at all otherwise, but when I'm recording I tend to swear up a storm when I mess up. You know what 4-letter words they are.

[BWoods]

I'm slightly obsessive over everything when I'm recording, from the objects on my desk and my placement to the exact audio levels and arrangment of icons on my desktop (yes on the computer screen) when I'm recordi

I must open up each program and folder I need in exact order
- I start with the folder containing the current project I'm working on.
-Then my script, opening it where it can only cover half of the screen.
- I minimize the script and open up Audacity and open it to where it covers the other half of the screen.
- Finally I open up winamp so that I can easily listen to lines I've just exported.

There is no other order, those programs must be opened in that order and sorted accordingly, otherwise I just don't feel right.

Now desk placement when recording I usually place the microphone in the exact center of my desk and I must have a glass of water sitting on my right, in the exact center of the side panel on my desk (The desk is split into three parts, two wing-like parts with a center area.) I mostly do that to make sure I don't knock it over, but still I can't have it anywhere else.

My headphones have to be on, but the chord has to have the right amount of slack to it, I usually flip it over the edge of the desk and let it fall to the floor, same with the microphone slack, even if it's not moving. After making sure that's all ok I have to set the pop screen to the exact distance that I like it at. About 5 to 6 inches off of the microphone. Other than that I normally switch the TV on and flip it to mute so that I can take quick breaks every now and then.

Recording wise, I usually HAVE to have a single recording with three acceptable takes on it, all done back-to-back. Afterward I usually listen to it in winamp to make sure the levels and overall sound is alright. All of this pickiness contributes to me not getting many lines out per hour. It's probably the cause of my epic recording sessions.

I'm a bit crazy.... or obsessive compusive a little =D

PS - I also never record when wearing jeans. I have to be wearing shorts. So immediatly after I get home from work (normally 3PM in the afternoon) I'll be wearing shorts that I typically sleep in just to record. Then switch back when I decide to head out. xD

[mippa]

According to a silly girl I know, I put my index finger to my lip like I'm saying "shh" before I dive into my line.

It's not silly! In addition, you pull it away like a conductor about to start right before you speak--and you keep your pinky finger up too, not just your index finger!!

It's very cute, people. Very very cute.

[rebelcheese]

Another goofy thing I do is make weird postures sometimes. When I was auditioning for this rigid, regal-type character I was folding my leg and my shoulders were completely stiff, while auditioning for a slacker-type role I was doing this weird half-slouch/half-leaning motion on the chair (it's really hard to describe :sweat ).

[ajrich]

I do alot of weird things when im recordin lol, sometimes i use hand posture, or i have to close my eyes sometimes. And usualy i record early in the morning cuz i usualy sound better -__- i know weird lmao, also i sometimes get nervous recordin..

[Streah]

I for some reason have to be on my laptop... and not on purpose mind you, i tend to be in the traditional L Ryuuzaki pose.. knees to the chest.. and such.. someone randomly took a pic of me practicing voices a few times with out letting me know and basically in everyone i am in that pose.. lol

[Makopi]

I do all kinds of weird stuff XD It's weird, I have to always have my hand over my left ear for the line to turn out good o_o And I can't ever have my feet on the floor when I'm VAing, my feet always have to be under me XD And whenever I do a line where I'm running/panting, I have to actually get up and run in place. O_o

[Izzy]

Zomg D:
I put my index finger in my left ear, I MUST stand and had soda with me.
Then I must not have anything distracting me, or I'll go nuts!
Blah =.=;;
Butr then again... I usually go nuts over all my recordings saying they suck worse than the earth loosing the atmosphere <<;;;;;