Mailbag: Listening Exercises, Android Recording, Booth Budgets, and Video Production

How do you train your ear to pick up the subtle differences between audio qualities? My audiophile friends can but I can't. -@PatrickSqueaks

Well you have to use your ears A LOT. Listen to everything you can critically. Listen to your favorite bands. Can you pick out the individual instruments, where they sit in space in the recording, do instruments conflict with each other? Does the singer get lost in the guitar or vice versa? Start broad, then start refining what you like and what you don't. It's a lot like wine or scotch tasting...

The technical component to this? Make sure you listen on recording equipment instead of consumer gear. Consumer gear likes to emphasize EQ, like MEGA-BASS, which while pleasant, certainly wont help accuracy.
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Greeting... I noticed you posted a good post on android tablet audio recording [Following Up On Android Audio for Voice Over]. I am looking for a suggestion for getting clean no static audio recordings. I am using hi-q mp3 recorder app, which allows to set the bits and other settings. I am trying to access the mic through the headphone plug. Every time I plug into it I get some heavy static. Any suggestions? -Steven

Problem isn't the software, but the hardware. The 3.5mm jack built into tablets is designed for the bare minimum quality for chatting over a low fidelity skype connection. Until Android supports USB Audio I/O like the iPad does, we're going to be stuck with low quality, possibly scratchy recordings from the hardware in our tablets. Best of luck!
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The reason I am contacting you is to inquire about the Mailbag you posted last Friday entitled "Home Studio "On a Budget"?" You say in there "...if you want helpful and accurate advice, don't be shy! Tell me your budget!" My budget would be five grand and asides from software and (possibly) machine I would be starting from scratch, unless the laptop was still causing an issue during recording. -Colin

If you have that much scratch to get up and running, I would HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional. Have a working pro get into your space, take a listen, maybe bring some gear to audition. I can tell you what gear I like, but not knowing what you'll be recording, and having no idea what your space sounds like, I'd basically be flying blind. I think hiring a pro to be on-site is a much better way to start off than buying gear blind.
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Hello? This is Gabrielle ALL the way from SOUTH KOREA *^^*. I have Sony a35 and my microphone is AKG c414 XL II. I want to shoot video of my lectures at home with a clear, crisp sound. People are recommending me to buy Zoom H4n, but it would be much better to record directly into the camera to cut back on my post production workflow. Since my Sony a35 do not have audio manual control, Juicedlink preamp Riggy RA333 is my another option. I was wondering how you can make your audio sound crystal clear with no "hiss" or background noise (By the way, I love your voice and your jokes are very funny ^^*!). I just want to know how you get your recordings done and which preamp/recorder you recommend for my AKG c414 xl II. I really appreciate your time to consider this matter. Thank you. *^0^*

Hey Gabe! Thanks so much for checking out my videos!

For ALL of my reviews, I record audio to a separate source, often my H4n. I have not played with an option like the JuicedLink. The main drawback is, to disable AGC, the RA333 needs to send a loud signal back into the camera to trick it into thinking that there's a constant and consistent signal. This means the audio on the camera will essentially be mono. Depending on how you do your post, you'll need to disable one channel of audio while editing.

Personally I would prefer to have full two channel, high quality audio (I tend to record everything in 24-bit these days). It means having to sync in post, but you get pretty fast at lining up takes, or you could always use a program like PluralEyes.

My personal set up for reviews is ridiculously simple. Mic to preamp to H4n for most things I produce from home now. The big difference is making sure you treat your recording space to cut back on distracting elements and noise. That's the bummer of having a nice reference mic like the 414. It'll pick up EVERY impurity around you.

Don't forget to use my affiliate links before shopping at Amazon (you'll be helping support this site at no additional cost to you), and keep those questions coming folks! 

Mailbag: Celebrities in VO?

I get questions like this a lot:

Question: I know that a lot of people in the VA industry don't like screen actors taking voiceover roles from VAs partly because screen actors don't have the experience of voice acting and that they usually wouldn't do as good a job as a voice actor, but screen actors have to do dubbing/ADR to replace their own dialogue, & have to try to match lips, emotion, etc, so isn't that similar to the kinds of conditions that VA have, in terms of behind-the-mic experience? At least w/ anime?
-@tb_lenano via Twitter

Ah, the celebrities in VO question. Well, this might turn into kind of a LOOONG article, so let's get to it.

To answer your direct question, yes. Really good on-camera actors tend to develop some booth savvy, and the skill set isn't dissimilar to anime dubbing. I guess the one key distinction might be, in ADR you're trying to re-create your own performance, not trying to craft an original performance which will sync with produced animation. A subtle but important distinction in my opinion.

Moving over to the world of original animation, the general ire tends to be directed at situations in which a celebrity has been mis-cast in an obvious attempt at pandering to a perceived audience. For example, I think Brad Pitt is a terrific actor, but I think his work on Sinbad was rather dull and uninspired. I don't actually lay the blame on him, I don't think he was the right fit for that kind of property. It feels like Dreamworks took that production, and tried to shoe-horn in famous people to raise the cachet and visibility of the project.

For the animation purists, this is a terrific irritant, and ultimately very distracting. Rather than being whisked away to a fantasy, you'll spend the whole film playing "Guess the Celeb".

I honestly don't think it's as big a problem today as it has been in the past however. Thanks to the success of recent Pixar productions, and the incredible work being done on Marvel and DC animated series and features, producers seem to understand we wont be impressed by celebrity, that we want good actors cast appropriately.

