Sound4VO Posts

I like to share with my voice students that I am also in the process of learning. I have been learning to play guitar for almost the last two years. The guitar is a difficult instrument. It requires the development of many skills including physical dexterity, ear training, developing rhythm or timing and understanding melody. These are concepts that I understood as an audio engineer but never put into practice as a musician.

Learning guitar has been challenging, frustrating and … worth it. I didn’t think so when I was 12 years old. I wasn’t up for the frustration or the challenge. I thought, I’d pickup a guitar and become the next Eddie Van Halen … without putting in any work. Needless to say, back then I put down the guitar and almost never picked one up again.

I’ve recognized a few instances lately that parallel the thoughts and fears many of you learning voiceover frequently experience and thought I’d share my experiences as a student of guitar, with those of you who are students of voiceover. First, when I didn’t instantly become Eddie Van Halen, I began to tell myself that I would never be able to play guitar. I talked myself out of it and convinced myself it was something that I would just never be able to do. These thoughts prevented me from even trying for roughly the next 35 years. That was ridiculous.

I began by learning with online courses. I used three different apps to get started. They were all great starting points and I refer back to a couple of them often. But, nothing has kept me more focused or provided better insight than real life coaching/teaching. My guitar teacher can easily evaluate where I am in my ability and pinpoint which skills I should be focused on, so I may advance and get better more quickly. Training in guitar, in voiceover and anything you have a strong desire to be good at, is essential.

While learning from those who came before you is necessary, comparison is a killer and not helpful. The other day, I was watching a documentary with Jimmy Page. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin has been recognized as one of the greatest and most influential guitar players of all time. As I watch him play, I recognize the simplicity. The simplicity that comes with experience, commitment and love. The guitar is so much a part of Jimmy Page, he plays it as though it is a part of him. I felt this wave of frustration and sadness as I watched. My inner voice started to tell myself how much time I had wasted not trying, how I will never be that good or even close. Needless to say, this is not helpful. In that moment, I was comparing myself … to JIMMY PAGE! Jimmy Page hasn’t been playing guitar for only two years. He’s been playing close to 60 or more. He isn’t one of my peers. Even if he were, his experience and relationship with the guitar still wouldn’t be my experience.

In guitar you look to those who came before you for inspiration. You literally have to learn their riffs and licks so you can incorporate what they’ve done, into what you do (or hope to do.) In voiceover, many of you starting out are comparing yourselves to people like Mel Blanc, Don Lafontaine or Seth McFarlane. These are unrealistic comparisons. Even if you are comparing yourself to someone you’ve just heard on the radio or television, there is a very good chance that person is a minimum of two or more years ahead of you in their voiceover journey. Look to those who have done what you would like to do for inspiration, not comparison.

I’ve been saying this so much lately, “artistic pursuits must be experienced in order to be learned.” Two years of education is arguably the standard before most people reach a level of competency in almost any field. As a guitar player, I am just beginning to feel a level of competency to where I am now ready to play with other people. This presents its own challenges as there aren’t too many other over 50, beginning guitarists, drummers or bass players out there. Even tougher yet, because of my background, I know what sounds good. I am really only interested in playing with people far beyond my competency level. However, they understandably may not be so patient with me. Which is another reason a teacher, coach or mentor is vital.

As a voice actor, you want to be looking to your peers and your heroes. Look to your peers, not to compare your skills, but to compare the sounds of your studios and sound quality. These comparisons reveal sound differences that can be factors in whether you get the gig or not. Any sound issues revealed that need improvement, are often more quickly and easily dealt with compared to issues with performance. Look to your heroes, not to compare skills, but to be inspired. Learn from them and remember that they make it look or sound easy because they have been doing it for years.

I am committed to learning to play guitar. I play nearly every day for at least 20 minutes and some days … for hours. I have discovered so much about myself in the process. I am proud of myself for doing it! While I have regrets about not starting sooner, I have accepted what I believe to be the reasons why it has taken me this long. As I improve, I gain more confidence. At 51 years old, I am mature enough to appreciate the learning process and recognize the little victories that come along with it. I accept that I will never be Eddie or Jimmy. I can only be the best guitar player I can be at any given time. But, as long as I keep at it, I will always get better.

