6 drills · Original prompts · Playback review

Voice Acting Plosive Exercises

Identify microphone thumps caused by air bursts on plosive sounds using controlled recordings. Change one recording variable at a time and compare the same spoken line. This is microphone craft rather than a reason to remove consonants from speech.

Start the six-drill routine Read the original example

Controlled practice

Work through the routine one drill at a time.

Change one variable, listen back, then mark the drill. Progress stays on this device and carries across the language switch. The checklist stores completion flags, never recordings.

Baseline phrase

Record the original test phrase at a comfortable speaking level with the microphone position noted. Listen for low thumps separately from ordinary consonant sounds.

Completed drill 1: Baseline phrase

Angle comparison

Move the microphone slightly off the direct air path while keeping distance stable. Record again and compare whether clarity remains while thumps decrease.

Completed drill 2: Angle comparison

Distance comparison

Keep the new angle and test a modest increase in distance. Adjust listening volume for comparison rather than treating a quieter take as automatically cleaner.

Completed drill 3: Distance comparison

Pop-filter check

If a filter is available, compare recordings with and without it at stable placement. Ensure it does not obscure the view of the script or encourage awkward posture.

Completed drill 4: Pop-filter check

Consonant-preserving read

Say the phrase clearly without pushing extra air for emphasis. Compare with the baseline and reject versions that replace distinct consonants with vague syllables.

Completed drill 5: Consonant-preserving read

Full-line verification

Put the difficult phrase into a complete sentence. Check that the chosen microphone setup also handles surrounding words and does not introduce room noise or inconsistent level.

Completed drill 6: Full-line verification

0 of 6 drills completed. Self-review, not an audio score.

Original practice card

Use one fixed example for a fair comparison.

Original test line: “Pip packed a blue paper bag beside the back porch.” Record baseline A and off-axis B, label the distance and angle, and compare them at similar playback loudness. A useful result reduces low air thumps while keeping “packed,” “paper,” and “back” distinct.

How should the first pass work?

Read the example and limits before starting, keep a baseline, and work through the six drills above. Make two takes with a recording device you control and note the specific change privately. On playback, check that information remains intact before judging expressive choices. Stop if uncomfortable; no audio upload is needed.

Limits and failure cases

Repair a failed comparison before continuing.

Do not whisper, force breath, or push through discomfort to pass a recording test. This page does not diagnose a speech or voice condition. If a setup change creates more noise or poorer clarity, return to the recorded baseline and try one smaller adjustment.

Too many simultaneous changes

Changing words, level, position, and pace together makes the comparison inconclusive. Return to the example baseline and retain only the variable specified by the current drill.

Impressions instead of evidence

A more attractive sound does not establish that the task worked. Apply the page-specific playback checks, and ask a listener unfamiliar with the example to recount the information before keeping a take.

Effort used to force completion

The completion record is not an endurance contest. Stop at discomfort, shorten the session, and return to comfortable speech; pain or excessive vocal effort is never a condition for checking a box.

Continue training

Choose the next exercise by the task you need.

Continue with Voice Acting Microphone Technique and Voice Acting Mouth Noise Exercises, or return to the voice imitation game. The game uses its own reference clips and imitation scoring; it does not automatically assess this original practice script.

How should I review voice acting plosive exercises?

Pass when the difficult words stay intelligible, low thumps are reduced, recording level remains usable, posture is comfortable, and the change survives a full sentence. Reject a comparison made at dramatically different playback volumes. Keep the unprocessed files so a noise-removal effect cannot hide the actual recording difference.