This has come at the same time as the rise of the "Niche-Celeb" in animation and video games, actors who are insanely popular within a smaller community of media fans. I think PR companies are starting to understand the value of performers who might only command a couple thousand social media followers, but those followers are far more likely to respond to a call to action than a mega-celeb with millions of followers. Having these performers in a project is becoming more and more valuable as promotion tackles "grass-roots" style advertising.

I'm actually very positive on the current casting trends for features. I get the business of it. Hollywood is afraid of risk right now, so you have to cast a couple famous folks if you want your project to be bankrolled. If the project isn't bankrolled, it doesn't get made, and all the "real" voice actors who would've had supporting and utility roles now don't get jobs. Check out Bob Bergen's IMDB page for example. He's got TONS of  looping and smaller "additional voices" credits. It doesn't bring the fame, but he's in the residuals pool for EVERY one of those films. That's a great career.

The current trend of casting celebs in commercial work is a little more frustrating at the moment, often the backlash is rooted in a "don't they have enough money already" ire. However, using celebrity in ads comes from a similar place of "security". Celebrities are well defined "brands", so they make sense to people who represent products and services as brands. If you can throw enough money at one, getting a celeb is an easy way to help insure that you're spreading the appropriate message about a product.

Think of it like this. As an ad exec, I could walk into a Nissan boardroom and say:

For the new voice of our new campaign, we're looking at an actor, mid-forties, savvy, sophisticated. He has a taste for the finer things, he's tech forward, and isn't afraid to try new things. He's got a wry playfulness, but we know he takes work and play very seriously. He's sexy and energized, with a smart sound and a touch of texture to the voice. His name is Steven VoiceActor.

Or, I could walk into that same boardroom and say:

Robert Downey Jr.

Which pitch do you think Nissan is going to respond to?
It's a bummer because we are seeing a commercial squeeze happening where the low end jobs are going web and non-union, and the nice campaigns are going celebrity. It means your working VA's have to be tactically aware of what they bring to the table. If you aren't a brand, how can you sell yourself to people repping brands?

Mailbag - Home Studio "On a Budget"?

From @PatrickSqueaks

How should an amateur go about setting up a home-studio on a budget? Specifically sound absorption and sound proofing?

Well Patrick. That's a fantastically easy question to ask, which has a phenomenally complicated answer, so I'm going to have to pick on you a little.

First up, one of the easiest ways to have someone like me dismiss your question is the phrase "on a budget". At best this usually means "as cheap as possible", but it's a coy way for the pressure of deciding on a purchasing decision to be dropped on us advice givers. Now we need to guess what "on a budget" might mean to you. I elaborate on this more in a previous article: Stop Spending As Little As You Can, Start Buying As Much As You Can Afford

So after reading that article, if you're "on a budget" that means you must have a budget, and if you want helpful and accurate advice, don't be shy! Tell me your budget!

So to better discuss your question, you are correct. There are two components to treating a space: sound leaking into and out of your space, and sound bouncing around inside your space.

For sound leaking in and out (absorbing) you need mass. Pretty much the only way to fix that problem. Often this is something we simply can't do. If you can tear open the walls to fit higher quality insulation, if you can build a free standing structure full of insulation, then you can throw mass at the problem. Otherwise, you just need to find the quietest corner of your living space, and record around the sounds that do leak into your space. I don't record much during the day from home because my apartment is next door to a school for example.

The second half of the equation is even trickier. Treating a room for reflections is an art, and you'll need to learn to use your ears. Too much foam and other acoustic treatment will suck the highs and mids out of your recordings, too little will mean a "live" echo-y recording. In smaller spaces low frequency energy has a tendency to build up, and the only way to curb it is through mass (again) or microphone selection. The VOLUMES of information written on bass traps is staggering.

So my advice is always "Start Simple". Get a mic in your space and see how it sounds. Play with distance from the mic, play with angle of recording. Listen to a couple different adjustments, then assess what you specific problems might be. From there start planning a budget on what it will take to clean the impurities out of your recordings.

If you're lean on cash, you need to learn a little about sound reinforcement. It's not going to be good enough to pick info out of forums, or to continue getting snippets of advice. Go to the library. Learn a little about the physics of sound. You don't need to master these concepts, but if you can't afford to pay a professional to go in and tweak, you'll need to make it up with a little Sweat Equity. I wrote a little more about this in Combating The Casual Understanding of a Concept.

Lastly, if you've listened to the audio on any of my reviews (like this one for example), they've all been recorded from my home, and you can see my general set up in this article Practicing What I Preach - Home Recording. From that you might be able to see what some simple treatments might do to help treat for reflections, but this obviously does nothing to prevent sound from leaking in and out. 

Mailbag: Pay to Play Sites, Used Podcasting Gear, and Zoom H4n's

It's time for another LIGHTNING ROUND!

From @ScoobyG

hey man, do you have a source for used equipment? Looking for decent (not top of the line) mic to start podcasting on the cheap.

Used mics might be kind of tough. Most music stores wont carry used microphones due to health concerns, and for those same reasons I tend not to shop for used gear, unless I'm shopping vintage. To dip your toe into some podcasting you'll probably want to check out a Blue Snowball or an AT2020 USB. I know I can be tough on entry level USB mics for VO, but they're actually quite good for internet-radio style applications.


