Ask an Engineer: Q&A for Voice Actors

Ask a Recording Engineer: Live Q&A with Jeff Wright

Join veteran recording engineer Jeff Wright for a free, one-hour Zoom Q&A tailored to voice actors working in commercial, animation and video games. Limited seats — bring your questions about microphones, home studios, character sessions, video game work and more.

Full event description

Jeff has 20+ years specializing in voice and music for award-winning animated TV and film — for a free, one-hour live Zoom Q&A. Jeff’s credits include Family Guy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Barney, The Nut Job, Cat in the Hat, Arthur, Magic School Bus and many more. He’s recorded vocals for projects that went on to earn Academy, Annecy, Gemini, CSA and Emmy recognition.

This session is practical and actor-focused: Jeff will give concise, real-world answers for commercial auditions, animation character sessions, and video game performance. He’ll also share home-studio tips that actually work in professional sessions. Bring your questions - seats are limited!! We will get through as many of your questions as time permits! Here is a list of topics to spark your curiosity!

Commercial

1. Mic technique for commercials: proximity, tone control, and quick line changes.

2. Deliverables and file specs producers expect (sample rates, bit depth, file types, naming conventions).

3. Matching performance to copy—finding the sweet spot for national vs local reads.

4. Remote sessions: Source-Connect / Cleanfeed / Zoom etiquette and how to sound great remotely.

Animation

1. Director/engineer workflow in character sessions (how to take direction quickly).

2. Creating distinct character reads while preserving clarity for editing.

3. ADR and loop group basics — what engineers need from actors in pickup sessions.

4. Vocal health and session strategy for multiple characters in one session.

Video Games & Interactive

1. Non-linear session recording (efforts, SFX, grunts) — best practices for efficiency and consistency.

2. Performance continuity across branching dialogue and recording many variations.

3. Metadata, takes numbering, and how to deliver organized game sessions.

Home studio & technical

1. Microphone selection: when to upgrade, and what those upgrades actually buy you.

2. Room treatment on a budget: practical fixes that noticeably reduce reflections.

3. Gain staging, noise floor and prepping clean tracks for editors/mixers.

4. File management, backup workflow and secure delivery (FTP/WeTransfer/Google Drive best practices).

Career & session etiquette

1. Communicating with engineers and directors: what to say, what to avoid.

2. How union vs non-union sessions change the engineer/director dynamic (what to expect).

3. Creating usable audition/demo files that engineers will thank you for.

4. How to handle notes, pickups, and re-takes without burning time in the studio.

5. Preparing for paid sessions — what to test and send before the session starts.

Sample Questions...

1. What mic would you recommend for a home studio on a $300 budget vs $1,500 budget?

2. How loud can I safely shout into a mic and still send usable files for games?

3. What sample rate & file format should I deliver for animation vs TV vs games?

4. How do you set up for recording “effort” lines and make them consistent?

5. Best quick fixes for an echoey room when you don’t have time or money for full treatment?

6. How do I prepare my session files so editors can find my best takes fast?

7. What do engineers want actors to do during remote sessions to make life easier?

8. How should I label and organize multiple takes for branching dialogue?

9. What’s the difference between ADR and VO prep from an engineer’s point of view?

10. Are there microphone techniques that help when switching from commercial to animation in the same session?

11. What do producers actually notice in an audition file that gets you booked?

12. How do I protect my vocal health across a long session with multiple characters?

13. What’s the most common rookie mistake actors make when recording at home?

14. How do I work with an engineer who’s also directing me—who’s in charge of performance choices?

15. What are your favorite short checklist items to run through before sending files?