Vox Daily

Can Success Ever Be Guaranteed in Voice Overs?

2009-11-26T04:50:30Z

Will you succeed as a professional voice over talent?

Only you can determine that!

There are many people seeking to work professionally as voice artists who set themselves up for failure because they limit their own potential, don't invest in the fundamentals, or shy away from basic business practices.

My hope is that this article will help newly aspiring talent, whether trained or having just embarked on their journey of discovery, to work methodically through the industry's expectations of voice over talent in order to adopt realistic goals and expectations of themselves.

Even if you don't work in the voice over field, you may find this applicable in your industry... let me know by leaving a comment!

Setting The Stage

When you set out to have a voice over career, what are your expectations?

For those who are new to voice acting it is paramount to understand that voice over is a business, and if you are the owner of that business, you are solely responsible for growing your business, educating yourself and becoming established in our field.

There are 3 areas you have to be concerned with as a voice over professional:

1. Voice over artistry
2. Business sense
3. Technical abilities

You may have noticed by now through my writings that I'm a strong advocate of education. Being an entrepreneur, I'm also adamant about integrity, reaching out to others and building a business you can be proud of.

Not only do you need to have talent, a head for business, and be proficient with audio recording technology, you also need to know which steps to take and in which order.

When starting your voice over business, spend your money in this order:

1. Education
2. Home Recording Studio
3. Promoting Your Voice

Creating Opportunities

When you have your own business, you come to realize that there are basic needs and objectives that you must look after... most significantly, this includes marketing your talent and positioning yourself for opportunities to earn money.

Generating leads, prospecting, developing relationships, and earning the business of others isn't easy.

This is where Voices.com provides you with the tools, opportunities, and resources you need to prosper online as a professional voice over talent.

We do the heavy lifting which includes attracting clientele, attending to their needs, vetting jobs, posting jobs and then inviting you to audition for opportunities that you are qualified to audition for based upon your profile and preferences at Voices.com.

Promoting Your Talent

Some people ask how long it will take to make back their subscription fee. Others want reassurance that they'll get work. Many decide that this is an opportunity they can't afford to pass up and see Voices.com as being an instrumental partner in achieving success.

What's important to remember through all this that you are running a business that you need to invest in.

According to BusinessWeek.com, service-based businesses should consider spending upwards of 5% of overall revenue on marketing efforts to promote your product or service.

If you made $50,000 a year doing voice overs, 5% of your overall revenues would be equal to $2,500. Some businesses invest upwards of 10-15% of their overall revenues in marketing. If you were to budget 10% of $50,000 on marketing, that sum would be $5000 spent on marketing your business for the year.

Bearing in mind that an annual Premium membership costs roughly $300 in the marketplace today, $300 is only a drop in the bucket if you are a serious voice over professional. When you consider how much money and effort it might take to drive clients to your own website, qualify those leads, turn them into prospects, and eventually earn their business, it's truly a bargain.

Better still is that you can write your membership fee off as a business expense. Getting your name (and voice) out there via online channels will bring you closer to achieving your goals.

Subscribing to voice over marketplaces that deliver a steady stream of opportunities is a critical component in thousands of professional voice over artists' online marketing strategies.

Added Bonuses

In addition to providing you opportunities for work (auditions), auditioning everyday is integral to keeping yourself conditioned and your reading skills sharp.

Every audition presents its own:

๏ Adventures
๏ Challenges
๏ Venue to experiment and stretch your creative muscles
๏ Chance to learn something new
๏ Opportunity to network

An audition online puts you front and center with the client and affords you a means to introduce yourself to them in a safe and welcome environment. Remember, they wanted to hear from you... this isn't a cold call!

Just as athletes must train each day, a voice actor's training is each and every audition you submit, the copy you voice, articles you read, podcasts you absorb, and silly voices you create when you think no one else can hear you.

But are there any guarantees that you'll get work?

Concrete Opportunities, Not Concrete Work

What our service guarantees is access to concrete opportunities. While we may not be able to promise you that you'll get work, we do promise that you'll have the opportunity to present yourself for work opportunities to clients directly.

If you are awarded a job through Voices.com and the client uses SurePay, we can also guarantee that you will be paid for your work.

Clients posting jobs make deposits with us once they have awarded the job to a voice talent and those funds are held in trust until you have delivered on what you promised and the client is satisfied with your work. By approving your files, the client gives us permission to then pay you your professional fee on their behalf, either by check or PayPal.

Parting Words

I know that this wasn't an article geared toward the artistic side of voice over and wanted to take a moment to say that all voices are unique and each client needs something different. In other words, there is a market for every voice type, interpretation, accent, age, and so on.

From a business standpoint: People who are prepared and present where opportunities are found will achieve greater success in their voice over careers.

Do You Meet With Opportunity Daily?

I sure hope so!

Pros, if you'd like to add anything to the conversation to do with running a voice over business, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to take a moment and mentor our community by adding a comment :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Paul Tessier

Joan Baker Shares How Your Voice Can Make a Difference

2009-11-24T15:50:38Z

Have you ever thought of volunteering to make a difference in the lives of others?