If anyone has a suggestion on where Scooby can find a deal on used gear, drop a comment below!
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From Mark

Just listened to your compare btwn the Rode NT1A and the H4n. I have an NT1A already. Should I aim to grab the H4n as well?

God I hope not! Seriously. The NT1A is a fine mic. The H4n is a Swiss Army Knife. Now, I have genuinely used an H4n on almost every gig I've worked since buying it: on set, location sound, VO, but if you're primary focus is VO, then the H4n will be a lateral move from the NT1A you already own. We have to be careful with our purchasing and our ROI. I see A LOT of VA's get stuck in a buying pattern where they keep buying entry or mid range gear thinking it'll help, but it wont actually improve your sound. It'll just be different.
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From The Big Lenano

Are pay-to-use sites like that a waste of time?

Waste of time? No. You do want to be mindful of what jobs you're submitting yourself on, check the contracts, see what kind of usage and buyout the producers are offering. Doing TV buyouts in perpetuity for $300 is fine for a little quick cash, but is no way to build a career.

As always, if any of my advice has helped, or if you've enjoyed any of my posts, consider supporting my site with the donation or Amazon affiliate links to the left. 

 Keep sending me those questions!

Mailbag: Settings for the H4n, Audacity "Multi-Tracking", & is My New Shure Any Good?

Got a bunch of questions to chew through for this mailbag. Let's get to work!

You had a posting about the zoom h4n and setting it to "75" for voiceover. can you tell me where that setting is. I just recorded some and it sounded a bit - just a bit - tinny - and not as rich as I would like. (using the two onboard mics). Thanks much.
Ted Faye
gold creek films

Hey Ted, So the "75" I had set was just the recording gain. No fancy buried setting. Just that little rocker switch on the side. The dual stereo mics on the h4n aren't going to give you a lot of "warmth". I was surprised to find that they're a bit more accurate than the entry level mics we tend to throw into the "vocals" category. Now that means they might not sound quite as "pleasant" as those mics were used to. To help with the sound of your recordings, play around with proximity, location in your booth, height, and angle of attack. Often, slight EQ issues can be worked out with a couple simple tweaks.
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Hi there, I just downloaded Audacity and was watching some of your videos to get a start. However, I don't see how to continue recording on the same track without creating a new one. So I record a little blurb, I stop it and later want to add to the same track - how do I do that? Thanks, Rich

Sorry Rich.
There isn't a way. It's actually a "safety" feature so you don't overwrite previous recordings. I know. I think it's obnoxious too.
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Hi SAGuy! I really like you channel and your site. I'm writing because I'd like to know if you would review my Shure Super 55. I have the black and red version. I purchased it for the obvious reasons: 1) It's a Shure and 2) the classic look. The "internals" are supposed to have been updated. I've seen it on TV a few times: Mariah Carey used it in a commercial, it was on American Idol recently and the announcer on the "Price is Right" has one in front of his podium. I read a comment somewhere that if it is on stage its probably not plugged in, just being used as a prop. Wow. I'd like your take on it. I have not recorded with it yet, plugged it in a couple of times. Is it rubbish, or does it have a legit place in a studio? Please let me know if you would do the review. I'll provide insured postage both ways.
-Slrlists

LOL No need to send it to me. It's a fine mic. Same capsule as the Beta 58, and should perform similarly. Whether you like it or not will be a personal preference. Most mics on-camera are props. They have to be, as the hosts tend to move around a lot. Usually audio is grabbed from a wireless lav.
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Is it ok to stand far away from the mic to get the right sound when yelling? My director in ADR won't listen to me.
@Celadith 

Technically anything is "OK" so long as you get the sound you want. If you're producing, you're free to do whatever your heart pleases.

However when in a pro studio, with a really good engineer, most I know will prefer to keep a consistent proximity to the mic and make adjustments via preamp, mixer, compressor, or use a pad on the mic. The only time I will prefer an actor move farther away while recording is when they're playing with making a shocking change in volume which we haven't rehearsed. Those occasions are very rare.

I can completely understand why an ADR director might shoot down volume adjustments via movement. I know I wouldn't want an actor to be in the habit of moving all over the place. It would make mixing and matching audio pieces more difficult.

As always, if any of my advice has helped, or if you've enjoyed any of my posts, consider supporting my site with the donation or Amazon affiliate links to the left.

Keep sending me those questions!

Mailbag: Voice Actor Jack of ALL trades?

Just got this from a reader:

Hello Juan, I was taking a look at your site and you were talking a lot about voice actors needing to wear more hats in today's market. They need to not only act, but self-direct, engineer, etc. I was curious, especially as a young actor, how much knowledge should one seek to have?
 I've worked hard to become knowledgeable on the subject of microphones, preamp setups, and all types of gear. However, I am not an engineer. There are people that study sound, have degree in it and love to immerse themselves in it. That being said, I also want to be able to speak the language of sound and show engineers I understand what they do and respect their side of the process. How do you feel about actors that can talk intelligently about audio? Is that something you appreciate or does it not really matter?
Also, I was curious if you did any kind of demo reviews. Both from an audio stand point and a theatrical standpoint, I highly regard your opinion and would love to be able to get some feedback on my latest cuts. Thanks so much for your time.
-EB

So here's the deal.

Do you need to be a full-fledged engineer? No.