Voiceover as a career requires a similar commitment to patience, practice and persistence. It requires time and (like guitar) the necessity to develop many skills. If you fully commit and dedicate yourself to learning and doing all aspects of what it takes to succeed, you will likely have success. Be proud of your progress. Enjoy the learning process. Be inspired by those who came before you. Don’t compare your journey to the journey of others. Always accept that you can only be the best you … that you can be.

It is a great honor to be mentioned in one of the top industry resource magazines, BACKSTAGE. I am thrilled so many people have found Sound Advice helpful in their studios and careers.

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/voice-acting-books-list-75018/

and Buy it here:

https://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookDetails/292116-sound-advice

 

Thank you!

Arguably, the most asked question in voiceover after, “how do I get into voiceover?” is, “why do voiceover demos cost so much?” Or, some variation of that question. Naturally, when people hear the price, usually upwards of $1000, they balk and begin asking the wrong questions, such as, “Can I make a demo myself? Does that include coaching? Why does it cost so much?” Here are some answers to these questions. Can I do it myself? No, you can’t or shouldn’t. Does that include coaching? No, it doesn’t and shouldn’t. Lastly … why does it cost so much? Keep reading.

Let’s begin with another question, do you need a demo? Maybe not. If you are not looking for agency representation, not looking to work with production houses and plan on going about your voiceover business solely through your own network or through P2P sites, then truthfully, you may not need a demo. But, if you have any desire to move beyond that level of work and really compete with the best in the industry then, among other things, you will need a demo … and these days, it will have to be great.

The first thing that goes into any professional demo is relationship. Demo producers, who are often coaches, need to get to know you and you need to get to know them. This takes time, and as the saying goes, time is money. If you don’t have the skills to compete in this industry, there would be no point to making a demo until your skills are at a competitive level. Responsible and professional demo producers will want to spend time with you, get to know you (at least a little bit) and determine the best path forward. This is why coaching is essential and not included in the cost of a demo. Like all relationships, things take time to develop. It can often take a long time to get consistently good performances from an aspiring voice actor that are demo worthy. Other times, it may not take much time at all. But, in the beginning, neither the demo producer nor the voice actor knows how much time will be needed.

Next, equipment and environment. Yours probably sucks. Sorry to say it that way. But, especially if you are making your first demo, it is likely true. One of these two categories will invariably fall very short of what is needed. Most voice actors will never need the amount of equipment required to do full audio production. It begins with a quality microphone, preamp, interface, cabling and headphones. But also requires a multi-channel DAW with real time listening capabilities, a variety of effects processors to create and manipulate sounds (the good ones come at a cost,) the computer capacity to handle large sessions and a large number of sessions, probably multiple subscriptions to music libraries or related services, professional (accurate, not necessarily pleasant) studio monitors (speakers) and that is just the equipment. You also have to know how to use it.

The environment is an entirely other issue. An accurate listening environment is critical to a good production. Headphones alone are not a good listening environment. They serve as just one point of reference. Your booth, your closet, your basement, your spare bedroom … none are likely good listening environments. You may not know it, but your car is probably the best listening environment you own (and even knowing that is worth something.)

Having the space in which to work and listen with accuracy is a necessity and frankly, a luxury. Sound exists in space. It needs space to develop, move and excite the air molecules in a room. People who have this kind of space and have treated it for proper acoustics are either, a) already utilizing this space as their business or b) aren’t concerned about the cost of a demo. Why is this important? Because your audio won’t be heard on one device. It will be heard in multiple ways, on multiple devices, in multiple rooms and hopefully, by many people. Having your demo produced in a professional listening environment helps to ensure your demo will always sound the best it possibly can under most any circumstances.

Time. It takes time to make a demo. It takes time to write, develop and edit scripts. It takes time to record and direct the session. It takes time to edit the recording. It takes time to find music and sound effects. It takes time to create soundscapes and audio environments, balance levels, make comparisons that lead to choices all in an effort to bring the production to life. What takes the most time? Experience.

