Double Dutch

What do the Vatican, the United Nations, the German Parliament, the BBC and my company Nethervoice have in common?

We all use top of the line microphones from a family-owned business in the small German town of Gefell.

If you’ve never heard of Gefell and you enjoy European history, let’s travel back in time for a moment.

In 1943, Georg Neumann‘s main microphone laboratory in Berlin was hit by bombs and caught fire. To avoid more damage, Neumann and his technical director Erich Kühnast moved the entire company to Gefell where they continued their work in an old textile mill.

After Germany’s surrender, Gefell was occupied by the Americans and then handed over to the Soviet Union. In 1946 a number of Gefell employees returned to Berlin to establish a small workshop. This workshop eventually became Georg Neumann GmbH, the second Neumann company.

Kühnast and most of the original staff stayed in Gefell and continued to develop and build microphones. Neumann made Kühnast manager of the limited partnership Georg Neumann & Co. which was later nationalized by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Despite the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the management of the two companies stayed in touch with one another.

In 1972, the GDR prohibited use of the Neumann trademark, and the East-German company was renamed VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell.

After the Wall came down in 1989, Georg Neumann’s heirs reclaimed their share in the company and a new period of cooperation began. Here’s what’s remarkable. When the Neumann engineers took a closer look at the Gefell products that had been developed behind the Iron Curtain, they discovered microphone technology that was more sophisticated than some of that in the West.

After Sennheiser took over Neumann in 1991, Microtech Gefell -as it is now called- became an independent, privately owned company, known for hand-made, high-end microphones. (this overview is in part based on an article in Sound on Sound and on information on the Gefell website).

MY NEW BABY
Fast forward to Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, the day I became the first person in America to own a Gefell M 930 Ts studio condenser microphone.

Out of thousands of microphones on the market, why did I pick this particular make and model? I have to be honest with you: I didn’t pick this mic. It picked me. Or rather: I got lucky. Very, very lucky!

In my radio days I never paid any attention to the equipment I was using, but since I became master and commander of my own studio, things have changed. As a professional, I think it’s important to get to know the tools of the trade. I don’t consider myself to be a gearhead, but I do enjoy reading up on the latest audio equipment.

Before I’m ready to make any type of investment in my business, I spend months doing research, reading reviews and talking to colleagues in the know. Mark Magdich, my Sales Engineer at Sweetwater, is another excellent resource. He makes sure I don’t fall for the latest fad, and that when I finally decide on a new purchase, I invest in quality that will last for many years to come.

Any professional chef, musician or mechanic can tell you that well-made, reliable tools make the job a lot easier because they work with you instead of against you. Good tools can’t make an artist more creative, but they can inspire. Without them, he’s less able to realize his dreams. A great set of tools can take you to that proverbial next level.

It’s a cliché, but quality never goes out of style. It is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

RISING FROM THE PACK
As home studios are becoming the norm and more people are having a go at voice-overs, it’s increasingly important to distinguish oneself. It all starts with the way the voice is captured.

The quality of your sound is your signature.

Clients are sick and tired of having to put up with hiss, rumble, interference and echoes coming from inferior equipment recorded in so-called ‘professional’ booths set up in someone’s boudoir. By the sound of it, these spaces aren’t studios. They sound more like shacks. Radio shacks.

If you can’t provide clean, crystal clear audio, you should start a website where amateur VO’s can go forth, multiply and make a lot of noise. Why not call it VoiceRabbit (after the rabid growth I predict it will undergo)?

Alternatively, you could consult men like Dan Lenard, Dan Friedman, George Whittam or Mel Allen. They will set you up with the right gear and help you fine-tune your sound in less time than it will take you to learn the ropes through trial and error.

Although it never paints a complete picture, quality equipment does make a statement. When a client or agent sees you are using professional grade gear, they know you mean business and they have one less thing to worry about.

Imagine going to a wedding photographer to find out if he’s going to be a good fit for your big day, and the man pulls out a cheap point-and-shoot camera. Would you hire him? I don’t think so. Now, owning a Hasselblad 503CW does not make one a brilliant photographer, but that’s a different story. My colleague Rick Lance knows all about that.

RECORDINGHACKS
In my quest for the best equipment, I spent many hours on Matt Mcglyn’s creation: www.recordinghacks.com. It’s an online magazine as well as the world’s most extensive database of a 1000+ microphones.

If you happen to be looking for a good podcasting mic for $200, recordinghacks has put them to the test. If you need the specs of the Manley Reference Gold tube condenser, look no further. Interested in a $60,000 ribbon mic shootout? You know where to go!

