voiceover talent

Voiceover Training | Racks and Stacks or Priorities Out of Whack?

December 5, 2012 by Dan Friedman

People new to voiceover are always asking me about effects stacks. For those of you who don’t know what effects stacks (or effects processors) do, or for those who don’t know what I’m even talking about, you are in luck. This article will help explain a couple of the most commonly used effects processors and will also help you steer clear of some things you probably should avoid… for now.

Compression and Equalization… What they do.

Audio effects processors including compressors and EQ (or equalizers) are very important elements in audio production. Compression is used to control dynamics, or the loud and soft parts of a recording. A compressor controls dynamics by lowering the output level of louder parts and raising the level of softer parts. This produces overall output levels that are more evenly balanced throughout the compressed portion of audio.

An equalizer is used to adjust the tones, or frequencies, within a sound. EQ can be used in several ways to enhance or alter certain tones by increasing or decreasing the level of specific frequencies to create an overall sound that is more pleasant. EQ can also be used to create an effected sound, such as simulating the sound of a telephone.

This is all very cool! However, if you are just getting started in voiceover, (and most of the time, even if you’ve been doing this for awhile) these effects are not really something you need to be overly concerned with… at least, not in the beginning.

What should you do?

Should you attempt to learn a little something about them as you are learning your craft? Yes.

Should you be running all of your voice recordings through rack or outboard processors as you are recording? Definitely not.

Should you be inserting DAW effects, effects stacks or presets on every voiceover recording you produce? No.

As you are working on developing your voiceover career, your number one focus should always be on your delivery.

The Magic is in Your Delivery.

When used properly or creatively, processing can make a good recording sound great. But a weak performance, will always sound like a weak performance no matter how much or how little processing is used. It is very easy for people to get caught up in the magic and mystery of the tools, rather than focusing on where the magic truly lies… in the delivery. Simply stated, compression and EQ will not turn a weak delivery into a magical one.

Speaking of deliveries, different scripts require different interpretations, enthusiasm, loudness and energy levels. How loud or soft certain elements are in your delivery are not the same for every script. Therefore, you cannot simply go to the same presets for every script you read and “set it and forget it”. One size, does not fit all.

Creativity or Correction? What Would Be More Fun For You?

Also, as a new voice talent, it is rare that you will be called upon to do a full production. Most often you will be sending your audio elsewhere, where it will be edited, manipulated and mixed alongside music, sound effects or other voices. The mix engineer cannot undo this type of processing. If you were to add processing incorrectly or inappropriately, you may have created a very frustrating situation that could make a mix engineer very unhappy. A new unprocessed recording could be the only solution to the problem and there are no guarantees that the client will come back to you to get it.

Generally, compression and equalization are used in two ways; creatively or correctively. If you’ve chosen your equipment well, have a finely tuned acoustic environment and are always working on your technique, these processing tools can be used creatively as opposed to correctively. Rather than using these processors in an attempt to fix difficult acoustic or technical problems, the tools can be used to place your voice properly in a mix or to enable you to sound like you… only better! As you can imagine, creative, is far more enjoyable for the mix engineer.

As you pursue your career as a voice talent, it will be helpful to learn and understand all elements involved in audio production. However, have patience and focus on what is important for you at this moment in time. Above all, remember that no matter what level you are at in your career, the most important effect to the voiceover talent… is the effect your delivery has on the listener.

You’ll find more on compression and equalization in Sound Advice – Voiceover From an Audio Engineer’s Perspective.

The Voiceover Meet Up Group… What Do You Do?

September 7, 2011 by Dan Friedman

The voiceover community is well known for being a friendly, helpful and social community. Considering we sit in isolation for much of our lives it is no surprise that we need to get out once in awhile just to keep our sanity (assuming we have some to begin with of course). It is easier now than ever before to share our knowledge and seek the help of others when we need it. Seriously, how many social networking and meet up groups for VO are there now? Even with all of the technology that allows us to connect with one another over wires and through the airwaves, few things are more advantageous than actual face time.

There are at least three big events for voice talent coming up in the next several months, all before the end of this year (here in the US, I’m not sure about other countries) “Faffcon3” in September, “That’s VO” in October and the New York Mixer in December . They are being widely mentioned in social media and they all look really interesting and fun. I wish I could be at all of them (Anyone want to fly me out? Shameless… I know ;-)). But while all of these events will undoubtedly be filled with great information and amazingly talented people, this is about something a little closer to home… the local meet up group.

When I mentioned recently that I was going to be attending the meet up group in Charlotte, I received quite a bit of feedback from those wanting to be part of a meet up, start a meet up, or get one going again. I talked to Gabby of Voice Hunter (who organizes the Charlotte group) about all of the interest I had received and she said it was reasonably easy to get it going. The Charlotte group started out as a bunch of friends in the industry getting together and, over time, it developed into much more than that. I can only guess that this is how most of them start, but what information is critical to help keep the group going?

