ADR recording: how to replace a line so nobody notices

ADR, automated dialogue replacement, is re-recording a line in a studio while the actor watches the picture. It rescues takes ruined by noise, changes performances, adds lines that were never shot, and supplies clean dialogue for dubbed versions.

Match the original, not the studio

• Use the same microphone type as the location boom whenever possible.
• Set the same distance. A shotgun at 40 cm and one at 1.5 m are different sounds.
• Match the perspective of the shot, not the comfort of the actor.
• Record a matched wild line at the original level so the mixer has a reference.

Why booth ADR sticks out

A treated booth has almost no early reflections. Location dialogue has a room around it. Dropping a dead recording into a live scene makes the line jump forward, and no amount of reverb quite hides it. Recording in a slightly live space, or on the original location if it is available, solves most of it before post.

Sync and levels

Cue the actor with three beeps and a streamer, record several passes back to back, and keep them as separate takes rather than one long file. Match the level of the original line so the editor is not fighting a 10 dB step at the cut.

Delivery

Deliver at the project sample rate and bit depth, one file per line or per take, named with scene, take and character. If the studio recorded multiple mics into one poly file, split it into mono stems so the editor can choose the one that matches.

You can split, level and convert those ADR files in the browser, with nothing leaving the machine, which matters for unreleased material.