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:

Dear Master VO,

Tony Gentile

Tony,

Welcome to the VO Dojo.

Software. Talk about choices. There are many. Most of them pretty good.

NCH Sound Pad is a European product that, from what I can see, is very adequate for what you are doing, except for the fact that you want to add other tracks. ie. music or sound effects.

In the good ol days before PC recording, in fact, before many radio stations employed the use of multi-track tape recorders, (Yes, I'm that old) we made commercials in real-time, running different sound sources (like a record on a turntable!) at the same time and mixing the levels manually on the fly. It took a little rehearsal and sometimes a bunch of takes, but it worked, and gave us great understanding of the logical process involved. Editing was done with a grease pencil and a razor blade. (huh?) I sorta miss it.

When mulit-track machines were introduced widely into local broadcast production in the early eighties, production directors like myself marveled at how we could record things one at a time and "punch in" sound effects and music with deadly precision. Then you could "mix down" the recording so everything sounded just right.

With the advent of digital recording in the later eighties and its development into the more sophisticated multi-track programs we have today, the only real time thing you are recording is your voice. The rest is cut and paste. Import and and insert. To us grease pencil and razer blade jockeys it was like going from driving a Ferrari to riding a bike. Yeah really. The margin of error had been erased. (An error is not something you want to make in Ferrari)

Why the history? To show you that the mental process hasn't changed in the 30 years I've been working in a studio. You still have to plan out what it is you are producing and make the right choices based on the script you are presented. Mapping the production in your mind was the skill we developed. The analog process was slower, and by the way, sounded like garbage compared to hissless bits and bytes we use today. But, it made you be very conscious of what you were doing.

Today you have choices of multi-track software that all do pretty much the same thing. The only difference is how many tracks you can create and use at once, and the physical layout of the interface. (Ok, we'll stay away from "plug-ins" and that stuff for today)

I've mentioned "Audacity" in this space in the past, and considering my ten year-old is re-mixing songs using it, its a sure bet anyone can handle its simple and logical interface. Best of all, Its FREE shareware! In the PC world, Software manufacturers like Cakewalk, Sony, Adobe and even Magix all have great products. "Sonar," "Music Creator" "ACID," "Audition" and yes, Magix Music Studio all do the same thing. Now of course you purests out there will cringe when you hear that, but can someone tell me the difference to a beginner learning to multi-track?

On the Mac side, when you buy a Mac, it comes with all you need. Garage Band! (The more expensive models come with Logic Express, its big brother) Garage band is designed with the beginner in mind. Harmonic simplicity! Play around with it at your gear dealer and see what I mean. In fact all the manufacturers generally offer free trials of thier packages online so you can play around and see what is the easiest to use.

There are other choices as well like CUBase and Appleton and etc etc.....Those are for musicians and bands making thier own music CD's. They can play and mix MIDI tracks and recorded audio and have sound manipulation features to beat the band, (Pardon the pun)

I invite any and all to comment and add to what I have presented here so that Tony can feel he has all relevant information.

Thanks for that question Tony!

Master Vo out ((((GONG)))))

Dear Master VO,

Jacob H.

Welcome to a whole new world Jacob!

This is pretty simple. In fact, I always say keep it simple.

The phrase to learn here is “Audio Chain" or "Signal Chain”. In other words, how you get the sound of your voice into your computer.

It can be quite complex and expensive if you want to impress your friends and drain your life savings, or you can use some very consumer level products and still have enough money left for the boxes of mac and cheese you’ll require to live on until you find enough work to support yourself.

But seriously, take things step by step and understand why each thing is needed and why some things are not.

Today, digital recording takes a big chunk out of the effort to get great sound.

