VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Overholt]

Hi everyone!

I'm going to be pursuing voiceover work, and I have a few questions. Let me give you a little background.

My computer skills are very limited, as is my knowledge of protools and my mbox2mini. Thank God, I have someone who will teach me what I need to learn.

1. Being as specific as possible, could you please tell me what skills, programs, and features on my computer will I need to learn to seriously pursue vo work?

2. Again, being as specific as possible, what skills, programs, and features on protools and my mbox2mini will I need to learn?

Thank you!

Gratefully,

Overholt

[Edo]

Welcome to the board!

Forget 1 and 2 for now... focus on your voice. The tech stuff is all nice, but it all boils down to the throat anyway. You might want to find the wealth of knowledge in here using the search function. As for Protools, there are a zillion video tutorials on youtube as well as on the Digidesign website. Try here. Have a look and if you need anymore help we'll be glad to jump in.

[Overholt]

Hi Edo!

Thanks for the reply. Perhaps I should clarify further.

I have been working on my voice for awhile now, also, tutorials don't work for me, the only way that I can learn all of the computer and mbox2-protools stuff is by someone showing me how to do it one on one, and I'm fortunate to have a friend help me.I don't wish to relocate to LA or NY, so I really need to learn this tech and computer stuff.

The thing is, I need to let my friend know what it is exactly that I need to learn.

So if you could answer my questions 1 and 2, and be as specific as possible, I'd be most appreciative.

Gratefully,

Overholt

[Edo]

Then I guess the wisest thing is to have your friend follow the route I suggested. After all, he'll be the one to teach you. If you're totally new to Protools as well as being new to computers, you have quite a study ahead of you. It is with regret that I can't be 'as specific as possible', I simply lack the time to guide you in every step. I'll jump in whenever possible. It seems to me you still have a lot of catching up to do. I don't know where you are from a technical point of view. There is no greater source of tips & tricks for Protools than in the user forum. Find it at http://duc.digidesign.com. Again, there's a lot of specific knowledge on this here forum as well. We're always glad to share. And there are a lot of Protools users in here as well. But it takes time to make something. You will have to study a lot. No easy manual for do's and don'ts in here. Hence you won't find a step-by-step walkthrough into the world of professional throats and recording to your DAW. Each VO encounters its own set of issues and problems. We deal with that everyday. If you're not a big fan of video tutorials, you miss out on some very interesting stuff.

Best of luck!

[georgethetech]

I can heartily recommend NOT starting with Pro Tools. What an incredible time investment in overkill...
If you want to get up to speed quickly, rather than scouring the forums or hoping for the complete answer you need, I recommend you avail yourself of Dan Lenard's services.
Tell him George sent you.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

[captain54]

[Deirdre]

I learned Pro Tools by watching someone do multitrack editing.
Once.
OK, that's a bit simplistic. But really, that's what spurred me to get PT Free, and the a itself kinda taught me how to use it. I had seen how you did stuff in the window, and how you needed to set things up to record, I just needed a few more how-tos to make it work reasonably well.

After you get PT— like Captain says—it's pretty simple to set up.
Yeah, it's more than you need for single-track VO, but if you ever want to make your own demos, you're going to need something heftier than Audacity.

And here's my advice about any kind of software: get a hard copy of the manual.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[jasbart]

I moved from using an Akai 4 and 8 track hard disk recorder directly to Pro Tools LE, right after Digi 001 was released (1995-1996?) I honestly didn't have a clue which platform to use, just went with Pro Tools because of its reputation in the music industry. That and the relatively cheap price tag of $1000! Pro Tools didn't take that long to learn, especially for something as simple as single track voiceover. I agree that it's overkill for single track voiceover, even for multi-track radio spots. But it's really not that hard.

I have some musician friends that I'm working with virtually, and two of them (on my suggestion) are using Audacity. To me Audacity is difficult, but probably only because it isn't Pro Tools.

I have an Mbox, an Mbox2 mini, and the original Digi 001. The price of the Mbox2 mini, complete with interface and software, makes it a very reasonable setup.

Jim
_________________
Jim Barton
Barton Voice & Sound
www.bartonvoice.com

[georgethetech]

Overholt:
You must take all of our advice with a grain of salt. Some of us have a much higher aptitude and patience for learning new things than others. Some have had a very good luck with Pro Tools having no glitches, no error messages, and trouble-free operation. Many others have not had such good luck. My best, recurring clients are Pro Tools users, if that should give you any indication.
In fact, my recurring call clients has decreased since moving many of them away from Pro Tools to something else. My business may have suffered, but I prefer that they be able work stress-free.

Just one guy's opinion...
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder