Building Your Home Voiceover Studio
The gear I use, the gear I trust, and the stuff you don't need to buy.
You don’t need to spend thousands to build a working home voiceover studio.
I've built several studios over the course of my career, starting with whatever I could afford and upgrading when the work justified it. That's still my advice: start with what you need, and let your income tell you when to spend more.
These are things I've actually used, or watched enough other actors use to have an opinion about. I'll tell you what I think and why, including when something isn't worth your money.
The single most important thing in any home studio isn't on any gear list: it's a quiet space. Solve that first. Everything else is downstream of it.
Jump to what you need:
Starter Kit (Under $400)
*Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
IF I WERE SETTING UP MY FIRST HOME STUDIO TODAY
No filler, no prestige gear, no buyer’s remorse:
Headphones
Sony MDR-7506 ~$90
Clear, honest sound and comfortable for long sessions.
Mic Stand
Basic floor stand ~$26
Stability matters more than style.
Pop Filter
Any basic pop filter ~$10
No need to get fancy.
Estimated Total: ~ $369
HELPFUL (BUT OPTIONAL) UPGRADES
Mic Isolation Shield ~$33
Helpful if you’re in a larger or untreated room. Not magic, but useful.
iZotope RX Elements (~$99) or RX Standard (~$399)
Post-processing tools for cleanup. Powerful, but only worth it if you’re willing to learn them. Solid cleanup if you’re producing audiobooks. They sometimes have sales.
USB vs. XLR, or Why You Should Have an XLR Mic:
A USB mic can get you started.
An XLR mic will grow with your career.
USB mics like the Blue Yeti can record audio, but they’re really not built for professional voiceover.
USB mics can get you started. They combine the mic and interface in one unit, which means less control, noisier electronics, and a dead end when you want to upgrade.
XLR runs through a separate interface — cleaner gain, better control, and you can upgrade one piece at a time.
Can a USB mic work in a pinch? Yes. Is it the right foundation for a career? No.
MICROPHONES I’VE USED (AND TRUST)
What matters: reliability, forgiveness, and low self-noise. What doesn't matter: what someone on a forum told you was the only acceptable mic.
⭐ personal recommendation
Samson CO1U (USB)
My first mic. It did the job while I was learning. USB limits you long-term, but it's a perfectly fine starting point if that's where you are.
Blue Snowball (USB)
I used this for years. It works. The Yeti is in the same neighborhood. Neither is a forever mic, but neither is a mistake if it's what you can afford right now.
Sterling ST51 / ST55 (available used)
My first XLR mic. More control, better signal. The ST55 has a -10dB pad; sonically they're nearly identical. Worth hunting used.
AKG P120 ⭐
I bought this as a backup and travel mic and kept recommending it to students. Excellent value.
Audio-Technica AT2020
I’ve never owned one, but I know many actors who use it successfully at an entry level.
MXL 990
A solid large-diaphragm mic at a very accessible price. I discovered this mic in my old agent’s booth and tried to purchase one at Guitar Center, but they pointed me instead to the Sterlings. Despite Guitar Center opinions, it’s perfectly serviceable.
Sennheiser 416 ⭐
One of my current main mics. Expensive, worth it. If the TLM 103 is the gold standard for large diaphragms, this is its shotgun equivalent.
Neumann TLM 102 ⭐
Also in heavy rotation. I tested the 102 and the 103 side by side and chose this one. Saved money, lost nothing I could hear.
Neumann TLM 103
The studio standard. Warm, lush, and completely unnecessary until you're working enough to justify it.
AUDIO INTERFACES (PREAMPS)
Avid Mbox Mini (may be available used)
Expensive and unreliable in my experience. Skip it.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ⭐ / Scarlett Solo ⭐
Reliable, affordable, widely used. The Solo is plenty for single-mic VO.
Behringer U-PHORIA UMC22
Cheap and functional. Treat it gently.
Universal Audio Volt ⭐
A solid step up from the Scarlett. Easier to onboard than the full Apollo ecosystem.
Universal Audio Apollo Twin X ⭐
A serious investment later in my career. Excellent noise handling and build quality. Overkill for beginners.
What matters: What matters: clean gain, stable drivers, no drama.
⭐ personal recommendation
SOFTWARE
The best software is the software you actually know how to use.
You do not need Pro Tools to record auditions. You do not need to own every DAW. Pick one, learn it well, and stop browsing comparison threads.
GarageBand — free for Mac users, more than adequate, not the most detailed ability to edit
TwistedWave — simple, single-track, no fuss. I used this for years until they switched to a subscription model after I’d paid for what was sold as a lifetime license.Take from that what you will.
Audacity — free, cross-platform, gets the job done
Adobe Audition — good if you're already in the Creative Suite
Reaper, Logic, Pro Tools, Studio One — all fine; all more than you need to start
They all record audio. Master one.
ACCESSORIES THAT ACTUALLY MATTER
⭐ personal recommendation
Pop Filter ⭐ Don’t overthink here. Buy one. Any one. The cheapest one on Amazon is fine.
XLR cables — Cheap cables fail at the worst possible moment. Mogami cables are what I use and what I recommend.
Headphones — Studio monitors only. Wired only. No noise-canceling, no Bluetooth, no "enhanced bass" consumer headphones. The Sony MDR-7506⭐ is the industry workhorse for a reason.
Mic Stands & Mounts
Floor stand: tripod or weighted base⭐
Boom arm ⭐ only if it's genuinely sturdy; a wobbly boom arm is worse than no boom arm
Desktop stand: useful for audiobook work or seated recording
Gooseneck, if you need an extension
NOTE: You do not need headphones to record. You're not in a soundproofed studio where the only way to communicate with your engineer/director is through cans. I often record without them and use headphones only for editing.
SOUND TREATMENT
Before you spend anything, try these first:
A closet full of clothes is genuinely one of the best recording environments in a house. I'm not being cute — it works. Hanging fabric absorbs reflections. The clothes you already own are free.
Stacking blankets around your mic costs nothing and is embarrassingly effective.
IKEA rug squares on the walls, if you're in a live-sounding room, can make a real difference.
You can spend hundreds on acoustic foam and still lose to a quiet room with a wardrobe in it. If you've treated the room and still need more, The Foam Factory is reasonably priced. For something that looks like you meant to do it, sound panels.
STRAIGHT TALK
Figure out your budget. Buy the best gear you can within it. Record. Book work. Upgrade when the income tells you to.
If you want to talk through what makes sense for your specific space, that's something I do. Get in touch.