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Sound Floor and Reverb – <60Db and Zero Echo !
Very happy with sound floor and reverb relief <60 Db and no reverb ! I went for a minimalist approach with nothing but a chair which I normally cover when recording and a microphone with the recording equipment connected by the lead to my computer in an adjacent room. You may observe that the space is wall to wall sound treatment which is reflected in my first proper sound test.
Take note of the wobblily sound trap I installed which was suggested to me by Edge Studio when this VO studio was still in the design stage. The only intruder you may have noticed is a little wooden contraption called a ‘Seiza Bench’ or meditation bench which I swap over with my chair for long sessions of voice over. It works a treat.
Shot of my work area
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Information for Nerds Only – Shouting in your studio sound floor and reverb ramifications
I added this section because Google or possibly just Rank Math (my SEO plugin) likes posts with more than 600 words and I like to see my SEO rating in green – I did warn you.
I am going to be Frank ( no not the one sung by Amy Whitehouse), despite getting a pile of qualifications in Ai I still see it as a novelty rather like when natives first saw a TV, but that is just history. I have just asked Chat to talk about the sound floor and reverb and also as a curveball what shouting should sounds like in a 99% treated studio.
Reverb, Sound Floors, and Shouting in a Professionally Treated Voice-Over Studio
Understanding Reverb in a Voice-Over Studio
Reverb is the persistence of sound after it has been produced, caused by reflections from surfaces like walls, ceilings, and floors. In an untreated space, reverb can make recordings sound distant, muddy, or echoey—something that’s unacceptable in professional voice-over work.
A properly treated studio minimizes reverb using sound-absorbing materials such as acoustic panels, bass traps, and diffusers. Foam panels alone do not sufficiently reduce reverb; thick, dense materials like fiberglass panels and heavy curtains are more effective. For voice-over artists, controlling reverb ensures a clean, direct sound that is suitable for audiobooks, commercials, and character work. A dry recording—one without noticeable reflections—allows for greater flexibility in post-production.
The Importance of a Low Sound Floor
The sound floor, or noise floor, refers to the background noise level in a recording. Professional voice-over studios strive for a noise floor of -60 dB or lower, ensuring no noticeable hum, hiss, or ambient noise. Common culprits of high noise floors include computer fans, HVAC systems, electrical interference, and external sounds from traffic or neighbors.
To lower the noise floor, voice actors use:
- Well-sealed recording booths with dense insulation.
- Dynamic or condenser microphones with low self-noise (though condenser mics generally pick up more room noise).
- Proper gain staging to avoid amplifying background noise during editing.
- Balanced XLR cables to reduce electrical interference.
A low noise floor ensures clarity and prevents clients from rejecting recordings due to unwanted background hum.
What Shouting Sounds Like in a 99% Treated Studio
Shouting in a well-treated studio should sound full, present, and controlled, rather than harsh or echoey. In an untreated room, shouting would introduce reflections, making the voice sound boomy or cavernous. In such a studio, the voice remains crisp and intimate, without excessive room tone.
Professional treatment ensures that shouting maintains consistent tonal quality without distortion. However, proper mic technique is still essential—stepping back from the mic when shouting prevents clipping and distortion while preserving dynamic range.
By controlling reverb, maintaining a low sound floor, and ensuring proper vocal projection techniques, voice-over artists can deliver studio-quality recordings that meet professional standards for clients worldwide.