Last year, recordinghacks gave away a new mic every month: a Cascade Fathead II, a Blue Yeti Pro, a Lauten Horizon etcetera. December’s prize topped it all: a brand new Microtech Gefell 930 Ts. This small, large diaphragm condenser was made with broadcasting and voice-over applications in mind.

AND THE WINNER IS…
In the first week of January, Matt Mcglyn said he had some good news for me: I was the lucky winner of the giveaway! It was unbelievable. What a start to the new year!

I want to thank Microtech Gefell GmbH for such a generous gift, and for their ongoing, uncompromising dedication to quality.

Matt Mcglyn deserves a big ‘thank you’ for creating such an excellent database and magazine, and for magically pulling my name out of his recordinghacks-hat.

As for the rest of you, I’m sure you’d like to know how my new mic sounds, and how it stacks up against other voice-over microphones. Well, it just so happens that I’ll be writing a review for recordinghacks, and you’ll find out for yourself why the Vatican has given its blessing to a small German company.

If there ever was one brand that has earned the right to capture the voice of G-d, it has to be Microtech Gefell!

Paul Strikwerda ©2012
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet.

Technorati Tags: Dan Friedman, Dan Lenard, Double Dutch Blog, Erich Kühnast, Gefell, Gefell M 930 Ts, Georg Neumann, George Whittam, home studio, Matt Mcglyn, Mel Allen, microphone giveaway winner, Microtech Gefell GmbH, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, recordinghacks, Rick Lance, Sound on Sound, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers

After much use, even the sharpest knives get dull.

 

Can a voice-over pro ever take time off?

Do you have to be available 24/7?

Is it okay to shut down your business for a few weeks of R & R?

Will your facebook fans unfriend you?

Will your Twitter followers desert you?

Will your voice-overworked agent ever talk to you again?

Let me answer these questions with a question:

What won’t happen if you don’t do it?

BALANCING ACT
I am a big believer in a balanced lifestyle. As a European living in the States (the number 1 “no vacation nation“), I see a lot of people around me who are absolutely addicted to their jobs. Modern technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected and become a burned-out, boss-pleasing slave laborer.

Excuse me. Have we forgotten our history?

On January 31st, 1865, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States. It read:

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

I guess the keyword is involuntary servitude.

We are free people, living in a free country who earned the right to free themselves of any free time. Instead, we have chosen “voluntary servitude”.

Now, that’s what I call progress in a society built upon the principles of “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!”

But let’s put the cynicism and sarcasm aside for a moment. If you’re pursuing happiness as a full-time freelancer, you are in charge of your own destiny. You set your own hours. You determine your own rates. You’re the only one who can call it a day and shout from the roof tops:

Give me a break!

You’re self-employed. You embody your service. Literally. If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. If you don’t guard your boundaries carefully, good people with the best of intentions will step on them and leave you depleted.

TRAPPED & TIRED
A few weeks ago, I was asked to do a presentation in front of hundreds of people. Prior to that, there was a reception and -of course- you can’t have a reception without background music. It’s a known fact that most musicians aren’t capable of staying in the background. No matter the crowd, they have to be LOUD.

I knew that if I were to schmooze prior to my presentation, I would have no voice left, even though my vocal cords are well trained.

As they say: “If you schmooze, you lose.”

Besides, the next day I was going to New York for a recording session and my voice had to be in top-shape in order to sell well.

So, I was left with a choice. Either slip something into the drinks of the band that would have them running to the restroom in a matter of minutes… or hide myself from the crowd until it was time to go on stage.

The first option was obviously more entertaining, but I ended up hiding in the basement. Unfortunately, an overzealous janitor came down, turned off the lights and kicked the door shut, leaving me trapped.

This is where cell phones can save the day. I called the organizer of the event:

“Hi, it’s Paul.”

“Paul, where are you? We’ve been looking all over for you!”

“I am trapped in the basement. It is dark in here. Rats are nibbling on my feet. Please rescue me!”

That day, instead of being a voice-over, I became a voice-under.

I think you get my point.

In order to give your all, you sometimes have to get away from it all. But avoid being locked up.

GO AWAY
Now, in an ideal world you would just pack your bags and go where no one can reach you. But what to do when you’re waiting for that all-important callback or that once-in-a-lifetime chance to audition for something you can’t afford to refuse?

In that case, you need to take some gear on the road and improvise. Rather than spending a few hours going over all the options, I suggest you read Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fischer’s classic Voice Actor’s Guide to Recording at Home and on the Road. It’s jampacked with practical information and I highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in a voice-over career.