I'm not, though I have taken some classes, and I've studied some physics, the majority of my education has been practical in-the-studio hands on learnin'. Learning which has taken place in studios over the last twelve  years. Collecting knowledge for knowledge's sake isn't going to help us that much, and I feel often leads to THOSE discussions we read all the time on forums. Be they tech, recording, photography, gaming, etc a BUNCH of people KNOW things...

One of the main problems I see with new VA's is they're often trying to learn how to record WHILE they're learning how to perform. No other industry makes their performers do this. On camera actors aren't forced to become a DP while learning how to act. Smug bastards...

Anywho, the biggest challenge IMO, is learning to trust your ears. YOU have to make decisions for YOUR business. What are you trying to showcase? What does your voice ACTUALLY sound like? What does the technical aspect of your recording highlight about your performance? These are some of the questions you need to start asking yourself AFTER you've achieved the basics of delivering a clean recording free of any distracting elements.

As to actors who "speak sound" that can sometimes blow back. Most of the time it's great to meet a like-minded audiophile, but every now and then it manifests as a "know-it-all". Someone who questions my choices in miking. Someone "familiar" enough with their gear to touch my gear. Any number of faux pas derived from "knowledge". We all have roles to play in this machine, and there will be times where you have to wear all hats, and there will be times for you to do ONE job tactically well. Gotta be comfortable with both, and all the shades of gray in between.

I tend to be hands off with demos. These are your marketing materials, so sending them to me should mean you're ready for pros to hear what you sound like. I also don't like critiquing other engineer's work. They make different decisions then I would've, so you're almost guaranteed to get a critical review from me. That doesn't mean they're wrong, just that I would've done something different with the production.

That said, I'm always down to career coach in a more holistic sense, and my rates are affordable.

Video Mailbag: Why Are Some Microphones SO Expensive?

Got this question during a video group chat with Kyle Hebert, and at the time I was too intoxicated to properly answer the query. Thought I'd take a stab at answering after sobering up a bit...

Mailbag: How Are You Using Your Yeti Pro?

Another tech question from the mailbag. This one on my review of Blue's Yeti Pro:

Just wanted to say thanks for the Yeti Pro review you did. I bought that mic last year for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Do you think it's necessary to set it up on XLR, or is plugging it straight into the computer via USB more than good enough? There are so many choices out there for XLR preamps and mixers that I don't know where to begin, so I've been sticking with USB. Anyway, thanks for the review. Best, Bob

There's NOTHING wrong with using a Yeti Pro on USB. That's what it was designed for, and truthfully, in a well treated room, the Yeti Pro delivers INSANE sound quality, 24bit/192kHz, over that cable. Quality you'll RARELY need in the world of dry voice spoken word recording.

You'll pardon, that being a gear snob however, if I can use a dedicated preamp, I will. This comes down to one of those personal preference things that audio folks like to argue about. There's something about the way that a good mid-range solid state pre will drive a mic that I just happen to enjoy. I don't have any scientific data to support my assertions here, but there's an edge to mids and highs that I just can't seem to recreate without a box solely designed to boost signal in my recording chain.

Especially in the current VO climate where everyone is trying to find a "warm" sound with tubes and ribbons, I feel we're starting to lose the tremor, vibrato, and edges of a voice which can help make us distinctive. I would never underestimate the value of a "crisp", "bright" recording for conversational commercial auditions. It'll do a much better job (IMO) of helping you cut through than focusing on "warmth" (analog style distortion) and compression. To many people are running towards "muddy"...    

So short story long, the great thing about a Yeti Pro is precisely the fact that it's not necessary to use it with a pre. However, if you start looking at upgrades for your studio, you wont need to scrap it.

Mailbag: Did I Mess Up a Relationship With A Casting Director?

Just got this question, and for all the criticizing of voice actors I do on Twitter, I felt it was really important to answer this one publicly.

hey man...have a question for you.

I've gone to [Respected Casting Director] several times over the last few years. Specifically, the last 4-5 weeks i've gone in 3 times. The 2nd time resulted in an avail. I went in today and just did horrrrribly: I wasn't loose. Didn't really add much to the dialgoue script (improv-wise) Both times we read I flubbed a (different) line and had to restart it. And I had to sing 1 line in it, and the first time I sang horribly ([CD] even said "sing better").

As a casting person, do you think the tendency is to think "oh, he had a bad day / bad audition" or "oh, he sucks" ?

Thanks RL

Please don't beat yourself up about this. You're human, and you're allowed to have a bad day. The game we play should NEVER be that kind of tight rope act. It's just not fair to yourself.

From my perspective, my relationship with an actor changes with each experience we share. Considering that, you'd have to bone it pretty hard for me to write you off.

After a series of positive experiences it would take more than one off day for me to bucket you. You'd have to have a series of bad reads in a row, and even then you'd probably need to start actively disrespecting the process for me to stop bringing you in.

To be fair, what it might do is take you off the list for singing auditions for a while, but honestly, singing auditions are few and far between, so I wouldn't be too upset at losing out on a number of "opportunities".

If this CD is worth her salt at all she'll get it.

Twitter Mailbag - Do You Use Headphones While Recording Alone?

Got this last night from the Twitters:

@jordanreyn

Random Q: Do you see anything wrong with NOT wearing headphones while recording VO in a non-directed session (alone)? 

Hey Jordan!
Not at all! Go NAKED! WOOHOO!!!

