All About ADR Recording And How To Master It

Transported Audio
3 min readJun 18, 2021

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Even though film sets are noisy, silence is golden and highly treasured when it comes to filmmaking, even though it is hard to come by. Even in an isolated location, there is still crew shuffling about or other noisy special effects that can be pretty disruptive. Then there are different sounds over which you have no control, such as nearby crowds, planes, etc. This is where ADR Record In California comes in to help filmmakers retain their sanity.

What is ADR?

ADR stands for Automated or Additional Dialogue Replacement. It is the process of re-recording audio in a more controlled environment to improve the audio quality or, sometimes, reflect changes in the film’s story.

ADR is typically performed at a recording studio where the actor can watch the performance on a screen to match the emotional tone and delivery. ADR is also referred to as “looping,” which goes back to the earlier days when a re-recorded line of dialogue was converted to a loop of film to playback repeatedly.

However, it would help if you kept in mind that ADR Record in Los Angeles is not “dubbing,” even though many consider both the same but technically inaccurate. Dubbing is replacing the recorded dialogue with another language than the source.

So, if your film is in German, and you want to create a French version using French-speaking actors, that’s considered dubbing, while ADR is simply recording dialogues in a soundproof controlled environment.

Why is ADR Record Los Angeles Used?

  • In Case Of Unintelligible Dialogues: Sometimes, an actor can say something that just can’t be heard or understood, or where a single word in a captivating performance was mispronounced. Instead of throwing away the whole take, ADR can help fix that single word quite quickly.
  • To Add Non-verbal Sounds: ADR can prove to be quite helpful if you need to add sound effects such as crying, breathing, gasps, or laughter to the performance.
  • In Case of a Noisy Location: Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, there’s no way of getting rid of an unwanted sound. In such cases, ADR Services Los Angeles can be of great help.
  • Fix Accents: When actors use an accent for their characters, sometimes it can go haywire. This is one such situation where you can use ADR recording to replace the lines with a fresh new accent.

Equipment Needed For ADR Recording:

  • Noise-cancellation headphones: This is to let the actor hear the performance
  • Video monitor: This is to allow the actor to see the performance
  • Preamp/interface: This is to adjust the levels
  • Microphone: It is best to use the same as the one used in production
  • Sound recorder: This is to record the audio

How To Record ADR?

1. Select the scenes that need ADR — It is essential to re-watch your movie and focus on the moments that can benefit most from ADR because not every location will need ADR.

2. Soundproof the room — You will need a quiet space to re-record audio. During the ADR session, consider providing performers with noise-cancellation headphones to minimize distractions.

3. Get a good microphone — A microphone with a broad dynamic range helps keep the dialogue recording crisp and clear.

4. Record multiple takes — ADR allows you to capture multiple versions of dialogue with different tones from your performer, so use it to your advantage.

We at Transported Audio are a team of fast, creative, detail-oriented storytellers. We pride ourselves in taking on groundbreaking content with a positive, can-do attitude no matter the circumstances. A one-stop shop for all your post-production audio needs, our ADR Studios Los Angeles stays busy with several post-production activities such as dialog editing, foley, final mixing, sound editing, sound designing, ADR, and voiceover, and final mixing. To book a project with us, click here.

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Transported Audio
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Providing post production sound finishing services for film and TV content. www.transportedaudio.com