You do not hear the way I do. This isn’t a brag. You just don’t. Nobody does. Nobody shares ears and therefore nobody hears or processes what they hear in the same way anyone else does. Speaking only for myself, and I’m not trying to sell you here … I have listened to thousands of voices and worked on thousands of voiceover sessions as talent, director, producer, coach, recording engineer and mix engineer. I have heard thousands of auditions submitted by different talent all fighting for the same job. I have heard thousands of different recording environments and hundreds of microphones and microphone/preamp combinations. I have made comparisons, assessed sounds and performances, listened to hundreds (if not thousands) of other coaches, producers, and directors in sessions. I am a singer, have taken years of acting classes, studied journalism, hospitality and fine art, all of which have helped me as a voice industry pro. Graduated among the top of my class in recording school. Most recently, I became a certified voice coach in Roger Love’s Voice Method. I coach and have been coached by many of the best. I have been taught how to teach and I have learned how to learn. All of this to say, I have a frame of reference and a perspective that you can’t match.

Now, maybe you’re thinking, “But Dan, I’ve been listening to cartoons and commercials my whole life too. Isn’t that worth something.” It absolutely is. But at this point you are just going to have to trust me on this … not the way I have or, the way many other VO industry pros, reputable demo producers, coaches and agents have. I have been listening to audio production with that specific focus and intention for more than half of my life. I’ll be 50 in two days. While studio time is measured and billed in hours, when paying for a demo, you aren’t really paying for the hours. You are paying for the years.

While not all demo producers/coaches are alike and their experience and specialties may differ, producing a professional demo includes the basic elements I’ve discussed: relationship, equipment, knowing how to use that equipment, environment, time and experience. All of this has value. Oftentimes, demo producers work with multiple people who handle different aspects of the production which can add to the cost. The demo producer may hire a writer or engineer because that is not part of their skill set, or they simply don’t have time to do it all. Geographic considerations (where you or the producer is located), availability and individual business models will also affect cost. So, why do voiceover demos cost so much? When taking all of these factors into consideration, its a bit surprising demos don’t cost more.

No matter who you work with on your demo, do your research. Communicate. Listen.

Are You Ready to Make a Voiceover Demo?

A True Story and Advice On Voiceover Demos

What A Voiceover Demo Is… and What it is Not

Today, every voice actor needs to have the capability to record themselves. No matter which equipment you use, you want to be able to use it to the best of its ability. Traditionally, this has been the job of the recording engineer. When taking on the job of being a recording engineer, your most important task as a voice actor is to capture your audio with the highest quality possible. This doesn’t mean you have to increase your sampling and bit rates to astronomical numbers. That just isn’t necessary for voice recording. 44.1khz and 16 bit is generally fine. However, it does start by setting good levels.

Good levels, generally hover between -6db and -12db on your audio meters. So, how do you get there? First, every script you read, deserves individual attention as each is different and you may be doing a variety of different styles of reads as you go about your day. Therefore, you should check your levels with each new delivery.

It is best to set levels using your gain knob on your preamp/interface. It is the most obvious place to make your changes and also the most noticeable when something has been changed.

Begin by stepping up to the microphone using the correct distance, or proximity, appropriate for the script. Some scripts are intimate, others less so.

Read your script exactly as you intend to perform it. You should already have figured out how you intend to do that.

Turn your gain knob clockwise to increase the level from the preamp, or counterclockwise to reduce the gain. Watch the meters on your DAW and also (if available) on your preamp. When your levels are averaging in that -12 to -6db range in your DAW, you are good to go. You may have some peaks that go above -6db. That is okay, as long as you keep them below 0 (or, for safety around -2db.) You’ll always want to listen to be sure you have a clean signal that is free of distortion.

Setting levels in this range consistently, may eliminate the need to use tools such as normalizing. It also ensures that you are using all of the digital 1’s and 0’s available to you in digital recording. Setting levels properly is also critical to determine your noise floor, which is any sound remaining that exists within the room or that is being produced by the equipment once your levels have been set properly and you have stopped talking.

It is important to note that USB microphones, don’t often have preamp controls. Therefore they are limiting when it comes to being able to control levels directly from your hardware. XLR microphones with a separate preamp/interface are best for both control and flexibility.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, I am available for studio consultation and performance coaching.