Getting involved with a cause or helping with something dear to your heart can give you an amazing feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Now, imagine would could happen if you married your talent as a voice over artist with an impassioned voice to champion a cause.

How powerful and life-changing could that be?

Hear Joan Baker's story about how she is doing just that here in a very special article on VOX Daily.

A Voice Over Minute

Submitted by Joan Baker

You never know where your voice might take you and I'm not just talking about your speaking voice but the ideals you stand for.

I work with the Little Baby Face Foundation (www.littlebabyface.org) as a volunteer on the annual gala planning committee. The Little Baby Face Foundation is a group of dedicated surgeons from various backgrounds who combine their specialties to provide free medical services for children born with facial deformities.

They figured out that sending a team of doctors to an underdeveloped country was working because the on-site equipment was lacking and there was no opportunity for meaningful follow-up care. Instead, they fly children from all over the world to New York City where they can get the finest care and then be around for what are often multiple surgeries over time and extensive follow up care.

The gala planning committee is made up of some very, very special high-energy women. We all volunteer our time as well as well as whatever resources we can procure from our various professional fields.

As the co-owner of an ad agency, for example, my partner and I were able to write and produce short documentary highlighting the miraculous journey of Tyrell Davis, one of the children who was fortunate enough to receive full medical services from the Little Baby Face Foundation. Tyrell Davis not only had receive corrective facial surgery that would allow him to feel good about his general appearance, but he was given an ear where he had only a tag of skin and his hearing was restored.

It quickly becomes clear how devastating would be the future of these children without these extraordinary services. It's equally clear how much good these same kids can now do on the heels of having their own lives transformed in such extraordinary ways. And people take notice when they see what really goes on with these doctors.

The documentary (Causing the Miraculous - scroll down the awards links to view the documentary) even won a Telly Award, one of which we procured and presented to the 14-year-old Tyrell. The New York City Comptroller presented the award at the Little Baby Face Gala. Acting as a producer was a fulfilling experience but as a performer and voiceover actor I also got to lend my talent as the narrator for the film.

This year we did another film for the organization, plus I was asked to step up as the live auctioneer to help inspire dollars to help this incredible organization thrive. As is so often the case with acting and voiceover, I was handed a 10 page description of the auction items and asked to be ready in 12 hours. Mind you, I have a day job doing voiceovers and auditions, running an agency and managing a voiceover coaching practice. Sorting through 10 unexpected pages for a LIVE performance at a swanky New York City fundraiser was just a tad bit daunting. Thank goodness my husband is a superb writer and quickly edited the ten pages down to manageable script.

From a performer's point of view it turned out to be big fun.

What I learned is that auctioneering for a charity event is not the same as doing it for Christie's or Sotheby's where you have a captive audience with the single purpose of bidding. At a charity, you have to bring a lot of personality to get the sale. The same spirited spontaneity and high stakes self-expression you bring to voiceover work is required and then some. I'm the first to admit that I'm not from the land of the shy. So I grabbed the spotlight and did what I could for the cause. I'm happy to say that I raised $12,000 in just under 20 minutes.

The really great thing is that some of the kids were there to witness exactly how charity looks -- to see the spirit of giving in action. It's not surprising to me that many of the kids who undergo these various medical procedures, have it in their hearts to make giving part of the lives they wish to live. For all of us, one of the great opportunities of helping others in need is the immediate knowledge that we are living a life of consequence.

My book, Secrets of Voice-over Success (Expanded & Revised), which I humbly point out has been called "the most celebrated book in the voiceover industry," owes much of its success to the fact that the author royalties go to another great charity called the Alzheimer's Association. 21 highly talents and high profile voiceover actors contributed their stories in the spirit of giving.

Is Your Voice Giving Back?

If you have a story you'd like to share, please comment and let us celebrate your work with you!

Best wishes,

Joan Baker and Stephanie Ciccarelli

What Does it Take to Be a Voiceover Professional?

2009-11-23T19:14:47Z

Being a voiceover professional takes a great deal more than you might think.

Is this a career for the faint of heart?

How can you become a career voice over artist?

Vicki Amorose shares her insight and unique take on how you can achieve your dream of being a pro voice artist.

So You Want to be a Voiceover Professional? Be Armed!

By Vicki Amorose

Many times, I've been contacted by people who find my voiceover profile and ask me how they can get started in voiceover. I'm not sure why this happens, since I'm not one of the online sources for free "Get Started" information, or a VO coach. I guess my brand is friendly!

Maybe this happens to you too, so I came up with an easy acronym to help answer the question.

Want To Be a Voiceover Professional? Be ARMED.

A: Acting/Auditioning
R: Recording
M: Marketing/ Management
E: Education
D: Dedication

A: You must have some acting or improvisation skills. Period. You will need to find sources for auditions, and audition well.

R: You must record yourself, because how else are you going to audition? The better your recording set-up, the more value you offer to clients.

M: How will clients find you? You must market yourself, because you have lots of competition. Your demo is your primary marketing tool. Managing your business includes client relations, image or branding, billing, and record keeping.

E: Take workshops, read books, study acting. Spend 3 months on the Internet reading everything you can find on voiceover. Listen to 50 demos.

D: It takes years to build a client base and to build your skills. Although voiceover is a business, it is also an artistic pursuit. Success in voiceover requires sustained ambition: you are driven by something internal, not simply by external reward.

Rearrange the letters of ARMED, and it also spells DREAM.

So that's my quick and concise advice for those wanting to enter the field of voiceover:

Have the DREAM? Be ARMED.

I hope this helps you to answer the question when it comes your way!

Vicki Amorose

©iStockphoto.com/mrPliskin

How To Find The Sweet Spot on a Microphone

2009-11-20T23:52:50Z

Do you know what the sweet spot is?

How can you find it?

Every voice over talent should know where their voice sounds best on a microphone. This skill is particularly useful when you go into a studio and are unfamiliar with the studio mic they have in the booth.

Hear from some pros who know how to work the microphone... and if you're happy to share your tips on how to find the sweet spot, add your own thoughts to the conversation!

So, Just What is the "Sweet Spot" and Where is it?

Following the article published yesterday where audio recording engineers shared their preferences and pet peeves when working with voice over talent, I received a number of questions about the sweet spot and how one might find this somewhat ethereal place.

When I was at a workshop with Mike Kirby's Voiceworx, instructor Libby Lennie related that sweet sound comes from the spot on the mic where you sound absolutely heavenly!

I put a call out for answers and here's what I've got for you:

Sweet Spotting

"The 'sweet spot' is the particular point/area of the mic, where you know your voice is at its absolute best. After so many years announcing it becomes 'instinctive' you can just sense the 'spot' on the mic where your voice sounds the fullest. Every mic is different and has its own characteristic. But, once you learn to play with your voice, you get to know what sounds best and where to speak into the mic.

In relation to your discussion with the audio engineers yesterday: I agree with the engineer who mentioned 'trusting' them to know where the mic is placed and how it's placed for the individual talent for a session. It's their job. I always trust the engineers for mic placement... and then, when you do find your 'sweet spot'... it's even... dare I say? 'sweeter!'"

-- Kristi Stewart

"I agree with Kristi about the 'instinctive' part. When I was in broadcasting years ago, I was partial to certain brands, and the funny thing was, some of my co-workers had exactly opposite taste. I liked certain higher-end Shure mikes and disliked Neumann models - I felt they were too 'bright' for me. Yet, others loved them. Once I had the overall feel right, finding the sweet spot wasn't that difficult for me. You know it when you hear it."

-- Tom Hosmanek

"I'm also a fan of the Shure mics. For my voice, they seem to be flat and natural sounding. The best thing is to get in there and play around with the mic for a while. You'll know when you hear something you like!"

-- Jeannie Stith

"I am 'right' mic-ed. I like the mic to come at me from the right side. I like those wide ranging mics that allow the textures of my voice to come through. I like to work close.
None of us can know all mics -- I worked with a tube mic they said I had to practically swallow. Engineer told me that and I followed his instructions. Otherwise, it's like a batter learning the pitchers and their tendencies. The longer you do this, the more you learn. I also agree with previous comments about the 'instinctive' aspect."

-- Michael J. Schoen

"If your mic is not a condenser and/or you don't have a pop screen, try talking slightly off to the side of the mic to avoid puffs, plosives and sibilance from words that start with the letter P, T or S."

-- River Dain Kanoff

I think what River means to say is that even if you have found your sweet spot, you can make it even sweeter by ensuring you don't have any speech issues such as popping ps.

Other Tricks For Avoiding Plosives Are:

๏ Smile through your words
๏ Put a pencil in front of your mouth
๏ Cut the air in half by speaking with your face turned down a bit

If you're interested in learning more about microphone technique, take a listen to this podcast recording by voice over coach Melody Jones about microphone techniques for voice over artists.

What's Your Strategy For Hitting the Sweet Spot Every Time?

If you are experienced in this effort, I'd love to hear about how you found the sweet spot and tricks you use to consistently find it, even if you have to use a microphone you have never encountered before.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Ruth Black

3 Recording Engineers Spill The Beans on Top Pet Peeves

2009-11-19T18:54:28Z

Not being able to take direction. Touching the microphone! Not having "microphone awareness."

These are just some of the many things that can irk producers and recording engineers... and make them question your professionalism as a voice over artist.

But wait, there's hope!

You can put your best foot forward and make a good impression when visiting a recording studio, all you need to do is learn more about what is expected of you and heed these words on today's VOX Daily!

What Shouldn't You Do in the Booth?

I had a discussion with some audio engineers via Facebook who agreed to share their wisdom and insight with you. Just as a casting director wants to get the absolute best performance out of a talent when auditioning, the recording engineer wants to see you succeed and be comfortable in the booth.

Here's What 3 Friends in Audio Production Had to Say!

"That's easy...: not being able to take direction!"

-- Jacob Ekstrøm
ProVOA.com

"Mic awareness is knowing the spot on the mic where your voice is the cleanest, clearest, and has the most natural treble content. It's called being on axis. When the voice is in that spot, it's the best it's gonna be for that particular talent. A lot of this magic is with-in the talents own voice and nothing is really going to change that no matter what they do. I just finished recording a variety of Non-Pro's for the musical I did for a local church here, and I was amazed at the different ways the mic captured the different people as they spoke. Also to know how to work the mic - OR NOT - can frustrate the heck out of the engineer, because you may get a great take that sounds terrible OR a terrible take that sound great audio wise. For me, it can be the most fun as an engineer to record a performance or the worst time too, depending on who you're recording. And also, like Jacob said, once you realized that the talent is not going to follow your direction, or worse, can't follow it, it's gonna be a long session indeed. Hope this helps!!"

-- Bob Marini
Summer Productions

"I agree with Bob. That's what I was talking about the other day. HUGE pet peeve of mine. Knowing your mic technique for a V/O Artist is like a musician knowing their own instrument. If you intend to make money as a V/O and support yourself, then you are as a professional musician, not a garage band. You rise to a certain level of technical proficiency with your instrument and it can be like watching someone who just picked up the guitar trying to play an E chord and not properly doing so. That's why for me the whole 'moving and touching the mic' issue is a reflection of the individuals technical skill. Now, if they ask you to move the mic because they are short or taller than where it was placed, and need to find the sweet spot, that's different, but if you as an engineer have placed it properly for them, they shouldn't have to touch it."

-- Adam Fox
Defiant Digital Productions

Takeaways

๏ Be open to taking direction and ask questions if you need clarification
๏ Know how to use a microphone and where the "sweet spot" is for your voice
๏ Leave microphones and other technologies in the capable hands of the engineer

Do You Have Anything to Add?

Looking forward to your suggestions and ideas!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/berekin

How Familiar Are You With The Audio Signal Chain?

2009-11-19T03:14:58Z

When you first get into voice over, you'll quickly learn that something expected of you (to work independently) is an audio home recording studio.

Voices.com CEO David Ciccarelli is an honours graduate of the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology (OIART). On his blog, The Biz, he took time to outline the basics of the audio signal chain, comprising of three elements that every voice over professional should be aware of and understand.

We'll briefly discuss these elements today on VOX Daily!

The Audio Signal Chain

You may have heard of the signal chain and how integral it is to the audio recording process.

Components of the signal chain are:

Sound sources
Microphones
Preamps

Sound Sources

Why are sound sources listed first?

It makes sense that you'd need a sound source in order to record, right? Without a sound source, you wouldn't be able to record much of anything other than the room tone.

There are 3 types of sound sources:

Acoustic
Electric
Digital

An acoustic sound source may be an instrument such as a piano, violin, trumpet, or even the human voice. Our voices are organic and therefore acoustic in nature.

An electric sound source may be instruments with audio outputs that can be plugged into a preamplifier or a recording device such as an electric bass amplifier, electric keyboard, drum machine and so on.

Digital sound sources include computer based sounds such as software used to produce sounds or sound effects that are pre-recorded.

Microphones

Once you have a sound source, you'll need a way to capture that sound source. This is where microphones come in. All microphones are built to perform the same basic task... to capture the varying pressure waves in the air and convert them into varying electrical signals.

Technologies commonly used to accomplish this conversion include:

Carbon Microphones
Dynamic Microphones
Condenser Microphones
Ribbon Microphones
Crystal Microphones

* USB microphones (microphones that you can connect to your computer via a USB port) come in many different styles and varieties with varying features.

You can learn more about each of these microphone types if you'd like on The Biz.

Preamps

Following the microphone, which captures the sound and converts it, you have preamps. Engineers tend to agree that the preamp is just as important as the microphone when it comes to producing quality audio.

A microphone preamp is a device used to amplify the voltage taken from a microphone to a higher, more usable level. Most microphones must be used in conjunction with a microphone preamp to function properly.

Preamps are available as hardware and as software. Many mixing boards or desks have microphone preamps built in. There are also a plethora of external preamps from which to choose, which is great for adding the exact tone and feature set you need for your setup.

USB Microphones have made recording even easier!

The USB mics do this without an external preamp.

Many USB microphones come bundled with preamplifier software that provider additional control and gain adjustment to the signal being recorded. Software preamps are purely digital and therefore do not amplify the voltage of the microphone. The software simulates an increase to the audio signal and therefore doesn't offer nearly the quality or characteristics of a traditional analog microphone preamplifier.

USB microphones will work without the software using the standard drivers included in your computer's operating system.

Whew! That's a lot of info!

I know that some of you really enjoy tech talk and hope that this article helps those who are new to the industry. Should you be hungry for more, I did an interview with OIART's Bob Breen that you may find useful and also get a kick out of.

Comments?

If you have any favorite combos that you'd like to share for what goes into your signal chain, be my guest!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/fotoIE

Dairy Products and the Voice Over Artist: Friend or Foe?

2009-11-17T20:52:40Z

Are you avoiding dairy products right now to keep your pipes operating at peak performance?

Perhaps you save ice cream, cheese, yogurt, or chocolate milk until your work day is done to reward yourself and indulge...

Is dairy a friend or foe to the voice over artist?

If this behavior sounds familiar to you (and your voice over business), I want to hear about it!

Voice Artists Weigh In

Earlier this afternoon, I asked voice over talent what their feelings were about dairy products, in particular, how they interact with dairy close to the time they are to perform. The following responses were shared via Twitter and Facebook!

Be sure to comment with your own thoughts about how dairy may or may not affect your voice.

DavidHoustonVO @VoicesDotCom I'm valiantly ignoring the butter pecan ice cream in my freezer. Mmmm, butter pecan... -- David Houston

jorglieberstesh @VoicesDotCom I'm looking up warmups and practice techniques with my jug o' water to leer over at my fridge full of chocolate milk.

"When I did morning radio, I stayed away from dairy completely. It was brutal for throat-clearing-uh-umming and hitting the mic mute. I still avoid dairy on voice-work days. However, if I forget and suffer the side effects of that cottage cheese I had at breakfast, a slice of granny smith apple does the trick!
-- Glad Faith Klassen

"Not a friend to me, just room temperature water thanks :) Then there's the singers trick. Regular potato chips helps the voice they say. Several singers I know swear by it."
-- Bryan O'Neal

"Yessir... not even soy, that's thick. I drink rice milk and minimal soda."
-- Johnny Crescitelli

According to Therisa Bennett, dairy actually helps her! If you suffer from dry mouth, dairy's properties could bolster the vocal folds and give them additional moisture... if you can relate to this, be sure to let me know!

What About You?

Is dairy a welcome part of your day or do you avoid it like the plague when you have to record?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Bob Randall

7 Ways To Please Clients and Get the Gig

2009-11-16T19:23:18Z

Don't you just love feedback from people hiring voice over talent?

I spoke with a long-time client of ours on Thursday who had shared some of their thoughts about what voice talent could be doing to positively catch the eyes and ears of a customer in an audition situation.

Ready to take a few leaves out of our book?

The recommendations are good for any situation, regardless of project type, lead source, or client.

7 Easy Ways To Get the Gig!

As I mentioned, the tips below came directly from a client who uses Voices.com regularly. These tips are being shared to help you :) I find that these recommendations are common across the board.

Without further ado, here they are:

1. DO follow instructions
2. DO be sensitive to the client's project requirements
3. DON'T waste time (yours or anyone else's)
4. DO be true to yourself and only audition for work you can actually perform
5. DO record a brief custom demo if a script is provided
6. DON'T sell yourself short
7. DON'T send the exact same answer more than once if you are applying to the same company

One of our teleseminars "Mastering the Audition," will go into these points (and more!) in greater detail.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Michael Fernahl

Voices.com Launches Teleseminar Series!

2009-11-13T19:24:03Z

Starting December 2009, we'll be offering a free four-week teleseminar series to our Premium and Platinum members!

Want to learn more?

Keep reading!

Voices.com's New 4-week Teleseminar Series

In response to numerous requests over the years that Voices.com offer some form of live training for talent, we've decided to give teleseminars a go! The goal is to make your experience at Voices.com the best that it can possibly be through a series of teleseminars zeroing in on various aspects of the online voice over marketplace.

Since this is our first effort doing teleseminars, we're going to play it by ear to see what you think before committing to another series.

Here's what we've got on tap starting this December!

Week 1: Power Profiles

December 1st: How to fully optimize your Voices.com profile

Are you getting the most out of your Voices.com profile? Could you be ranking higher, being found in more places, or booking gigs regularly?

Week 2: Mastering the Audition

December 8th: What to include in your audition

We'll cover expectations that clients have of you and why they cast based upon more than just your voice.

Week 3: Branding Online

December 15th: Defining your marketing strategy as a freelance service provider

What makes you special? Why should someone hire you instead of someone else? Develop your unique selling proposition and how to present your brand.

Week 4: Marketing on Social Networks

December 22nd: Using social media properly to attract more clients

It may seem that everywhere you look, people are all abuzz about social media, but do you really need to get in on the trend? Find out why social media should be part of your marketing strategy and also how you can leverage it to build relationships, establish authority, and get work.

If you can't be present on the call, the calls will be recorded so that you can listen to them at your convenience.

Do You Want To Be Part of This New Opportunity?

To secure your spot, all you need to do is subscribe to our annual Premium membership or be a Platinum member of Voices.com.

For those who are already receiving service at the Premium or Platinum level, you will receive an email with the particulars closer to the date!

If you're currently receiving another level of service at Voices.com but still wish to participate, all you need to do is upgrade the service being received to our annual Premium membership before November 30th, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

To your success!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Todd Arena

Does This Microphone Make My Bottom Sound Big?

2009-11-12T16:41:31Z

Honey, does this microphone make my bottom sound big?

If you are looking for a way to make your bottom bigger and your top end a little less bright, the new Cloud Microphones JRS-34 may be just what you are looking for.

It's going to surprise you.

