Dear Master VO,
I'm a British actor, and have been doing voiceover work on and off and am now taking the plunge into setting up my own mini home studio. I've been researching on your great posts and via other sites the type of mic to go for and am wavering between the Samson C01U or the C03U. A review I read said that the '3' is best for multi-instruments and that the C01U is great just for the voice. Am I right in thinking I'm not losing out as a voice artist in any other way by buying the earlier model and can happily go for the C01U without fear of missing later techno improvements?
Secondly I have a laptop (Dell Inspiron 1545) with Windows Vista. I take it that using this set-up with such a mic and Audacity software should be perfectly compatible?
Just thought I'd best check these things before making the purchase. Your help would be great - thankyou! :O)
A Trouble Shooting Exchange
- Written by Dan
- January 17, 2010 at 9:16 PM
- Add Your Comments (2)
Greetings Grasshoppers!
I'm constantly astounded with the e-mails I get from home studio consultation clients. Most are pretty simple and involve a misplaced mouse click in a preference menu. "My mic won't work," "My levels are too low," "Why does my sound, sound distorted?"
I learned the art of troubleshooting from my, yes, 9th grade Power Mechanics teacher, Mr. Sohmann. A classic, brush cut and bow tie kind of a guy who was a true "teacher" in every sense of the word. He must have caught my 15 year old self's usually lacking attention. Those lessons learned in process checklists on how a lawn mower works and can malfunction apply across several technical disciplines. I see his face every time I'm faced with a troubleshooting question.
Those of you who are familiar with computer programming know what an algorithm is. "This- then this- if this- this -if not- this," is the essence of an algorithm. If something in a chain of events does not work properly, the chain ends there and the end function does not occur as expected, or at all.
Troubleshooting is an algorithm. In Mr. Sohmann's example, a lawn mower or any internal combustion engine, you need three things for the motor to fire up and do its "work." Fuel, air, and spark. If the motor won't run, you go through that checklist. Do you have gas? Is it flowing to the carburetor? If yes fine. If not, why not? Fix the "why not." Do you have air? Is the throttle working? Is the air filter clogged? If no problem there, check the spark plug...etc. etc...and down the line until you find the missing or malfunctioning link in the chain.
In a home voice over studio, the same logic applies. What does your computer need to record that audio? Your voice, a microphone, a cable to take the microphones analog signal to a digital interface, which converts the analog audio signal to the bits and bytes your computer and software understand, and can use to magnetically imprint on your hard drive. Each device has a function and has its own algorithm to function. Knowing those individual functions, without necessarily knowing how that function works, only that it does or does not work, is usually enough to go through the checklist and find your problem. Having been around sound processing equipment my entire life, the checklists are ingrained in my mind. If you really have no idea how your voice gets from your vocal chords to the hard drive, you call me.
When I got this e-mail from my client "Jim," it was so unusual, you would think that this logic would be thrown out of kilter. You have to hear and see this in a waveform in order to really get an idea of what I was presented.
Hello Master VO,
I hope all is well in your world and you had a great holidays. After we talked several months ago, I did as you suggested as I set up my home studio in my closet. It also gives me an alone space in which to hide from time to time. I also worked on reducing the over modulating and I've been happy with what the results have been.
However, now I have a problem that I'm unable to figure out. I plugged everything in to do an audition this morning and there's something in the background that almost sounds like an irregular heartbeat that I can't remove. I've got the MXL hanging from the suspension thing and when I couldn't get it to stop, I tried it in the firm holder and still no good. I made sure nothing was touching the stand; no breezes coming in; everything looks like it's still, quiet, and as it's supposed to.
I closed the closet door so nothing was inside but the mic and stand and recorded about 10 seconds. I then normalized it so you can really hear the demon that has possessed the thing. The click in the background was my wife locking me up so disregard that part. Please, help. Any suggestions as to what might be causing this?
Listen for yourself....
The algorithm still applies though.... I solve it by asking questions...I had a hunch based on prior knowledge of something. My line of questioning proved my thesis.
Hi Jim,
You screwing around with me? I'm not a doctor (But I've played one on TV) and that sounds like Atrial Fibrillation.
Have you had any power surges lately? Sometimes the electronics can be zapped by that and screw things up. (MY HUNCH) There's only one way to find out. You have to use something else to track down the source. For instance, what are you using for a Digital interface, a Mic Port Pro or is the Microphone a USB mic? You have to have a an alternate input device to see if its the mic, the D/I, or your just really excited when you get in the room.
What are you using? I can make a suggestion when you tell me.