First off, of course, your microphone. Yeah, while a Labtech off the shelf computer mic might sound better than your old cassette recorder mic, it won’t hack it in this ever increasingly competitive market. The good news is a good mic that is more than adequate is under $100 US. You need a studio condenser mic. I would suggest, because you are a beginner, to keep it very simple by putting several links to your audio chain into one. This way you won’t have to buy a mic preamp, a mixer and a digital interface. Use one of the new, USB condenser studio mics on the market. You simply plug it into your computer, set up the software and record using your recording software. Samson’s CO1U is a fabulous bargain at under $80 and Blue’s, USB “Snowball” comes pre-packaged in some stores with everything you need including software.

Second; your software. Here you have more choices than mints at your supermarket checkout. You don’t have to spend anything if you don’t want to. Use the most popular multi-track recording software, Audacity. Just download it and read the instructions.

Believe it or not, that’s all you need, equipment wise, to get started! Having a thousand dollar mic, a pre-amp, a mixer board and a digital interface is for folks who have had a few years experience in recording and processing sound. You need to concentrate on learning to be a voice artist. While doing that, this set up will allow you to record, produce broadcast quality audio and give you the flexibility to play and see how different settings like equalization, compression and noise gates affect your sound.

I know of some very high-end pros who use this set up. I use it when I’m on the road and honestly, most average users of voice over talent can’t tell the difference! We’ve come that far! In fact, this is the reason our little home-based voice over industry is growing so rapidly. Anyone can record great quality audio.

Your challenge, if you decide to accept it, is to learn the techniques and develop the talents you have, to make your voice unique and natural sounding.

Voice over is about commitment, talent, and doing what you just did; asking questions to those who know.

Good luck Jacob, and report back!
Master VO out… (((GONG)))

Firewire cards and high end mics. Are they for you? That depends on several variables.

Hi Master VO,

Mairead, Australia

G-Day Mairead,

I guess it depends on how much experience you have using these higher end products and how much you are willing to invest to make your voice and studio sound "INCREDIBLE."

Truth be told, I believe that it is possible to have a fantastic sounding studio using what some consider "consumer" level equipment.

Do you need a "Class A, Large Diaphragm" condenser mic for "studio" quality? I guess that also depends on what you think "studio" quality means? There is no question that a Neumann TLM 49 or 103, which are Class A, is what large professional studios use. Does that mean you need to shellout $2K to do what those studios do? Simple answer. You don't do what they do. In home studio voice over, there are less variables. You aren't creating one thing that is supposed to mix with 20 others. There are some variables you need to understand however. More on that in bit.

All that matters is YOUR voice.

Different voices sound better with different types of mics. "Class A Large diaphragm" covers a lot of ground and price range. I started out with an Audio Technica 3035 a few years back ($199 at Guitar Center and few others) and I was finding work. OK, I upgraded to a TLM 103 after a while, when I could afford to. In listening back to stuff I did before that however, I found that the $199 mic reproduced my voice in fine style. Now the TLM 103 is great, but was it worth the $1000 upgrade? My many clients couldn't tell.

One of the things I've done over the past few years, like any professional studio does, is create a stable of different mics for different situations. I love to experiment. We've talked about USB mics, which can save your bacon on the road. ("New Breed of USB Microphones") I also purchased a studio "ribbon mic" which I use for re-creating the classic 1940's CBS radio sound when needed. I still have my 3035 which is useful for a multi-mic set-up when I have more than one person in my studio.

Yes you need a "good" microphone, but don't over do it at first until you get a feel for what you sound like. Start off with something affordable like the 3035 or other Class A Large Diaphragm condensers in that price range.

To your second question about firewire interfaces. Same principle. You don't need to take out a second mortgage to have a great home studio. The RME fireface 400 is like a $1000 bucks! It has all sorts of bells and whistles. I find that to be very high end for what you need. Very true, a firewire or USB interface combines many functions like a pre-amp and 48 volt phantom power to charge up a condenser mic as well as being a direct digital input to your PC. So does a $350 Presonus Firebox, and everyones favorite, the M-Audio MobilePre USB, which retails for around $149. I think that people get excited over the idea of the multi-channel recording these high-end boxes can do. Hey! You only need ONE. TWO if you are adding stereo music to your final mix. (These boxes become your computers sound card.)

This is going to sound off subject, but it really isn't. One of the keys to great sound is having what the studio engineers refer to as "the audio chain." It's not just one, magic bullet apparatus. I have 4 steps to my audio chain. My mic, (Whichever I chose to use that particular day for whatever particular reason) A Presonus Tube Pre preamp ($99) which provides me phantom power, a 20Db pad, an analogue VU meter, and a gain control to really get the max out of any mic I plug into it. (Very important with a ribbon mic) (Don't buy one of those yet) From there, the sound goes by XLR cable to a MIXER. Mine is a Yamaha MG10/2 with 4 mic inputs. NOT EXPENSIVE! $120?)

Why a mixer?

Several reasons. the most important is ATTENUATION. When you are setting up your mic for a recording session, you need to attenuate the sensitivity of the mic input. Each read is different and you need to check your levels for each one. The mixer also gives you some equalization options if you want to emphasize or de-emphasize a certain frequency of your voice. You want your audio signal perfect BEFORE you send it to your digital interface (USB or Firewire). The mixers multiple outputs allow me the ability to send the audio signal somewhere else like another computer or ISDN or one of the other new studio to studio links. (See "A Primer On ISDN And Other Similar Technologies:The Rapidly Changing World of Studio Link-Ups") Just thinking ahead. From there my signal goes from the mixers output to my Presonus Firebox (or my ol' Mobile Pre USB) and into my PC. (or mac)

Does an RME Fireface do all that? Yeah, sort of. My audio chain gives me far more flexibility and control at a reduced cost. Around $600 as opposed to $1000, and that is Money In The Bank in more ways than one!

Bottom line? Learn each step of this process and how each affects your studios sound. Going for the all-in-one solution may sound like a quicker path to success, but in my mind ( A shabby place to be sure) knowing each individual variable and how to control it puts you in charge. More on these individual variables in future blogs...

Master VO out... ((((GONG)))))

Oh USB, Oh USB...A Microphone For You And Me! or... Which mic should I get for my first home recording studio?

Hey Master VO,

Happy Holidays,
Thadd Coates

And Happy Holidays to you Thadd!

My thoughts on USB Mics and starter mics in general.

How a microphone "looks" has nothing to do with how well it converts your voice into a clean electrical signal. I was always thrilled to key up that big RCA ribbon mic on my first radio job. (The classic one that looks like a Contact capsule) It made me sound ten feet tall!

When starting out, do some research on studio condenser microphones. Those are what are truly required for professional voice over work. Each manufacturer makes a model that is a good starter mic. Even a $100 Audio Technica condenser is better than that dynamic mic you get with a Karaoke machine. (With the American Idol logo on it)

USB mics... I bought one last summer. $79 for a Samson C01U. I've used it once while on the road in a far off land to record a radio commentary. I was impressed with the quality I got, and you can hear for yourself:

Audio commentary recorded using a Samson C01U.

To me that is what a USB studio mic is for; portability, and I suppose convenience. Now for a beginner, thats a whole nother ball o' wax. If you're just starting out, one of these new breed of USB studio mics makes sense, depending on what recording program you are using. They come with software mixers so you can control the input levels. This eliminates a great deal of what we call "The Audio Chain," the mic, mic Pre-amp, mixer, and a digital interface like an M-Audio Mobile Pre-USB or a Presonus "Firebox," to name a few.

With digital recording these days, its pretty hard to sound "cheap." Basic electronics make everything sound better than yesteryear, merely by being digital.

So, as a starter mic, I guess a USB unit isn't such a bad idea. It will get you used to using a input mixer which will allow you to attenuate your microphone, or adjust its sensitivity and equalization to your voice and studio. When you invest in higher-end equipment later on after you book that first $2000 job, you'll understand the concepts of how to set your mic up.

Which model of USB mic should you choose?

I'm sure purists will hang me but I think that with the control one now has over the dynamics of a recorded track (Eq, compression, band compression, Noise gates etc.) you can make the most basic of condenser mics sound very good. It takes practice and there are other factors involved such as the acustic set up of your new sound playroom.
Thats a topic for another question.

