Happy Anniversary Some Audio Guy Blog!

Yup.
Some Audio Guy is ONE YEAR OLD!
I've been doing this for a year. I'm very impressed with myself.
So as a thank you for all my readers, I just wanted to throw out some fun blog stats!

*March of 2007:
151 visitors
392 page views

*March of 2008:
4,825 visitors
8,808 page views
(so far 2008 has been HUGE for growth - HI NEW READERS!)

*Year to date:
30,201 page views
18,323 visitors
(See, almost a third of all page views in March '08 alone)

*Top Ten Reader Countries:

1. USA (11k)
   
2. UK (1K)
   
3. Canada (1K)
   
4. Germany (500)
   
5. Australia (400)
   
6. Sweden (300)
   
7. Netherlands (300)
   
8. France (250)
   
9. Spain (200)
   
10. Hungary (200)
    

*Top Referral Site:
Google.com

*Top Referrals from a site that's not a search engine or aggregator (like Digg):
The Voiceover Boblog (WOOT! THANKS BOB!)

*Top Ten Stand Alone Posts:

1. Complete Lyrics to Slaughter Your World
2. Jurassic Park Turns 15, Looks Better than Most Movies Made Today
3. John Corbett is the New Voice of Applebees (with video)
4. Today in Narration Two-fer Sigourney Weaver and Charlie Sheen Edition
5. Unhelpful Robot Ringtones are now Multi-Format!
6. And We Shall Mourn its Passing: Cassette Tape Edition
7. Shrek 3 - It's Just OK
8. Cingular (AT&T) Waiver Ruled "Unconscionable" by Circuit Court
9. 3D Sound Illusion: The Barber Shop
10. The SomeAudioGuy Microphone Shootout!

Whew!

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone that has helped make this blog a success (you know who you are).




Biggelow, Mrs. Audio Guy, and I are really excited about building this through 2008, so please stick around. I think you'll like what's coming up!
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Well there goes Phase One, AFTRA votes to go it alone...

Well there you have it.
Hollywood Reporter is reporting (it's what they do) that AFTRA will be negotiating contracts on its own from now on.
i agree with comments that this move doesn't seem to be for the benefit of the actors involved with both guilds, but political.
SAG has been making A LOT of noise of late, but recently been backing off, even pulling plans to institute bloc voting and pressuring AFTRA for a more accurately representative split at the bargaining table.
With upcoming contract renegotiations, it leads me to think AFTRA is making a play for AFTRA contracts to be the preferred contracts. Why wouldn't actors want a unified front at the negotiating table? Much like previous contracts (video games for example) I think we'll see a guild ready to expend as much energy negotiating with producers as it will be expending in undercutting rival guilds.

Could we be witnessing the beginning of buy out contracts? This would worry me as both guilds are notorious for setting ridiculous minimums for scale. Combine that with losing residuals, and I just have to wonder how much further we can de-value performance...

Story @ Hollywood Reporter

SAG Watchdog: Aftra Killing Residuals?

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I just got invitedto the ODEO Beta! Woot!

Back in the day Odeo was the premier podcasting service.

Or at least it was MY favorite to use.



Well, Sonic Mountain is bringing it back from the depths of internet obscurity (a bit much?).

They invited me into the beta, and I've been playing around with podcasts, and so far I like it. It's simple and clean, and seems to be up and moving quick.
I'm hoping to see some more social tools built in. I like being able to vote for good episodes, I'd like to see some more tagging for similar content, and right now there is no commenting on "pod shows".

All in all I like the new look, and I'd love to see this community back up and running.
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Creative threatens community modder - are they REFUSING to support Vista?

This is awful.
I've been a BIG creative fan for years. I still use an EMU 1212m from time to time.
One of the main reasons I don't upgrade to Vista is driver support is still lacking for sound cards. This forum post is really disappointing if it's true. That Creative is blocking community driver development is frustrating, but that they might be purposely withholding full functionality from Vista users (something alluded to in Phil O'Shaughnessy's forum post, as apparently these technologies of their's DO work), is almost criminal.