I began thinking about the various things that voiceover meet up groups could do to generate initial interest and more importantly, keep members coming back. For people already in the industry, getting to know other industry professionals can be informative or educational. For people new to the industry, access to working professionals is invaluable. Interest in voiceover as a career has never been higher and those who want to get into it need to learn from those who are already working professionals. Reading about the business is good; meeting and talking to people who work in the business is better.

Soon after I began writing this article I worked on a session with DB Cooper, who had recently attended a meet up/workout group in Los Angeles with Dave Fennoy. I heard Dave mention this workout group in an interview on the VAU. He emphasized the need for a comfortable environment to really work on scripts. This environment should be safe and confidential, so that everyone can succeed or fail, without worrying about clients or any of the bad stuff making it out into the public domain. Good thinking.

Everyone, new and experienced, benefits from the advice of guest speakers. Especially if these guests have information to offer that is outside the realm of expertise of the majority of group members. If someone is not local to your area, guests could easily attend with the help of Skype.

Performance is fun, but voiceover is a business and all topics related to business could certainly be beneficial to group members. Everything from accounting and billing to advertising, marketing, web design and even legal issues are critical to keeping a voiceover business flourishing.

Who can forget about the technical aspects of our business? Nobody. From microphones to mixing boards, there is plenty to discuss. Everyone in this business needs to understand the importance of choosing the right gear, how to set it up and what role room acoustics plays in overall sound.

Practice and in depth discussions on all of these topics can help voice talent with their careers. But, what I suspect may be the most critical element to keeping a meet up group together is support. Despite how it looks to the casual observer, voiceover is not an easy career choice. There are many disappointments, struggles and rejections. The competition is fierce. Having a local group of friends and trusted advisors, who truly understand what you do and can help you achieve your goals, is priceless.

I don’t personally run a group, although I have thought about starting one. Besides the groups in Charlotte and L.A., I know that Dallas also has a strong VO community and meet up group. I would love to get feedback from those who organize these and other meet up groups, and from those who participate. Share your knowledge, ideas and expertise over wires and through the airwaves (or right here in the comments section of my blog), to raise the bar for this industry and help other voice artists support each other much closer to home.

One Year, One Voiceover Book… A Whole New Chapter

September 1, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Since starting my webpage and blog, I have attempted to provide information that can be beneficial to several facets of the voiceover industry. I’ve written articles for directors, new talent, experienced talent and offered commentary on things going on in my VO life and in the industry. On this day (September 1st) last year, I published something that has had a profound effect on my life and has hopefully helped others. So today on the anniversary of the release of my book, Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, I’d like to do something I’ve largely avoided, which is to write something about the book itself and how it has created a new chapter my life.

When I began writing Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, I had no idea how it would be received by the voiceover community. I was nervous. But my mind was quickly set at ease when several letters and posts began to appear thanking me for writing it. While many of these letters were complimentary and some full of praise (for which I am so appreciative) two of my favorite letters came to me in just the last two months.

Submitted on 07/17/2011
Kelley Carruthers Buttrick
“Hey Dan, “Sound Advice” saved my bacon on Thursday. In the past, I would have freaked out at the problem and immediately called the engineer who installed the studio. Instead, I just did your first line of defense and unplugged and replugged the item giving me grief. It worked like a charm! Simple I know, but for someone who is technologically challenged like me, it was great! THANK YOU!!! See you at Faffcon!”

Submitted on 08/08/2011
Cindy Neill
“Hey Dan!
I just wanted to say Thank You for writing your book! I was getting a nasty hiss in my records this morning and started to freak out but I read through your book, calmed down, retraced my connections and settings and found the issue! When I’m not in an ISDN session, I’ve got to turn the ISDN pot down on my board otherwise, I get the hiss. Apparently I’d forgotten to turn it down after a session yesterday afternoon and thus, freak-out mode kicked in! But by reading through your book and following just the simplest of instruction, I was able to fix the problem on my own!!! YAY ME!! And YAY YOU for writing such an awesome book!!
Thanks Dan!”

These letters are my favorites because, almost one year later, people who have had the book are now turning to it and solving their studio problems. This is exactly what I had intended.

The only thing I knew when I began writing the book was that the information was needed. Over the years, voice talent had been calling me, asking for help with everything related to studios, recording gear and sound. Often the questions were very similar and I heard myself offering the same advice time and time again. Coincidentally, within a week or two, a couple of voice talent said to me “you should write a book”. At that time it was just an interesting idea.

