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Living Culture · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:23 am Post subject: Max time before voice maxes out

What is the maximum time you spend recording a voice-over at a given session? Including any breaks etc before you feel you can't give your best.

I'm trying to schedule a video syncing, that needs 60 ten-minute videos and wondering what would be the best way to break up the time. Also considering the VO lives really far away and not really convenient to make multiple trips.
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:07 pm Post subject:

Any more than 4 hours of recording (with breaks) and my voice starts to sound scratchy and I make more dumb mistakes. That's usually a good time to work on some editing.
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bobsouer · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:54 pm Post subject:

When I was recording the Bible, we did sessions of 4 hours most days. 6 hours on Saturdays. But, I also had 2 to 3 hours of additional material to record most of those 4 hour days. 6 to 7 hours on mic is my usual limit. Like Jeff, I start to make too many mistakes if I go much past that.
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asnively · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:01 pm Post subject:

I'm good for 2 hours at a shot, with a couple of short breaks. Then I like (in a perfect world) to have 30 minutes of downtime before starting the next 2-hour chunk. Smile

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Deirdre · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:19 pm Post subject:

I'm good for about 3 hours with a couple of short tea breaks. Any longer and I'm toast.
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KaraEdwards · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:01 pm Post subject:

I'm good up to 5 hours with breaks...but after that it's hard to concentrate.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:47 pm Post subject:

Just finished an audio book in four days recording time and four more days editing/post (nine hours of finished audio). The sessions were eight hours per day with some breaks and a long lunch. During the week, I also did several long narrations and 26 spots for one client.

OK, it was a slow week,

Each person has their own limit as to how much time can be spent "on mic". Each person just has to find their own limitations and how long it takes until they can recuperate and get back to recording.

Yes, I was tired. It will take a good two hours to get back into the recording mode. Gasp

Have fun and when you get tired - rest.

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Lee Gordon · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:02 pm Post subject:

Bruce · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:16 am Post subject:

I find the voice is like a group of muscles, and I guess in a sense it is. If I haven't been using it much my endurance time is short, sometimes less than 2 hours before the chords are unhappy and they sound it. If I've been doing lots of narration or theater then I'm stronger and can go longer. If your talent isn't used to long periods of narration you might consider a gradually increasing schedule.

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Hart · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:31 am Post subject:

I have no idea. I have yet to do a finished project that was longer than 20 minutes and that was a few years ago. I am obviously a tiny man among great giants. I love you guys, man.

Ala Bruce maybe I should exercise those muscles.
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Moe Egan · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:23 am Post subject:

Longest session I've done was 7 hours, broken up three and and four hours with a lunch break in between....insane last minute, needed it yesterday thing- I finished the session like a wet noodle but my voice was shot for the following week pretty much.

I'd say I limit myself to 4 hours of straight reading at a time...I totally agree with Bruce. I have friends who can run marathons- because they run 3-5 times a week. I can't because I don't. It's what your throat is used to.
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bobsouer · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:09 am Post subject:

Living Culture · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:16 am Post subject:

Thanks for the responses!

I think it would be safe then to just break it up into 2 days, and 3 hours a day. But I'll check with her first, if she knows her limits...I think she'll be like me and just do a 10 minute corporate video per day.
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Travis · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:52 pm Post subject:

I used to be able to do three hours before I started to sound pretty bad. My performance would start to suffer at two hours and the voice would get scratchy at three. I found that after a long day I could recover the next day if I took it easy. Then I tried to help out a client who needed a huge project completed in a short timeframe - and I paid for it bigtime ( See http://www.votalent.com/vpg for details.

Now, I'm keeping myself down to two hours per day, max.
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todd ellis · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:07 pm Post subject:

i've done as much as 8/day - but it's a beeee-otch.

3 or 4 is MUCH better!
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