VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

MichaelLaPres · Joined: 29 Oct 2019 Posts: 5

How critical is sound quality for submitting auditions online?

I clean up everything as if it were production quality. But I have no idea what they're using to listen with either.
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Just a VO newbie that can make excellent recordings.
Content however...I'm working on it.

Jack Daniel · Cinquecento Joined: 23 Jun 2016 Posts: 577 Location: SoCal

I generally submit auditions at the same quality as I submit jobs, except I send them at 44.1/192 kHz unless I have a good notion that they might use the audition for the job. People have a million stories about how they've booked off an iPhone or whatever but you're just shooting yourself in the foot if you don't present yourself in the best spotlight, in terms of both performance and recording quality. I only downsample commercial and similar auditions for the sake of my agents who have to deal with a bunch of submissions and because auditions are often heard on less than stellar sound setups.
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

MichaelLaPres · Joined: 29 Oct 2019 Posts: 5

Thank you. That was my thought. I can get it as good or better than CD quality so I do. I always quality check everything through my playback system that is far superior to my headphones.
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Just a VO newbie that can make excellent recordings.
Content however...I'm working on it.

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:14 am Post subject:

Ignore the technical, simply listen to the first 3 seconds and hear the distractions. Performance is measured in "Wows!" Not bits n bytes n Hz.

Yonie · CM Joined: 31 Aug 2011 Posts: 906

If you're directly submitting a less-than good sounding file to the client, transparency is bloody key. They expect pro-grade stuff, which we must deliver.

In a tight spot and have to make do with less-than? Tell 'em. Don't be silent and don't be a coward, as people can be very accommodating if they are tangentially involved in solving a problem.

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 6:06 am Post subject:

Whilst on holiday in Africa, Hugh Laurie did his audition for House in the bathroom of his hotel.

Bish · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:28 am Post subject:

We're covering two things here... but in all cases, we shouldn't be deciding on what quality we send by guessing at what's being used to listen to it!

First case... you are going to be on-screen or in-studio where you're not going to be recording yourself as part of the final product. In these cases, the CD should be looking for nothing except performance quality. I say should... but it seems that CDs are becoming incredibly lazy and entitled nowadays, and more and more are requesting that hoops be jumped through. In theory, you should be able to do the audition in a quiet corner on your phone and the CD will just hear the performance and judge accordingly.

Second case (for the denizens of VO-BB, the more common one)... you are auditioning for a gig that involves you self-recording in your own studio, or being connected to another place via ISDN or whatever. In these cases, it's not just the performance that's being judged... it's your environment and your ability to record to the appropriate professional level. Most of us here would just do that as a matter of course because that's our work environment.

However, if you can't do it in your own studio and have to use a tin can and a bit of wet string, just tell them... it's not the end of the world and a good CD will make allowances. But... it's a sad fact that if someone starts to listen and in that first 0.25 seconds they hear background noise or hiss... they'll probably just delete you along with all your hopes and ambitions... flushed down the plug-hole of life, never to be listened to again. Or something like that.
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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.

Bruce · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:22 am Post subject:

Another vote for sending the best quality possible (reasonable as in a 192 kbps mp3) whenever you can. They’ll be judging you AND your recording environment. It’s not often but we do hear of auditions being used for the final on air product. Why not make it the best you can?

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

MichaelLaPres · Joined: 29 Oct 2019 Posts: 5

Thank you very much guys.

As a beginner; I haven't delved into trying to ask directly of how they intend to complete the project...some do say in the request and some it's easy to assume I'm producing it from home so I always give my best with it and forget about it right after I hit "send."
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Just a VO newbie that can make excellent recordings.
Content however...I'm working on it.

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:24 am Post subject:

We should deliver what most promise on their web sites "As a qualified professional Voice Actor ( go on, show me them there certificates) I produce Broadcast Quality Audio from my professional studio. (Show me the pro specs and link to Country or International Broadcast Audio Quality Standards)"

"OK. Dave said it sounds awesome and he watches TV all the time!"

ShaneGraham057 · Contributor Joined: 01 May 2014 Posts: 49 Location: VA

Another thing to think about is put yourself in the shoes of the prospective consumer that is going to hire a talent. If it sounds like you are in an a tin can, that can hurt you.

I know that I personally have passed on training and/or hiring a coach or seminar because the audio out the gate was terrible. If I am ultimately going to trust my dollars with your expertise, I at least want the impression that you *sound* like you know what you are doing. Smile

Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 1:11 pm Post subject:

So you'd ACTUALLY PAY for this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ycMeB9KH4

ShaneGraham057 · Contributor Joined: 01 May 2014 Posts: 49 Location: VA

From beginning to end, I paid... close attention.
Worth every penny IMO. But the damn conversion rate from US dollars to European bongo bucks made it invaluable. Or unvaluable. Or how do you say it Phillip?

It even struck home more because I do have a daughter.
And a step daughter...
Lord help me.

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:32 am Post subject:

Invalueless. In our business the most important word like so totally ever as it accurately sums up most of the huff puff guff gusto bluster and twaddle in our business.

Soon to be announced - the launch of the Harvard MBA in Voice Over. A 3 year degree based on a speech made by Rudy Gaskin at the end of which everyone in the audience hugged, high fived, wept, cheered and shouted "I'm SO excited but have no idea why!"

Graduates will set up an LLC and travel the country consulting with aspiring and perspiring Voice Actors. Neither will make any money but they'll agree to profit share just to be on the safe side.

As the saying goes in the voice over world "The idea of a business is to make a Prophet"