In all serious, I think even your headphones can fall into the "right tool for the right job" category.
What do I mean by that? Well there's a time to reference or monitor your recording, and there's a time where some spontaneity can be just what an audition needs to take it up a notch.

In fact, during MOST commercial castings I work on now, I tend to not supply headphones for the talent. I want them to tell ME a story, not to be considering how THEY sound. I think that can be a helpful tool to employ occasionally for the home audition-er as well.

Above all else I would just recommend being comfortable with headphones, without, and using headphones on one ear. Might as well cover your bases right?

As always, if any of my advice, rants, or videos have helped, consider buying me a cup of coffee on my donation page, or using my affiliate links before shopping on Amazon (you'll find links for both to the left)! You're support helps keep me on the  web!  

Twitter Mailbag - Robot Effect?

From the Twitters:

@solkage 

I'm not great at editing audio. Any tips on how to use Audacity to edit a clip to sound more like a robot?

Robots are tricky. As with anything else we do, the performance is key. What kind of robot is it? What kind of personality? Is it a good guy or a bad guy? Once that performance is nailed down, that's what will dictate the effects placed on the voice.

The most memorable computer voices are often just regular human voices, completely created out of the performance, like HAL9000 or the computer on Star Trek.

Usually you can get away with a little EQ, some compression, and a light metallic distortion effect to make it sound like a normal voice being played through a speaker. If the character dictates more "mass", then you can drop the pitch just a touch, and add a very light reverb.

If more brutal effects are needed, you can turn to Ring Modulation or Vocoding to add specific metallic or synth based elements to the voice, examples of this would be The Daleks or Cybermen from Doctor Who.

Doing a search for "free ring modulation" or "free vocoder" should give you some VST plugins to drop into Audacity.

As always, if this article helped you out, consider dropping a donation, or using my affiliate links before shopping at Amazon.

GooglePlus MailBag - Why Can't We Have it All?

Just got an interesting comment from Google Plus about my Microphone Shootout Rant that I wanted to chat about:

That VO shootout was terribly informative. I've had my moments of wanting to "capture" myself for public consumption, even if I don't have a great voice for it.

Showing all of the factors included in that made me realize it's much more a recording "ecosystem" than just a "microphone". I really liked your demonstration of the pre-amps and how they made things "brighter", "richer" or "with more body". You're right... just like art, it's not just about paintbrushes or the lenses, it's about the subject. And I could see how some people would have preferences about how they make themselves sound.

Now, throwing everything you said out the window *grin* ... I think the level of shootout that I would like would be... a USB mic that sits on your desktop and somewhat containsthat ecosystem as a single unit without really focusing on handling environmental or spatial considerations. It would give you the somewhat professional sound without a load of equipment.
Thanks for the demonstration!
-EC 

Oh if anyone COULD make a mic like that, they'd own the VO world I'm sure...

See, there are a lot of concerns in direct conflict with each other. First up we want articulate sound, so the mic needs to be detailed and sensitive. We also want to record a somewhat pleasant tone, so the mic needs to respond well within a certain distance envelope (which IMO is usually just a touch farther away than people think it is). And lastly we want to reduce the amount of noise that enters into the recording, to keep the audience from being distracted by it.

Well, to reduce noise, we usually make our mics directional. Whenever a mic is directional, that's when we face the proximity effect, and this can help make our voices sound more pleasant, but I think it often makes people sound muddy. We could back off the proximity effect by recording in omni, but then we'd get a lot more of the environment then we'd really want.

People tend not to want "accurate" when you really pin them on it. There was a great classic mic which was directional, but had very little proximity called the AKG D202 "Rocket", but most people think they sound way too thin on it, and to some degree most would be right.

There are mics which we use for "dirty" environments, like dynamics, which you'll see in a lot of American radio stations, but they wont be properly driven in a USB setup, which means they'll sound dull or will be noise-y.

At some point you're basically just fighting physics...

Even with many of the really decent USB solutions I still recommend moving your recording setup AWAY from your computer. Technical challenges like fan noise are reduced with some distance. Psychologically, being away from a computing device helps most people focus on their performance. Physically you're not hunched over a desk, so you can breathe, and move, and ya know act. Also I run into this newbie recording behavior where people will rush the ends of their takes, where they're in a hurry to jump out of the read so they can hit "Stop" on their recordings. It's shockingly more common than it should be...

The reason pro sounds "pro" is because of that entire ecosystem. It'll be a LONG while yet before we can even begin to replicate it with single piece solutions.

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Mailbag - Should I Buy an H4n for My SM57?

I get more comments and mail about my Cloudlifter review. This question comes courtesy of Scully:

Hmm. Maybe I should get one [an H4n]. The SM57 sounds smooth with the H4n. I'm currently trying an SM57 with a dbx 286A + CL-1 to an Edirol R-09HR. I'm also swapping out the dbx for an Edirol UA25. In both cases it just sounds too... "dry." Your voice sounds smooth, and I don't think it's just your voice.

Whoa. Scully. Pump the brakes.
If I find out that, with the gear you already own, you went out and bought a $300 portable recording unit JUST to make an SM57 sound better, I swear to a deity I don't believe in, I will find where you live, drive there, and deliver a swift kick up the arse.

Couple things you can try:

1. Play with mic position. It's sort of like a stage actor finding their light. Move around. Change the position and angle in your booth. Move the mic around. Find that sweet spot.
2. Try different locations. Do you usually record in a small space? Go bigger. Typically recording in a large space? Go small.
3. Check out your preamp settings. Maybe your dbx is hitting the compressor to hard? Maybe the de-esser or expander is getting in the way?