Here's Phil's forum post:

Daniel_K:

We are aware that you have been assisting owners of our Creative sound cards for some time now, by providing unofficial driver packages for Vista that deliver more of the original functionality that was found in the equivalent XP packages for those sound cards. In principle we don't have a problem with you helping users in this way, so long as they understand that any driver packages you supply are not supported by Creative. Where we do have a problem is when technology and IP owned by Creative or other companies that Creative has licensed from, are made to run on other products for which they are not intended. We took action to remove your thread because, like you, Creative and its technology partners think it is only fair to be compensated for goods and services. The difference in this case is that we own the rights to the materials that you are distributing. By enabling our technology and IP to run on sound cards for which it was not originally offered or intended, you are in effect, stealing our goods. When you solicit donations for providing packages like this, you are profiting from something that you do not own. If we choose to develop and provide host-based processing features with certain sound cards and not others, that is a business decision that only we have the right to make.

Although you say you have discontinued your practice of distributing unauthorized software packages for Creative sound cards we have seen evidence of them elsewhere along with donation requests from you. We also note in a recent post of yours on these forums, that you appear to be contemplating the release of further packages. To be clear, we are asking you to respect our legal rights in this matter and cease all further unauthorized distribution of our technology and IP. In addition we request that you observe our forum rules and respect our right to enforce those rules. If you are in any doubt as to what we would consider unacceptable then please request clarification through one of our forum moderators before posting.

Phil O'Shaughnessy
VP Corporate Communications
Creative Labs Inc.

Forum Moderator
Creative Labs

read more | digg story


And here's the forum. ANGRY Creative users! ANGRY!!!

I know this wont be a huge deal to them, but I will be removing all Creative and EMU products from my store until this is sorted out...

***UPDATE 3-30-2008***
Here's what one Digg user did with his (link to Digg story):









What's sad is it probably works just as well in Vista now as it did before...
some audio guy someaudioguy store creative recording drivers software asshatery digg support angry bonehead voice over voice acting

*** UPDATE: 4/04/2008***

Gizmodo is reporting that Creative has reversed their ridiculously stupid and arbitrarily arrogant decision to pull Daniel_K's working Vista drivers.
They've made it clear in their response that it was ALL Vista's fault, why they couldn't get working drivers up (though apparently just one guy in their forums could, huh, interesting).

Well Daniel_K's work mught be great, but I'm feeling snarky. Until Creative has released official Vista drivers (with FULL FUNCTIONALITY) for their sound cards, I'm leaving them off my store.

Take THAT Creative!

Some Audio Store!

In conjunction with Amazon.com, I'm proud to present to you,
Some Audio Store!
(The real store is down at the bottom)

I'll be trying to keep it updated with products that I've been using or reviewing, and I'll be adding some links to the right hand side, and the actual store front is now at the bottom of the blog (replacing that youtube vid crawler that never worked right). Pretty cool stuff guys!

Thanks again for all the support!

NRV10 Update - You CAN dasiy-chain the NRV10 with the Firewire 410!!!

I LOVE Firewire!

I updated the driver on my desktop to play with the NRV10. Apparently there is now only one "family" driver for M-Audio firewire products.

I didn't feel like disconnecting my FW410 to plug in the NRV10, so I used the spare port on the FW410. Upon rebooting, my computer ran it's updates, and could see both the FW410 and the NRV10.

I fired up Acid, and set up a couple audio tracks. Acid not only saw both devices, but let me run inputs from different devices at the same time.

Now this might not seem like a huge deal. You've always been able to daisy-chain firewire devices, but usually that means hooking up an external hard drive to your external soundcard. As far as I knew, very few sound cards could be daisy-chained to show up as a single multi-input device. Those devices usually had to match as well, as they would have to use the same driver. M-Audio's firewire "family" driver marks the first time, that I know of, where two different devices can be linked and used as one big interface. This is something that can ONLY be done over Firewire, as USB can't share resources like this.

