VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Hestoft · Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 39

I have been a lurker here for a while but this is my first post, so please be gentle Smile

I an just getting started in VO in Chicago, as an addition to my photography career. Although I tried to go at it differently than I did photography, I ended up gear addicted all over again, putting a cart-load of mics before the horse of actually having any work!

So now I need the kind folks here to please lend me their ears (mine, unfortunately, suffer from hearing loss in the high frequencies, so I don't trust them). I have five mics that I need to cull down to the best one or two or three (I have a Gefell M930 on the way from eBay) and would appreciate some help.

Below are the links to five mp3 files, one for each mic, each recorded through a Great River into a TC Konnekt 48. The only processing is normalizing to -3db. I have used a RealTraps Portable Vocal Booth to get the sound as dead as possible and have NOT use any pop filters or compression or de-essing.

If possible, please ignore the quality (or lack thereof) of the performance and just focus on the sound of the mics and if they flatter my voice or could be farmed off to eBay. Any other comments on recording technique would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Mic 1: http://db.tt/mDaOWh
Mic 2:http://db.tt/LVw3lE
Mic 3:http://db.tt/cVbkjF
Mic 4:http://db.tt/ONJxXe
Mic 5:http://db.tt/Ml89sv

Ralf-Finn Hestoft
The NEW(bie) Voice of Chicago

Hestoft · Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 39

Anyone?

Ralf-Finn Hestoft
The NEW(bie) Voice of Chicago

Bruce · Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:36 am Post subject:

Be patient young Jedi warrior. You're asking us to take several minutes out of our day to listen and then write some kind of cogent evaluation. Also, it would be nice if you introduced yourself first, hung around a little bit, and then asked us for this favor. And in the spirit of Don Corleone, I hope you remember this favor when we come to you and ask for one in return.

That being said, welcome aboard.

And that being said, mic 2 is the cleanest and clearest to my ear. The others are too bassy/mushy or, on the other hand, add too much sibilance or distortion to your voice.

B
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Hestoft · Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 39

You are correct sensai, my humble apologies. In a weird way, I feel I have hung around here for hours, but only as a lurker and not really a contributor, so your point is well taken!

In the spirit of giving, feel free to ask any photo-related questions. That, at least, is something I know a bit about. You can check out my work at www.hestoft.com.

As for introductions, I am a 48-year-old Chicago photojournalist who has always wanted to be a VO talent and finally got up the courage to give it a try. Normally shy and reserved --if you are 6' 8" and weigh as much as a linebacker, you don't have to say much!-- I sometimes blossom online. I like dogs, long walks on the beach... NO wait, STRIKE THAT!

Anyway, I am trying to build a career on VO to supplement my photo work, since many, if not most, of the hundreds of magazines I have worked for over the last 20 years have folded or drastically cut back. I have taken some classes with Sheri Berger at Voiceover U and plan on taking another in September at the Actor's Studio in Chicago.

I have spent several months constructing a studio in my basement, with much help from the info gleaned here and other web forums, and have spent equally as long obsessively researching microphones and preamps on this forum and Gearslutz. I have also spent yours a day on eBay looking for deals on above equipment. I started out with a Focusrite Voicemaster Pro, a DBX 286A and a modded Oktava 219, but my obsession grew from there, hence the need to cull the herd as it were.

I am currently sending in as many auditions to Voices.com as I can manage and trying to figure out what I need to do to improve my chops and get some real work!

Feel free to ask questions or offer advice or gently scold anytime. Thanks for listening... er reading and I look forward to many more long rambling postings such as this one.

Ralf-Finn Hestoft
The NEW(ly humble) Voice of Chicago

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:56 pm Post subject:

Number 3 gets my vote.
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)

Hestoft · Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 39

Tak ska du ha Jacob. Jeg var foote i Danmark! But that is about all the Danish I can actually write. I do still have a decent accent, however if there are any Danish VO jobs you want to pass on.

Med venglie hilsen,

Ralf-Finn Hestoft
The NEW(ly contributing) Voice of Chicago

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:12 pm Post subject:

Too funny! My guess was you were Norwegian!
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)

asnively · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:32 pm Post subject:

None of them sound bad to me, but 2 and 3 are my favorite-- leaning slightly toward 2.

Welcome aboard!
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

One or three. Unfortunately it doesn't matter if you don't use a pop filter, and if you are you need to set it differently. Just trying to help. Smile

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Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

Okay, so are we ready to unmask the sound files? Ninja

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:40 am Post subject:

I'm surprised to see so many votes for #2. I think it sounds absolutely awful. Maybe it's the room tone... but the others don't sound like that.
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)

Hestoft · Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 39

The Unmasking....

Mic 1: Soundelux U195 in Fat mode

Mic 2: Sennheiser MKH 416T

Mic 3: Microtech Gefell UM70S (thanks to Rob Ellis and eBay)

Mic 4: Soundelux U195 in Norm mode

Mic 5: Neumann BCM-104

Taa Daa!

Several thoughts. First, you all have good ears for quality, picking out out the most expensive mics as favorites! Laugh

So perhaps one really does get what one pays for?

Secondly, I think the use of the Portable Vocal Booth (two sound absorbing panels in a V shape) may have messed up things a little, as it gave some weird resonances and a kind of closed-in tone to some of the mics, especially the U195.

That said, I am a bit surprised that the BCM-104 didn't get any love. To my ears in using it, it seems to have a bit more midrange "presence" than the others, but I normally have used it without the PVB but right in the WRONG place in my room which leads to exaggerated lows (see the other post about acoustic treatment for floors)

With your kind permission, I may post another round of samples after adding more bass trapping and finding a better mic placement in the room. I have also received my Gefell M930 and decided to sell the Soundelux, so would like to add that to the mix as well. Not to mention I am looking to receive my John Hardy preamp today too! Turns out Mr. Hardy himself lives and works just a few blocks away in Evanston, IL and he offered to check out my eBay'ed preamp personally. I can't wait to meet the master.

Thanks to all who participated! Any thoughts now that the curtain has been pulled back?

Ralf-Finn Hestoft
The NEW(ly contributing) Voice of Chicago

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:41 am Post subject:

Interesting..... especially because it just proved my (personal) opinion on the 416 in a non-perfect environment.

But man... you have a serious case of Gear-itis going on there! Laugh

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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Yeah, I didn't like the 416 at all. If your room isn't great the Senny will just pick up loads of it in a straight line instead of canvasing in a wider array. Also, it just doesn't have the detail of the Soundelux/Bock or the MG.

As for the Neumann, you can sell that with confidence.
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Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

Some random thoughts on this.....

I like the UM70 better on your voice than mine.

Are the acoustics of your recording space finalized? If you're going to be doing any acoustical modification/improvement, then that could change things. Your mics would then sound different/and or better, possibly. (espcecially with the 416)...I know it may be too late if you have already sold some of them or don't want to pull them down off of ebay, but just a thought....

Like you, I sold my first 416 ( out of frustration,) but then bought another one later as I still wanted to make it work for me. Some days it does, other days not so much.....

I think for VO you should be okay with 1 or 2 main mics, at most.