Here’s what I take along on my travels:

• a laptop
• a microphone
• a CEntrance MicPort Pro
• earplug-sized headphones

A MicPort Pro is a nifty mini audio interface/preamplifier that plugs directly into your microphone. On the other side there’s a USB cable that plugs into your computer. In other words: this device can turn any microphone into a USB mic. It has phantom power, a headphone jack and two knobs for setting the record level and the headphone volume.

So… after all that subtle product placement, let’s get back to the original question: Can you take off for a period of time without ruining your career?

Here’s an experiment you should do at home:

Fill up your watering can to the brim and start watering your plants. Keep on watering and watering and watering… until there’s no more water left.

I don’t have to tell you that -in order for those plants to grow- you need to water them regularly. An empty watering can is useless. The moral of the story:

You can’t give what you don’t have.

Now, why is that so easy to understand when it comes to our plants, and why are we surprised that “We the People,” are so stressed, so drained and left without an ounce of creativity?

Take my advice and get lost! Recharge your batteries. Discover that you have significant others in your life who’d love to get to know you. It can’t be all work and no play… Your job is just a means to an end.

TAKING TIME OFF
Be sure to let your voice casting sites and agents know that you’ll be gone for a particular period of time. If you must, bring your gear, but promise yourself that you will only do what is absolutely essential. Otherwise, you’ll get sucked into obsessive email checking, incessant instant messaging and frantic Facebooking.

Only use your cell phone when you’re stuck in a basement and someone’s thrown away the key.

When you come back from your well-deserved vacation, notice how refreshed, alert and full of energy you are.

People can see it in your face. They hear it in your voice.

Now you’re ready to wow the world again!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011

PS This article first appeared in the international section of Internet Voice Coach, a voice-coaching community dedicated to people finding and refining their voice.

Technorati Tags: Centrance, Harlan Hogan, Internet Voice Coach, Jeffrey P. Fischer, MicPort Pro, Nethervoice, no vacation nation, Paul Strikwerda, taking time off, Voice Actor's Guide to Recording at Home and on the Road, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers, voluntary servitude

Your clients demand and deserve quality audio, but even a top of the line microphone sounds miserable in an unprofessional recording space.

Are you thinking of buying or building a voice-over booth?

Before you spend thousands of dollars, find out what your options are and why building your own studio is easier and cheaper than you may think.

I spent countless hours researching the options, materials and plans to create an affordable vocal booth that keeps the noisy neighbors out of my voice-over projects.

This 46-page booklet documents my search for silence, and it describes the science and art of soundproofing in non-technical language and plenty of pictures.

Even though it is not intended to be the ultimate guide to home studio construction, it is packed with practical tips, ideas and resources.

This information is also useful if you want to create a quiet space for:

• Music
• Movies
• Multi-media
• Meditation

My goal was to build a solid, soundproof booth for no more than $2000. Did I make it?

There’s only one way to find out!

Download your copy at Scribd.com today.

Part of the proceeds will go to www.kiva.org, changing the world, one micro-loan at a time!

American readers can access the guide on Scribd. International readers can purchase a download of the booklet for only $3.49 using this PayPal-link..

Once your payment clears, you will receive the PDF-file via email.

Thanks!

Wishing you tranquil times,

Paul Strikwerda

Technorati Tags: anechoic chamber, Auralex, building booth on a budget, building sound booth, building voice over booth, decibel meter, European voice talent, Gretch-Ken Industries, guide to building a voiceover booth, Harlan Hogan, home studio construction, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, Philip Newell, Recording Studio Design, sound booth construction, Sound Sucker, Sound Transmission Class, STC, VocalBooth, voice over booth for under $2000, Voice Over sign, voiceover recording sign, WhisperRoom, window plug

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.

Technorati Tags: amazing discovery, contest, Dutch voice over, Mic warmer, Microphone, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, voiceover

It’s been a few months since Harlan Hogan came out with the VO: 1-A Microphone. Made by MXL, this is the first mic designed for voice-over performers by a voice-over professional.

When I first wrote about it in August, Harlan claimed that this mic  “will sound great on about 99% of the population”. That’s quite a statement, and as always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

So, what’s the verdict? Before we can answer that question, we have to ask ourselves a different one: What makes a good voice-over mic?

A good microphone is like the ideal partner. It has to be, because you’ll be spending a lot of time together (and usually in a cramped, dark space). Personally, I love my mic because it’s such a good listener. But as in any type of committed relationship, what works for me, might not work for someone else.

BANG & BUCKS
Just as it does not make sense for a budding violinists to get a Stradivarius, beginning voice-overs should get a decent mic that doesn’t break the bank. But simply because something is relatively inexpensive, doesn’t mean that it will only take you so far.

