Clutter seems to accumulate at an alarming speed. One day your workspace is clean and tidy, the next papers are strewn everywhere, there are cords all over the place and, eww, there’s that mug you forgot to wash out three days ago!
Is your recording studio a little on the unmanageable side?
In this article
- File Loose Papers
- Banish Knickknacks and Dirty Dishes
- Bundle Electrical Cords
- Store Unused Equipment
- Purge Your Desktop
Have you become accustomed to working in a workspace that really isn’t workable or healthy for that matter?
No matter what you do, clutter can seriously throw you off your work groove. Here are five suggestions on how to declutter your voice over recording studio.
File Loose Papers
Lose papers are distracting. If you’re like me you may find that your in/out tray gets overloaded with items that should either be recycled or archived. Simplify your life and green up your workspace by going paper-free. Try getting used to reading scripts off your computer screen.
Banish Knickknacks and Dirty Dishes
Those knickknacks you didn’t know what to do with after your last Caribbean vacation shouldn’t end up in your studio. They will pull you out of your work and back onto a sandy beach somewhere – not an ideal place for concentrating on your voice over work. Oh, and take those dirty dishes to the sink!
Bundle Electrical Cords
A recording studio has electrical cords everywhere. Not only are they unsightly but it’s also a hazard. Try to keep them tidy by bundling them together and, preferably, off the floor to prevent accidents.
Store Unused Equipment
To please everyone sometimes we buy more equipment than is necessary to have on hand all of the time. In many cases, these pieces of extra equipment become paperweights or get buried beneath other clutter. Is it really necessary to have five computers in your studio? Store or sell equipment that you don’t use.
Purge Your Desktop
Both literally and virtually. Remove all of the stuff cluttering up your desk — computer and all. Wipe down your desktop, then put back only what you use daily. Recycle, toss, or store the rest. Now, open up your computer desktop and clear off any icons that you don’t use and divide all of your documents into just three folders such as archives, working, and new.
When online try to keep the number of windows you have open to a minimum and avoid keeping time-stealers like your email or solitaire open at all times.
Those are just some ways that you can declutter your studio. Another important way to keep your concentration is to locate your studio in a quiet place that you can close off from the rest of your home. In other words, get a door and lock it. Your studio walls should also be free of windows and decorations.
Do have tips on keeping a clutter-free studio? Share them by commenting below!
Comments
The idea of bundling cables together, may be a good idea, but people must be aware that you should not run audio and mains cables together, you will end up with background noise. Use 2 separate trunkings , one for audio and one for mains.
I agree with off the floor, but also , f you are literally building your studio, try to minimise the amount of cable that you really need, in other words, make your own leads to fit.
Very sound tips. Clutter muddles the mind and the read. Oh, but that mouldering yoghourt pot came in handy today for the spot FX of a tennis commercial.
Your article is very helpful and cool. It made me look at my workspace – What space? I shall take time to clean it – right after this comment. Thank you for your thoughtful time.
Maria
Great tips, Lin, but one of your tips was to close your email client. Since much of my work comes to me through email, I’ve been reticent to turn it off during the day. I like to get back to clients quickly, particularly if theirs happens to be a “rush” job, so I find myself checking email frequently.
Here’s a handy little tool I picked up last week that has allowed me to close my email *and* have peace of mind. It’s an Android app (don’t know if there is an iPhone app equivalent) called Gmail Label Notifier. I have filters set up in my Gmail settings that look for specific clients. When an email comes in from one of them, my phone notifies me…even if I have all other sounds turned off.
Very cool. I can have all distractions turned off, and yet be alerted when the “money email” comes in!
BTW, if you don’t have a Gmail account, you might be able to set up a forwarder from your present email account that will send a copy to any email address you specify, including Gmail.
Thanks for your comments, Howard. Hope you threw out that moldy old yogurt cup after that recording session! 😉
Thanks Maria. I’m happy this inspired you to do a little decluttering! It’s amazing the difference it can make.
Thanks for adding your input on how to manage all those studio cables, Kris. Great advice!
Hi there Voices Team,
Was reading the de-cluttering your studio post.
Boy It’s so true, you don’t realize between coffee, breakfast maybe
a quick lunch in between auditions and all the other things you might be doing how messy your desk and studio can get. This was exactly what was happening to me.
For many years prior to only doing Voiceover full time I was in the Hospitality/Restaurant Industry. In that industry my staff had a series of closing duties to perform before we would allow them to leave. More formally known to all you Servers and Bartenders as side-work.
So I decided when I was working from home full time to make a side-work list for my studio and each day when I’m done working, I take a look at my list and perform the tasks on it. It’s a good way to get in a good habit of, shutting down equipment, turning off tube mics or pre’s so their not running over night, cleaning, wiping and organizing desk space, so everyday you walk into a clean picked up and ready to go work space.
Jasen Anthony
Steve, you are so lucky to have an email notifier. Here in UK my isp, TalkTalk, confirmed to me they do not support these. Lin: I’m telling my wife the yogurt cup is a lucky charm. Excuses, excuses…
Thanks for sharing your tips on finding an email solution, Steve. Google has excellent apps and this one would allow you to stay focused on what you’re currently doing while at the same time ensure you don’t miss any important emails. Sounds great!
Hi Jasen,
Thanks for the input. Sounds like a great way to stay organized!
Great article. Any tips on dusting/cleaning microphones and foam sound proofing