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Moosevoice

Was watching Dan and George's latest VOBS (Feb 20, 2017) and George mentioned something about NOT wearing headphones while recording. That you should listen to the natural sound.
Video here.
Maybe I heard that wrong or maybe I'm just a long time radio guy but does anyone record WITHOUT headphones on?
Obviously everyone does their thing differently so no judging. I'm just curious.
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Yonie · CM Joined: 31 Aug 2011 Posts: 906

Very rarely have both mufflers covering my ears. Most often one on, one off if I have actual audio in them.

Kristin Lennox · Flight Attendant Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 858

The only time I record with headphones on is if I'm being directed. Otherwise, no cans.

I find it lets me focus on the performance, rather than how I sound... YMMV, of course.

Laugh

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Mike Harrison · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:45 pm Post subject:

What Kristin said. And especially for those coming from a radio background; losing the undesirable "radio sound" becomes much easier when you take the headphones off and focus on the right read.

Those who tend to work close to the mic will have to first work at finding and nailing your "sweet spot" so that you minimize plosives when working without the cans. Wink

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Moosevoice · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:42 pm Post subject:

Interesting. Coming from radio it just never occurred to me to NOT have the cans on when recording.
Will give it a headphone free run here soon.
Thanks all who've chimed in.
Please keep it comin
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ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:20 pm Post subject:

Self-directed reads and auditions mostly no-cans, but a lot of my work is directed so I have to wear phones.

For the IVR work I do, I use cans so that I can hear any mouth noises, clicks or pops. If I do, I simply go back and record the file again so that there is nothing to fix. These are 15 second names, addresses and phone numbers - or Customer Assistance needed in X messages. I use Word 2 WAV and Read 2 Record to do those and it helps with the QA to wear cans.
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todd ellis · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:31 pm Post subject:

unless i absolutely have to --- no cans.
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Bish · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:02 pm Post subject:

I'm can-free as well. The only time I use them is on a directed session.
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:12 am Post subject:

Add me to the "Don't Wear Them Unless I Have To" camp. And I only have to if there's something to listen to other than myself. No need for cans to listen to own voice; I'm generally in the same room where I'm speaking.

Oh, and I'm ex-radio.
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FinMac · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:09 am Post subject: Sans Cans

Some of the best advice I received from a coach was to drop the cans!

1. Sans Cans - self directed home recording
2. 1/2 Cans - directed VO session
3. Full Cans - directed by Lenard Bernstein
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Bruce · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:53 am Post subject:

I'm from the camp that always wears headphones. I try to record without every so often but the results are usually subpar to me.

Funny thing, I tried not to wear cans for many of my years in radio. I'd hook them over the desk and listen to them distantly, only putting them on when I had to. I knew too many jocks who really hurt their hearing going full blast. When I did VO sessions at recording studios in Phoenix I could tell the folks on the other side of the glass that morning man Bill Heywood was the last person in the booth. How could I tell? The headphones were always set to "11".

B
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Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

I don't even use them in directed sessions. Laugh

Really, I have my director on speakers and have them mute themselves while I act.

Ed Fisher · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:30 pm Post subject:

I'm with BRUCE. ^

The guys at VOBS (and it seems almost every "expert" they have had on their show) pretty much ALL say it is better to work sans headphones.

Me?

Can't do it.

It makes me feel like I'm trying to drive a car with my eyes closed.

And yes...

I suffer from the "former Radio personality" syndrome.

It's a curse. Laugh

And...I have the high frequency hearing loss to prove it.
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Mike Harrison · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:59 pm Post subject:

Matto · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 9:33 am Post subject:

In my new studio, one of the things that was really important to me in the build was to add in the ability to receive direction without headphones. Ended up having one of those sound bars mounted on the wall above the window. Same thing as Eddie, I mute myself when the studio on the other end is chatting. Loving it so far!
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