Double Dutch

RATE SHEETS. Do you have one? If you don’t, why not? Wouldn’t it be handy to publish your fees on your website? That way, the powers that are thinking of hiring you, know what to expect.

Not only is this your first line of defense against those who can’t afford you, it will also establish you as a professional.

RATE SHEETS. Why would you want your competition to know how much you charge? Wouldn’t you undermine your competitive edge by giving others the ammunition that will allow them to underbid? Do you want people to write you off based on your rates, without giving them a taste test of what you have to offer?

RATE SHEETS. Some voice-over casting sites have ‘em, but are they up to date? And when you compare the rates listed, to the budgets offered for projects posted on these sites, what do you see?

Do these sites stand behind their own rate sheets, or are these ‘average fees’ nothing but a marketing tool to attract new members: “Look at how much money there is to be made in voice-overs. Sign up today!”

There is a big difference between suggested rates and suggestive rates.

So, what do you do when someone asks you for your rate? In my last article, I warned you against blind bidding, and I suggested you do your homework. But here’s the thing: you’re only one part of the equation.

What about your clients? How can we make them understand that they can’t expect us to just pull a number out of a hat (unless your name is James Alburger, who is also a professional magician)…?

That’s how I came to I write an

OPEN LETTER TO VOICE -SEEKERS

Dear voice-over shopper:

Thank you so much for getting in touch! Before we get down to business, may I ask you a question?

Would you ever bid on a project without knowing the specifics?

Let’s assume you’re in the construction industry. A prospect sends you an email asking:

“How much for a building? Give me your best price!”

Could you honestly answer that question? Of course not. Yet, I receive emails every day, asking:

“How much for a voice-over? Give me your best price!”

… as if we’re talking about the cost of a Big Mac or a quart of milk. Even that differs depending on where you live.

If you were a builder who was asked to come up with an accurate estimate, you’d minimally need to know what purpose the construction would serve (commercial or residential); you’d have to know where it will be located, how big it needs to be, when it needs to be finished etcetera, etcetera.

Voice-over professionals are no different. They’re  independent contractors. They need to know what purpose their recording will serve, in what market it would play, how long the script is and how soon you need it (among other things).

Without specifics, any bid is based on pure guesswork and not on the particulars of your project.

“Then why” -you might ask- “are so many of your colleagues willing to plug in just about any number -no questions asked?”

I’ll answer that question with a question.

Would you trust a builder who’d name a price knowing hardly any details of the project? Or would you consider that to be… ‘unprofessional’?

STANDARDS, ANYBODY?
The voice-over industry is populated by seasoned pros, hopeful hobbyists and anything in between. With today’s technology, it’s so easy to plug a mic into a computer and hang up a sign saying:

“Voice for Hire. Will work for food.”

There are no requirements, no regulations and no standards.

What would happen if the construction industry would operate that way?

Some might argue that that’s an unfair comparison. When builders don’t follow regulations, people could get hurt. No one’s ever going to get harmed by an unprofessional voice-over artist, right?

Think again, and let’s zoom in on Medical Narrations. What would happen if the name of a medication would be mispronounced or if the narrator messes up the dosage? What would happen if a procedure would be read in such a way that it could be misconstrued?

These are extreme examples. I agree. How about something less serious: Audio Tours.

Imagine hundreds of tourists getting stranded on a hot summer’s day because the narrator had instructed them to go left instead of right. Among the group members are elderly people, pregnant women and folks with various medical conditions.

That’s not just a ‘small oversight on the part of an inexperienced narrator’.

That’s a lawsuit in the making!

THE REAL DEAL
Professionals do their homework. When a voice talent gets back to you with specific questions, that person is not trying to be a pain in the neck. It’s a sign of professionalism. It means that you’re not getting the cookie cutter treatment. It’s an indication that this person takes his or her job and your project seriously. Please remember:

Amateurs passively plug in guesstimates. Pros ask questions and give informed quotes. There’s a reason why the word pro is part of ‘pro-active’.

Think of it this way: your voice-over project is a destination. If your end-client does not provide you with a clear description, how can you be sure that you’ll ever get there? Without the right information, you’re setting yourself up for failure, as well as the talent you’re hoping to hire.

Let’s assume the end-client asks for fruit and you come back with the juiciest orange ever to hang from a tree. It could have been a lucky guess. But what if your client says:

“Oh come on… I didn’t want a boring orange. I had an orange yesterday. You should have brought me an apple. A green apple. From Holland.”

THE BLAME GAME
Now, it’s easy to point the finger and blame your unspecific client. But blame is lame and disempowering. The ball was in your court. What did you do with it?

Not only are you now wasting your own time; you’ve just posted a vague project on a casting site and hundreds of voice-over talents are wasting their time recording a custom demo that’s nothing more than a shot in the dark.

Some of you might respond: “That’s just too bad. It’s part of the industry. It’s always been like that and it will never change. You win some. You lose some. And if you don’t like it, go do something else.”

That might be true, but does it really have to be that way? It’s 2010. Are we still running the industry based on these inefficient, expensive, last century old-school ideas?

IT ALL ADDS UP
Please consider this: how long will it take you to weed through all these shot-in-the-dark submissions? You might end up picking a very affordable talent, but -thinking of your hourly rate- how much did all that weeding just cost you and your company? Don’t you have better things to do than listen to auditions that totally miss the mark?

If you expect talent to be on target, give them a fair chance to hit the bull’s-eye.

Tell them what you’ll be listening for in as much detail as possible. If not for the sake of the voice talent, do it for your own sake. You’ll get much better results in less time.

Here are a few other tips. Don’t worry, they won’t cost you anything!

• Language. Don’t just put “Spanish” if you really need a speaker from Chile. Otherwise you’ll get accents from wherever Spanish is spoken. (more on accents in this article)

• Age. When you need a young and energetic sound and you’re not clueing us in, don’t be surprised to receive demos from mellow middle-aged matriarchs and serious sounding seniors (as well as from blogging voice-overs who love alliteration).

• Budget. You say that you want to hire an experienced voice talent. Do you really think you’ll get one for a hundred bucks? Try this experiment: go to a jewelry store and shop for a 24 carat diamond. When you’ve picked out a nice rock, tell them you wish to get it at the price of a cubic zirconia. Let me know how that worked out for you.

I assume that you take pride in your work, just as we take pride in ours. Don’t devalue what we do. Believe me: it’s not as easy as it sounds.

• Expertise. If you don’t want to pay a pro, why don’t you ask Sam in Receiving to record that power point presentation you’re about to give to potential investors. It’s only the future of your company that’s at stake.

Cindy the secretary has a nice voice too. Perhaps she’s willing to do that phone greeting that will be heard by thousands of customers every day. It’s not our job to determine how you want your company image to be perceived by the rest of the world.

• Editing. If you expect a talent to deliver clean, edited audio, don’t assume that someone will throw that in for free. First of all, editing is a special skill, and not every talent has mastered that skill.

Secondly, it takes an experienced editor at least twice as long to clean up the audio, as the time needed to record it. People deserve to be compensated for their time and expertise. Aren’t you?

• Payment. Don’t be surprised if we ask you to pay 50% upfront and the remainder upon receiving the recording. Some colleagues won’t record a word without getting paid in full first. You see, we haven’t established a relationship yet, and most of us have been burned in the past. Did that band you hired for the office party require money upfront? Did the hotel ask you for a deposit at the time you reserved that conference room?

Don’t take it personally. We run a voice-over business; not a collection agency. We give you our word (literally) that we’ll deliver the goods. In fact: we will WOW you! Please PayPal your down payment so we can get the ball rolling.

FINAL THOUGHTS
If you happened to detect a slight sarcastic undertone in my writing, please know that I’m aware of that. It’s a bad habit and I’m working on it. Just not today.

Secondly: not all voice-seekers are created equal, and it’s not right to put all of you into the same category. You’ve got to make a living too and make your boss happy by hiring the best talent at a reasonable price.

I’m confident that we can meet in the middle, and I’m committed to making your product or service shine as if it were my own. You and I are in the same boat:

Happy customers are our best credentials.

Testimonials from satisfied clients are stories that can never be accurately reflected in the most detailed of rate sheets.

Quality will always be remembered long after the bill has been paid.

Now… let’s talk some business, shall we?!

Sincerely,

Paul Strikwerda ©2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS If you had a chance to write your letter to those who are thinking about hiring you, what would you like them to know? Share your comments and thoughts below!

PPS Voice seekers are not the only ones trying to get more out of you for less. My next article is about Internet Casting Services  taking it to the extreme.

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How much do you charge for your services? What determines your asking price? If you charge too much, you run the risk of losing the job. If you’re selling yourself cheap, you look like an amateur. Here are 10 ways to win the bidding war.