I knew that voice talent didn’t want to go to school for recording and sound engineering. That would far exceed their needs. However, some knowledge of audio engineering was a necessity and there was no other source available that spoke to the needs of the voice talent. Many talent were actually afraid of their audio gear! The manuals and catalogs could be intimidating. Books about sound recording could not only be intimidating but overkill for anyone who simply needed to get a professional recording of their voice and perform some editing. After years of working with voice talent as an engineer, as well as years of working as a voice talent myself, I knew I could help. I wanted to help. What had started as an interesting idea, turned into reality.

Thanks to letters like those above I know that I have helped, but the biggest reward I’ve received from the book has been meeting and talking with so many of you. I’ve had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people I may never have met. I’ve been part of group discussions, online conferences and Faffcon2 (and Faffcon3 coming up). Many people in this industry have inspired me with their abilities, generosity, talent, and determination. I’ve made new friends who’ve been incredibly helpful and supportive. I’ve also met people who I was able to get added to the ProComm Voices talent roster, one of the finest group of voiceover artists anywhere in the world. I am so fortunate to be in such amazing company.

To everyone who has purchased or recommended Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, thank you so much for your support. Getting the word out about a book is actually much harder than I ever imagined and I could not do it without your help. Please keep sharing and recommending it to anyone who you think could benefit from the information contained within its pages. I wish you all great success with your voiceover careers. Keep on talking and keep on listening.

Voiceover Gear, Quality and Rates… a Correlation?

August 13, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Two of the biggest ongoing issues in the voiceover world are gear and rates. It seems that voice talent (or voice talent wannabes) are always looking for the latest, greatest, smallest and cheapest piece of gear that is good enough to record audio. They also seem to want the ability to do this from just about anywhere. The issue of rates is always a big concern. Job offers for payments that fall considerably short of generally accepted rates frequent the internet. These offers are often discussed as being reprehensible or even laughed at on social media. So, is there a correlation between cheap gear and low rates?

Portability and the ability to respond quickly to client requests are key factors that drive the need for much of this gear. The desire to provide for clients is essential to your VO business and let’s face it, the gear is often pretty cool and some of it sounds quite good. But the environment plays a much bigger role in your overall sound and just because you can record from your car or a hotel room, doesn’t mean you should. Other than your voice and performance, nothing has a greater effect on your sound than the environment you’re in.

Consistency and quality are critical for great sounding productions. These can only be guaranteed when the environment is a professional one, usually a professionally equipped recording studio or home studio. Consistency is especially critical when it comes to revisions. Even musicians, who are the largest consumers of recording gear, know that most of this low-end gear is for laying down ideas and for doing pre-production. When they are ready to make an album, serious musicians will usually go to a professional recording studio.

One of the biggest complaints about the voiceover industry, from those who are in it, is that so many people think that voiceover is easy and anyone can do it. Well, it should come as no surprise that when people brag about recording from their car, on their smart phones and through the multitude of cheap pieces of plastic that are now available at the megastore down the street, outsiders may believe that this is not all that difficult. Newbies don’t always understand performance or quality, but they usually understand the concept of making money from anywhere for very little investment.

On the flip-side, clients who (to their detriment) don’t always care about quality are not going to offer higher rates if they think the job can be done anywhere and/or with nothing more than a USB microphone plugged into a laptop. Clients who know better are usually willing to pay for the quality and service that come with a professional talent, who records in a professional environment, on professional gear. They understand that, just like in their own businesses, to be among the best requires an investment in time and money. Clients can justify higher talent payments more easily when they know that the audio will be professionally recorded and will be consistent from one session to the next.

Having higher-quality equipment and a proper recording space helps you to justify demanding a higher price for your work. Good clients understand the correlation between your investment in training and gear and the value that results.

If you are a voiceover talent, who loves and respects this industry, you will hopefully continue to work towards providing the highest quality audio possible and consistency from one session to the next. This doesn’t mean that you should not provide for your clients in emergency situations… you should. It also does not mean that you must have the most expensive pieces of gear. It simply means that you will continue to seek out the best equipment for you and your situation until you reach the point that any change would not provide a significant improvement. Do not stop at “good enough.”

10 Tips To Get the Most From Your Voiceover Session

July 1, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Your advertising dollars and your time are important to you. Do you know how to get the most from your voiceover session? Here are my 10 Tips For Getting the Most From Your Voiceover Session.

1- Choose Wisely – Who you choose to deliver your message is the first and possibly most critical decision you’ll make. The voice should personify the attitude and style of your company, product or character and should relate to your target demographic. Keep in mind that the talent should be able to communicate your message quickly and efficiently. Choose a voice talent who can deliver your copy with few mistakes or pickups. Just because audio editing is easier and faster than ever, doesn’t mean extensive editing should be required to get the result you want.