Don't buy a pig in poke. Ask your mic dealer at Guitar Center, electronics store or online catalog customer service person what the ratings of each mic are. Internet research is always a smart idea too. Obviously there are going to be a bunch more coming out from the other major manufactures in 2007. With people going nutso with podcasting, Shure, Electrovoice, Audio Technica and the others will have a USB product to compete with Samson, MXL and Blue. There was an issue discussed last week on this blog regarding Blue's USB "Snowball" mic, A Snowballs Chance.

Thank you for asking me to elucidate on this subject as I think it will be a factor for many beginners like you.

((((GONG))))

Master VO out.

Looking for step by step audio editing tutorials?

Dear Master VO,

Reese Westfall (aspiring to be a great voice-over artist!)

Welcome Grasshopper Reese,

As the Chinese proverb goes, “Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

What you lack in basic knowledge, you are making up for in determination. Good start!

When I taught high school social studies, a student once came up to my desk during a study hall and asked; “How do I find information on the Internet for a report I’m doing about “medieval religious icons?”

I paused for a second and asked: Have you tried typing in “medieval religious icons” into a search engine? He had a dumbfounded look on his face (as my students usually did).

So I took him over to one of the many PC’s our school district had generously placed in my classroom, and typed the magic words into Google. This was in 1999 or so. A bunch of hits came up with the very information he had sought. His dumbfounded look turned to one of glee.

The moral of the story?

Search engines are the card catalogs of the 21st century. Ask exactly for what you want. My 10 second search for “Audio Editing Tutorials” came up with two excellent sites that graphically take you through the process.

http://www.blazeaudio.com/howto/edit-introduction.html
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorials.html

Audio editing is as much a skill as it is an art. Modern software makes it a breeze. Once you learn the basic skills, such as using waveforms and timelines, you can play to your hearts content. Your only limit is your imagination.

As to your second question; that’s a little more tricky. Sound effects require “multi-tracking.” That is, using multiple waveforms in separate “tracks” laid over each other. Audacity is a very basic, multi-track, audio recording and editing software. Even better, it’s free! In a nutshell, you insert your sound effect file in a new track on the track timeline where it is supposed to synchronize with your voice. You do the same with your music track. You can then adjust the volume of each track to get the level “mix” you wish. If you’ve ever worked with any video editing software, it’s the exact same thing. Cut and paste, split and adding effects.

Recording and editing does require some “hands-on” experience. I recommend you find a local recording studio that offers multi-track recording classes. That will be more than worth your time and money and may lead you into something else that you didn’t think about.

As for downloading SFX. (Sound effects) Downloading SFX for commercial use is a murky area. For demo’s, it’s no problem. But if you are doing commercial work, I recommend you buy a CD of sound effects online or at an electronics store. Or, try recording your own SFX! Its called “Foley.” It’s what they do in Hollywood. (A real fun exhibit at Universal Studios in LA and in Orlando by the way!) I once needed a sound effect of Niagara Falls for a commercial. I went down the street from the radio station I was working at, to a modest waterfall on a local creek. I recorded the sound on a tape recorder, took it back to the studio, multi-tracked that sound over itself about 5 times, pumped up the volume and I had my roaring cataract!

It’s great to aspire to something you love to do. Pursue your passion with a lust for knowledge. The way you’ll learn is by doing. Try the demos of all the major multi-track programs like ACID, Audacity, Pro-Tools and even my favorite, Mac’s Garage Band! Find out what feels best to you and your style or is easiest to learn.

Go forth and manipulate audio!

((((GONG))))

Master VO

What's pre-mastering and how, when, and why should I use compression?

Master VO,

Thanks for this opportunity (you may come to regret it !!)

Could you please have a go at explaining the art of “pre-mastering” and how, when and why to use compression.

I have Audition 2.0 and it is a monster that I only use to a fraction of it's potential; maybe there could be an offshoot forum for Q&A on how to maximize the potential of this remarkable software?