“Do these cookies taste as good as they look?” asked our friendly neighbor.

“Even better,” said my almost 8-year old daughter with a big smile on her face.  “I baked them myself this morning!”

Last week, she went door-to-door to raise money for our Walk MS team. She’s a much better fund-raiser than her father, who’s still hoping to do better with his “Giving a Voice to MS” campaign.

“How much are they?” the neighbor wanted to know.

“You can get two cookies for a dollar,” answered my daughter. A moment later, she had four shiny quarters in her hand.

“Fantastic,” I said. “I’m so proud of you! You just made your first dollar. Now, do you want to know a little secret to raising some serious money?” She was all ears.

“Next time someone asks you how much your Snickerdoodles cost, tell them:

‘You can give as much as you want’. Then you just wait… and see what happens.”

“But what if they only want to pay fifty cents?” my daughter asked.

“Well,” I said. “You’ll have to tell them that they have to give at least one dollar. Always know your bottom line. If they don’t think they’re worth that much, there are plenty of other people to sell them to. It’s okay to walk away from a bad deal.”

THE WILD, WILD WEST
In the unregulated world of freelancing, putting a price on a product or service is one of the most talked about and controversial topics. Why?

Copywriters know all about crafting compelling copy; web designers are great at creating sticky sites, and voice-over actors can sound like they know what they’re talking about, even if they don’t.

Here’s the problem: just because you’re good at what you do, doesn’t mean you know how to sell yourself. If anything, you’re probably selling yourself short and you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.

How many schools or vocational training programs are actually teaching business 101, sales techniques or negotiation skills? With a diploma in hand, many graduates discover that it’s a jungle out there, and the only way to learn is by trial and error. That’s an expensive strategy.

In my last article, I talked about the consequences of predatory pricing and about why low rates are bad for business. The next question is: how can you make sure you get a decent price for your product or service? Let’s begin by avoiding these

10 CLASSIC MISTAKES WHEN QUOTING A PRICE

1. Blind Bidding. Especially in today’s market where lots of freelance jobs are auctioned off instead of negotiated, it’s tempting to just plug in a number, no questions asked. Clients love it because your eagerness, ignorance or desperation practically guarantees them a bargain.

Project details are left vague for a reason! But how can you make the right offer without having the right information? That’s because you’re falling into trap number two. You are…

2. Making Assumptions. Poor client! She said she was operating on “a small budget,” so if you really want that gig, make sure you put in a lowball offer or give a discount.

NOT SO FAST! What might be a “small budget” to some might be a large chunk of money to others.

How can you be so sure whether or not a customer you don’t even know can or cannot afford you or your product? Did you just read the tea leaves? Did that little voice in your head tell you so? The “limited budget excuse” is the oldest trick in the book of cheapskates. And you’re buying it because you’re…

3. Not Doing Your Homework. Do you have any idea who your mystery prospect is? What company does she work for? How many employees does this company have and in how many countries? What clients do they serve? What’s their market share? What reputation does this firm or this person have?

You’d be surprised by how much can be found out by spending a few extra minutes on your computer (just look at how much info I was able to dig up on the editor of Newspapers for the Blind). Wouldn’t you want to have these data available before you quote a KIA price to someone with a Bentley budget?

Of course some website-seeing won’t give you all the answers, nor will it give you a chance to build a more personal relationship with your prospective buyer. Dry facts always have a backstory, and you’re not getting it because you’re…

4. Not Asking the Right Questions. Ideally, your product or service is the solution to your client’s problem and the pleasure to their pain. But if you don’t know what their specific wants and needs are, you won’t be able to fulfill them to their satisfaction.

Any price will be too high if your prospect doesn’t feel that what you’re offering is what he really needs.

Ask yourself: what do I minimally need to know to make sure that I am the right person for this job and to put in a reasonable bid? My article about breaking down an audio book rate gives you a sense of how much is really involved and how much is usually left out when bidding.

Once you’re fully prepared, why not turn the table by asking: “How much have you budgeted?” (notice the not so hidden presupposition) I must warn you: it’s easy to sabotage this process by…

5. Too much talking. Not enough listening. It boils down to this: do you really want to know, or are you just asking? If you’re passionate about your profession, chances are that you’re full of it… Some people -not you of course- are even full of themselves. And because you know and care so much about what you do, it’s very easy to go on and on and on about it. Zzzzzz

As I said to the computer guy at Staples: “I don’t need to know how it works, as long as I know that it works.” He didn’t get it. He was bathing in his own little bubble. I think he’s still talking to me, even though I left the store two hours ago…

When you’re actively listening to your prospect, make a mental note of certain buzz words and phrases that are an indication of why this project is important, and what this project is all about. If you’re on the phone, write it down. If you don’t keep track of these buzz-words, you’ll be…

6. Describing the benefits of a product or service in your terms; not in your client’s terms. What might be important to you is utterly irrelevant. What really matters is what’s important to your client. Never tell a prospect why they should hire you. People do things for their reasons, not for yours.

For instance, you might believe that price is a decisive factor in the deal you’re discussing, because that’s how you operate. Nothing is ever bought based on price alone, and perceived value might really be what the client is basing her decision on.

Some of us prefer more expensive brand name products. Others favor more affordable store brands. Do not bring up the price or your fee until the customer does. Otherwise, you fall into the trap of…

7. Bad Timing. Every sales trainer will tell you: never mention the price until a customer has fallen in love with the product. Highlight the benefits first, and be sure to use your client’s criteria and your client’s buzz words. Make the sale based on value. Value is usually defined as benefits received, divided by the price paid. If the perceived value is higher than the price paid, your customer’s a happy camper.

But what if a prospect tells you: “I can’t possible afford that. That’s too much money.” Is it ‘game over’? Only if you keep on…

8. Believing that Objection = Rejection. Wrong! Objections are opportunities to better understand your client. One salesman put it this way:

“I love objections. The more, the better. How can you sell somebody something unless you find out what he or she is thinking, and what his or her reservations might be about your product or service?”

Here’s the thing: it’s almost impossible to handle objections if the customer’s interest is not high enough, or when the prospect is not a “qualified buyer”. Those are the people who are “just looking” and who aren’t authorized to make purchase decisions.

“Your price it too high” is the oldest objection in history. Linguists call it a ‘comparative deletion’ because the obvious question would be: “Compared to what?” And without knowing the price concern, you can’t possibly help your prospect overcome it. Usually there are two reasons:

-the perceived value of your service or product is lower than your price or your fee;
-your prospect genuinely can’t afford it at this moment in time

In the first scenario, you haven’t convinced your client that what you’re offering truly meets his or her needs, or is valuable enough. In that case, you need to backtrack a little. In the second scenario, you can start offering other options (more about both in a future article).

There’s a third possible response to the price objection: giving in. That has to do with…

9. Being insecure about your own value. If you start apologizing for your prices, or if you’re undervaluing your services because you don’t think you’re worth it, stop negotiating because you look like an amateur.

The least you can do is go back to number 3 and educate yourself about the going rate for a particular project in a specific market.

Secondly, read “The Money Book for freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed” and get a grip on your finances. Know how much you need to make to break even, and how much you want to make to lead the life you feel you deserve. Get a backbone and be proud of your price!

Losers lower their prices. Winners know what they’re worth!

A word of warning: if a prospect senses any sign of insecurity, you’ve just shot yourself in the foot. Remember that people equate price with quality. If they contacted you, they’re interested in hiring you, so hang in there and avoid…

10. Falling for False Promises. Never accept a job based on the promise of future work. The job is the job. Even when the client holds up a juicy carrot and says: “If this works out, chances are that a whole lot more will come your way,” treat it as a big red flag. You know that you’ll end up doing more for less, and you’ll never hear from them again. End of story.

FORTUNE COOKIES
Well before we’d reached the end of our block, my daughter had sold all her cookies and a minivan stopped in front of us. It happened to be a family that had already bought a few bags of Snickerdoodles for the MS Walk.

“Here sweetie,” said the mother, as she handed over a 20 dollar bill.

“But I don’t have any more cookies to give you,” said my daughter.

“That’s okay,” replied the Mom. “When you came to our door, I could only pay you a few dollars, because that was all the money I had in my wallet. I just went to the bank to get some more. All of us agreed that your Snickerdoodles were the best we’d ever had!”

Even though she was smiling, it looked like the Mom was holding back tears. As my daughter was talking to her kids in the back of the car, their Mom said quietly:

“My mother died from MS last year. We miss her so much. Thank you for doing the walk!”

“You’re very welcome,” I said. “I am so sorry to hear about your loss.”

On the way back, I told my daughter: 

“Different people do different things for different reasons.

There’s no cookie cutter approach.

Now, let’s go to the kitchen and bake another batch!”

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS If you feel that this article has been of value to you in any way, please  show your appreciation by making a donation to my Walk MS team today. Thank you!

PPS Ever felt like telling your clients how you really feel about them?  I just wrote an Open Letter to Voice-Seekers.

Technorati Tags: blind bidding, Dutch voice over, freelance prices, how to price a service, Nethervoice, overcoming objections, Paul Strikwerda, pricing a product, pricing mistakes, product pricing, The Moneybook, tips and techniques to overcome objections

Is your freelance business going down the drain? Are you sick and tired of rejection? Have you had enough of wasting your time on auditions, bids and proposals that never lead to anything?

Perhaps it is time to make frustration your friend. Be sure to add a strong dose of disgust to the mix. According to success strategist Jim Rohn, disgust is one of the four emotions that can lead to life change. Rohn:

“The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I’ve had it!”

RESOLVE
Once your frustration has reached a boiling point, it is time to make up your mind. Are you throwing in the towel, or are you going to take massive action and turn your business around? If you pick the last option, the next question is: HOW?

The secret to landing any type of freelance job is contained in these three words:

PRACTICE PREDATORY PRICING

In other words: start offering your service or product at a price which is either below the going rate or below production cost. Crush the competition by underbidding. You gotta pay the bills, right? It’s better to have a low-paying job than no job at all. Après nous, le déluge.

Most of us live in a capitalist society based on a free market. There are no fixed prices in the unregulated world of freelancing. Today’s economy is based on one principle only: Survival of the cheapest. Is that morally wrong? Don’t be a hypocrite; we’re all accomplices. A few scenarios:

• Two gas stations on opposite sides of the road. Which one do you pick?
• You’re in the market for a new TV. Why are you using a ShopBot?
• Outlet Malls have become America’s number one tourist destination.

NO MORE WHINING
Let’s make a deal. Stop complaining about business being slow. End the self pity because nobody wants to hire you. Your product is not the problem. The problem is your pricing. So get off your high horse and start lowering your rates right now. If you won’t, others will. Ever wondered why almost anything is made in China?

Okay. Time Out.

TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw coined the phrase: “If you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences.” Before you start slashing your fees, consider the following:

10 CONSEQUENCES OF PREDATORY PRICING

 

1. Bargain prices attract bargain shoppers. Low paying customers are usually high maintenance customers. As one freelancer put it:

“People that are only willing to spend pennies will argue over every cent, while people willing to spend whatever it takes, care more about the result than the bill.”

2. Bargain prices create unrealistic expectations. You will attract clients that expect a gourmet meal at a fast food price (and at drive-through speed). Beware: as in mountain biking, it’s easier to go down than to go up. Once your price-level is set, it is hard to justify a higher price.

3. Bargain rates devalue your work. Don’t be fooled. Predatory prices attract clients that pick you based on your rate, not on your abilities. For them, the value of your work depends on your fee, not on your skills or experience.

Product launch coach Dave Navarro wrote: ” Because people tend to not value things that don’t cost them much, they’re much more likely to be dissatisfied with it – regardless of the quality of the product.” Are those the people you really wish to work for?

4. Bargain rates show little self-respect. A freelance web designer put it this way:

“I wouldn’t think of cutting my prices, because higher prices show that you are confident with your work, and confidence sells a lot more effectively to QUALITY clients -more-so than price.”

5. Bargain prices foster resentment and jealousy. What signal are you sending to yourself when you’re working for rock bottom rates?

“Is that all I’m worth? Don’t they appreciate my work? Why am I only making one-third of what he makes in two minutes and it takes me two hours?”

6. Bargain rates bring your quality down. Freelance writer Steven Snell:

“If you are not making very much from a project you may rush through it so that you can finish and move on to something else. I know. It’s easy to say “I’m only making $X for this work, I don’t need to do any better than this.” As a result, your work will be less than your best. If you’re making a reasonable amount you should be able and willing to do your best work.”

7. Bargain pricing leaves less time to do well-paid work. Imagine the frustration of having to say “no” to a golden opportunity because you’re swamped with a project paying peanuts.

8. Predatory pricing is unfair competition. Dumping your product or service will isolate you from your colleagues, and it will negatively impact prevalent prices. Don’t blame the anonymous forces of demand and supply for a steady decline in rates. You are as much part of the problem as you are a part of the solution.

9. Predatory prices leave you working more and earning less. That’s a no-brainer, but didn’t you become a freelancer to have more free time and make more money?

10. Bargain rates lead to bankruptcy. What do JetGreen, DutchBird, and LowFareJet have in common? They were all low-cost airlines that practiced predatory pricing. They went under because they over-promised, under-delivered and couldn’t break even.

GOING DOWN?
What do you do when clients say: “Sorry, I can’t afford you” or “In this economy we simply can’t pay regular rates.” Do you tell them to find a freelancer on Craig’s List, or do you give in and work for next to nothing?

Have you ever low-balled a project in order to get the gig? What do you think of undercutting colleagues? Are they simply trying to make an honest buck, or are they ruining the market for all of us?

Is there a way to increase your competitive advantage, without lowering your prices? Funny you should ask! It’s all about avoiding expensive pricing mistakes. That happens to be the topic of my next article, so stay tuned!

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS Voice-over colleague  Mary McKitrick has written two excellent blog posts that are absolutely worth your time: Setting rates in the voice-over business & Perceived value in voiceover. And if you like her writings, wait till you hear her voice!

PPS So many freelancers are quoting a price for their services based on assumptions and  ignorance. Could you be making one of the most common mistakes? Find out here!

 

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PS Doing the work is (relatively) easy. Finding it is hard. Here’s my top tip for winning more auditions and freelance projects

Technorati Tags: Apology, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice over, Hoax, John Florian, Mic warmer, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, Philip Banks, VoiceOverXtra

“Paul, I think you’re on to something,” said Heinz Gruenewald. Heinz works for the world-renowned Westdeutscher Rundfunklabor in Germany, and he’s one of the top sound wave specialists. He has several patents in nanomaterials, acoustic devices, transducers and sensors in his name.

AN UNUSUAL TALENT
Just like some wine connoisseurs are born with an extraordinary palette, Heinz is blessed with extraordinary hearing. As you know, you can let an oenophile taste a glass of wine, and he’ll tell you what country it’s from, what region and even from what year. Heinz has that same uncanny ability but with microphones.

He says that it’s both a blessing and a curse: “Whenever I hear audio, my mind immediately tries to figure out what microphone was used to record it. It usually takes me a few seconds to analyze the sound spectrum. Call me arrogant, but 9 out of 10 ten times I’m dead on.” Heinz has even been on the German version of 20/20 to show his talent off.”

Right now, he is working on a portable version of the digital microphone interface, which is expected to come out next year. The rapid advance of high-def television is associated with increasing requirements in terms of audio technology, which can only be met with the aid of digital microphones. That’s where Heinz comes in.

SURPRISE DISCOVERY
Heinz and I actually started an “online relationship” when I found him on the Internet as I was looking for an expert who could confirm or deny what only can be labeled as a surprise discovery. Here’s how it started.

At the end of 2008, I was listening to some old demos of mine, to determine which ones to keep and which ones to delete. Since I’ve been listening to myself for my entire life, it’s fair to say that I know “my sound” top to bottom, inside out. For some reason I listened back to back to a demo recorded at the end of January and one from the middle of August. The difference between the two couldn’t have been greater. It was almost as if another person had taken over my vocal chords. I couldn’t believe it.

Back in January, my sound was thin, shallow and cold. In August I sounded rich, resonant and warm. Mind you: I was certain that I had used the same microphone, the same preamplifier and they were all at the same setting I always use to create a consistent sound. For days I kept wondering what could account for the tremendous difference in the way my voice came across. It was night and day. It was too weird for words. What on earth could be the difference that had made the difference?

EUREKA MOMENT
Then I got an unexpected breakthrough. One December morning, I went into my studio to record an audition. It was early and I was freezing. Nevertheless I gave it my all. But when I heard myself back, I could hear the cold of the morning in my voice. This wasn’t working. I decided to switch on the thermal heater and come back when the temperature would be up.

Fast forward sixty minutes. I recorded the same lines with the same gear, and out of curiosity I played the two recordings I had made one after the other. My mouth fell open. A week and many experiments later, I contacted Heinz.

“Let me get this right,” he said with his soft German accent. “Are you saying that the temperature in the recording booth actually influences the way you sound?”

“Based on my experiments, I’m prepared to go even one step further,” I said. “At this point I am convinced that the temperature of the microphone greatly affects the tonal qualities of the sound it is picking up. It boils down to this: when the mic is cold, I sound cold. When the mic is warm, I sound much warmer.”

SCIENCE IN ACTION
Being a scientist and a sound wave specialist, Heinz didn’t take my word for it. Not even when I sent him the audio files. But I could tell he was intrigued and determined to repeat my experiment in a laboratory setting. It was easy enough to replicate.

At 3:00 AM the next morning my phone rang. An excited Heinz had forgotten that he was on German time.

“Paul, I think you’re on to something,” he said. “I have never heard anything like it. I only had a cheap microphone in my office, but I decided to put it to the test anyway. Stone cold it sounded like…. the piece of junk that it was. But when I left it on the radiator and it had warmed up significantly, it was a totally different animal. I swear to you, it almost had tube-like characteristics. It’s amazing. I don’t know how it works, but it definitely does.”

FURTHER TESTING
In the months that followed, Heinz and his team made sure that this hadn’t been a random event. Test groups were brought in to evaluate identical sound bites that were recorded with cold mics and mics that were warmed up. Without exception, the people surveyed not only noticed the difference; they all preferred the warmer sound of the warm microphone.

In February 2009, I traveled to Germany to go over the findings of the Rundfunklabor in person. Heinz and I had been speculating about how we could put my discovery to practical use. We had agreed that it would be a shame to leave the results of the research in some stuffy drawer.

When we sat around the table at the lab, Heinz had a big smile on his face when he handed me a cable with some sort of extension that reminded me a bit of a MicPort Pro. He said: “It looks like an ordinary USB cable, right?” “More or less,” I replied. “What is this black thing that’s attached to it, and why are you showing me this?” Heinz said: “You are looking at a prototype, my friend. And I have a feeling that this is going to create a small revolution.”

TRIAL PRODUCT
He continued: “This device is powered from the USB port and needs no batteries. The other end plugs directly into a condenser microphone. Now, do you see this control knob? Notice that the scale is in centigrades?

When you turn it up, it draws energy from the computer and transfers it into heat. This heat is actually warming up the microphone. And because you can adjust the temperature, you can adjust the tonal quality of whatever the mic is recording. That means that you can use a lower temperature for microphones that already have a warmer sound. Isn’t it ingenious?”

I was floored. In a few months time and without telling me, Heinz had turned my little discovery into the beginnings of a product. “Do you think people would actually buy this?” I asked.

“Paul, listen to me,” said Heinz. “I took the cheapest condenser microphone I could find and plugged it into this mic warmer. When it had reached the right temperature, I asked a professional narrator to read a few paragraphs into this mic. Then we asked him to read the same passage and we recorded it with a Neumann U87 large diaphragm microphone. I think it sells for about $3400.00 in the US.

My assistants had me listen to both samples, and I am telling you right now that I could not hear the difference. And you know me. My ears never lie. This is going to be big!”

“We have to make sure that this thing is safe,” I said. “I don’t want to be sued by some engineer because my device set his studio on fire.” Heinz agreed that there still was a lot of work to be done, but he was confident that we could put this thing on the market within one to two years.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS
With the backing of an innovation grant from the European Union, things moved fast. Patents were secured. The technology was thoroughly tested. Designers were brought in to make the mic warmer look sleek and futuristic. Because we were using European money, the device had to be manufactured in Europe. That’s where my Dutch connections came in. I managed to find a small company in the North of Holland that was able to start a modest production line. And I am proud to tell you that in the next month or so, the very first mic warmer will be ready to go to market!

It will be officially launched at the biggest annual audio show in Munich, but one of America’s top pro-audio providers has already placed a substantial advance order after hearing the test results. Geoff Deary, the head engineer, said that he had been very skeptical at first, but that he was “absolutely blown away by this small device.”

CONTEST
So… there you have it.  As faithful readers of my blog, I wanted you to be the first ones to know. But this story does not end here. I need your help. My product needs a name. For some reason ‘mic warmer’ doesn’t sound good. That’s where you come in. I’m asking you to come up with a better name. Please leave your suggestions in the comment section at the bottom of this article.

In two weeks, Heinz Gruenewald and I will pick a winner. And if we choose your name, you will be the first person to receive the finished product! The winner will be announced in this blog, so stay tuned.

Thank you so much for your help!

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS please take a few moments to read a personal letter from Prof. Dr. Heinz Gruenewald.

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