In New York City and Los Angeles, there is a great need for professional post production dialogue recording for television, film and other media projects. Whether recording dialogue for automatic dialogue replacement (ADR), voiceover, or narration, many of the same rules apply for capturing the best quality audio.

Rule number one: The production should ensure it is working with a premier audio recording studio, like Outloud Audio, that is designed specifically for the best dialogue recording experience.  When post production supervisors and coordinators seek a studio for their dialogue recording needs, sound isolation is critical.  Outloud Audio features fully sound isolated stages at all its locations. This means that the rooms in which the audio is recorded and monitored are decoupled from the building structure within which they reside.  This is accomplished by floating the floors on specially engineered pucks that isolate the structure from vibrations and provide an appropriate air gap. Once the isolation is achieved and the rooms properly tuned for the optimal diffusion and absorption of frequencies, the performance by the talent comes into play.

When recording ADR to match previously captured picture, the main focuses for the talent, the director, and the engineer are to match performance, including cadence and delivery. Then the pitch of the original performance must be examined as it could be heightened for excitement or lowered for seriousness. Finally, the projection and the placement of the talent with regard to the microphone must be determined to most closely match the recording on the day of the principal filming.

These strategies are also employed in voiceover and narration and help the listener feel and understand the purpose of the performance without interrupting their experience. Great actors deliver their lines and perform them with cues to pitch, projection and mic placement.  They use these tools to engage the listener and take them into the story they are creating. And, when recording ADR, the listener should not be able to discern whether the dialogue was recorded on set or later in the studio. Capturing great performances is truly a collaborative art among the director, producers, actors and audio professionals. It is one of the things we love most about working in the field of dialogue recording for television, film, narration, and other media.

At Outloud Audio’s post production studios in New York City and Los Angeles, we focus on providing the optimal recording space and we understand the requirements needed for a great ADR match and an award-winning voiceover performance.

Capturing ADR and loop group performances is critical to maintaining the audio quality that ensures your final project is flawless. While there are scores of audio studios with varying specialties, only a select few offer the best quality ADR service and professional experience that TV production, film companies, advertisers, and other media clients expect. We strive to be among the top Los Angeles ADR studios and work with many post production studios around the country and the world. Here’s what we’ve learned about finding the best audio post production partners.

Initial Communication

When searching online for the best ADR studios in LA or anywhere, one of the best ways to create a short list is by eliminating any that don’t respond in a timely manner. Production managers have hard deadlines for studios completing ADR and looping. Time is a huge factor, as is a courteous and prompt response not just to booking requests but to confirmation of session details or answering any questions.

Project Portfolios and Studio Features

The best ADR studios for live action television, feature films, and voice over for advertising in Los Angeles or other major cities, such as New York or London, will have a number of top clients and interesting portfolios of recognizable work. They are also likely to have a résumé of voice over recording for clients from premiere corporations. When working in smaller markets where studio credits may be less recognizable, the quality of the studio build out, the selection of microphones, and having the most up-to-date technology can signal that a studio has the chops to meet your TV, film, or advertising production needs.

The Approach

It can be a challenge to vet ADR studios to discover their approach to projects. Do they understand the client’s post production requirements while providing the highest quality service? Can they cater to audio post production workflow specifications? How do they handle media security? Do they offer a comfortable environment for execs and talent? The best ADR studios in Los Angeles or Albuquerque should have clean, modern, and comfortable facilities and offer the technical solutions production managers look for, such as IP-based video services so that production teams from multiple locations can fully interact and engage in each project in real time. The best ADR studios shine in the details. A solid post production studio will take care of everything from having comfortable spaces to the latest audio technology. It will also offer superior client service with a willingness to customize based on a client’s ADR needs. Studio staff will be prompt, locations will have multiple stages and a team of professionals with the best recording and editing equipment in the industry. It takes time to look at the details for every ADR studio from approach to delivery. When you do, you can find an ideal partner to work with on your next project and many more to come.