I like to record as clean as possible. Usually I'll go solely preamp, sometimes I'll throw in a compressor as a safety net, but I never use any other gear to affect the sound of spoken word.

I'll always recommend working backwards. Disable everything you can to work with as simple a recording chain as possible, and with THAT see if you can achieve the sound you want.

After that, then it's easy to replace a de-esser or compressor, since they wont be used to CREATE the sound you want, they'll only be there to protect it.

Shop for the Zoom H4n, Edirol UA25, Shure SM57, or dbx 286A, and you'll be supporting this site at no additional cost to you! Looking for different gear? Hit the shop links on the left!

SomeAudioGuy VO Mailbag - What Should I Put on My Voice Over Demo?

I've gotten this question quite a few times here on the blog and in person. It's a very easy question to ask which is actually quite difficult to answer. Here's my general take on demos.


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SomeAudioGuy Mail Bag: About Your Fat Head Review...

I got this email from Scully about my review of the Cascade Fat Head II Ribbon Microphone.

Hello,Just listened to your audio sample of the Fat Head II. It definitely sounds fat. I'm wondering how far away you can be without sounding far away. How far were you from the microphone when you recorded that?Thanks.~Scully 

My cascade review was pretty raw, and I had to move the mic out of my recording space and into my living room, which was messy at the time which is why I didn't shoot pics or video of the set up.
The FatHead was about 8 inches away from face mounted high (edge of the mic almost up to my eyebrows) and angled down aiming towards my chest. About three feet behind the mic I set up a packing blanket just to catch a little of the echo (but you can still hear a little of the ceiling ring).

How far you can get away from the mic will depend on where you're recording, and how hot your preamp is. In a large, REALLY well treated booth, hooked up to a loud solid state pre (like say a Grace m101) and backed up by a line activator, you could probably get away with a foot.

To get closer you'd need to tweak EQ, roll off some mid and low. I don't know that I would recommend getting closer than 3-4 inches though, as at that distance even a pop screen wont stop all puffs of air, and you risk damaging the ribbon over time.

Hope that helps, and thanks for reading!

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SomeAudioGuy Mailbag - How Do I Get an Agent?

I've actually gotten this question a number of times. About time I answered it here on the blog!

Hey Audio Guy
I follow you on twitter @andrewtorresny...and I saw you mention in a post that you worked for Abrams. I gotta ask...if you're a working voice actor like me, with a competitive demo and resume and a union card, how on earth do you get signed by an agency? I feel I'm entrenched in low-paying spots until I do. Can you shed some light on this? And please follow me!
Best,Andrew

Hey Andrew,

The agent game is a tricky one, and I'm afraid my advice probably wont be radically different than what others have written on the subject.

Ask a dozen different voice actors with representation HOW they got their first agent, and you'll probably end up with a dozen different stories. There is no "trick" to getting an agent. There is no "system" to getting an agent. 

First and foremost, agents are people. People with an interest in fulfilling client relationships, and profiting off of packaging a product. As an actor, you need to be able to relate to them as such. Many agents do care about craft, performance, artistry, but mainly as it relates to how they can book talent on jobs.

They are in the business of building business relationships.

Part of the psychology of "the numbers game" in auditioning is making your voice more common and recognizable. By that I mean, the more you audition, the more familiar your voice will be to casting directors and producers. Psychologically they will start to "feel" like they've heard you in commercials or worked with you in the past. That "feeling" of work will start to beget actual work, as producers for the most part like to work with established talent. It's all a part of building a reputation. 

The agent search can be similar. They DON'T want to have to create all of your relationships from scratch. It puts a strain on THEIR relationships if they have to do this for EVERY new talent they sign. They want to have the perception that signing you will please their relationships and ADD to their rolodex. It's about sharing the wealth in a way. 

How do we create that perception? 

You've got to build some relationships to bring them. Classes, workshops, mixers, you need to go meet casting directors, and befriend other voice actors especially those at the agencies you want to be repped by. Referrals are HUGE. Having someone who the agent already respects vouch for you can make the difference between your demo getting a listen or not.

Keep agents, managers, and casting up to date on what you're working on. Emails are good, but often a personalized postcard will get a fraction of a second longer consideration before it's thrown away, than an email which might not even be opened before it's deleted. Again, people in the business relationship business want to be working with people who are ALREADY working. You want to keep people up to date, but you don't want to spam them.  

You have to know EXACTLY what product it is that you want the agent to sell. Your materials need to be top notch. They can't just be competitive for the web in general, they have to be competitive against the top bookers in your niche. You have to know who those people are. Personally, I'm something of a purist. If I listen to a commercial demo and hear character voices or newscaster recordings, I'm not apt to continue listening. If I want to hear animation, radio imaging,  or audiobook narration, I'll look up THOSE specific demos. 

Lastly, on the topic of agents being people (they are actually human, I swear) personality is tremendously important. Just like any other business partnership, you just might not vibe with a particular agent. You could have the potential to make an agent millions, and they still might not sign you if they don't think they'll want to work with you. It's not personal. Nobody wants to be stuck spending a lot of time working with someone if they dont get along.  