:-3)
Oh Master VO,
I'm using an M-Audio Mobile Pre.
Hi Jim,
You're using a Mobile Pre USB. Guess what? I think it's fried. How do I know? A few years back, after a big ice storm and lots of power surges in our neighborhood, my M-Audio MobilePre did something similar and started sending "Snaps" into the audio. I replaced it and away went the problem. I used it a few weeks ago for something and its still doing it. How long have you had it? It may be a design flaw.
That said, It may be time to get yourself a CEntrance Mic Port Pro or something I just started using, an Apogee ONE. The Mic Port works great for $150. Really!
I'm 99% sure that's it.
:-3)
Dear Master VO,
Thanks for the advice and trouble-shooting. Strange, you diagnose the same way most Southern California Doctors do - except for the plastic surgery suggestions.
I ordered the CEntrance Mic Port Pro you suggested so now you'll have that on your conscience. I also tried plugging the mic into the #2 port on the Mobile Pre and all the blips went away. Proves once again, how on target your diagnoses are. I'll have that to use until the new one arrives and as a back-up if the new one fails.
Thanks again for your help and have a terrific New Year. I'll see you at Voice 2010 in L.A. in June.
Jim
Needless to say, I'm still buzzing over that one. Unlike the beliefs of some, there are no "demons" in electronic equipment. Everything has a logical explanation, except perhaps Michael Jackson and his odyssey.
Master VO out (((((GONG)))))
Whats That Noise?
- Written by Dan
- January 4, 2010 at 8:01 AM
- Add Your Comments (10)
Dear Master,
I'm not an engineer, but I could portray one in a radio play!
My question is about home recording. I'm using a RE20 mic through a Mackie Mixer (MicroSeries 1202-VLZ) and Audacity to put it all together. This set-up does what I need for flat voice reads, and some editing (check out my demo: (http://www.voices.com/people/DanD) but leaves an ambient hiss over the vocal--I've read through the Mackie manual, but have yet to find a way to take down the noise. I've also tried the noise removal effect in Audacity--it does take out the noise, but leaves a "signature" and a slight bit of distortion on the voice...this leads me to think that my problem is back to the mic, or the room I am recording in (a small room in my home.) Would a soundproof set-up built around the mic take out the ambient noise, or do you think it is signal-related? I have a feeling I may not be the only one experiencing this kind of "technical difficulty." Eagerly awaiting your reply!
Dan Deslaurier
Be Just Like President Obama!
- Written by Dan
- October 26, 2009 at 9:46 PM
- Add Your Comments (3)
I have a question for you Master VO:
Do you know (or can you research and find out) if there is ANY similar software to Vox Studio out there for sale -- less expensive or not -- which does the same things as V.S. (at least with that good ol' script "teleprompter" as well as the automatic WAV file creation and naming and replacement, etc.) if not more features?
Thanks!
Ari R.
Mix it up
- Written by Dan
- January 4, 2009 at 4:09 PM
- Add Your Comments (5)
Greetings, Wise Master!
As a new member of the Voices.com community, I spent an hour or so this evening drifting through various blog pages until I came upon your contributions. Are you an old radio-head?? I haven't heard anyone mention OPTIMOD in years, and frankly, I almost quit my radio career when I began seeing computers creeping into the various studios. However, that was then, this is now...after 34 years on the air and six more years trying to squeeze out some extra income doing voiceovers out of my home studio, I think I've created a modest but well-balanced home studio. I have a custom-configured computer with an Athelon dual-core processor, an M-Audio Delta Series DI, a Shure SM-7 studio mike running through a Mackie Micro Series mixer and recording into Adobe Audition. Everything seems to work just fine, but I do have one question...because the Mackie mixer is a few years old and was previously used by me on many a remote broadcast, I'm thinking of replacing it before it up and croaks on me suddenly. What would you recommend? Is there a decent, reliable mixer for not too much money that connects via USB, or should I pick up another Mackie? The reason I use an analog unit in the first place is that I have several other sources feeding into the computer which have no way to be fed otherwise (turntable, VHS tape player, audio cassette player...you get the picture). Remember...for me, verstility and cost are two biggies. Thanks for your input...and I've really enjoyed reading your comments to other questions!
Andy G
Happy New Year to you Andy!
A radio head? Well, I'd like to think I just had a head for radio. 15 years behind the mic doing everything. My favorite and most creative position was a Production Director. I learned a great deal from the last generation of great radio voices and the masterful creativity of guys like Dick Orkin, (Chicken Man and the Tooth Fairy) who I got to meet this summer. What a wonderful biz it used to be. I too saw its demise in the late 80's when canned satellite programming came into prominence. It was a young person's job for those of us who didn't have to support a family. With that change, I had to move on.