Review of the Cloud JRS-34 Ribbon Microphone

By Greg Phelps

I have always wanted to try out a ribbon microphone. Noting the JRS-34 came out as a brand new creation from Stephan Sank and company, I jumped on the opportunity.

Look out smooth and fat... here I come.

Ribbons are typically quite dark and that's one of the reasons you really don't see that many in the voice over world. Some of them actually just sound really great... as is the case with Cloud's new JRS-34.

A Little History Direct From Cloud's Website:

We make 'em like they used to.

The story begins in the 1930's at RCA* with Harry Olson developing the 44 and 77 series ribbon microphones. Mr. Olson was followed in his post by engineer Jon R. Sank, for whom the JRS-34 is named. He was charged by RCA with improving on Harry's best mics. He did just that with the BK-11, a direct descendant of the 44 series. It's been an inside audio secret for many years among top engineers that the BK-11 is the most advanced ribbon microphone in the world. Jon Sank passed away in 1998, but before he died he passed more than 50 years of skill and technology to his son, Stephen Sank. Trained by his father beginning at age 10, Stephen's studies continued to build upon lessons learned from the original RCA Laboratory Studies. Today, Stephen and his wife Cynthia continue the family tradition of developing quality hand crafted ribbon microphones in collaboration with Cloud Microphones. With modern appointments such as Cinemag transformers, neodymium magnets and an optional phantom powered JFET circuit, the Cloud JRS-34 takes the next evolutionary step in the immortal BK-11 / 44 series microphone design line. All Cloud products are completely built in the USA.

The JRS-34 Experience!

The JRS-34 is a true beauty. It is all chrome and surprisingly light weight for its size. It comes in both an active, requiring phantom power of 48volts, and a passive version.
The active version is very nice for us folks who don't have a preamp that goes to 11. (yes it's a Spinal Tap reference) Typically a ribbon requires quite a bit of gain but the active circuitry makes the Cloud ribbon usable on most any preamp.

The sound of this mic is like putting on a nice warm blanket and cuddling up to a fire on a cold day. In my opinion, too many of today's microphones are cold and bright. Cloud has succeeded in building a microphone that is not too bright and not too dark. It's also very smooth. The JRS-34 is also a very quiet microphone. All in all a very nice package.

I put the JRS-34 through about every kind of read you can think of. It's not perfect for everything. You can clip it and it's not one I would suggest for those screamer ads but it works great for long form and for commercial work but only if you want your work to sound fabulous.

The thing I found most interesting about this microphone is that adjusting it's sound can be done by moving it closer or farther away. Once you dial it in....you get a very rich and creamy sound while still being able to hear the upper ranges very easily. This ribbon mic will give you everything you can ask for in a mic except that overly bright sound we have all heard and have begun to loathe. If you want proximity effect, the JRS-34 will give you all you could ever want. Pull it back some, and it will give you a nice big bottom and still offer you some wonderful clarity through the mid and upper bands. The JRS-34 is one for the mic locker without a doubt. I highly recommend trying one out... be warned however, you will want one.

Take a listen for yourself. Here is a little sample of what the JRS-34 sounds like with both a male (Greg Phelps) and a female, (Diane Maggipinto).

Diane's Voice using the JRS-34
Greg's Voice using the JRS-34

More Information About These Files

Here is the signal chain:

EMU 1212, Mackie 1402 VLZ3, Summit Audio Everest.

Settings on the Everest were the same for both male and female voices. Input at 5.6 Drive bus at 4 and output at 6. The JRS-34 active version was used in making these files. The male voice was recorded with the JRS-34 12 inches away and the female at 8 inches away. No processing was added.

Any Comments?

If you have any thoughts about the JRS-34 mic or comments for Greg Phelps, be sure to add them and continue the conversation!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Need a Voice Over Agent? Roger King's Tips Will Help!

2009-11-12T02:27:22Z

Canadian voice over agent Roger King recently joined the Voice Over Experts faculty.

Roger is the President of PN Agency which provides voice-over talent to the radio, television, film, multi-media and animation industries. In 2004, he launched a sister agency, Ethnic Voice Talent (EVT), and now represents over 100 voice over talents and translators in more than 15 different languages.

His debut podcast, "Secrets of an Agent Man: Tips on Getting Representation" was published this week and I thought it would be great to share it with you here on VOX Daily.

Be sure to comment with your thoughts!

Tips on Getting Representation

In this podcast, Roger King shares a number of practical tips that will keep you in a voice over talent agent's good books. Roger gives some quick bullet points from a talent agent's perspective on what they expect of you, the qualities they look for, and how they want to be approached.

Download Podcast Episode 105 »

Do You Have Any Comments for Roger?

I'm sure Roger would love to hear from you!

To learn more about Roger King and follow the Canadian voice over scene, check out his blog VoiceoverCanada.ca.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Location, Location, Location? Does Location Really Matter in VO?

2009-11-10T16:50:29Z

Do you have to live in New York or Los Angeles to be a voice over professional?

I received a question from a Chicago-area high school student who had heard that in order become a voice actor, you needed to live in NYC, LA or Houston.

