Our frame of reference for audio quality can be a bit skewed. When we start recording ourselves, our reference point for that quality is often the fully produced spots which we hear everywhere. But it's our raw sound that matters.
Before we end up in the momentum of this year, perhaps it’s worth pausing to look for those things that have become clutter and distraction.
It feels good to step back into the studio after some time away. This is the time of year when it becomes obvious that stepping away to perhaps find a broader perspective can be an important asset in our VO journey.
In going back through my 2025 notes for posts and emails, I realized a few snippets never coalesced into full posts. Given that it’s the season completion, here a few of those scattered thoughts.
As the calendar wraps around, we seem hard wired to take stock. There's a tendency to lean into numbers and give ourselves a pass/fail for goals achieved. Tracking numbers and identifying causes provides hard data to refine our approach and patch failing systems. As we tally our efforts, there may be some solace in recognizing the challenges of a difficult economy, impact of world events, immediate pressures of unique situations, and all those things out of our control. None of us pursue life in a vacuum.
Nothing remains in a static state. Clients who have relied upon us for years may suddenly "go in a different direction..." VO Agencies may fold or retool. The tone of advertisements may shift. It's possible to suddenly look up and realize that our approaches are no longer viable. How do we address that? It may be as simple as failing.
Everyone loves to get out ahead of the competition, which has led to a cascade of "special early-bird savings" emails. It's easy to get overwhelmed and excited in equal measure. Although it may be cool to get an amazing deal on a new microphone, will that really help your VO business in the long run?
A bit of mid-session adaptation underscored a point I repeat often: things will always go wrong. As counterintuitive as it seems, starting with that mindset takes the pressure off of us.
Is distortion ever a good thing in the home voiceover studio? Getting things correct at the source is a key step in good sound. In our home voiceover studios we attempt to capture a very dynamic instrument - the human voice.
© JustAskJimVO.studio / Jim Edgar
For my VO Services: JimEdgarVoices.com
