Questions to Ask in Recording Radio Drama

You will probably need to look up some of the vocabulary used in the following questions. You should ask and answer each of these questions in the pre-production planning necessary to achieve a high quality radio drama recording.

• What is/are the location(s)?How will these be perceived aurally?

• How will movement be perceived aurally?

• How will voices be miked and mixed?

• Is it to be stereo recording or multitrack recording to mix down to mono or stereo?

• What types of mics are available (dynamic, cardioid, bi-directional, etc.) What are their frequency ranges, transient responses and sensitivities?

• What is the S/N ratio of your equipment overall & what is the noise floor of the recording space?

• How much headroom can you allow yourself vs. how much sound do you need to overcome the noise floor of your equipment during quiet moments? Can the noise floor be suppressed by use of a music bed, bridges, stingers or SFX? Do you have the software or outboard hardware to handle glitches and of what kind? (Equalizer, De-esser, De-Popper, Compressor/Expander)

• What are the relative SPLs of the actors' voices?

• Which actors need pop filters? -- Which ones pop their plosive consonants?

• What are the fundamental frequencies of the actors’ voices and how will you match the mics available with the actors' voices?Which actors can use the same mic (if any)?

• Which actors need to speak on top of each other and from where?How should the mics be placed in relation to each actor, based on his/her vocal SPL, frequency and quality characteristics (sibilance, plosives, wide or narrow dynamic range)?

• How does mic placement in relation to actors for sonic reasons affect the perception of location/distance physically and relationally (character to character)?

• Will sound effects be Foley or pre-recorded?
  If Foley, where will they occur and how will they be miked? (Separate track or mixed into a vocal track?)

• Can the full ADSR be recorded on a vocal track or will it be obtrusive?

• Is mic bleed a problem?

• What is the proper balance between direct and indirect sound? This affects mic placement near reflective surfaces.

• Is there a difference in this balance from one location to another? (Outside scenes, in home, in workplace, etc.)

• Do you need an ambience mic?

• Are you recording on analog or digital media? (Analog reaches saturation more readily (thus distortion & clipping are more likely).How many tracks are available for recording?

• Is the recording to be live (single pass), multi-take?

• How large a crew is available (does your recording equipment require you to ride gain (mixer), do you need a separate recordist, logger, and Foley artist(s))?

• Is an audience to be present? Are they miked?