What is ADR, and how is it used in post-production?

ADR (Automated or Automatic Dialogue Replacement) is the process of re-recording an actor’s dialogue during post-production in order to have clean dialogue tracks for the final mixing sessions.

Why might a film or TV show use ADR?

Audio recorded on-location isn’t always perfect… planes, trains, automobiles, lawn mowers, barking dogs, refrigerator hum, water fountains, clothing noise on the lavalier mic… and a thousand other extraneous sounds can be recorded when an actor is delivering their best performance. ADR is also used creatively when the director wants to change an actor’s performance and/or add off-camera lines or reactions of the actor to clarify and enhance a scene.

Can ADR match the original voice recording exactly?

There are challenges to ADR. Matching the tonal quality of an actor’s voice is a huge challenge. Recording ADR with the same microphones that are used on-location is key to overcoming that challenge. LHV Audio Services has a variety of boom and lavalier microphones that are the industry standards used by location sound recordists.

Matching the ambience between the location recording and the studio recording is another challenge. A quiet and controlled ADR environment gives the re-recording mixers the best opportunity to match background ambiences during the mix. Our isolation room was acoustically designed and built to provide a quiet, natural replication of the human voice as well as certain acoustic instruments. The room is large enough to move an actor away from the boom mic if necessary.

With the right microphone selections and recording environment, LHV Audio Services provides great ADR tracks to dialogue editors and re-recording mixers to make their jobs easier.

What’s the difference between ADR and voiceover?

ADR is done to replace the dialogue of on-screen actors in order to improve the sound quality, delivery or timing of a performance. Voice over is recorded to add narration, commentary or additional information to a project.

Is ADR done before or after editing?

ADR usually happens after the film or television show is edited and after the dialogue editor has thoroughly gone through the location audio.  The dialogue editor determines the lines that need to be replaced and creates a cue list that the actors will perform. 

Can LHV Audio Services accommodate remote ADR sessions?

Yes. For remote ADR sessions, LHV Audio Services utilizes Source-Connect Pro, Source-Connect 4, Zoom and other browser based applications.

What types of projects will use ADR?

LHV Audio Services records ADR for many types of visual presentations, including films, television shows, commercials, and animations — any project where the dialogue needs improvement.