VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

JTVG · Backstage Pass Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 433

Hi all... Finally getting over a nasty cold that went away quicker with the help of my trusty store-brand "Airborne" stash. Gotta love that.

Ever notice how your voice typically gets lower when you have a cold? Well as mine is now starting to return to normal, I'm noticing how much I like this in-between state for voiceover work. Not the nasily sound we all hate but more along the lines of a slightly deeper me. The normal person wouldn't notice the difference but I'm nailing the scripts that require some "gravel" a whole lot more consistantly. Plus, everything else just sounds better and stronger too!

My normal (non-cold) voice has points during the day when I can get a little lower like this but other points where I just can't get down there. I haven't been able to point this problem to a source, such as lack of hydration, etc. Oddly enough, when I was eating a very green vegiterian diet for a few weeks earlier this summer, that was the only time I've been able to consitantly hit the gravel section of my voice., pretty much all day long.

Anybody have a suggestion on how I can keep this register, short of doing the veggie thing again? That was rough Smile

Here's an A-B comparison.. Same proccessing. First has a little more room noise which I've since fixed. Notice the end of each phrase. That's the key part. http://www.joethevoiceguy.com/transfer/vocalAB.mp3

thanks!
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Joe Szymanski
http://www.joethevoiceguy.com

Jowillie · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:10 pm Post subject:

Smoking Camel cigerettes, Heavy drinking, lots of sex. Does it everytime.
Or....maybe two out of three...does it everytime.

Moe Egan · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject:

Oh my head Joe.....you're the voice of MUR??? How cool. Your voice is very familiar to me, I live in Manchester- and regularly watch MUR! Ill have to tell the kids I met the voice of MUR on the VOBB....I LOVE this place.

As far as lower registers go...there are some things I do first thing in the morning...I have a killer lower register in the AM....if I have a gig in the afternoon that requires a lower register I have a cigarette first ( I KNOW I KNOW, but it works for me).
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

Deirdre · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:45 pm Post subject:

I practice singing the basslines of my favorite tunes.

No, really.
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IMDB

Bruce · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:37 pm Post subject:

Vocal exercise does it for me. Whenever I do a play and spend several nights a week delivering all my lines to the back row, my daytime voice is much richer if not a bit lower. The same happens if I have a several hours of narration recording in a week's time.

B

Mild thread diversion and rant: I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on this board, but I get really tired of people who hire me from my demo or an audition, and when I get into session they ask if I can read any lower in pitch! Hey, you hired me based on the way my recorded voice sounded and it's pretty much the same now. I've got a pleasant enough baritone as it is. You want me to pull James Earl Jones out of my left lung suddenly? Sheesh.
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I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:45 pm Post subject:

You need to hear the sound in your head first and then slide into it. Anything forced will just sound affected.

Ladies and gentlemen I now give you a selection of extracts from my lower register repertoyre achieved without goose grease, embrocation or elixirs.

www.thecorporatevoice.com/lower.mp3

Quiet week so please throw money.

Lizden · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject:

SFX: Money being thrown

L.
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

glittlefield · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject:

Lizden · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject:

This is a seriously interesting thread for me...I have a lower regsiter in the AM as well...and late in the evening...., and have been working at being able to "get there" during the mid-day when I'd like to....what's interesting is that in French my register is naturally lower in narration.

Hmmmmm

Liz
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

KaraEdwards · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:44 pm Post subject:

Oh Philip- your avatar is priceless! (As is that voice of yours!)

Bruce- try having a perma-minnie-mouse sound, being hired, and then told- we need you sound older...no,no,no...don't go into that 'young' thing...stay at a mature level...

uh...

Have you HEARD me?! If I had $1 for every time I've been through that! I finally found a range I can legitimately pull off that is 'mature'. It's not in the pitch- it's in the delivery.

As for finding that 'gruff' sick place? It's in the back of your throat. I was notorious for literally sucking on a lemon to help get the 'boy' voice I did for 8 years that required a lot of phlegm. Not sure why lemons helped- but they did! You can get those little lemon shaped bottles with the juice- those are good. A quick squirt and you are off to gruff-ville. Maybe it's the acid, maybe it's the pucker-effect, maybe it was all in my head...who knows?
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Kara Edwards
http://www.karaedwards.com
kara@karaedwards.com

bobsouer · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject:

Lizden · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject:

OMG, Bob!!!!!

I. NEVER.THOUGHT. OF. THAT......seriously...I never did......

WOW.......ok I'm serious...THAT is an awesome piece of advice!

THIS is why I love this place!....WOW....I'm totally psyched to try this.....

How COOL!!!!!!!! Laugh

L.
_________________
Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

JTVG · Backstage Pass Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 433

Thanks the the replies. Looking forward to hearing more advice.

Just as a point of clarification for Moe. I'm not currently the voice of WMUR, however that first cut was from an audition I did for them a few weeks ago. They ended up selecting someone who sounds older and deeper. Which illustrates my point... Had I given them a sound similar to the second take in my file, I may have gotten closer to getting the gig. Who knows?

Oh, and is there anyone who's voice isn't deeper and gruffer in the morning? I know mine is for sure. It's great to start off the morning if you have a script from the day before that calls for deep and gruff.
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Joe Szymanski
http://www.joethevoiceguy.com

BenWils

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

I knew I shouldn't have had lunch with you and Joe. Ya get a salad and a bit of asparagus in me and I'll tell ya anything.

Next time I'll order a burger.

Joe - Do you drink caffeine/coffee? It can really tighten up the vocal chords. If you do, do it very early in the day. By noon the effects should wear off. By 3 you be ready to take on Philip.