MAudio NRV10 Analog Mixer and Firewire Audio Interface

What do you even call that? Asymmetrical audio interface daisy chaining?

I don't know, but between the FW410 and the NRV10 I now have 12 routable inputs (10 analog 2 stereo mix down), 2 digital inputs, 10 analog outs (18 software routable outs), and 2 digital outs all in a fairly compact set up.

I'm stoked!

M-Audio FireWire 410 4-In / 10-Out FireWire Mobile Recording Interface

And if you want to see more shots of the NRV10, you can click here for my un-boxing post!

Is AFTRA doing away with actor's residuals?

Sent in from my friend David, SagWatchDog.com is posting contracts, which prove that AFTRA will be cutting residuals from up coming negotiations with studios.

If you don�t believe AFTRA�s current leadership doesn�t want you see these contracts, let me exhibit a letter and contract that AFTRA sent me after considerable pressure on my part.

It is the �It�s a Laugh Productions, Inc.� agreement between Disney and AFTRA leadership. As, you read it, remember it sacrifices actors livelihood to a company that reported annual revenue of THIRTY FIVE BILLION DOLLARS--a significant amount that Disney credited, in the press, to such highly successful AFTRA cable shows like Hannah Montana and others.

You�ll notice the use of intimidation in the letter to persuade me to NOT reveal the contracts content to you. Sorry, guys, it ain�t gonna work on the Ol� Dog.

You can read the rest of the post, and see copies of these contracts here.

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MONSTER POST - AudioGuy got an NRV10 - Lots of Pictures!

MAudio NRV10 Analog Mixer and Firewire Audio Interface

WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES FOLLOWING.

LOAD TIMES MAY VARY.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

So I just wanted to say thanks for all the comments and emails regarding my call for help. I needed a new mixer, and I was trying to decide between the NRV10 and the Zed-14. I ultimately decided against the Zed-14 when I found out the USB port only carried buses not individual inputs. That clinched it. I put in my order for the NRV10, and it just showed up today.

WOOT!

I took a bunch of pictures of the unboxing and first setup, so prepare for geek-pr0n!

Biggelow helped inspect the packing:










Huh? A box, within a box, within a box...










There. That's better:










Biggs momentarily gets bored and re-inspects packing:










He then realizes there's more to sniff:










The outer box:









Biggs checks out the innards:









Finally the NRV10!









And profile:









"Hmmmm smells good"









Behold the NRV10!







The NRV10 by my old Behringer (I never throw anything away):







Back Panel:










Plugging in some mics!










Soundforge is ready:









That's a lot of audio!









Biggs tuckered out from all the excitement:


OK, so first impressions.

I love this thing!

Setup has been the easiest I've ever had with any M-Audio kit. M-Audio drivers are "IN"-famous for being a little twitchy. I went and downloaded the newest from the web (not even bothering with the CD), and my laptop recognized the mixer without a hitch. Soundforge and Audition instantly knew what to do with the machine, and so far the only program giving me grief is Pro Tools, which refuses to see more than 4 channels. That's really obnoxious, as PT compatibility was a main buying point for me. Watchagunnado, a day without a Pro Tools annoyance...

Firewire is a perfect data transfer protocol. My laptop is OLD (1.8GHz P4, 768MB RAM), but it had no issues simultaneously recording 5 mono tracks and a Stereo Main mix-down @ 24/96. I can't wait to seriously light this thing up.

Build quality feels solid. Metal casing, the faders feel tight (really tight), but the knobs are all a little too loose for my taste. If you're really working a mix, a careless gesture could flip a couple knobs around (especially as placement is really close, it is a portable mixer).



The only thing I really don't like about the mixer's layout is how it vents. Rather than have any airflow come out the back of the mixer (see above for the back panel shot), heat comes out the bottom of the mixer. The bottom. What the mixer rests on. There are some stubby feet, but they wont guarantee a lot of clearance. Heat kills electronics, so if you aren't going to mount this puppy, you might want to throw a book under the back feet to aid in cooling.

