DIY Spicy Audio Roleplay Recordings on Mobile Devices

^{Guest written by Kateri Wilde}

If you’re curious about optimizing your roleplay recordings…here’s a starter guide on a few helpful tips if you’re going to use an iPhone or Android phone for your projects. I’ll be coming at this from the perspective of someone who dabbles in ASMR Roleplay audios, both SFW and/or Spicy. 

It’s been a year for me since I started to use my voice for audio roleplay, and almost two years as an audio script writer. I’m still a novice and I’m always learning, but I’m passionate about playing with sounds. I first experimented with an old Yeti mic and a phone to figure out how much I wanted to invest. I ended up flipping a closet space into a sound booth, which was 2 ½ months of tears, so I sort of swan dove into everything. 

Beforehand I’d use the phone for practice while in the car, and parked far away from other people. I occasionally use my device, when in a pinch, for audios that’ll have a high level of audio manipulation/distortion (example: voicemail, robot voice, music/ambiance, and more). The only thing that’s changed, If I use my phone, I’m more likely to utilize my sound booth.  

For this post, it’d make some sense to explain about ASMR, so you understand a little on what I do as well as how it can help when making DIY Spicy Audio Roleplay Recordings on Mobile Devices. Long story short….it’s all about a tingling sensation typically felt in response to specific auditory triggers. I personally define ASMR audios to be categorized into two main styles:

ASMR:

• Specific auditory triggers that elicit ASMR sensations
• Use of soft-spoken or whispered dialogue
• Use of gentle tapping, crinkling sounds, and various other relaxing sounds 
• Does not need detailed narrative 

ASMR Roleplay: 

• Sound design and intentional auditory triggers are optional vs. necessary 
• Detailed narrative can range from simpler scenarios to intricate plots and well-defined characters

How to Start Recording on Your Phone: 

Let’s begin the journey to enhancing audio quality. Try out these methods and see if any of them work for you…maybe they will or maybe they won’t, but it’s a starting point to be curious. 

Choose Your Device: iPhone vs. Android

• iPhone Users

• Open your pre-installed ‘Voice Memos’ app
• Go to Settings (tap on the gear icon).
• Change the audio quality settings from ‘Compressed’ to ‘Lossless 

(This setting captures higher-quality sound, making your voice clearer)

• Android Users

• Open default recording app in your Android phone
• Go to your app’s settings and set the output quality to ‘High‘

(This can typically be found in the audio quality settings)

Regardless of whether you use an iPhone or Android, sound quality is crucial and can be achieved through tech as well as your best individual recording practices! Last tidbits to depart with: 

Tip 1: Optimize Your Environment by Finding a Sound-Treated Space: 

I stand by sound treatment over the cost of an expensive microphone! Sound treatment doesn’t have to be an almost two to three month DIY project either. 

Example of ways to dampen sound: 

• Clothes closet
• Makeshift blanket fort
• Create a sound dampening box/shield 

Be creative! As long as you can find a quiet space that has the least amount of reflective surfaces and background sound (AC, fridge, cars, etc) the better/easier post-production editing will be. In addition…shut windows, doors, or use heavy curtains for additional sound treatment.

Tip 2: Microphone Orientation/Practice Working the Mic: Testing out spacing with placement becomes important if you want to see what happens when you get closer and farther from the mic as well as changes in level of loudness of your vocals. Experiment with distance to see what best captures your voice. 

• Start off with the phone about 6-12 inches from your mouth
• See what angle works best to speak from (my advice is to see what happens when you record without the mic directly at your mouth)

Tip 3: Record Room Tone Sample for Post-Production: Room tone (aka “room ambiance”) refers to the background sounds that are recorded within a specific room or environment. It’s when the audio captures the subtle, ambient noises present in a space, such as the hum of a refrigerator, the creaks and groans of a wooden floor, the wind outside, subtle rush of cars on the road, and so forth. 

Note: Try to match the production audio with room tone by using the same mic in the same position. I tend to leave it on the same recording file as this was how it was taught to me (again I’m not an expert). Basically, record with five to ten seconds of quiet and on the same audio file if you can. 

You don’t have to but it’s highly advised if you’re planning on doing some post-production work, like, reducing the distant hum of the A/C from the other room. 

Final Points: 

The work we’re all in is to provide a fantasy, so knowing how to handle the mic, having an understanding of implementing sound effects, writing dialogue is to provide a sense of reality from fantasy…it’s not producing what’s 100% real (within reason mind you) but the idea of it.  

By following these guidelines, you can create some great starting ASMR roleplay recordings using the devices you already own.  Hope this was helpful as a starting point! If you’re interested in adding sound effects, check out my earlier post on the sound effects information starter kit for your SFW and spicy work. Happy producing!