Martyn Lloyd- Australia

__

Thanks Martyn,

Another Aussie chimes in.

My job here is to de-mystify a highly complex subject. I’ll start by saying that “Pre-Mastering,” in the sense of sending out voice files to clients isn’t something, as a “Grasshopper,” you really need to worry about a great deal. You’re not producing Snoop Dog’s tracks. However, you may be recording fully produced commercials that require music and sound effects. You may also wish to “enhance” your voice.

Let’s start with what our buddies at Wikipedia say:

Audio level compression, also called dynamic range compression, volume compression, compression, limiting, is a process that manipulates the dynamic range of an audio signal. Compression is used during sound recording, live sound reinforcement, and broadcasting to improve the perceived volume of audio. A compressor is the device used to create compression.

Adobe Audition, as well as every other major multi-track recording software, has a digital compressor with lots of settings built in.

Compression is often used to make music sound louder without increasing its peak amplitude. By compressing the peak (or loudest) signals, it becomes possible to increase the overall gain (or volume) of a signal without exceeding the dynamic limits of a reproduction device or medium. (I.e. your radio, i-Pod, or your computer speakers, known for their wonderful fidelity and frequency range) The net effect when compression is applied along with a gain boost is that relatively quiet sounds become louder, while louder sounds remain unchanged.

Got that?

Compressors usually have controls to set how fast the compressor responds to changes in input level, known as ''attack'', and how quickly the compressor returns to no gain reduction once the input level falls below the threshold, known as ''release''. Because the loudness pattern of the source material is modified by the compressor it may change the character of the signal in subtle to quite noticeable ways depending on the settings used.

A second control on a compressor is hard/soft knee. This controls whether the bend in the response curve is a sharp angle or has a rounded edge. A soft knee reduces the audible change from uncompressed to compressed, especially for higher ratios where the changeover is more noticeable. You need a chart to sort of show that.

http://alesis.com/support/notes/Signal_Processing/Compterm.html

An audio engineer might use a compressor in a subtle way in order to reduce the dynamic range of source material in order to allow it to be recorded optimally on a medium with a more limited dynamic range than the source signal, like a talking handheld device, or they might use a compressor in order to deliberately change the character of an instrument being processed. However, that has little to do with recording your voice for a documentary or a website Power Point (tm) or Flash presentation. Or does it?

It’s hard to explain without you actually hearing examples. One way I use compression is to emphasize the lower registers of my voice. I can play my voice louder, thus emphasizing the lower frequencies, which require more power, but keep the overall level from over modulating, or distorting. Compression lets you do that. That’s what many of the “Voice of God” radio imaging guys use. You know, the one who say “97 ROCK!” like it came deep from their gall bladder. My beloved agent refers to them as “Pukers.” I don’t do that type of stuff. I use it mostly to give my voice “presence.”

Another use of compression is to make your voice “float” over background music. By making your voice louder, it will overpower the music, even though they are at the same overall level or the music is complex and distracting. It’s a very subtle thing.

Remember that many times a producer just wants dry voice, and they will tell you so. Just record your voice with no processing. Let them handle that. However, if you do a great deal of business-to-business work, where you are the pro, you can enhance your audio using compression and the other fun stuff. Many clients who say “I’ve never done this before” will just say “that sounds great!” (Or not)

Some people need to read manuals on their software to learn all the bells and whistles a particular program offers. Most of these programs have factory “presets” that describe what that compression setting will do. As with many things in life, it is best to “go out and play!” Record something and change the compression settings. You’ll hear the difference. Learn what those changes are and what made them. You won’t learn that overnight. It takes years of listening and playing. Van Gogh didn’t learn his art overnight. He had talent but it took him years of torment to bring his colorful vision to canvass. He would have had trouble in VO however. He had no ear for it.

Compression is just one technique in the tool bag of recording tools. Play and learn. It’s a fascinating journey!