Now here's the catch. Those in this business of business relationships, we're REALLY good at spotting a phoney. We're all sorta Holden Caulfield-y that way.  If the only reason you're trying to be my pal, or bumping into me at mixers is for YOUR benefit, I'll not be likely to help you out. In fact I'll probably try to get away from you PDQ. However, those actors that present themselves as solutions to my problems, that they're working to help me out and aren't trying to scam me, I'm more likely to chat up that actor a bit more. If we share similar interests, and can build a genuine relationship, so much the better.

It's a lot of leg work, and a pretty serious time investment, but can reap some great rewards.  

Good luck,  and happy hunting. 

From The Twitters: How Much Money Should I Save For a Home Recording Setup?

I usually get the "what's the least amount of money I can spend to get that pro VO sound" question. The question where basically they want me to validate the purchase of a SnowBall, and they tend to get a bit spiky when I suggest they set a budget instead.

So, when I get the "what should I buy" question framed by asking about setting a proper budget for recording equipment, I like to spend a little time answering that question.

From Twitter user @kirstynjohnson I received the following tweets:

okay, @SomeAudioGuy. trying to get an 'equipment' savings account set up. I figure just starting with a single mic is the best route, aha.(@SomeAudioGuy cont.) so, what would be the best choice for a beginner like myself? I'm not limiting price range, as it's an investment.

OK.
You're asking the right question here. How much SHOULD I save up? Yes. Set a budget. This is a business investment, and no business can succeed if it just throws money around willy-nilly, or if it spends too little on producing its product.

Where you're going to run into a problem, the mic is only ONE piece of your chain. How are you going to power that mic? You could spend thousands on a Manley reference mic, but if you haven't considered the rest of your chain, your recordings will sound awful. From the room you're in, to the source you're recording (namely you), to the preamp/compressor/digital interface, to the computer, and then to playback, if you plan for EACH of these pieces of your chain then your recordings will sound MUCH better than if you over-buy on one link.

One of the reasons people start to think mid range mics don't sound as good, or are noisier, or any number of other faults, is that they are only being powered by the preamp built into an interface. Moving to a dedicated preamp can usually mean more recording signal at a lower noise floor. Spending around $500 on a preamp (like a Grace M101 or an FMR Audio RNP8380), and then picking out a mid-range mic like the AKG C214, Rode NT2000, AudioTechnica AT4040, or Shure KSM32 will almost always sound noticeably better than just spending $1000+ on a mic.

If your space is really noisy, you might also want to consider a dynamic mic solution, like from my video review of the Cloudlifter CL1. A Heil PR40, EV RE20, Shure SM7b, or even just a lowly SM58 can sound pretty great when properly driven (which the Cloudlifter will help with in providing clean gain), and will be MUCH more tolerant of less than ideal recording spaces (which is why these types of mics are used in radio).

So, as you may have figured out by now, mic selection alone can start to get a little overwhelming with all of the genuinely good options available to us. If it's me, I think I'd set a budget around $2000 for everything. That gets me a good interface, a nice preamp, great mid range mic, and some cash left over to do some room treatments. The sum total of your chain at that point should be a marked step above entry solutions like USB mics.

As to exactly which mic I would buy, that's as personal a selection as picking out your undergarments. Realistically you should sound fine on ANY of the choices listed above, but if you're really exacting on tailoring your mic selection to the specific qualities of your voice, you might need to spend a little time and cash on booking some studio time to play with a couple different mics, or on hiring someone like me to actually go out to your place with a couple different mics to do a shootout.

AudioGuy Mail Bag: How Do You Audition a Microphone?

I've gotten this one a couple times, so I figured I'd use it for a post.

I live close to a Guitar Center and they have a "health policy" which doesn't allow mic tryouts. So if that's the situation generally, how do I uncover the "best" mic(s) for me? It seems that every mic, regardless of cost, has a following of fans. Therefore, recommendations are kinda useless, don't you think? Anyway, the reason for this is to say thank you for your contributions and I will watch for your articles in the future.
Sincerely,
TD

I agree with that last sentiment TD. The forums can be a really tricky place to get objective info. Often it seems people start with any of the decent budget mics (RODE, MXL, M-Audio, AT,etc), and then after saving, jump straight to a Neumann TLM103/U87 or Sennheiser 416. I've seen this story many times, and while I'd never say these were bad mics, it is really tricky getting a sense of the microphone landscape without just buying a bunch of mics all willy-nilly. Add to that, that I can't remember the last time I saw a negative microphone review in a recording magazine (probably too afraid to scare off advertisers), and the entire educational experience just becomes that much more frustrating.

Why spend $3000 on a U87 when you might sound better on an AKG C414? Why spend $1200 on an MKH416 when you might sound better on a RODE NTG3?

Well, the bad news is you're going to spend a little money. The good news is, hopefully it wont be much.

First off, while the forums might not be a good place for an objective view, it could be a good place to find someone willing to audition their mics for you in YOUR space. Send out some feelers in your area, hit up Voice Over Universe, Julie Williams Voice-Overs Forums, DB Cooper's VO-BB, or recording sites like GearSlutz and RecordingReview. Offer to pay them for their time, and I'm sure you can get your face in front of a couple different mics.

If that doesn't do it for you, it's time to book a studio.
Check out the Voice Over Resource Guide for studios that cater to VO talent, see if they have a good selection of mics handy (dynamics, condensors, shotguns, pencils), and see if you can book an hour to do a mic shootout. This wont be as valuable as the space will probably be better treated than the space you record in at home, but you can still hear what these mics will do to your voice (we're listening for the differences between the different mics).