In all, I'm very happy with this mixer, and am looking forward to really putting it through its paces. Maybe some Shakespeare? Hmmmm...

Thanks again to everyone that helped me make up my mind through comments and emails!

MAudio NRV10 Analog Mixer and Firewire Audio Interface

Recording Booth on the Cheap!

So my friend Erik was having some problems recording auditions from home.

He lived in a very modern apartment with nice hardwood floors, off a fairly busy street, and the only space he could dedicate to a microphone was a tiny little closet.



The quality of his auditions was ... lacking ...



Off the advice from a friend, he started trying to put up foam (as you can see in this picture), but actual acoustic foam can be kind of expensive, and that really wasn't his problem. His auditions suffered from a boomy echo, and foam wouldn't help that very much.

Here's an example:





The problem with closets is they become low frequency echo chambers. Low frequency sound loves to bounce around, and hard flat surfaces set at 90 degrees just help that sound bounce around. The ridges in most foam treatments aren't really big or deep enough to properly diffuse, and the foam itself is rarely thick enough to properly absorb that kind of bass energy.



What Erik needed was to subtly change the shape of his room, and try to reduce the hard reflections he was getting. I told him to try hanging two packing blankets in half circles behind him and his mic, and made him throw down an old carpet scrap on the floor. I then also had him pass his audio through a low-cut filter.

It's ugly, but the setup cost less than $30 (also less than what he spent on foam).



Here's what his audio sounds like now:





Not a bad jump if I say so myself (which I do).



And if you want to hear Erik in action, here's a link to a Funny or Die vid he did during the writers strike. Very funny!

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Featured Cartoon - Ben Lepley's VGA Dreams, Episode 2

Riding along in my auto-mo-bile,
My ego beside me at the wheel...




HTTP://VGADREAMS.COM
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AudioGuy Mail Bag - Some Audition Questions...

This question comes in from Janet, who has a few technical questions about her auditions:

I love all your Some Audio Guy postings and you've been a big help.
I've done on-camera and voice over work for many years as a radio and TV
anchor/reporter but now am after strictly voice-over work.

Here are my questions -

In my home studio, I can't hear my voice in the headphones while I'm recording
with Audacity or Adobe Soundbooth CS3 - playback is no problem.
(it was set up by a broadcast engineer friend but I never
noticed that I couldn't hear in the headphones when he was
here, or maybe I've done something wrong since.)

Also - if my intention is to supply "dry reads" from my home studio, how much
cleaning up should I do on the auditions? if I take out breaths and normalize
the volume (as you show on your video) is that a false impression of what I
intend to deliver? Isn't that more an "I can deliver edited and finished voice tracks" as voice123 says or do I misunderstand the term "dry read?"

Whew, that's a lots of questions all wrapped into one. I appreciate any help you can give me.

Thanks - Janet

Hey Janet,
About hearing yourself while recording, that can be a little tricky, It's largely going to come down to what sound card you're using to record. Most modern external soundcards should be fast enough to let you monitor. Depending on what recording software you're using, there should be a recording setting to allow hardware monitoring. Now this is where latency comes into play. Your card has to sample the audio you create (vibrations in the air), translate it into a digital signal (1' and 0's), and pass it over a USB or FW cable to your computer, WHILE re-routing it to your headphones. If you dont have a reasonably quick soundcard/computer setup, then you'll hear yourself as an echo with a split second delay.

As for this notion of "dry reads", well I just try to go for simple. Some of the casting studios use dynamic mics plugged directly into a mixer into the mic port on a computer (no soundcard at all). They do this so their recordings aren't good enough to use for an actual spot, but are good enough to hear what the actors are doing. This doesn't seem to negatively affect their business (though I can't say I love the quality of the recordings).
I say, as long as you're being honest about your talents, then do what you're comfortable doing. If you get to the end of an audition, and you have to do a ton of editing to make it sound good, then maybe it's not for you.

