VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

kkuhlken · Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject: Here goes the first...

Ok, I'll bare all in front of you. I made this as an audition for the much-maligned bunny site. The timer ran out before it was fully submitted, so It was not chosen. It is meant to be a podcast.

I received some positive feedback from my contact there, but I wanted to see what you think.

I appreciate any feedback, positive or negative. It's the only way I'll learn...

Clicky Here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63254650/Winnersmono.mp3

Thank yous!
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My full name is Karl Kuhlken (think Macauly Culkin...it rhymes)

Suave, debonair, a ladies man. Sophisticated, urbane, well heeled....no, wait...that's not me

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:44 am Post subject:

Hi Karl, and welcome!

I'll leave the performance critique(s) to the seasoned pros, as I, like you, am a relative newcomer to these parts. Smile

As far as sound goes, I can hear the noise floor and that is after it seems like you did some noise reduction processing that gives your very nice voice that electronic "warble" that I'm not sure if you heard.

This is something I battled with early on and it was finally solved by:

1. Acoustically treating my recording space
2. Eliminating noise makers (i.e. my computer which gave off fan noise, etc.)
3. Getting a lower noise pre-amp and microphone

When I'm looking at my levels in my digital workstation (I use ProTools) I can see that my noise floor is now at or less than -60dB which is pretty good methinks.

Look to see where your level is at when you are dead silent and just hearing the room. If it's much higher than that, you probably need to evaluate how you can reduce it. This will eliminate the need for very aggressive noise reduction (if that is in fact what you used to try to clean things u Hobo Happy

.

kkuhlken · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:57 am Post subject:

Thanks Benjamin, I appreciate any technical help I can get. My rig is as follows:

Blue Snowball USB mic
Audition 5.5 running on Macbook Pro
A walk-in closet at home, a choral practice room at school (Hovers around -45 dB when the band isn't playing next door) , and a costume closet at school (Hovers around -51 d cool

I can't remember if I did noise reduction on this one or not, what I did do was follow a "recipe" I found on YouTube for voice over production (Don't judge, I was young, I needed the money...)

Effects ==> Filter and EQ ==> 20 Band Graphic Equalizer ==> Default setting "Vocal Whisper"

Effects ==> Amplitude and Compression ==> Multiband Compressor ==> Default "Broadcast"

Effects ==> Amplitude and Compression ==> Normalizer ==> Set to -3dB per guidelines given for submission

If I did a noise reduction, I took a vocal print of the silent area and then processed the noise reduction.

Thanks again!

BTW - I know the bunny site is somewhat of an anethema on this forum and the cause of much angst and deliberation, I will just say that I found them before I found you - it seemed like a good way to save up the money for the v123 site, where I've been a lurker non-member for a while. I have done one job for vb and was impressed with the speed of payment and frankly (for a noob), the amount which amounted to aroun $60 for about 45 mins of work. I now know I may have sold myself a little short, but still have the v123 goal as a way to improve equipment, put together a working and worthwhile demo, and fund the business side as there is no personal money available for it.

Please don't take offense to the bunny aspect of things...
_________________
My full name is Karl Kuhlken (think Macauly Culkin...it rhymes)

Suave, debonair, a ladies man. Sophisticated, urbane, well heeled....no, wait...that's not me

Bish · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:57 am Post subject:

If the rabid rabbit has has put money in your pocket, then it works for you. Plus, the only way to get good at anything is to practice. When I started, I'd read anything... the real-world pressure of an audition script (whether you submit it or not) is better than selecting pieces that you're comfortable with. Quite often I'll record an audition that I know I'm not going to submit just to give myself a vocal work-out. You have a delivery/read style that someone has already paid money for... and I can see no reason why that shouldn't continue.

I share Ben's concern about the processing. To me, the sample was over-processed and got in the way of the read. Generally, there are two types of processing... that which tries to correct deficiencies, and that which try to enhance and enliven. The best advice I ever saw here (regarding noise gating and/or compression) was that if you can hear it, you've gone too far and need to back off. I'd add to that and say you should avoid any pre-set that says "broadcast"... these tend to squeeze the life out of anything... they are generally tools for the production engineer prepping the final mix for broadcast... and even then, it's being done mindful of the down-line hardware compression.

I record with no noise gate, no compression and no eq (except the natural colouring of the preamp). I'll add what's required if I know I'm producing for the end user (e.g. an audiobook), or if the customer has requested it. For web videos and the like (where the customer doesn't really know what they want) I've got no problem sending off the original, and one that's been sweetened slightly.

Cheers
Peter
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:29 am Post subject:

kkuhlken · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:40 am Post subject:

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:41 am Post subject:

kkuhlken · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:56 pm Post subject:

Thanks y'all. I'm gettin' schooled...and I love it!

I checked out the noise in my closet and it hovers at around -57dB, so I think that is the best bet for recording until I can contrapt something in my music studio downstairs.

Here are the two files as requested. First is the virgin file, normalized to -3dB per submission instructions: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63254650/Winners2.mp3

Then here is the same file with noise reduction: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63254650/Winners2NR.mp3

I truly appreciate the help you are giving me.

Thanks muchly!
_________________
My full name is Karl Kuhlken (think Macauly Culkin...it rhymes)

Suave, debonair, a ladies man. Sophisticated, urbane, well heeled....no, wait...that's not me

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:07 pm Post subject:

Now we're talkin'! (Forgive me I couldn't help it.)

The first file to my ears is a great improvement! Have nothing bad to say about the noise level and your voice sounds clean.

The second file is pretty good as well, though I can hear the processing ever so slightly, most noticeably on your breaths (which would be edited out anyway).

All in all, I'd say you don't even need the noise reduction plugin if you record in your closet, but this time it's not overly done.

In my opinion, great job! Let's see what others have to say.
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Ben Stovall Voiceover
http://www.benstovall.com

"When you're nearing the end of your rope, tie a knot. Keep on hanging. Keep on remembering, that there ain't nobody bad like you." -- The Electrifying Mojo