×

Customers

USA: +1 332 2131 466

UK: +44 (0)203 603 3676

sales@voquent.com

Talent

USA: 1 332 2131 466

UK: +44 (0)203 603 3676

talent@voquent.com

Production

Fast Voice Over – Make it So

Al Black

Al Black

8 March 2021

Fast Voice Over – Make it So - Voquent

Voice-over in the fast lane.

Whether you need a fast voice-over service, to quickly replace a voice track, improve your recording speed, or speed up a voice to create that squeaky cartoon 'fast-forward' vocal effect, the answers lie herein. Speedy voices are our thing, and we've made this post quick to navigate too! Choose the relevant jump-to link below if you are short on time. 🙂 Quick Jump to:

 

Fast voice-over service

fast voice-over service

Listen, we get it. Your script is ready. And you need a fast voice-over service.

So here it is, look no further than Voquent. Thousands of the world's best voice talents, speaking hundreds of languages, all vetted and approved, ready to book now.

Our state-of-the-art voice search is lightning-quick. Experience it for yourself:

Apply your desired filters and rapidly favourite the voices you like the best.

Then click Get Quote. Our team will instantly check your brief and get back to you with a fixed quote and talent availability.  Getting a professional voice-over recorded fast for explainer videos, promos, or TV commercials is our strong suit. Any language or accent.  

 

How to quickly replace voice-over

quickly replace voice-over

Perhaps you have a roughly recorded guide VO track or an artificially generated voice-over you've used to create an explainer animation or promo. 

If you need to quickly replace an existing voice-over track, you'll need to provide us with a script, a description of the voice you want (language, accent, gender, age, style), and the source video & music track.  If you're not sure where to start, reach out to our projects team for guidance.

Ideally, prepare in advance to replace the voice-over. It would help if you first created a voice-over brief. If you are not sure how to write a brief, our team can help, or you can learn more in our blog: How to Brief a Voice-Over Artist.

 

How to speed up a voice recording

speed up voice recording

Many voice actors are skilled sight-readers, but there's still always going to be some tricky words or phrases that require a couple of tries to get right. This is especially true for scientific or medical explainers If the voice doesn't have the script, they can't practice, which means more takes and a longer recording session. Preparing in plenty of time is the key to speed up a voice recording. It is also vital to set up equipment correctly and have a clear brief planned out. However, by far the most common issue is the voice actor not receiving the script until moments before the session. 

Related: How to Write a Voice-Over Script – 5 Methods Explained

If you want to record a voice-over urgently yourself, it depends on the equipment you already have. Audacity is free, and if you just need a Demo, you can record using the built-in microphone on your laptop or computer. If your computer doesn't have a microphone built-in (most do), you can use a headset with a built-in mic. Another solution is to use the voice app on your phone – every smartphone will have one! A slightly more expensive option would be the have all the studio equipment already and leave it set up. As I mentioned before, preparation is the key!  

 

Ways to create a Speed-up voice sound

speed up voice

Knowing how to speed up voices is great for animations and comedic projects.

So, if you want that squeaky cartoon sped-up voice recording sound for a phone call, you're going to want something that sounds like the audio in this video.

 

This example uses the Cartoon Trax Sound Effects library, but you can make a similar effect using your voice and a basic audio editor. It is reasonably straightforward. If you're on a budget, using Audacity to speed up the audio can be useful. Use Paulstretch, Sliding stretch or 'Change speed'. It'll be a case of experimenting to get your desired results. 

However, using Pro-Tools is always better for pro-audio, and it's the same for creating sped-up voices. When you have an audio file inside Pro-Tools, be sure to turn Elastic Audio on for the desired audio track. 

 

Set it to 'Varispeed'. Then, all you have to do is make sure 'Slip' mode is on, change the 'Trim' tool (the one that looks like a square bracket) to the version with the little clock on it, and you can stretch or elongate the audio as much as you need.  Having 'Varispeed' ensures the audio remains coherent while changing the pitch and pace.

The syllables and words stay the same distance from each other, relative to the overall speed, regardless of how condensed or stretched it is.  Elastic audio uses a considerably more complex algorithm than Audacity's 'Change speed', so this approach is better. And of course, it being Pro-Tools, there are countless alternative methods to get the same result. It's worth experimenting with!

We hope you've enjoyed learning about everything related to fast voice-over. Why not try searching for high-pitched or comedy voices for some inspiration?

 

Find Voice Talents Fast >>

Listen to Fast Voices >>

 

 

Al Black

By Al Black

Al has over twenty years of experience in audiovisual translations. A Voquent co-founder, he has produced tens of thousands of voice-overs and translations for education, advertising and entertainment projects.

More from this author

What Will It Cost to Dub My Content?

Production

What Will It Cost to Dub My Content?

By Al Black

1 February 2024

The Top 10 Translation Companies in the US & UK

Guides

The Top 10 Translation Companies in the US & UK

By Al Black

6 October 2023

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores such as Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, if you click on a link and make a
purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Read more from the Voquent Blog

YouTube’s New Policy on AI-Generated Content REVEALED

Production

YouTube’s New Policy on AI-Generated Content REVEALED

By Dylan de Koning

26 March 2024

Top 10 Fictional Languages You Can Learn!

Entertainment

Top 10 Fictional Languages You Can Learn!

By Chloe McWhinnie

26 March 2024

Master the Craft: 7 Must-Know Filmmaking Techniques for Independent Filmmakers

Production

Master the Craft: 7 Must-Know Filmmaking Techniques for Inde...

By Michelle Quill

26 March 2024

Top 10 Best Video Game Voice Actors

Entertainment

Top 10 Best Video Game Voice Actors

By Chloe McWhinnie

22 March 2024

Top 10 Best Anime Voice Actors in English Dubs

Entertainment

Top 10 Best Anime Voice Actors in English Dubs

By Chloe McWhinnie

21 March 2024