5 Tools You Need To Start Recording Voice For Guided Meditations

5 tools you need to record guided meditations DIY

Do you want to create your own guided meditations?

Recording the voice properly and with good quality is the key ingredient for the success of your guided meditation project.

In this post we’ll look at 5 essential tools to get you started with recording professional quality guided meditations audio.

Keep reading!

5 essential things you need to start recording guided meditations

Mik

Hi, I’m Mik, a music composer and recording artist. In this post I will walk you through the 5 essential tools you need to start recording your own guided meditations in no time!

So you found a great meditation script and want to turn it into a pro quality audio recording?

Here are 5 tools you need to start creating guided meditation audios:

1. Microphone
2. Microphone stand
3. Headphones
4. Pop filter (optional but recommended)
5. Laptop / computer with recording software

Read below for more details on why you need it and how it helps.

1. Microphone

Microphone is undoubtedly the most important part of your tool set.

Using a good quality microphone will ensure your voice will be recorded free of distortion and with all the nuances that are so important in guided meditations.

A good microphone will make your recorded voice sound human.

There are three broad types of microphones:

a) Dynamic microphones – typically recommended for live stage singing but there are good quality studio dynamic microphones.

b) Condenser microphones – typically recommended for for high fidelity vocal recording.

c) Ribbon microphones – typically recommended for high fidelity music performance.

For high quality spoken word recording I would recommend large diaphragms condenser microphone with USB interface.

A large diaphragm will help you to capture nuances and details in your voice.

USB interface will allow you to connect your microphone directly to your computer without the need to purchase an additional microphone pre-amp or audio interface.

I personally use Shure’s SM7B, a dynamic large diaphragm studio microphone but it may be a bit expensive if you’re just starting. It does need a separate audio interface as well.

Shure SM7B studio microphone in action

If you’re looking for something more affordable (yet quite good enough for guided meditations) look at USB microphones like Blue Snowball USB mic (you can simply look it up on Amazon or pick it up in your local music store). You can attach it to any computer via the standard USB cable, no other gear required.

Related: How To Make Professional Quality Voice Recordings At Home

2. Microphone stand

When recording, you generally don’t want hold the microphone in your hand or sitting on your desk.

You will need a good stand to make sure the mic is steady, not moving, and not attached to a vibrating or noisy item (like your computer), in order to avoid the unwanted noises in the recording.

microphone-with-stand-and-shock-mount

Sturdy microphone stand will help you to create better quality records by helping to avoid mechanical noises.

Optionally you can also get a shock mount that cuts out vibration and noises associated with microphone’s slight movements.

3. Headphones

Proper headphones will help you in two ways:

1. You will be able to hear and monitor yourself while recording.

2. You will be able to properly edit and mix your final record later on.

headphones for audio recording

Unless you have the budget, I generally wouldn’t recommend spending a fortune on the headphones (as opposed to investing into the good microphone) for recording guided meditations.

$10 earbuds may not be the best choice, however, any decent consumer headphones will get the job done.

4. Pop filter

Guided meditations are usually recorded close to the microphone to achieve richer and more intimate voice.

When we speak close to the mic, certain sounds like “S” or “P” (also known as plosives) tend to produce excessive air flow that may distort the recording.

Typically you will hear them as popping and hissing sounds and, trust me, they can be quite annoying to the listener.

microphone with pop filter

A pop filter acts as a screen between your mouth and the microphone, helping to prevent the plosives from affecting the microphone and ruining your meditation recording.

5. Computer and software

So far I have covered the tools you need to capture your voice with high fidelity.

The final piece of equipment, a PC computer or a laptop, will help you to actually records and store your voice as digital files that can be edited into the final product – your guided meditation.

Computer

For voice recording you can choose between a laptop and desktop computer. A laptop will offer better portability with virtually same processing power.

Both Mac and PC will work. Choose the system you’re most comfortable with. Both systems have free software that you can use to record and edit your voice.

Fortunately, you don’t need the latest or most powerful computer for audio recordings and editing.

Producer Hive blog recommends the following minimal specs:

2.4 Ghz quad-core processor power (i5 or i7).

At least 4GB of RAM.

64 Bit operating system.

A minimum of 500 GB of internal storage.

A laptop or desktop computer with the above specs will allow you to comfortably record and edit audio for year to come. If you run out of storage you can always add an external drive to increase capacity.

If you prefer mobile platforms, most devices, including Android and Apple phones and tables can as well be used for recording and editing audio.

Software

Depending on your needs and editing skills, you can choose from a wide range of free and professional software. Just to give you a couple of examples:

load-wav

Audacity is a free and easy to use open source audio recording and editing software. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and other operating systems. The base version can be extended with audio processing plugin as your needs grow.

GarageBand typically comes free with most Mac computers and iOS devices and can a good choice for audio recording. However, it’s not available on Windows and may not offer all bells and whistles of a professional audio production software.

Adobe Audition is a go-to application used by audio professionals and voice over actors all over the world. It comes with all the tools and processing plugins you may need to record and edit truly professional guided meditations.

Yes, it is absolutely possible to record guided meditations at home!

I hope this tutorial will help you to get started with recording great sounding guided meditations.

To recap, you will need these five equipment essentials: a microphone, a microphone stand with optional shock mount, a pop-filter, headphones, and a computer (or mobile device) with audio editing software.

Guided meditation examples

Even if you have the tools you still need to learn how to handle your voice. The best way to learn, in my opinion, is to listen to the popular guided meditations, while paying close attention to the intonation, the tone, and the type of voice used in professional mediation recordings.

Listen to some examples of great guided meditation recordings.

Note that most guided meditations also use background music.

Use meditative background music in your guided meditations to make them even better (and to sell more)!

At TunePocket we offer a wide array of meditation and relaxation music at a fraction of the cost of the dedicated meditation music library. You can use our music in commercial guided meditations that you sell.

Here are some examples of meditational royalty free music that you can use as background music for your guided meditation recordings:




Looking for more?

Unlimited Music For Meditation Videos And Commercial Use

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