VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

kkuhlken · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 11:02 am Post subject: Mini-Rant

I just have to share this with people who will understand.

I currently record in studio BC (Bedroom Closet) because all of my clothes (XL or XXL) provide enough padding to dampen sound. I record with LED lights on since the closet light is fluorescent. It's been a pretty good setup, until recently.

Last night, I recorded a narration for a presentation and it took me twice as long as it should have. "Why?" you ask (even if you didn't...go along with me here).

It wasn't my dear wife who was watching "fixer upper" in the living room with closed captioning so as not to interfere.

It wasn't my two darling children who were fast asleep, but know "Daddy's on the microphone" or "Daddy's talking in the closet" means to be quiet.

It was my dear children-of-fur. My wife's shih-Tzu has developed sinus issues, common for her breed. She out-snores me. I can wake her, but that lasts for a few minutes until she crashes into that sweet elysian peaceful slumber and registers -40db on my meter at 20 feet through cloed doors. So, I wake her, risking the wrath of the woken dog, move her, close the closet doors, and within 5 minutes, she's scratching at the door to get in.

Meanwhile, my 19 year-old cat has awoken. Now, even the vet says that his "cheese has slipped off his cracker" (Direct quote). He is insane. No, really. He knows not where he is, or even that he is a cat. He knows how to get to his food and water, how to find his litter pan (thank goodness!) and how to come back to his sleeping spot. If the food is not there, or a previous visit to the litter box is still evident, he will sit at the top of the stairs and sing the song of his people. Mind you, he is blind and deaf at this point, so he makes sure that HE can hear his caterwauling. So, I fix both issues, his food and his former food, he eats...then thanks me for 5 minutes in his loudest song.

Sigh....I need a booth.
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My full name is Karl Kuhlken (think Macauly Culkin...it rhymes)

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Karyn OBryant · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 10:51 am Post subject:

I'm so sorry for your pet noise issues. But I had to LOL. We've had to start locking the cats out of the office when we're working for pretty much the same reason. Our 18-year-old cat likes to go into the bathroom that's attached to the office and sing the song of her people. The echoes are fabulous in there. MRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!

I can hear her yowls pretty well through the walls of my booth. Sorry to burst that bubble ...
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kkuhlken · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 6:08 pm Post subject:

Ugh. At least you understand.

It's amazing how good his voice still is. I'm considering taking part of my garage and changing that into my recording space, but that's down the road a piece.
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My full name is Karl Kuhlken (think Macauly Culkin...it rhymes)

Suave, debonair, a ladies man. Sophisticated, urbane, well heeled....no, wait...that's not me

paulstefano · Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 6:05 am Post subject:

On a related note. I have a Dalmation Not sure why, but this particular breed of dog LOVES to moan. She's our 2nd and both did the same thing. We call it "talking". The moan when they get excited or playful, but they also do it like a human.

She wanders over to her bed lays down, then lets out a large "Hrrrrrummmmmahhhh" as she settles in.

So here's the related part. My recording space was directly under her in the basement. So I'd be recording, thinking it was quiet in the house, then when playing back I'd hear, right in the middle of my sentence, "Hrrrrrummmahhhh". So maddening. I have since moved the recording space for other reasons, but I had to laugh when I read this.
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bransom · DC Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 650 Location: St. Louis, MO

At my house, it's barking. My handy-dandy voiceover booth in the basement seems to cut out most other noises (leaf blowers, trash trucks, whatever) but the dog barks cut right through. The dogs can be quiet for hours on end, right up until I go in the booth, and then the UPS man shows up, a squirrel runs across the yard, a leaf blows by...
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richvoice · Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:01 am Post subject:

Totally understand here as well. We have the typical Dachshund-Chihuahua mix, the small dog that thinks it's a Rottweiler: anyone gets within about 100 ft. of the property line, we're alerted. Trash trucks twice a week, several times a day, postal trucks and dog walkers virtually every day, we're alerted. And with probably 200 square feet of glass on the front of our house, she sees EVERYthing.

I'd have to stop anyway for the trucks, my booth just doesn't have the isolation it needs. But holy cow, the barking!
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