VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Steve Stone · Guest

Hello all!

Hope you are thinking about your studio needs this holiday season Smile

If you have any interest, here's a link to some studio items I'm currently selling on Ebay.

I've got more I'll be selling soon.

http://shop.ebay.com/promovox71/m.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A4583&rt=nc&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_sop=16&_sc=

If you have any questions email at studio@stonevoiceovers.com

bobsouer · Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject:

Steve,

Some might nice stuff there! Thanks for letting us know.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:51 am Post subject:

what? you're retiring, steve? Wink

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sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

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bransom · DC Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 650 Location: St. Louis, MO

I'm curious: What are you replacing the M5's with?
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Bob Ransom
"I really need a pithy quote here."

Steve Stone · Guest

retiring? HA! No. I have multiple studios. One at home, one at an office park, a mobile studio, even one I have left set up at a family home in California.

Like many, I have had bouts of GEAR-LUST.

Over the years it accumulates. I'm just trying to get rid of stuff that is just taking up space.

My mic and pre set up is pretty simple. With so much advancement in software, I don't rely on hardware as much as I used to.

georgethetech · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:37 am Post subject:

So what is your new simplified signal chain, Steve?
I am sure others are thinking the same thing Smile

I know Howard Cogan raves about your insight on this stuff.
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If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Steve Stone · Guest

Well Howie is too kind.

I was supposed to see him this summer but was too busy at Promax in LA.
The next time I'm in town, I've gotta stop by his new lair you helped create.

What I'm about to tell you is my theory on recording voice-overs.
It comes from many years as a creative director in radio.

Let me start off by saying, I do not pretend to know all the answers.
I have been helped over the years by very wise people in our biz.
My contribution? I listened!

I was influenced early on by both tv and radio voices like Danny Dark,
Ernie Anderson, Vic Caroli, Bobby Ocean, Mitch Craig and Brian James.

As I got farther along in radio I started to pay attention more to people like John Frost,
John Wells, Joe Kelly, Sandy Thomas, Chris Corley and Keith Eubanks.

And as I started moving into more TV work it has been Joe Cipriano, Erik Thompson, Beau Weaver,
Bill Ratner, Brian Lee, Howard Parker, Jim Cutler, Chris Corley, Ben Patrick Johnson, Hal Douglas...the list goes on.

Twenty years ago, when I first got into broadcasting, I was fortunate enough to learn from some great people.
The basics. Mic technique, breathing, projecting, multi-track recording, using music and sfx,
mixing etc. While others had a life, I was in studio at all hours teaching myself all I could about recording and equipment.

I learned to edit on reel to reel machines. Great big ones like SCULLY, OTARI, MCI, STUDER, TASCAM, FOSTEX.
I still have the razor cut scars on my fingers to prove it.

When digital editing came along, I learned on the Roland DM80, then the DM800, then Pro-Tools 3,
then when I was in NYC it was the Orban Audicy DAW.

The mics I learned on were Shure SM5 and SM7's, Neumann U87, Sennheiser MD421 and 441,
and the god awful (IMO) radio staple Electro-Voice RE20 and RE27.

The preamps/processors were Symetrix 528, Orban 787A, Urei 1176
and 1178, Orban 412A, Valley 400 and 401, PR&E Multimax, DBX160.

Everything had it's place, and it's own sound. None of it was all right,
and none of it was all wrong.

Now after being blessed to be my own boss for the last several years,
I've gained a lot of insight.

Your ready?

There is NO MAGIC MICROPHONE!

There is NO MAGIC PREAMP!

There is NO MAGIC DAW

There is NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL advice.

If there was, then what we do wouldn't be that special.

I only tell you this, because I love what I do.
I have spent countless hours and dollars trying all the latest and greatest,
and most of the vintage stuff.

Yes, I am a sucker for vintage gear.
The way it looks and sounds, but the modern voice-over studio IMO just can't handle the variance in sound and the expensive upkeep.
Better to leave it to the musicians who seek out the "unique" sounds for their songs.

So after all that, here's my conclusion.

When recording your voice. Put your maximum effort into the performance, not the technology.

With the advancement in recording technology the last few years, you don't need to go broke doing quality work.

Getting the mic ooze into your DAW?

I'm not a fan of all in one channel strip hardware, because once you record it you can't undo it.

I much rather process with plugins, and leave the original file as is and give the client a wet/dry option.

Clients like options.

My personal tech shout outs are as follows.

I like the following mics.

Primary - Sennheiser 416 (It just cuts through, and my specialty is promos...'nuff said!)
Secondary - Any of the following are great Neumann M149, Neumann U87, Rode Classic II, Lawson L47 Fet, Bock U195

I like the following preamps.

Avalon M5, Apogee Mini-MP, True Systems P2 Analog, Universal Audio Solo/610, Blacklion Audio Auteur.

I like the following interfaces.

Apogee Ensemble, Apogee Duet, Digi002 or Digi003 Rack, MicPort Pro.

I like the following plugins.

The stock plugins that come with Pro-Tools are just dandy and I use them everyday.
I also like Massey Plugins, Abbey Road Plugins, IK T-Racks 670.

I like the following computers.

Once you go Mac...you never go back.

I like the following software

I only use Pro-Tools. No I'm not an elitist. I've tried a lot of others. Logic, Audition etc...whatever works for you is great.
I've been using Pro-Tools since 1995 and I'm just most comfortable with it.
Plus now that I can use any interface I'm finally free to great more creative and smaller at home and on the road.

I like the following headphones.

I swear by Sennheiser HD280 Pro's. They are just the most comfortable and accurate for me.

I like the following chair

Herman Miller: Mirra. It's pricy, but oh so worth it when you're sitting all day in the studio.

I don't mean to be so long winded.

Good luck, I hope this helps, and your miles may vary.

Steve Stone

paddyo · CM Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 975 Location: New York City

Steve,

I appreciate what you just wrote. Thanks.

Paddyo
www.THATpatrickoconnor.com
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Jen Gosnell · Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:08 pm Post subject:

Listening is my own main contribution these days. Thanks for putting all this out there, Steve!

Jen
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allensco · Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 11:05 pm Post subject:

Nice list Steve!

The only thing out of that list I have is one of your "Tertiary" mic choices...the Lawson L47 FET.

Thanks for sharing the info!
Allen

bobsouer · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:03 am Post subject:

Steve,

Thank for sharing that very helpful information.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

sounddguy · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:31 pm Post subject:

verbcrunch · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:01 pm Post subject:

Go Steve !!

Thanks for sharing.

I have a gear addiction i'm trying to shake too. We need a support group. Now i'll go look at that list of stuff you posted on ebay.. (right now i'm needing breakout cables for my new LIO8.. end of year tax deductions and all )
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Jeff Berlin
Humble Voice Guy
http://www.jeffberlin.com

georgethetech · Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:42 pm Post subject:

Wow, more than we could have imagined, thanks Steve!
While most know my opinion of Pro Tools, when I see the way you setup the template Howard uses, it makes total sense.
Splitting out to create dry and wet tracks that are pre-processed and ready to be exported is brilliant, and DOES make tracking with fancy channel strips obsolete. Did you know he's doing all of that with a Mac Mini now?
It's so quiet we put it right inside his new, very quiet booth!

I am still kinda old skool when it comes to studio design, still staying mostly in the analog domain. Why? Because if Howard's Pro Tools system goes down, so does his ability to do ISDN sessions. I can only handle a few "if I don't get my Pro Tools system back online in 5 minutes, I stand to loose $50K in work" phone calls a month! The Promo world is NUTS...

G
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

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