Voiceover Answerbase
A collection of my answers to VO and Voiceover questions. Ranging from basic "how-to's" to detailed VO studio fixes and hacks.
VO Weekly Workflow – Audiobook Considerations
Audiobook recording and production also has an interesting momentum. I imagine it's a bit like captaining a large ship in treacherous waters. When making a concise course adjustment, it can feel like an endless yawning lag before the bow responds. Often on an audiobook project, decisions made weeks before don't affect the process until much later. We need to start with a clear plan.
VO Weekly Workflow – One Size…Does Not Fit All
There is no one way to achieve optimal results. That is why I'll rarely suggest that someone has a "wrong" approach. When capturing audio at home, each of us has a unique set of challenges...
VO Weekly Workflow – Tracking Numbers… Does It Matter?
What didn't help was focusing on projects that didn't click. It wasn't that I couldn't learn from those. Closing the loop by regularly reviewing auditions remains a part of my process. But I try to stop short of diving deeply into all the things I might have done "wrong."
VO Weekly Workflow – Proper Care and Handling of the Voice Actor
We become a voice actor and realize it's all up to us. Stress can often accompany the freedom of running your own business. What we are trying to do is build a long term healthy relationship with ourselves.
VO Weekly Workflow – The Lure Of Incremental Upgrades
The lure of giving into that impulse to purchase new gear is not without challenges. A more accurate microphone will precisely capture the performance we put into it. As every voice actor staring down any microphone can attest, what goes into the microphone matters. A "meh" audition won't sound any more compelling through a more expensive mic...
VO Weekly Workflow – A Surprisingly Difficult Quest
I haven’t had to buy an iPad for a few years. Unlike some, I’ve never really tried to use it...
VO Weekly Workflow – Studio Foundations
Many people come into voice acting with an aversion to the technical details of recording their voice. The studio side of things may be uninteresting to them, or they may have genuine dislike for working with screens and technology. Compounding this, a lot of recommended VO studio solutions involve fairly complicated software or a more-expensive-is-better attitude towards gear. There’s often a “recipe” provided with no explanation of why a certain step is necessary.
VO Weekly Workflow – Batches and Stacks
The new Twisted Wave update now allows you to apply a Batch Process to any open file. Since that appears as a menu item, you can also apply a specific keystroke to activate that Batch Process. That actually makes it even more efficient to invoke when you are ready to send off a file.
VO Weekly Workflow – Remain Flexible
Software may seem solid and dependable, but is often ephemeral. It’s helpful to consider whether your studio could still function if core tools went away. Flexible and redundant systems are a key aspect in any business. Because we have to be our own IT departments, it's easy to lose sight of how dependent we can be on specific pieces of software.
