Do That Voice!

I recently happened across this instructional video at Digital Juice, aimed at giving video producers some pointers on getting the best possible VO recordings. 

It's worth viewing, in that it has lots of good technical tips on basic recording techniques. Unfortunately, the entire theme of the video is summed up at the end: "[Your clients] will probably be pleasantly surprised by your results, and happy not to have to shell out any extra cash for voiceover talent."

As one who earns a living as a voiceover artist, the preceding quote evokes this initial reaction: them's fightin' words.

Producers at whom this video is aimed need to realize that hiring professional voice talent is money well spent, and that it will actually save money in the long run. Those producers who are experienced in this arena will tell you that it ends up costing even more money (by way of lost time) when the initial VO is sub-par, because then you're under the gun to complete the project, you've got to find a bona fide VO who just happens to be available immediately, and you end up paying established rates anyway.

Another thing for producers to realize is that it doesn't take a "Hollywood-sized budget" as mentioned by the instructor. There are professional VO artists who will pro-rate their fee after a certain number of pages, and may even offer a kind of "goodwill discount" if asked nicely enough. (This doesn't, however, make it okay to offer $50 for an hour-long narration, as suggested in one of the comments on the page.) 

Having said all that, the video does have solid information on noise reduction, the way a voice track fits into different kinds of projects, and --- this is crucial --- finalizing the script. Unfortunately, pieces of advice like "make sure you understand how to read the script" and "don't drink a milkshake before recording your VO" are unnecessary in my opinion: professional voice artists show up already knowing this information. (A pro VO also makes it unnecessary to use "4" in place of "for" in a script --- an actual suggestion from the video.)

Finally, on a geekier note: the caption next to the graphic of the EV RE20 mic lists it as a "condenser", even though it's a dynamic mic. (The Neumann U87, shown previously, is correctly identified.)

Posted by dhvoice at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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This concise but informative article on VO recording covers a lot of ground; if you're starting out and looking for basics on getting your home studio going, this piece is a great place to start.

One thing I should note: the article spends a bit of time on microphones, but doesn't point out a key distinction between Dynamic and Condenser mics. While each is just a different method of doing what mics do (that is, take pressure waves from the air and convert them to an electrical signal, to then be converted back to sound), they're two different animals; each type will shape your recorded voice in dramatically different ways.

Dynamic mics have a limited frequency response; this means that they don't capture sound with great accuracy, but it also allows them to handle exceptionally loud sources like guitar amps, drums, and screaming disc jockeys (most of the talk you hear on the radio will be coming from a dynamic mic) .

Condenser mics have reversed characteristics, essentially; they've got a wide frequency response. This means, as you've no doubt figured out by now, that they reproduce sound accurately but can be overpowered (and even damaged!) by excessive sound pressure. Condensers tend to be more expensive than dynamics, and will require phantom power (available on most mixers, but sometimes an external power source is used).

Okay, I've prattled on enough. Go read!

Posted by dhvoice at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

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Posted by dhvoice at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

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