Stopping Mouth Noise in Your Voice Overs

So, you're set up, you're ready to record, and then you hear it... that pesky problem that spoils your audio: the clicks, smacks and pops of mouth noise. Well, hold on to your headphones, my friend! In this article, I'll let you know what I do every day to keep the mouth noise at bay!

Hydrate loads... and then some more... and then a liiiiiiittle bit more... cool

Dryness equals mouth noise. Simple as that. So, chug H2O. I start drinking water three hours before I go near the booth and aim for 32 oz before I hit record. Keep drinking throughout the day too, just ... keep drinking, trust me, it makes a world of difference.... you might need a few visits to the loo, though!

Oral Hygiene

Brush your teeth, floss like a champ, and rinse with mouthwash. A clean mouth means less gunk that can trigger mouth noise. Oh, and don't forget about your tongue—give it a good scrape, sounds gross, helps loads.

Watch Out for Enemy Foods and Drinks

Avoid dairy products, sticky goodies, too much sugar, and beverages like coffee or booze before your recording session. They can mess with your saliva production or leave a sticky residue in your mouth—all of that is bad! Opt for plain water or herbal tea to keep your mouth happy and noise-free.

Warm Up and Loosen Up!

Warm up those vocal cords and relax those mouth muscles. Every day. Before every session. Hum, trill your lips, and tie your tongue in knots with tongue twisters. Stretching the mouth muscles and jaw releases tension and helps us articulate (next tip). Deep breathing exercises are a bonus—keeping your breath steady and controlled helps control mouth noise.

Articulate, Annunciate and Speak proper innit!

Now you are all vocally limber, focusing just a touch more on pronouncing fully can keep those noises from creeping in. Obvs you don't want to sound like a robot, but just make sure your mouth, lips and tongue are moving! Sometimes I will overannunciate if I hit a particulaly mouth noise-y section.

Shield Your Mic with Pop Filters

A pop filter does more than deal with plosives. It puts a bit of distance and diffusion between your mouth and the mic, which can take the edge off mouth noise, too. Worth having one. They're great.

Back off the Mic!

Getting too close to the mic amplifies everything — including all the stuff you don't want. Back off a bit, speak up slightly to compensate, and you'll often find a lot of the noise just disappears into the background. Generally, if you stretch your hand out, put your thumb on your chin, and your pinky on the pop shield, that is a good starting distance. Take time to find your sweet spot. It's worth the experiment.

Tweak and Tidy Up in Post-Production

Even if you do everything right, a few sounds will slip through. That's what post is for! Noise reduction, EQ, de-essers — all useful. I MASSIVELY recommend the RX plugins... their de-clicker tool alone is worth it! They usually have sales, so wait for one to come along. Seriously, it is witchcraft.

Conclusion

Drink loads, use good technique, and if needed, use magic wands/plug-ins!

Voice 101

I have a video that teaches more of the fundamentals, and should give you a bunch of knowledge to avoid vocal strain and start strengthening your voice, too! You can check it out here: