Bohdan Danyliuk
enruuk
Lessons19/33

Lesson 19 of 33 · 40 minutes

Sound

Record clear, clean speech with minimal gear, and learn what to fix first when audio sounds bad.

Goal

Record clear, clean speech with minimal gear, and learn what to fix first when audio sounds bad.

Why sound is half the video

Viewers forgive modest image quality but quickly leave when they cannot understand or when the sound is distracting. Instagram lists lack of sound among factors that reduce Reels reach (source). In a talking reel, the voice is the content.

The three enemies

  1. Noise: traffic, fans, refrigerators, air conditioning, keyboards.
  2. Echo (reverb): hard, empty rooms bounce your voice back, making it hollow.
  3. Distance: the farther your mouth is from the microphone, the more room sound you record.

Fix them in this order: reduce noise, reduce echo, get closer.

Fixing the room

  • Turn off what hums. Fans, heaters, appliances.
  • Close windows to cut street noise.
  • Choose a soft room. A bedroom with a bed, curtains and carpet usually sounds much better than a kitchen or bathroom.
  • Add softness. Hang a blanket or put pillows or coats just outside the frame, behind the camera and to the sides. Even a closet full of clothes can be a good vocal booth.
  • Avoid parallel hard walls and large glass surfaces.
  • Avoid filming in the same moment as a delivery, a neighbor’s drill, or a siren. Wait.

Record 10 seconds of “room tone” (silence) at the start of a session. You will hear what the microphone hears, including fridge hum.

Distance and position

With the phone’s built-in microphone:

  • Keep the phone 30-60 cm from your mouth for a clean sound. A tripod at arm’s length is typical.
  • Speak toward the microphone, not away.
  • Don’t cover the microphone with a finger or case.
  • Keep the distance the same throughout, because volume changes are hard to fix.

Which microphone

Order of improvement:

  1. Phone mic in a quiet room, close: free and often enough to start.
  2. Wired or wireless lavalier (lapel) microphone: clips to your clothing 15-20 cm below the chin. It records your voice at a constant distance, which greatly improves clarity. This is the most useful first purchase for talking videos.
  3. Small shotgun or on-camera mic: better than the phone’s, but picks up more room.
  4. A USB or XLR microphone for a fixed desk setup: excellent quality, less mobile.

Check that your phone and the microphone are compatible (connector type, adapter, wireless receiver). When using wireless mics, test and watch for dropouts.

Wind and handling

  • Outdoors, wind ruins audio. Use a foam or furry windscreen, or find shelter.
  • Handling noise: if the phone is handheld, rustling hands or clothing is picked up. A tripod is better.
  • Lavalier cables brushing against clothing create rubbing sounds. Tape the cable in a loop to the shirt.

Levels

  • Aim for speech that is clearly audible but not distorted. On most apps, there’s no meter in the camera, so do a test, then listen on headphones.
  • Peaks that sound harsh are clipping; move back or speak less loudly.
  • You can adjust volume in editing; you cannot fix distortion.

Quick audio test routine

Before each session:

  1. Record 10 seconds of silence (room tone).
  2. Say your hook at normal volume.
  3. Play it back on headphones and on your phone speaker.
  4. Check: hum? echo? too quiet? distortion?
  5. Fix one thing and retest.

Music and sound in the background

Do not film with music playing in the room. It makes edits impossible and may violate copyright. Add music later in the edit, at low volume under speech (lesson 6.3).

Common mistakes

  • Recording in a bathroom or kitchen. Echo.
  • Fans running.
  • Moving closer and farther as you talk.
  • Not listening on headphones.
  • Starting with an expensive microphone in a bad room.

Exercise

  1. Record the same 15-second line in three places: kitchen, bedroom, a closet or a corner with blankets. Listen on headphones and rank.
  2. Record at 30 cm and 80 cm. Compare.
  3. Record with your voice at conversation volume, then slightly louder.
  4. Write down your best sound setup and add it to your camera recipe.

Daily practice

  • Minimum (keeps the streak): a voice note of any length.
  • Today’s take (about 30 seconds): Do the room-tone check first, then film. Listen on headphones.
  • Weeks 1-2 everything stays private; from week 3 follow your publishing plan.
  • Don’t watch the take right away (lesson 4.1). Tick the day in your tracker.

Reading (optional)

This week’s book, about 15-20 minutes: Austin Kleon, Show Your Work!. A loose suggestion; it does not have to match the lesson. More in resources and the schedule.

Checklist

  • I know which room in my home sounds best.
  • I reduced noise sources before filming.
  • I keep a steady distance from the mic.
  • I listened on headphones before filming the real take.
  • I recorded today’s voice note and take.

Sources

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