A reply was sent which I believe will be of great comfort! Since this is a wide reaching topic, I've elaborated on my answer here on VOX Daily.

When you're done reading, comment with where you are living as a voice actor!

Chicago's No Slouch!

You can live anywhere in the world (so long as there is a good Internet connection) and be a successful voice over artist.

Just as any industry has its hubs of activity, (the main centers for voice over being NYC and LA), that doesn't mean that you have to live there in order to be a voice actor. I know of many people who live outside of large centers and they make their living working as voice talent.

For the record Chicago is 1 of the top 3 markets in the US. NYC, LA, and Chicago are the most lucrative markets for commercial voice over in the US but you don't have to live there to get jobs that air in those markets.

Technology has changed the playing field, and because work comes from all over the world, you're not limited to a geographic region or areas such as NYC or LA.

When Did This First Take Shape?

According to Beau Weaver, the killer technology in the 80s was Federal Express. How else could you get your demo in front of someone within 24 hours who lived out of state? When ISDN was becoming more widely used in the 90s, Beau and several of his peers wanted to use the new technology and work from home studios.

They asked Don LaFontaine to use his influence and help make the transition from having to be physically present in a recording studio to auditioning and working most of the time from home.

If Don told the industry that he wanted to have an ISDN hookup in his home to work, then everyone else would be able to follow suit... and look where we are today!

As we've witnessed, sessions via ISDN has saved clients and talents time, money, mileage, and has dramatically changed the lifestyles of the working voice over professional.

Naturally, when it became the norm for everyone to have personal computers with high speed Internet access, in combination with the drop in prices for equipment, the home studio boom was triggered and the market expanded.

There has also been a shift in how business is done with regard to the people hiring and casting talent.

More and more companies choose to post their own voice over jobs instead of exclusively working through agencies or relying on a advertising firm to find their voice.

A large (and growing) number of voice over talent agencies in NYC and LA (among other places) now depend on the online voice over marketplace as an iron in their fire to bring them leads that they do not have access to otherwise.

Some agents also now represent talent from outside of their geographic locations which is a definite shift from working solely with those in town.

Technology, combined with changes in how business is conducted, has done much to benefit voice over artists, wouldn't you agree?

Where Are You Working From?

If technology has opened up your world of opportunity as a professional voice actor, I want to hear about it!

Comment with the city and country you are based out of so that we can prove once and for all that this truly is a global economy.

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. Note of interest: Talent can come from anywhere! The late, great Don LaFontaine was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

Dana Detrick Gives Advice on Achieving Success at Voices.com

2009-11-09T18:01:00Z

Are you trying to get more jobs in the online voice over marketplace?

In need of some ideas to help you succeed at Voices.com?

Dana Detrick, a Voices.com member, recently discussed some of the activities that she does on a regular basis to leverage the tools and resources available to talent at Voices.com when chatting with a fellow voice talent on Facebook and has permitted me to share them here on VOX Daily with you.

Read Dana's tips now!

Advice From Dana via Facebook

I've been a member since 2006, and I've had ups and downs, but here's some tips to make it better (they've helped me, anyway!):

1) Look at the auditions as an opportunity to hone your skills and gain more experience, and don't be afraid of giving potential clients a few different reads of a line or two from their scripts, to show your range;

2) Keep an eye on the weekly, monthly, and all-time rankings on the front page of the site, and track where you fall. This can be awesome feedback, even when you're not hearing directly from prospects. And don't be afraid to ask them to "Favorite" you.

3) Soak in all they (Voices.com) offer with the blogs, podcasts, and white papers. There's a ton of great info there that can help you mix up your delivery and communications.

I hope it helps!

To your success!!

Dana Detrick

Digital Interactive Gaming Developers DIG Voices.com

2009-11-07T19:22:22Z

London, Ontario is known officially as The Forest City, but in recent years, its reputation has expanded to include digital interactive media and gaming!

This year marked the second Digital Interactive Gaming Conference in our city and I had the opportunity to attend a few events on Tuesday that were absolutely fabulous and telling. Hanging out some of the crème de la crème on the Canadian video game development scene from all across the country.

Find out more about the Canadian gaming industry and how the voice over community is reaching out to game developers.

London's Digital Interactive Gaming Conference

Over 700 people made their way through the doors of the Digital Interactive Gaming Conference in London, ON Canada earlier this week, consisting of students, industry professionals, media personalities, and video game royalty.

During the evening portion of Tuesday's schedule, a lovely dinner was enjoyed along with a brief speech from London mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best and a keynote address from Victor Lucas, co-host of The Electric Playground and Reviews on the Run.

If you follow me on Twitter I was twittering throughout dinner as you may have observed. For those of you interested in hearing what others had to say about DIG on Twitter, check out all of the tweets with the hash tag #dig09.

Game Developers Love a Good Time

Following the dinner there was a special VIP party where more networking occurred. This party gave me an opportunity to meet with game developers in a position to hire voice over talent and to learn more about what they were looking for when casting, hiring, and working with video game voice talent.

