In this article, Paul Maunder considers a combination of soft skills and technical considerations that will contribute towards more effective and believable sounding ADR.

One of the biggest challenges in audio post is dialogue. The dialogue editing process takes a lot more time than we would like, and there’s inevitably a good proportion of the dialogue which ultimately needs to be re-recorded as ADR. Reasons for this can include poor recordings, performance issues and variances in tonal quality or intonation when shots from various different takes are intercut.

ADR stands for Automated Dialogue Replacement and it involves re-recording dialogue in the studio, in sync with the original performance. Previously we looked at ‘tips for managing ADR and VoiceOver sessions’, which covered some of the things to consider to ensure a smooth session. In this article we’ll consider some additional points which can help contribute to effective, believable sounding ADR. We’ll look at a combination of soft skills and technical considerations.

Microphone Selection

Sonic integration is one of the hardest things to get right. Using incorrect microphones will lead to a tonal mismatch between the location recordings and the re-recorded dialogue. EQ matching can go some way towards correcting this, but recording with the right mics in the first place is the preferable option. It’s good to use the exact make and model of microphones which were used on set. If you don’t know, speak to the location sound recordist and find out. It’s a good idea to record with both the lav and the boom mics simultaneously. This gives you the option of choosing which to use in the mix, for the best possible cohesion with the surrounding location dialogue.

Microphone Placement

In addition to the microphone selection, the placement of the mic needs to be just right. Not too close and not too far away. It’s worth experimenting with placement and listening back before commencing recording. If the cue is a loud one, politely ask them to take one step back from the microphone. Floor tape or markers can be used to assist with this. In the case of a very quiet cue, bring them closer to the mic by asking them to take one step forward from the reference position. You can expect your artist to move around as they perform. This can actually make for a more natural performance, as long as the movement ties in with that of the original performance. Go for the most realistic performance possible. For example, if the cue is an out of breath moment, de-mic, get them to run up and down some stairs, mic back up and record.

Sample Rate

This one is purely a technical point but if you need to time compress and expand ADR recordings to fit the timing of the original performance, a 48kHz recording can start to sound a little grainy if time stretched too much. To minimise the audible artefacts from this, you can record the audio at a higher sample rate. Down convert back to 48kHz once the processing has been done. The vast majority of audio you’ll deliver will be 48kHz, 24 bit, so be sure to work to this spec in the final audio.

Leave Time For The Actors To Settle

Nobody can just turn up at the studio, go straight onto the stage and start delivering a great ADR performance immediately. Allow people time to settle in and get adjusted to their environment. Don’t force anything or try to push the artists to get performances done immediately. The more relaxed someone is, the more comfortable they’re likely to feel and the better their performance will be. Allow time for artists to get back into character. Give the director and talent time to catch up. Listen in and you’ll know the right moment when to preview the scenes. The session should feel calming for all.

Eliminate Unnecessary Noise Sources Before You Start

Assess what the actors are wearing when they enter the studio. Rustling fabrics, unfastened zips and rattling jewellery don’t go well with ADR recording. Be diplomatic about how you do it, but wherever possible, ask them to remove items which will create noise while recording. Perhaps introduce a jewellery bowl to indicate this on arrival. Interference from phones can also be tricky to eliminate, but most actors know this is a big no.

Levels

ADR performances can be quite dynamic, sometimes going from a whisper to a shout. When checking levels, do so at the top and lower end of the performance range. Perhaps use tape on the preamp trims to highlight. Check levels without asking the talent and do so by striking up a conversation with them. Making them laugh is a useful way to get a sense of the maximum level they’re likely to hit, assuming there are no shouts in the ADR cues. During the recording, don’t be shy on requesting volume in their performance. If you know it is too quiet, politely ask them for more level. This is a common occurrence when recording breaths. Avoid potential clipping too. If a loud cue is coming up, have your hand on the preamp trims.

Riding The Faders

A related point to the record levels is fader level. Riding the faders on the splits helps the talent drop in at ease. It will allow them to perform at their very best because you are premixing on the fly. Be mindful of their fold-back mix but respect any requests they may have. If recording low noise, kill the cans completely to avoid potential bleed. Alternative mixes going out to the likes of source Connect or Zoom should mirror the studio mix. Overall levels should be monitored at a similar level to the output medium. So -23LUFS (Europe) or -24LKFS (USA) for broadcast.

Performance Intensity

Following on from the previous two points, one thing which can stand out as not sounding right with ADR is when the intensity of the performance doesn’t match the location. By this I’m again referring to how loudly or softly the actors speak. For example, if a scene takes place in a noisy city environment and the ADR is delivered in a softly spoken voice, it will never sound convincing, no matter how good the lip sync is. In a noisy scene, the ADR should be spoken at a level which is representative of how it would actually be delivered when contending with the high background noise level in the original environment. To facilitate such a performance, try playing appropriate background noise over the actor’s headphones in to get them to raise their voice in a way which suits the scene. Conversely, for soft scenes, ensure that they speak at a lower level.

Record Everything

One very important rule when conducting ADR sessions is to record every performance. This includes warm ups and practice takes. Sometimes, magic happens during these takes and the last thing you want to do is miss them. Even if the actor tells you not to record because it’s just a warm up, do it anyway. This goes back to the earlier point about making the artist feel relaxed. If they don’t feel any pressure to perform, sometimes the most natural performances can happen. Don’t stop recording too early as they may continue and deliver another line. Avoid saying I’ve not got that. Instead, go straight into another record but state lets get a safety.

Playlists Vs Punching In

Pro Tools provides the ability to loop record and automatically create new playlists from those loops. This can be a handy feature, but not all actors like the process of repeating lines on a loop, and playlists can be hard to manage as they mount up. If this method doesn’t work for you, try punching lines in one at a time. Takes can then manually be moved to alternate playlists if required, and actors get a short break between each take, which is often the preferred way of working.

In Conclusion

There are many things which can help contribute to great sounding ADR. It’s really a combination of how the session is managed, various technical considerations and of course the performance itself. While the performance ultimately comes down to the actors, you can nevertheless get the best out of them by taking account of some of the points listed above.

Other technical points include the use of beeps or streamers to provide a ‘count in’ for the actors for each cue. These cues should be prepared in a spotting sessions prior to the ADR session itself. EdiCue and EdiPrompt from Sounds in Sync can allow for this, by providing the tools required to create the cues for the actors.

What are your tips for achieving effective ADR? Let us know in the comments!