For those of you wondering, an Orban OPTIMOD is a broadcast audio compressor that squeezes every last ounce of sound out of the audio so all can be heard, and the signal can be thrown a longer distance. Those old analog devices just held such fascination to me. And, they make a great inside joke to us old geezers.
But to your questions about a mixer Andy,
I would ask, what are you mixing? Are you still making commercials on the fly with a turntable, your finger and a cart machine? (For an explanation of what I'm talking about, go to) and read about the old days of production I talked about when discussing recording software.
Like most of us these days, chances are, you are only using just your mic most of the time and not mixing music and sound effects. Adding those elements with multi-tracking software is a breeze. You just drag, drop and manipulate for optimum placement. A mixer can be used for a couple of things. One, adjusting your mic levels for when your using more than one mic with more than one person, or, if you are introducing another sound element like music in real time with the voices (Like the introduction of a football game on TV).. A mixer can be used in post production to do that same thing, only with the pre-recorded tracks of voice and music.
Andy, you're making the same assumptions that any radio vet would make. You do production? You use a mixer. However, all you need to do is look at the recording software interface to see that the software has replaced the need for an external analog or digital mixer. Your only requirement for inputing a signal to your computer is a digital input connected by USB or firewire. Even that has become simple. There are USB mixers made by ...everyone, Mackie, Alessis, M-Audio, Yamaha etc. Again,, I have to point out that all this gear is designed for bands making music, not single track, mono, flat response, well modulated voice. You and I know how to use these things from our radio days. However, with the limited need for us to produce mixed projects, why bother? Why use an external mixer and add a noisy additional link to the audio chain?
Simplify and concentrate on reading and interpreting the copy, not adjusting your levels. Depending on which M-Audio Delta Series DI you are using, you should be able to directly plug your mics XLR cable to it either through its breakout box, or via an external USB or firewire DI, or one of the new generation USB studio mics or USB converters. After that, set you mic level and forget it. Its ready when you need it for an audition or job, and it won't need to adjust it from a mixer. Simple elegance!
Radio veterans need to understand the technological paradigm shift that has occurred in simple digital voice recording. The old set-up of Mic, Mixer board, interface to computer is essentially obsolete. Mic to DI to computer or mic directly to computer via USB is ALL YOU NEED!
It was how we were taught. But like Pluto is no longer considered a planet, technology has evolved how we record our voice.
Good luck Andy!
For more information on home studios, or for a personal consultation, go to
MASTER VO out (((((GONG)))))
Could You Be A Little More Specific?
- Written by Dan
- January 2, 2009 at 7:54 PM
- Add Your Comments (2)
Happy New Year MASTER VO,
I sure hope you can lead me in the right direction w/a couple of issues re: ProTools LE, an MBox Mini, and my intel iMac. Seems like a combo made in heaven but it has been a real migraine. I was so sure I had an iMac issue, I took my month old iMac to a nearby Apple store for a diagnosis..."no hardware issues" said the doctor. Recommended I re-install Leopard, Pro Tools 7.4.2 which I did. Still had conflicts in the form of spinning beachballs, but never, read that never, when using Pro Tools.?? So I figure it's Apples problem. Wrote a letter to Steve Jobs. Got a call from customer service about 12 days later. Really great people! Worked w/ a Tech by phone several times and incrementally discovered that when the MBox Mini was unplugged I no longer got the problem which occurred always when I was at the iTunes Store listening to audiobooks, but not at other audiobook sites.??
OK, I don't need to listen to the iTunes Store...I'm flexible. So this has all been happening recently, and I decide I have to get this resolved for the new year. I archive-n-reinstall Leopard, remove ProTools and do a clean, careful(I'm the wiser person now) re-install of both. Check all connections. Follow Digidesigns advice for closing down certain Leopard features. Update software and voila! There is still something going on but not the beachballs. So now you've got the set-up, here are my questions and concerns. Every now and again, the sound from the iMac "freezes" or so it seems. No sound from any application including music cd's I have on the hard drive. The only way to clear it or free it, is to power off the computer, not a re-start. When I do this I hear a fairly loud electronic 'pop' in the m-audio monitors, and a lighter electronic noise upon startup. Then all is well with the sound. Ideas??