My wife is a professional flutist, and the instrument she’s playing is a true work of art. Her students often complain that they don’t sound so well, because they’re playing on an entry-level flute. It’s a common excuse for those who forgot the way to Carnegie Hall.

At that point, my wife will take the cheap flute out of their hands, and she starts playing the inferior instrument. You should see the eyeballs pop out of her student’s sockets and jaws drop to the floor, because she sounds better than Jimmy Galway. After that, no more excuses!

HOGAN’s SLOGAN
So, is the VO: 1-A “The Voice Over Microphone made for Voice Over Performers”?

George Whittam has a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Audio Technology and he runs the well-respected ElDorado Recording Services. He gave the Harlan mic a spin,  along-side the venerable Neumann U87.

Mind you, the new Harlan mic costs $249. You can get the Neumann for about $2,700 on eBay. Is that even a fair comparison? George concludes:

“While the U87 has that smooth, almost dull top end in comparison, the VO: 1-A’s response is almost identical to my ear across nearly the entire frequency spectrum.  The VO: 1-A is slightly hyped at the top, but not overly so, and sounds very even and natural all the way down.”

We’re so impressed with VO-1a that we’ll begin bundling it in our “The Audition” package beginning in 2010.  Coupled with the MicPort Pro, the two work wonderfully together either as a budget home studio setup, or as a travel companion for the working voice actor. “

You can read the full review on George’s blog.

Steve Cunningham reviewed Harlan’s mic for the February 2010 issue of Radio And Production Magazine. He writes:

“In use the microphone provides a nicely balanced sound with a bit of high-end crispness, but much less than I have found in other MXL microphones. The low-end is present and certainly meaty enough for Big Voice male voiceover, but the proximity effect was not nearly as pronounced as I had expected it to be. (…)

Self-noise in this microphone appeared to be on par or slightly better than other sub-$200 microphones I have tested. In particular, the VO:1- A is noticeably quieter than the Audio Technica AT2020, a microphone I had recommended to students on many occasions. But for general voiceover work, including soft and intimate reads, noise was not an issue during my evaluations.

I had several opportunities to test the VO:1-A with both male and female voice talent. Overall, I would have to say that I preferred the VO:1-A over several of the mics in this price range that I have recommended to voice talent in the past. (…)”

MY TWO CENTS
By putting his name on this mic, Harlan put his reputation on the line. Based on his career, his writings and products like the Porta-Booth, Harlan’s got it down. If you’d ask me, his voice-over mic is a safe bet for those who’d like to get their feet wet in the voice-over business. Yet, there’s always a chance that it might not be the right mic for you. If that turns out to be the case, are you going to be stuck with it? Harlan Hogan:

“Every microphone will sound different on different voices but most retailers and manufacturers don’t allow you to try and return their microphones easily. I vowed we’d change that approach with the VO: 1- A and you can buy one, try one and return it with no questions asked – it only seems – and is – the right approach.”

Well, it turns out that Harlan was right on the money. His signature mic took the voice-over world by storm, and it has received countless favorable reviews from voice-over colleagues such a Julie Williams, Dave DeAndrea,  Linda Ristig and Dan Lenard. I have used it for about two years and I never heard a client complain.

PORTA-BOOTH
As for his famous Porta-Booth, Harlan’s new and improved version is on the market. This is what the new Porta-Booth Pro looks like:

To me, it appears to be a cross between a bowling ball bag and a pet carrier. In fact, should you choose to take your cat to the vet in this contraption, the feline cries of anguish will be nicely muffled by the isolation  foam.

Remember: these types of portable booths will take care of unwanted reflections, making your recordings more dry and less boomy. They’re not a substitute for thorough soundproofing. If you want to protect yourself from the sound of snowblowers, weed whackers and noisy neighbors, you should read my guide “Building a Vocal Booth in a Budget.”

Harlan’s new booth is $349.00 and the optional Porta-Stand is $100.00 and this includes two adjustable shelves and a set of four hooks for headphones, etc. An angled (sheet music) holder is also available.

A  limited number of these contraptions sold out quickly when they were first offered. They can be ordered from Harlan’s Booth-tique. Catnip not included.

Paul Strikwerda © 2010

www.nethervoice.com

PS For more Harlan Hogan factoids, read my article “What about Bob?“

PPS Although it’s pretty obvious that Mr. Hogan is one of my voice-over heroes, I am in no way compensated for featuring his products on this blog and I’d like to keep it that way.