An important thing to note will be the studio's equipment chain. If they've got thousands of dollars worth of preamp and compressor, you're not really going to get a good sense of how the mic sounds on its own. Some studios might have a "churn and burn" space (usually just a little closet converted) for helping talent knock out auditions. That set up will probably be the simplest arrangement, and might be the closest fit for us closet warriors. If they have one, use that space.
If the studio is worth their salt remember, YOU ARE PAYING THEM FOR WHAT YOU WANT, so they should be amenable to matching YOUR current recording chain (or at least just bypassing their compressor LOL).

Lastly, and I've said it before, SET A BUDGET! Including "educational" spending, set a dollar amount that you refuse to go over. It's very easy to become a collector (like me WOOT!) and start buying everything in sight with little regard for your actual business. You don't want to get a bad case of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), and not have bookings to show for it. Above all else, while VO is  hella-crazy fun, it is still a BUSINESS.

One final note.
Once you've finally decided on a mic, and you're shopping sites like Zzounds, Sweetwater, MusiciansFriend, SamAsh, GuitarCenter, etc, maybe you could also consider Amazon, and buy through my affiliate link SomeAudioStore? Maybe?

Just throwing it out there.
You know, shameless plug and all.
Just sayin...

AudioGuy Mail Bag: Properly Setting Up a Shotgun

So first off, BIG thanks to John Florian at Voice Over Xtra for republishing my article on the proximity effect "Please Don't Swallow The Mic! ". The original rant also has a video from the Today Show where you can see some of these proximity read techniques in use by voiceover greats like George Delhoyo, Joe Cipriano, Mark Elliot, and the late great Don LaFontaine. 


I almost instantly got an email from a VOXtra reader. He totally nailed me on the fact that most of my advice is geared towards large diaphragm condensers:

Just finished reading your article on Voice Over Extra about "Please Don't Swallow the Mic."

I wanted to ask you what a proper distance might be for the pop screen to be away from the mic and also what is a good distance to be back away from the pop screen while speaking?  I am using a Rode NT-G2 Shotgun Mic.

 Thanks for the information!

-MS

Well ya see Timmy, I can't really say that my advice is going to be very consistent. I kind of have this Love/Hate relationship with my MKH416. It's super loud, super directional, and super tone deaf. Often mic-ing the shotgun will come down to the space you're working in. There are some generalities I can throw you however.

Now, I'm not as familiar with the NTG2, but looking up it's specs, it seems to play in the same super-cardioid space the 416 plays in for most of the EQ spectrum (it seems the 416 approaches more of a hyper-cardioid in the upper EQ, but I'm not sure it really affects the human voice much).

These mics were designed with such powerful side rejection for the purposes of broadcast and film, the mics to be positioned feet to sometimes yards away from their subject, and often being used outdoors.

I personally, REALLY feel that these are not mics to be right on top of.

When I start a session with a 416 I usually position as follows:
*Mic about a foot and a half away from source.

*Active end of the mic height positioned relatively around the nose of the talent.

*Mic aimed at the chest of the talent.

Like this------->

I do this for several reasons. 

One it helps tame puffs of air as most of them will pass under the microphone, but the voice should travel THROUGH the recording path of the mic.

Also, because of the focus of this mic, I tend to not like pointing the mic at someone's face, as then you're picking up the nasal cavity (not a particularly pleasant source of resonance), and instead try to pick up the talent's chest (by design a much more cavernous source of resonance). 

These mics, while built for very rugged conditions, can actually be pretty easily damaged forcing air into them if you're too close. For added protection I tend to use a foam wind sock, as opposed to a pop screen. No particular reason for that, just the way I tend to do it (though sometimes it allows me to be sneaky, and move the mic farther way from talent that like to crowd the mic by scootching the foam towards the end of the mic). 

Also, as promo readers tend to wave and conduct their hands around their reads, this distance helps prevent the random smacking of the mic.

 

Now here's the tricky thing about miking yourself, depending on your space, all of what I just said might be TOTALLY wrong.

I've found good success with this set up, and usually my only adjustments from this initial setup are asking the talent to move a little closer or farther from the mic, but your mileage WILL vary.

I hope that helps, and thanks for the question!

Mailbag - Camera as Field Recorder Question

I've written before about field recording and how to do it on the cheap (using things like Canon point and shoot cameras), but JL had a question regarding a specific camera.

Hey, I work at a college radio station and your site is great. I read your post about using your Canon PowerShot as a field recorder, and thought, "that's perfect!" I'm trying to get into the audio production field, doing some production work, and this would be much better than buying a cheap audio recorder! I have a Canon S1 IS, so I don't think mine has the stand alone sound recorder setting. I explored it and couldn't find it, but thought you could help. Mine has a video recorder, which also records audio, but that's a lot more tedious than I need. How do you get to this setting on your camera? Thanks for any help!

-JL

Hey JL.
The S1 was a nifty little camera, but as far as I know it didn't have a dedicated audio recording feature. Depending on what you need to record, you could use the memo function by going into playback, while viewing a picture pushing the microphone button, and then using the arrow and set keys to start the recording. I think the memo feature will give you  about 60 seconds of recording time, and should save the file as a standalone .WAV file on your memory card.
If you need to record longer you're correct that you'll need to record a movie, and then seperate the audio after the fact in a video editing program.

Thanks for the question!