Voices.com, for many game developers, is the answer to their voice casting dreams! They love how easy it is to post their requirements and quickly get customized responses from voice over talent who are both interested and capable.

I spoke with companies that included startups, developers for online games on social networks such as Facebook, and larger game development houses who have contracts with big time video game publishers.

Everyone agreed that there is amazing potential for voice over in games and also saw room for more engagement and collaboration between our two communities.

Perhaps next year, we'll be able to be part of the fun! It would be an absolute honour to be the first to bring audio and voice acting into the limelight at DIG London... there is so much to talk about and to share!

For your interest, I've included an informational paragraph below about the Digital Interactive Gaming Conference. Enjoy :)

About DIG London

DIG London is an annual conference and is the information hub for the digital interactive gaming industry in Ontario.

This annual conference connects London Ontario's digital gaming cluster with industry and talent across North America. London is home to world-renowned game development studios, outsourcing studios, and educational institutions. DIG London promotes and supports the continued growth of this dynamic industry.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Voiceworx in Toronto Creates Great Performances With Heart

2009-11-05T17:04:23Z

Founded in 1996, Mike Kirby's Voiceworx has served students of voice over for 13 years, and has introduced Canadian talent to the wonderful world of voice over, including Shakespearean actors who have performed at The Stratford Festival, broadcast professionals, and aspiring voice artists.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Voiceworx focuses on helping people to find the part of themselves that will blossom in the booth. It didn't take long for me to see that the very core of Voiceworx is HEART.

Jessica, Erica, and I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple of Voiceworx sessions at their Weekend Warrior Workshop in October and had an amazing time!

Learn more about this fabulous training company for voice over artists in our own backyard.

What is Voice Over Work?

Mike Kirby relates that it's all about the message and how the voice artist personally feels about the message being said. Voice over work is all about acting.

In addition, the voice must also create the pictures and images using only words... a challenge and a half for most!

Understanding that voice work is very intimate, voice artists face the unique challenge of speaking to an audience of one even though it may be promoted to an audience of millions.

The message will mean something different depending on who your audience is. Once you know who you are speaking to, the interpretation will become clear.

Some of Voiceworx's philosophies are:

1. Each voice artist has a personal vocal signature that is unique to the artist.
2. Voice artists further develop the art of communication to become great storytellers.
3. Your voice is a reflection of who you are, and that voice needs to come from your heart, not your head.

Libby (Elizabeth) Lennie, whose session we were able to stay for in its entirety, was absolutely amazing. Libby shared a number of tips and strategies for voice artists to employ. We stayed for lunch with Mike and Libby and were also able to stay for a portion of animation voice actor Julie Lemieux's workshop on character voices.

The Voiceworx Experience

Something I noticed right away is that students were sent into the booth early into the first workshop session. While spending time on verbal instruction and discussion is significant during a workshop, time in the booth is crucially important when you are training with an instructor

Exercises were both didactic and practical. Some of the reads the students were asked to perform as warm ups before reading the copy were tidbits of educational, testimonial, and anecdotal gems relevant to the voice over industry that taught you a lesson and enriched the workshop experience.

Riding on emotion was also emphasized when rehearsing copy. The simple gesture of placing your hand on your heart to feel its energy grounds you and can positively affect your performance.

By living in the heart of the message, and not working toward a result, your interpretation will be freer and sound less contrived.

Another recurring theme was making the message meaningful to you, the voice artist. You have to be able to make it part of you, to visualize it, and to be fully supportive of what you are saying. If something doesn't mean anything to you personally, how can you compel people to receive your message, trust you, and then act on your recommendations?

Central to voice acting, and the Voiceworx company, is the relationship between the voice artist and their audience, whether the audience is the intended audience or the audience that you as a voice talent feel most comfortable communicating to when delivering your message.

Voiceworx brought out the best in all of the students who participated and you could see potential blooming in the booth. It was both a privilege and a pleasure to be present during the workshops.

About Voiceworx

Mike Kirby's Voiceworx is a training and production facility for performers who wish to pursue a career in commercial voice-over work. With 30 years of acting and commercial voice-over experience, and 12 CLIO Awards for advertising excellence to his credit, Mike Kirby has developed a unique method of work which he and his associates are happy to share with you.

Participants can expect top quality in-studio instruction in radio and television commercial voice-over, documentary and corporate video narration, cartoon voice, character multi-voice, and studio protocol, in a state-of-the-art recording studio environment. Class size is kept to a minimum and Performers receive valuable in studio personal instruction behind the microphone. All materials are supplied and personal voice work is recorded to CD for home review, complete with instructor's comments.

All Voiceworx instructors are professional performers, directors and producers who make their living in the performing arts.

Training Opportunities for Voice Talent

If you're looking for voice over training in Toronto, Voiceworx is superb and offers a number of opportunities for coaching, including a book and CD companion for those who want to start their voice over training from the comfort of their own home.

You can learn more about Voiceworx here:

http://www.voiceworx.com

A big thank you to Mike and his team for inviting us and for their hospitality!

Best wishes,

Stephanie