2- Check Your Script – Before your session, read your script out loud and use a stopwatch to time it. This process will help ensure that you’ve fixed any mistakes, grammatical errors and any other stumbling blocks that the voice over talent may encounter. Using a stopwatch while reading aloud will prepare you for the possibility that you may need to cut or add copy to fit your message within the time limits required for radio and TV commercials.

3- Formatting – The way your script is formatted plays a big role in the ease in which it can be read. Double spacing allows room to make copy edits when necessary. Use of punctuation is a must. Also be aware that WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ. Only use ALL CAPS, bold type, italics or underlines to indicate emphasis.

4- Numbers – Using actual numbers (1,2,3) rather than writing numbers (one, two, three) is helpful. However, in the case of a monetary value that is complicated to say or that can be said multiple ways, writing the number the way you would like it said is best.

5- Communicate – Communication is what this is all about… right? Let your voice talent know right from the beginning what your ideas are for your script and the approach you had in mind. Most of the time, the copy itself will indicate what approach the voice talent will need to take. Other times several approaches could be considered viable options. This brings us to…

6- Be Flexible – While you were getting ready for the session to begin, the voice talent was also preparing. Professional voice over talent will look over the script, read it to themselves, then read it aloud and anticipate what delivery will be best based on the script, the client, and any written direction that may have been provided. Oftentimes, the talent’s approach will be very close to what you were thinking. However, the talent may also deliver something slightly different or even completely unexpected. These differences could lead to results that are better then what you had imagined. Be open to what the talent brings to the table. Its one of the reasons you chose him or her.

7- Ask For Help – The audio engineers, producers and the voice talent are all there to help you get the most out of your voiceover session. Everyone involved wants the production to be a success. If while in a recording session, you are not quite sure about direction, script construction, copy edits, or have questions or concerns about the audio itself, then allow the talents and experience of these professionals to help you achieve your goals.

8- Be Specific – Vague terminology is confusing and not very helpful since it often requires further explanation anyway. “Make it blue” is not a clear direction and can be interpreted in several ways. “Bigger smile” and “descend on that word” are examples of very precise directions that the voice over talent can easily understand.

9- Keep it Positive – Everyone appreciates positive feedback. If the talent is communicating your message effectively, let them know it.

10- Make It Fun – The best and most memorable recording sessions are the fun sessions. They usually involve fun, creative scripts and people who love listening to their productions come to life. Even if the script is informational and straightforward, there is no reason the session can’t be fun while the work gets done. Sometimes, it can be so much fun… it seems strange to call it work. How’s that for getting the most out of a session?

Allergy Season for a Voiceover Talent

May 16, 2011 by Dan Friedman

I live in what I think (and many will agree) is one of the most beautiful parts of the USA. However, all that lush forest and beautiful foliage brings with it pollen, allergens, and air so thick you can watch it as it blows by. For most people, allergy season is merely a nuisance. For voiceover talent, it can be frustrating, frightening and costly.

Learning to deal with allergies was never a concern for me until a few years ago. I never suffered from allergies until moving to the mountains and even then it took a few years before they took hold of me. Spring of 2010 was by far the most difficult season I’d ever had. I was unable to hear well and I definitely did not sound like myself. As someone who earns a living from having sharp hearing and a consistent vocal sound, this was definitely a problem. While I was able to work, I did not feel confident in what I was hearing and I did not like how I was sounding.

I used the neti pot three times a day. I ate locally produced honey. Before and during sessions, I ate spicy food, brought jalapeño peppers into the booth with me and put mentholatum ointment under my nose. I took anti inflammatory medication, OTC Phenq allergy and cold medicines and finally, after six weeks of suffering, got a nasal spray prescription from my doctor. Thankfully that prescription cleared things up for me. Other than a few weeks during mid summer and mid winter, I’ve taken it ever since. While I still felt the effects of allergy season this year, overall it has been much better.

I was lucky. To my knowledge, I didn’t lose any voice work and my production work was solid. The sinus pain and pressure was bad, but the most difficult part was the fear that I would lose work and the lack of confidence I had in my abilities during this time. I know there are many voiceover talent who suffer from allergies and all of the symptoms that come with them. I tried everything before turning to a prescription for relief, but in the end it was the only thing that worked for me.

If you are an allergy sufferer and a voice talent…what works for you?

Voiceover Training | Racks and Stacks or Priorities Out of Whack?

Compression and Equalization… What they do.

What should you do?

The Magic is in Your Delivery.

Creativity or Correction? What Would Be More Fun For You?

The Voiceover Meet Up Group… What Do You Do?

One Year, One Voiceover Book… A Whole New Chapter

Voiceover Gear, Quality and Rates… a Correlation?

10 Tips To Get the Most From Your Voiceover Session

Allergy Season for a Voiceover Talent

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