Image 1 of 1
Live Online Feb 19th. 3-4 p.m. Home Studio Setup for Audiobook Narration - Building an ACX-Ready Home Studio
This live online course is taught by John Marshall Media’s Chief Engineer, who has recorded and supervised hundreds of professional audiobooks and oversees studio design, equipment purchasing, and engineer training for John Marshall Media’s New York and Atlanta facilities.
The curriculum is grounded in real-world audiobook production workflows used by major publishers, as well as JMM’s “Studio in a Box” system, which has successfully enabled authors, narrators, and public figures to record publisher-ready audiobooks from home.
This is a practical, narrator-specific course focused on building a clean, reliable home recording environment that meets publisher and ACX technical standards—without unnecessary gear, overprocessing, or bad habits.
What You’ll Learn
Choosing the Right Room and Recording Environment
• How to select the best room in your home for audiobook recording
• Understanding room shape, size, and surface reflections
• Managing airflow, HVAC noise, and external sound sources
• Identifying room problems versus equipment problems
Home Studio Foundations for Audiobook Narration
• How audiobook home studios differ from music and general VO setups
• How to meet publisher and ACX technical standards consistently
• Common setup mistakes that lead to rejected or flagged audio
Equipment Selection at Multiple Budget Levels
• Recommended microphones at entry, mid, and higher price points
• Audio interfaces and mic preamps appropriate for narration
• What gear to avoid, even if it’s widely marketed or expensive
• Essential accessories that actually impact recording quality
Microphone Technique and Signal Path Basics
• Understanding microphone pickup patterns and how they determine speaking position
• Proper microphone placement, distance, and angle for narration
• Gain staging from microphone to interface for clean, stable audio
• Preventing plosives, sibilance, and inconsistent tone at the source
Recording Fundamentals for Narrators
• Setting proper input levels for healthy signal-to-noise ratio
• Monitoring correctly while recording long-form narration
• Identifying distortion, noise, and technical issues in real time
• Establishing repeatable recording habits for consistency
Processing: What Narrators Should and Should Not Do
• Why compression, gating, and aggressive processing are usually mistakes
• Plugins and settings narrators should avoid entirely
• Understanding clean capture versus post-production processing
• When minimal processing is appropriate—and when it is not
Room Treatment and Practical Acoustic Control
• Simple, effective ways to reduce echo and room coloration
• Portable and low-cost treatment solutions that actually work
• What acoustic foam can and cannot solve
• Optimizing your setup without over-treating the space
File Management and Recording Hygiene
• Proper file naming conventions for audiobook production
• Session organization to prevent errors and lost work
• Managing pickups, revisions, and chapter updates
• Backup practices and long-term file storage
Audio Formats and Delivery Standards
• Understanding WAV vs. MP3 and when each is used
• Sample rate and bit depth explained clearly
• Preparing files for delivery to publishers, producers, or ACX
• Avoiding common formatting and export mistakes
Working With Publishers and Producers
• What technical questions to ask before a recording begins
• Understanding delivery specs and communication expectations
• Avoiding mistakes that undermine professional confidence
• Knowing when to ask for clarification and how to do it effectively
Outcome
By the end of this course, participants will be able to confidently set up and operate a narrator-appropriate home studio, record clean and compliant audiobook audio, and communicate effectively with publishers and producers using professional workflows and terminology.
This live online course is taught by John Marshall Media’s Chief Engineer, who has recorded and supervised hundreds of professional audiobooks and oversees studio design, equipment purchasing, and engineer training for John Marshall Media’s New York and Atlanta facilities.
The curriculum is grounded in real-world audiobook production workflows used by major publishers, as well as JMM’s “Studio in a Box” system, which has successfully enabled authors, narrators, and public figures to record publisher-ready audiobooks from home.
This is a practical, narrator-specific course focused on building a clean, reliable home recording environment that meets publisher and ACX technical standards—without unnecessary gear, overprocessing, or bad habits.
What You’ll Learn
Choosing the Right Room and Recording Environment
• How to select the best room in your home for audiobook recording
• Understanding room shape, size, and surface reflections
• Managing airflow, HVAC noise, and external sound sources
• Identifying room problems versus equipment problems
Home Studio Foundations for Audiobook Narration
• How audiobook home studios differ from music and general VO setups
• How to meet publisher and ACX technical standards consistently
• Common setup mistakes that lead to rejected or flagged audio
Equipment Selection at Multiple Budget Levels
• Recommended microphones at entry, mid, and higher price points
• Audio interfaces and mic preamps appropriate for narration
• What gear to avoid, even if it’s widely marketed or expensive
• Essential accessories that actually impact recording quality
Microphone Technique and Signal Path Basics
• Understanding microphone pickup patterns and how they determine speaking position
• Proper microphone placement, distance, and angle for narration
• Gain staging from microphone to interface for clean, stable audio
• Preventing plosives, sibilance, and inconsistent tone at the source
Recording Fundamentals for Narrators
• Setting proper input levels for healthy signal-to-noise ratio
• Monitoring correctly while recording long-form narration
• Identifying distortion, noise, and technical issues in real time
• Establishing repeatable recording habits for consistency
Processing: What Narrators Should and Should Not Do
• Why compression, gating, and aggressive processing are usually mistakes
• Plugins and settings narrators should avoid entirely
• Understanding clean capture versus post-production processing
• When minimal processing is appropriate—and when it is not
Room Treatment and Practical Acoustic Control
• Simple, effective ways to reduce echo and room coloration
• Portable and low-cost treatment solutions that actually work
• What acoustic foam can and cannot solve
• Optimizing your setup without over-treating the space
File Management and Recording Hygiene
• Proper file naming conventions for audiobook production
• Session organization to prevent errors and lost work
• Managing pickups, revisions, and chapter updates
• Backup practices and long-term file storage
Audio Formats and Delivery Standards
• Understanding WAV vs. MP3 and when each is used
• Sample rate and bit depth explained clearly
• Preparing files for delivery to publishers, producers, or ACX
• Avoiding common formatting and export mistakes
Working With Publishers and Producers
• What technical questions to ask before a recording begins
• Understanding delivery specs and communication expectations
• Avoiding mistakes that undermine professional confidence
• Knowing when to ask for clarification and how to do it effectively
Outcome
By the end of this course, participants will be able to confidently set up and operate a narrator-appropriate home studio, record clean and compliant audiobook audio, and communicate effectively with publishers and producers using professional workflows and terminology.