Yesterday, I was using the AKG 200 on-n-off throughout the day. I come back to the exact same setup, no changes in recording settings and in record mode. Open a file I've been working on and I see constant clipping in the mix window...and I haven't said a word yet. So I go to record some material and the wave is HUGE! I reduce the gain on the MBox to "0". Still HUGE. I position the Slider in the Mix to the very bottom position...still Huge. I'm confused. So I unplug the mic, and believe it, I'm still showing a signal, about a third up the signal strength window.?? So I close everything and re-start which upon re-opening has changed nothing. I then Poweroff/on and all is well once again. Ideas??
Finally, (if you're still with me you're a Prince of a man,) in your comments re: recording software, you don't mention Pro Tools LE and I was wondering why. You know, last night, after yesterdays nonsense, I took a look at Garageband. I have never really considered it. But I was thinking...maybe ProTools is not all it's cracked up to be. And yet I am learning LE with some CD's and a Berklee book and frankly I'm beginning to like it. That said, I don't know if I can get this system to the point where I can build a business on it. Ideas?? Thank you for reading this novella, and if you can offer any guidance I will offer you my cats first born. In any event, thank you for sharing your experience and insights with our community. I've learned a lot from your practical comments and solutions.
Tom D.
A happy and less frustrating year to you as well Tom,
As time continues to tick away and technology rolls on, the more I am convinced that the idea of a home studio should be a simple joy. Technology now makes that possible. Pro-Tools LE does not. Pro-Tools is not designed for what we do. It records! Darn tootin it records great! Great sound. But what on earth is all that other stuff?
I can't say this enough, and some gear heads are taking great exception to this; Why would you use a nuclear reactor control system to control a hamster in a wheel? Pro-Tools is a high-end, multi-track, music production software. Pro-Tools uses memory resources, which on an i-Mac are more readily available than on a PC. However, Pro-Tools still uses far too much. Its a pig and it overwhelms even an i-Mac. hence, the "beach balls." Bottom line, "If you don't understand it, you don't need it!"
I keep saying again and again...KEEP IT SIMPLE! Tom, what are you using this software for? Are you creating full blown productions with music and sound effects? Do you have experience with radio commercial production? If not, Pro-Tools is a huge waste of money. All that stuff you see in there, compression, reverb, flanging, all that stuff and all those control parameters have nothing to do with laying down a single track, flat response, mono signal, that is not over-modulated. That , as a voice artist with a home studio, is all you need to create. Pro-Tools is like hiring Monet to paint your house. OK enough metaphors...
As our little voice industry has evolved over the past five years, so has the technology. It is now so simple, my 11 year old is doing it and editing and creating amazing things! Problem is, people getting started in voice over want a competitive edge. They want the best "thing" to make themselves sound great. Pro-tools doesn't make you sound great. ProTools records you as you are and allows you to manipulate it to sound "different." So will Garage Band and so will Audacity and Twisted Wave and a bunch of other inexpensive recording software programs. However, you're not producing the soundtrack to Russell Crowes' next blockbuster, or the latest Pixar feature. The engineers who make those use Pro-Tools. They also know how, and more importantly, they know WHY they use it!
Honestly, learning the basics of basics of digital recording is more important than what you use to do it. The codecs and processors these high-end programs use are for mixing complex sounds. While the human voice is complex on its own, it only requires one mono track to sound the way it should on a radio spot, TV spot, Web spot, or voice mail system. Pro-Tools et al. are OVERKILL to the max!
Simple programs like Garage Band, which came free with your i-Mac are all you need, for now. Garage Band has its limitations, but I made a lot of money using it. Do other things sound better? Yes, and I keep mentioning it. Adobe makes great stuff and I've been very happy with Adobe "SOUNDBOOTH" for Mac. They just upgraded it to CS4 which now has multi-track capability, if you have to use effects and music. Most of the time I don't. My clients just want my clean, unadulterated voice. No compression, no reverb, no EQ. If you don't know what those things are, Pro-Tools can be like Quantum Physics.
I know why you are using Pro-Tools. You bought an M-Box. an M-box only works with Pro-Tools and Garage Band. For other programs you need a NASA engineer to configure it. I see this over and over again. Your musician buddies said, "Hey man, Pro-Tools rocks!" Only problem is you want to sound like you, not Axel Rose.
(Sensing a theme here?) You want a competitive edge? Get training for your acting technique. That's what will get you jobs. Its all technique, not technology. How you use your wonderful AKG 200 is far more important than having it. It doesn't make you sound better. Like Pro-Tools, It just records you as you are, cleanly, with as little coloration as possible.
You can have a great home studio with the simplest of gear. To have a joyful studio, unless you are very experienced, don't use an M-Box and Pro-Tools.
So much for any endorsement deals with Digidesign..
Check out my latest MASTER VO blogs here, and listen to some of the podcasts I've done on this subject. And go to HOMESTUDIOMASTER.COM if you want more information or a personal consultation.
Hope that Helps Tom.
Happy New Year to all my "Grasshoppers."
MASTER VO out (((((GONG)))))
Patience is a Virtue
- Written by Dan
- December 17, 2008 at 12:13 PM
- Add Your Comments (4)
Master VO I seek your knowledge.
We are following the dream and have acquired the equipment, and the basement space. It works well and the sound is fantastic. We continue to practise, however it is readily apparent that the ambiance of the space leaves much to be desired.
The mic is picking up the water running through pipes, the neighbours dog, the dehumidifier, hot water heater, etc in the basement space. We have moved around the basement looking for a better sound, ( or lack of sound ), adjusted the sensitivity, and still have the issue. Before we are ready to post demos, I'd rather not have the toilet flushing in the background audio.
I have been looking into the various soundproofing solutions, the roll of 1/2" or so rubber sheets, the sound mats, the possibility of finishing a small room with sound proofing insulation etc. and the cost of the sound proofing solutions.
Pricing out sound proof booths may be the way to go in my case, as I am not of the carpentry bent, and would rather have something not so permanent yet, something that works well in preventing the ambiance noise from finding my mic.
When searching for VO Booths, they are available in the US, but if possible would like to find a Canadian distributor / manufacturer. We reside in Ontario. I ask that if you have come across any decent VO Booth manufacturers/distributors , if possible in Canada, but if not, in the US, that have a sound proof solution that can practically eliminate the washing machine, and the kids in the basement.
We Thank You Immensely for any insight.
Jeffrey
Thanks for this very important question Jeffery!
Its been a while since I've been here as Master VO's VO biz has had an amazing 2008!
My apologies to all my grasshoppers.
This is most likely the most common question I get. And the answer is very simple. Be "patient."
Look, if you've been investigating "Sound Proof booths," I'm sure you are aware that you could spend upwards of $10,000 to get the isolation you desire. From a beginning voice over venture, too me, that seems like an investment that could take years to recover.
A few things to think about. Your perception that time is of the essence, is misplaced.
If you think you are in a rush to get an audition out before someone else does, is a faulty strategy. Perhaps you've seen audition notices for "I need this now!" That should key you in to the fact that this seeker was unprepared and did not plan ahead. Not someone I would do business with. The myth of getting your audition in "first" is ridiculous. Yes , you need to be "timely," but not sloppy.
If your home is way to loud, at all times, when you need to record, you can tell the kids to go play down the street, make sure no one uses the bathroom and make it known to all at home to respect your space. This is the beauty of a home studio. It is an opportunity to support everyone at home. They need to support you at the same time.
So in the end, you can spend $10,000 and spend time in the "Cone of Silence" feeling claustrophobic, or you can patiently wait for your neighbor to stop cutting his grass. You can shut off the furnace or A/C for a couple of hours. I do it all the time and save money at the same time. Just remember to turn it back on! What's more important? The Laundry done at 1 pm or at 10 pm? Your throwing money at a solution that is not worth it. At a big studio where they need to isolate someone from music, yeah, that's fine.
Your doing it at home because its cheap and you can create excellent audio with a few inexpensive, isolation techniques. Use Auralex foam and create a 3 sided booth about 3 feet square. Cover the ceiling directly above your mic too. OR, use a big heavy quilt! The idea is to absorb the sound passing the mic and not bouncing back around the room. You know, that "talking in a tunnel" effect. I also have tried the SE Eletronics "Reflexion filter." (Do a websearch)(Its about $300) It works great even in a big, acoustically untreated room! And you can try to make one yourself. Or try Harlan Hogan's "Porto-Booth." which can be found at his website. You can build one of those your self as well.
These are inexpensive but very effective methods to acoustically isolate your mic. You can't totally keep the outside noise from coming in without major investment.
Here's what I recommend. Get training for your vocal delivery style. Have a professional demo made at a studio. Take your time in learning how to record. Learn the basics. Learn the acoustic signature of your studio space, learn how to compensate for it physically, by moving things around or using software to filter out the noise AFTER you have recorded it. And Be Patient!
Don't over think this! Its actually quite simple. If you don't know how to use something, you don't need it.
For more tips, and more help, check out my website:
