VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

ccpetersen · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

There's something of an analog to this discussion going on among those who swear by using AVID for video production and others who use AfterEffects, and still others who use FinalCut Pro. All things being equal, a good video editor does well regardless of the tools; when I look for an editor, I usually don't care what he or she is using to turn out the final product UNLESS it has to mesh with whatever we have in house. Then, and only then, it does make a difference, but only for technical reasons having little to do with talent or the software package.

Similar thing in writing -- most folks work in Word or some analog of it (I've been experimenting with Open Office, by the way). In the worst-case scenarios, all of us who collaborate on projects simply save to Hobo Laughing

F and share copy that way. It's a bit more cumbersome than passing Word Docs around, but again, the package and the talent are divorced.
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Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

Tom, I went to your site and listened to your demos...they sound excellent!
I don't care if you're using a radio shack mic, the end result is very professional.

You COULD list a U87 as one of your mics, who would know or care?
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Tom Test · DC Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 629 Location: Chicago, IL

Thanks for the kind comments about the demos on my website, Bill. However, those demos were recorded at other studios - some real gigs, some custom made for my demo.

If you go to http://tomtest.voices.com/ and listen to my Narration demo, all but the first cut and a dialogue near the end were recorded and produced in my studio. Would you mind giving them a listen? (This demo is only at 128k MP3, but that's how prospective clients would hear them in any case...).
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ccpetersen · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:13 am Post subject:

Very nice sounding... but I have to know, did you nail "trans-catheter pulmonary ablation system" on the first take? Wink

Others more experienced with all the mics can probably comment on the differences, but I heard only small variances in frequency responses between the first and second cuts, for example (and not bad variances, just differences). Other than that, the warmth and authority of your voice does not seem affected by the differences in mics used in the 'out-of-house' studio and your own.
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CarynClark · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject:

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

I meant to post on this a while back, sorry for the delay.

I read the initial post of this thread to an engineer at a respected studio in my region. His response? "Shit in; Shit out." Then followed up with this nugget: "There is a reason every studio has the 416 and U-87; they deliver every time. You don't have to worry about the quality. You don't have to explain why you chose that mic. They are the basics in a good studio."

The basics. Or the starting point, if you will.

Here's my take on the debate: When you enter the booth, everything going on in your tiny actor's brain goes in there with you. If your pissed of at traffic/wife/boss, have bills to pay and you're thinking "I better land this job or the lights get shut off," whatever it is...it comes out in your read. The object is to remove as much of that clutter from your noggin as possible, so it doesn't influence your performance.

With that in mind. Are you willing to make the investment, not only to use better/standard equipment, but to eliminate that fear of "getting caught" by an engineer? It will be in your head every time you have a session. "Do I sound OK? Do you think they notice?" Those thoughts can and do have an effect on your performance, because they are distracting you from giving it your best.

The next question I have, is how far up the VO ladder do you want to climb? Do you think anyone doing promo or trailer gives this topic a second thought?
One of my mentors said this to me "If you want to play with the big boys, you have to have the right toys."

Ed Gambill · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:59 pm Post subject:

The mic on the left (RCA 44) is in my mic locker, it’s a smooth I mean smooth ribbon. The AEA model that they clone is msrp at $4K, yet there are really great ribbons on the market for considerably less money.

I did a blind test with two mic and asked for opinions mic “A “ was a AKG 414ULS mic “B” was a Shure SM57. I asked the question, which is the more expensive. They chose “B”. If you need to impress then do it, if it’s your booth and you have a sweet sound do it.

Find some one that rents say vintage U-47 and Post a pic of it and let’em know it’s available at special pricing. Then buy a Peluso 47SE. Then tell them that you’ll throw in the 47 for no additional cost if they hire you. It will be a 47, it will sound great and you will have the best of both worlds.

A picture of a $8k costly to maintain mic and a $1.5k easy to maintain work horse
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Jon Morss · Guest

Well, I'm no expert in Mic's, but I've heard James Alburger state that he uses an MXL 990, Rodney Saulsberry talks about using a Blue Snowball for a whole series of Promos, and Pat Fraley spoke about Disney using Studio Projects C1 microphones. To me, these guys are big names in the VO business using seeming low end mics.

Jon

Yoda117 · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject:

Jowillie · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject:

(A literation from my publishing days:)
I have literally done magazine covers with a point-and-shoot camera. But the high end, high-res monster camera with a digital back was much more the tool I wanted to use for the big jobs... because it was the tool I was most comfortable with. I knew what its capabilities were and exactly how far I could push its limits...it made my work easier and smoother.
So..It does depend on the hand using the tool. It's just a choice or preferrence for the right tool.
Willie
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