(((GONG))))

Brand names? What's the difference? Master VO says "What sounds best to you?"

Hi Master VO,

I run my own little company "Big Mouth Media" for voice overs here in Australia, and as many do, run it from home.

I've only just upgraded the hardware - so now I have an sE (Studio Engineering) Mini microphone (known as M1C in the USA), and a Behringer XENYX 1622 FX with much nicer pre amps and the like than the UB802 I used to have.

I bought the Xenyx because it allows me to have subgroups, for which I will utilise when I get a phone patch setup - it's made by JK Audio called the "THAT-2", and runs XLR's in/out from the box to the mixer and back. My plan is to be able to be directed while recording, sending myself to the main mix and the sub, having the listener come back on the sub (which I'll also monitor) so that only I get recorded in the end.

Now my next conquest is speakers, I've got a couple of suggestions - Yamaha HS50M, KRKSYS ROKIT-5, Behringer Truth, and Edirol MA15D (the cheaper of the bunch). Basically I'm looking for something more than the Creative Audio satellite speakers and subwoofer I have now, needing something more 'true to life' and one of these studio monitors I'm sure is better.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paul Seidel

G,day Paul,
Great to hear from “OZ!”

You’ve made some good mic choices. If you do a search for “Microphones” on E-Bay, you’ll find some great bargains on some classic models. I’ve discovered that my prized Neumann TLM 103 picks up my mustache rumbling. My Audio Technica 3035 did yeoman’s work for a couple of years and for less than $200 it’s a great starter mic. There’s no mystery here. You want a mic that picks up everything. The cleaner the sound in, the more you can do with it in processing.

You’re doing a great deal of routing just to do the phone patch. My philosophy is KISS! Keep it simple! (I’ll leave the last “s” off.) Here is something so simple you’ll slap yourself in the head and say “Of Course!” SKYPE!

When I was introduced to SKYPE over a year ago, it was a growing company. Within a few months of my signing on, several million others did as well. For those of you who have been on Mars, SKYPE is a fantastic VOIP program. It solved the ISDN and phone patch conundrum … For FREE! Really! You call their computer or they call yours. All you do is set up your digital interface as your sound source for SKYPE. Your mic becomes a high-end phone. You listen to the producer on headphones. What amazed me, was that because the digital interface “keys off” off the monitor (To avoid feedback) and the call from the other end is routed around the “input” bus to avoid feedback (Or something like that) you hear them, but what they say is not recorded on your computer! Problem solved!

My clients were thrilled when I introduced them to this! I saved them thousands by me not having to be in Phoenix, Seattle or Tel Aviv, and by utilizing SKYPE'S free computer-to-computer VOIP. Free to another computer anywhere in the world, what they don’t spend on studio communication, they spend on you. Beat that! It’s the end of ISDN. Plus, there are some programs coming down the pike that will rival ISDN quality. That which has made the online voice industry, continues to get better.

Monitors.. good studio monitors are essential. I got two KRK ROKIT 5 studio monitors and laid out almost $300 US for them. ($149 US each) It's worth every penny! Again, you want to have your mic pick up everything in your voice, and the monitor will deliver the exact same thing back. They aren’t loudspeakers for your home stereo. Any professional grade studio monitors will suffice. Although, I have noticed that the old pair of Radio Shack Optimus bookshelf speakers that I bought at a garage sale sound pretty good when played through my old analog Techniques dorm room amp. I’ve got those hooked up to my PC. (I use a Mac) Great sound sounds good on anything.

Everybody is different. Brand name monitors have loyal followings, but it has to do more with how your ears work. What sounds good to you, is what’s best for you. Having a name brand on your studio monitors means nothing to your clients if they aren’t in your studio. It’s so much better having them on the other end of the phone instead of seeing the mess in your own “Black Hole of Calcutta.” If they say it sounds good to them, who cares?

Thanks Paul, that will cost you two vegemite sandwiches!

Master VO

P.S. If you have any questions, please write to me and I’ll get back to you on the blog with my answers.