UPDATE
I still have the USB interface, if anyone wants it, contact me here.
I’m selling some of my old studio equipment and you can get a great deal on it!
Check out the auctions on Ebay:
Samson C01U USB microphone (the mic I recommend for voice over practice and simple demo recording)
M-Audio Fastrack USB Computer Interface (a great interface to connect your studio equipment to your computer)
Click on the links above for the Ebay listing. They end on October 24th so bid SOON! Happy bidding!
If someone were to ask me for one tip to drastically improve their voice over career it would be these two words:
READ AHEAD!!
Pay attention, mark my words, some day you will have to pay for my book that talks more about this!
If you can master this technique, you can read through anything once (without even a pre-read!) and have it be the final take*! Sound impossible? It’s not, it works for me.
Your short term memory can hold between 5-7 pieces of information at a time. These pieces of information can and should be words you have already read and said in your head! For example, take the following sentence:
(Starting from the first emphasized “here”, there are seven words left in the sentence.) Read the previous, bulleted sentence to yourself as a way of practicing this technique. Make your mind and eyes become used to reading in this manner.
Talk about multitasking! You need to be able to read, “listen” to the voice inside your head, and repeat what you are hearing inside your head soon after you “hear it”. This takes time to master, but it really will take you to the next level.
One way to practice this is to read aloud A LOT! Volunteer at the library and read aloud to children. If you live in Nashville, the Nashville Public Library has a studio where you can volunteer your time to read aloud for one hour. The live reading is broadcast over a closed circuit system to listening booths in the library for the blind. Or, just read to yourself and try your best not to stop. for anything but a breath. Put emphasis and excitement into the reading just as you would if you were behind the mic recording the audio book. While you’re at it, buy a simple recording device and record your sessions. If needed, play the recording back and read 5-7 words ahead of what is being said to get used to the “two voices speaking” simultaneously.
The audio book project I am working on at the time I am writing this article would consume all of my time if I were not using this technique proficiently. This technique cuts down the time you have to spend editing by almost half. It also causes me to be more efficient behind the mic (I can read almost twice as much once instead of reading the same material twice for accuracy!) The project is done quicker, your client stops biting their nails sooner, and you can double your salary (more money over a shorter time= higher dollar per hour!)
Now time for the *. If what you are reading is extraordinarily complex, or based on a topic with which you are not familiar, it might be a good idea to give the topic a read through first. I just usually will skim as fast as I can through the chapter looking for long words and complicated phrases.
Practicing this technique has somehow allowed me to read TWICE as fast when I read without speaking aloud. Not to mention how much more flexible my short term memory is.
This technique of reading ahead has increased my focus as well. One almost has to be in a clear-minded meditative state to be able to execute this technique without hitch. There will be the occasional slip up when your mind loses focus, but other than that, you’ll never have to read anything twice! How awesome is that?
Get working on this technique and you will soon see great improvements to many aspects of your VO technique.
So there’s nothing like sitting in your chair at your computer for hours on end staring at your computer screen, right? Me, I would rather be behind the mic, but here’s some tips to make your editing a lot easier and your clients a lot more happy.
Continued from the post before last…
Odds are, unless you happen to have oodles of cash lying about, you will not be working in a real studio for your first little while as a new voice over person. You won’t have a director, a producer, and an editor/mixer at your beckon call. That means you get to become quite familiar with the wonderful world of editing audio! How fun!
As a freelance professional VO artist, I would say that I spend about 35% of my time in front of the mic and the rest of the time in front of my computer. Of that 65% of the time I spend staring blankly at my computer screen, about 45% of that time is editing audio. It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it can separate and elevate you above the rest of the VO people out there.
So if you’re spending a lot of time editing like me, it ought to sound good when you’re finished. Here’s some tips to help your editing.
This will be a follow up post to one I wrote on March 13th. That title was Take It Slow.
The title of this post is Let it Go (obviously enough). So just exactly what does that mean? About a bazillion things actually.
If you want to call yourself a true voice over artist, you’ll need to have a home studio. It’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately, it’s also as complicated as that.
The nice thing about being a VO person is that we do not have to record many, many tracks with really fancy equipment and software. All you need to get started is a good microphone, some moderate sound proofing, and a computer with audio editing software. That’s all!
Before I begin, let me say that I am going for value in this setup, I want to make having a home studio affordable for everyone. You have to start small, get small gigs, make some money to put back into nicer equipment. It’s a vicious cycle, but it is well worth it. There is nothing like having a home studio.
Let’s get started:
This afternoon I had the pleasure of e-meeting Bettye Zoller, one of the great female voices in the world of voiceover. She has granted me permission to use her article “What Is A Voiceover” on my blog. Without further ado: Bettye Zoller’s “What Is A Voiceover?”:
What Is A Voiceover and How Do You Do It?
By Bettye Zoller
Click to continue reading “Bettye Zoller’s “What Is A Voiceover?””
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