#JustAskJimVO

Many
years ago
in an internet
far, far away,
there were things called
“bbs’s” and a place called Usenet…

In those days gone by, simply figuring out how to get your computer connected to the web took a little bit of doing. But, across the galaxy there developed online communities of shared interest. Although I was just a young kid hanging out with the more knowledgeable folks, they were always helpful and forthcoming with answers to my questions (well, as long as I took the time to make sure I asked those questions clearly.)

Whether it was trying to get computers and musical instruments to talk to one another, or figure out the best way to pull apart a Sturmey-Archer internally geared three-speed bicycle hub so that you had any hope of getting it back together, those who knew shared info with those had interest. The fact you could get connected and manage to find the interest groups garnered a modicum of respect. Such was the tone of the day.

Nowadays, it’s hard not to be on the internet. That makes it relatively easy for someone to pop up in any number of social media groups, posing very broad and unanswerable questions:

I can’t truthfully answer any of those things, and I’d deeply question anyone who says they can.

It takes digging in under the surface to figure out the right questions to ask. At some point, those folks will start asking Questions That Matter.

Those are the questions I like to answer.  They usually reflect a subtle shift from a passive to active state. A person has probably worked to compile some basic knowledge but doesn’t yet understand how certain parts fit or relate. They might have found contradictory advice or statements. They need information so they can go learn more, rather than have a result handed to them.

I enjoy those questions.  Seeing the light go on and the enthusiasm build is one of the most gratifying parts of teaching classes – watching the spark ignite. That’s one of the reasons I hang out in certain online groups and am always happy to answer questions if I have the time.

So, if you have a question about VO gear setup or voiceover recording, simply ask your question below, or over on my twitter feed and use hashtag #justaskjimvo and I’ll respond as quickly as I’m able, or try to get it answered in a future article or post.

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I love to help other voice actors get their sound sorted out so they can focus on being brilliant behind the mic.  If you would like to talk about ways to improve your audio, workflow or just have a question about something VO-related and wish to speak with me right now, please let me know below:

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