Why not record every character in one pass?

Because you have to switch voice in a fraction of a second between two lines, which is almost impossible to sustain. Recording one character at a time keeps you in a single voice for the whole take, and a mistake only costs that role instead of the whole scene.

How do you make two voices genuinely different?

By changing pace, energy and placement rather than forcing the timbre. A character who speaks slowly and low is naturally distinct from a fast, tense one, without caricature.

Why open a group session if I am alone?

It is the simplest way to get one separate take per character. The session splits the scene by role, so each character can be recorded, reviewed and redone independently.

Can I redo one character afterwards?

Yes. Each role is recorded separately, so you can redo one without touching the others.

Solo

Voice several characters on your own, without blending them

You want to dub a whole scene, every role, with nobody to help. Done in one pass, it is a thankless exercise that rarely lands. There is a simple method that changes everything: record one character at a time, in separate takes.

Why one pass does not work

When you play every character in a single take, you have to switch voice between lines that sometimes follow each other in under a second. Three consequences, every time:

The voices end up alike. There is no time to settle into a different timbre, and everything drifts back towards you.
One mistake costs the whole scene. Fumble the last character at the end? Start over.
The acting suffers. Your attention goes to managing transitions instead of inhabiting anyone.

The method: one take per character

Treat the scene as if you were several people, except those people are all you. Open a group session and take every role yourself.

The scene is then split by character. For each role you only see and record its lines: you stay in one voice for the whole take, you hear the other characters to play off, and you can redo a role without touching the others.

Open a group session

On any scene, even alone.

Declare the exact number of characters

The decisive step: if the count is wrong, two characters get merged and you can no longer play them separately.

Name the roles

Use real character names. You will find your way around far better than in front of "Speaker A".

Take the first role and record it

From the start of the scene to the end.

Move to the next

Change voice, restart from the top, record only that character.

Making the voices genuinely different

This is where credibility is won, and the classic mistake is forcing the timbre: a big voice for one, a high voice for the other. It sounds like caricature and becomes exhausting to hold.

Three far more effective levers, and much easier to sustain:

Pace. A composed character who takes their time will never be confused with a nervous one who rushes. It is the most distinguishing parameter, and the most natural.

Energy. Speaking held back, almost breathed, or on the contrary projecting, changes perception far more than a change of pitch.

Placement. Speaking with the jaw more closed, or with the lips pushed forward, alters the colour of the voice without effort and without tiring it.

An actor's trick. Before recording a role, say two or three throwaway sentences out loud in that character's voice, until it comes by itself. Only start the take once you no longer have to think about it. Five seconds of preparation beats three failed takes.

Record the roles in the right order

Start with the character who has the most lines: they set the tone of the scene and the others align to it. Keep the role closest to your natural voice for the end, when fatigue starts to show.

And leave a little time between two very different characters. Going from a low, slow voice to a high, fast one within the same minute risks contaminating the second with the first.

Open a session and take every role

Frequently asked

Why not record it all in one pass?

Because instant voice switching is nearly impossible to hold, and one mistake late in the scene forces a full redo.

Do I really need a group session to work alone?

It is the simplest way to get one separate take per character, with the option to redo a role without touching the others.

Can I redo a single character afterwards?

Yes. Each role lives independently.

How many characters can one person play?

Technically as many as the scene has. In practice, beyond three genuinely distinct voices it gets hard to sustain without two starting to sound alike.

What if two characters speak at the same time?

The lines stay in their own places: each is recorded in its character's take, and the mix layers them as in the original scene.

Sources

On voice work: the human voice.

Written by the Dubba team · Published 5 August 2026