I tend to leave breath noise in auditions, except for deep breaths before and after copy (like my big sigh in the video). One they are perfect points to edit around, and two there's an odd psychological trick to long copy. If an audience member hears continuous monologue, but no breathing, it can cause a little distress (like when you see an action movie, and the hero dives underwater for 10 minutes, the audience will try to hold their breath along with said hero).

I think normalizing is fine, as long as it's done subtly (you want your sound balanced nothing too spikey loud or too quiet), though I would avoid heavy compression (audio not MP3 compression). You really don't want a solid WALL of sound. You never know what kind of speakers you'll be played on, so you could sound really muddy or distorted. It's like music mixing, you want to sound the same on crappy car speakers as you do on a $15K home theater. It's not glamorous, but it's a better way to represent yourself.

Thanks for the question (I'll probably steal it for the blog ;-), and thanks for reading!
-SomeAudioGuy
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VoiceReg!stry's Tracy Pattin interviews Bob Souer on Blogging! Go Listen!

Hey all, just a quick note and link.
Bob Souer is the most gracious blogger I've ever worked with, and he's taken it upon himself to be THE voice over blog aggregator extordinare. His blog roll alone is an incredible resource, and I know my blog hits have increased just from being on it.

Tracy Pattin at Voice Reg!stry takes ten minutes to interview him on his history and successes with blogging. Bob is an old school "web-logger" so he brings a lot to the table. If you don't know what I mean by that last sentence, or you have ANY interest what-so-ever in starting up your own blog, I would HIGHLY recommend checking this out.

CHECK OUT the INTERVIEW HERE!

And check out Bob's blog here!
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The Beatles are coming to itunes! Who doesn't already own them on CD?

Paul McCartney has signed a $400 million deal, which will see the Beatles catalog make its way to iTunes. I would say "WOOT", but I'm not buying the Beatles catalog again.
I'm not.

Really.

OK, maybe if it ends up on Amazon. I might drop for a few tracks...

read more | digg story
someaudioguy some audio guy beatles music itunes mp3 download store catalog voice over voice acting

John Corbett the new voice of Applebees?

So I'm watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles last night (it was just ok), and an Applebees commercial comes on.

I was a little surprised.

Had the folks at McCann Erickson finally come to their senses?
Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge Wanda Sykes fan, but her voice doesn't necessarily scream "appetizing" to me.

John Corbett on the other hand...



He's so dreamy...

read more | digg story
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Awesome Sound Effect - The Caste Thunder Noise

I love crazy old sound effects!
I first posted on the Wilhelm Scream, then I noticed that the guys over at IO9 share my obsession, and ALSO posted their own write up on Wilhelm.


Well the guys there just wrote up a piece on the Castle Thunder Noise, and it's a great write up.
They even included a link to a wav file of Castle Thunder, but I made mine louder (Snarky!):

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Now go read the write up at IO9, if you're in any way interested in classic movie sounds or sound design, and for more info you can also check out the wiki on CT.
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Do it.

Now!

News Sound Bites - First Week of March

Audioholics test expensive Monster cables against wire coat hanger. I wonder what sounded better?

Trent Reznor to release more music online. Still trying to figure out how to make money on the deal.

Video game revenue overtakes music revenue in the UK. No one's all that surprised...
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Featured Cartoon - Ben Lepley's VGA Dreams, Episode 1

Hey all!
Ben Lepley is a pal of mine, and has started producing his own cartoon. I think it's really funny, and am proud to post it here in partnership with his own site www.vgadreams.com.

The style is very Dr. Katz. Ben voices all of the characters, and produces all of the animation. No small feat if you ask me (as I can't even get a regular screen cast off the ground, lol).

Without further ado, here's episode one of VGA Dreams. Enjoy!



And be on the look out for episode two, which I'll be posting shortly!
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