Technorati Tags: best voice-over microphone, cheap voice over microphone, Dutch voice over, Dutch voiceover, Eldorado Recording Services, George Whittam, Harlan Hogan, Harlan Hogan mic review, Harlan Hogan microphone test, Harlan Hogan's Porta-Booth, Hogan's Heroes, MicPort Pro, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, Porta-Booth, Porta-Booth Pro, VO: 1-A microphone, VO: 1-A MXL microphone

If you’ve read “Tales and techniques of a Voice-Over Actor”, you know that Harlan is not his real name. It’s Bob. But when it was time for Bob Hogan to get his SAG card, he found out that there already was an actor who had claimed that name. It was Robert J. Hogan, best known for his roles on “Peyton Place” and “As the world turns”. This Hogan also made a couple of guest appearances on the 1960s sitcom, Hogan’s Heroes, and the show’s main character, Colonel Robert Hogan, was named after him.

Anyway, “our” Bob had always liked his dad’s first name which was Harlan, and decided to adopt it for the SAG-registration. Later on, he legally changed his name to Harlan Robert Hogan. As we all know, he’s made quite a name for himself! His voice will forever be associated with phrases such as “”Strong enough for a man…”, “When you care enough to send the very best…”, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression…”, and “Quaker Life, It’s the cereal even Mikey likes…”.

Hogan is also one of the first voice-over actors who really caught on to the idea of ‘personal branding’, the art of marketing people and their career as brands. He now has his own “Signature series” of products, such as a stopwatch, a mouse pad and his famous Porta-Booth. At one point he even had a calendar. What’s next, you wonder. Well, we’ll get to that in a minute!

REPUTATION
According to marketing consultant Nance Rosen, personal branding accounts for 30-70% of your value.There are many ways to build a reputation that have very little to do with what the marketing world calls your “core competency”. That’s your ability to offer a unique product with a wide application that provides great benefits to consumers.

Here are some keys to personal branding:

1. Create your own personal product, service or trademark

2. Focus on giving instead of getting

3. Establish yourself as an expert: write articles, books & blogs

4. List yourself as a resource (http://www.helpareporter.com) and get free publicity

5. Actively participate in social networking sites

6. Associate yourself with powerful brands

7. Associate yourself with the best mentors and other ‘influentials’

8. Ask for endorsements and use those to take you to the next level (the “Oprah-effect”)

For more ideas, check out Dan Schwabel’s www.personalbrandingblog.com. Dan is the author of “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success”, as well as the publisher of both the Personal Branding Blog and the Personal Branding Magazine.

MORE THAN A VOICE
Harlan Hogan’s success proves that it takes much more than a good voice and great acting skills, to become one of the best in this business. Personal branding has a lot to do with it. How many of you have read the “Voice actor’s guide to recording at home… and on the road” (co-author Jeffrey P. Fischer)? How many of you have visited http://voiceoveressentials.com? How many of you actually use his Porta-Booth? If you’re a Harlan Hogan fan, I have some news for you!

PORTA-BOOTH PRO
Harlan’s actually coming out with a new Pro level version of his Porta-Booth. I’ve seen the first pictures, and I can assure you that it doesn’t look anything like the collapsible Whitmor Cube that’s available at your local Target store (left image). Just add some acoustic foam and voilà… anyone could build one of those. I won’t reveal too much, but unopened, the Pro version looks more like a rather big bowling ball bag.

One of the problems with the “old” Porta-Booth has always been where to put the script. Once the microphone is inside, there’s simply not enough space for your papers (unless you’re reading the text straight from your iPhone). Harlan’s new design seems to have fixed that. In addition, the Pro version features a new way to keep unwanted noise out.

HARLAN HOGAN VO-MIC
Harlan also teamed with microphone maker MXL, and commissioned a voice-over mic that -in his own words- “will sound great on about 99% of the population”. It’s available on an “Audition it, return it if you don’t think it’s right for you basis”, in a package with mic cable, case, shock mount for $199.00. It’s called “The Harlan Hogan VO: 1-A Signature Series Microphone“, and can be ordered directly from voiceoveressentials. Harlan also put together a USB package with his new mic and the nifty CEntrance MicPort Pro preamplifier.

One more thing: if you’re familiar with Jeffrey Fisher and Harlan Hogan’s writings, you might remember their praise for the ultimate Pop Filter, the Avantone PS-1 PRO-SHIELD Studio Pop Filter. It’s finally back in stock, ready to stuff some voice-over stockings!

SUCCESS
There are a few ways of looking at the success some of our colleagues deserve and enjoy. Some people become jealous. Others become frustrated or even scared. My attitude has always been more inquisitive: What can I learn from them? Obviously they must have been doing something right! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has learned a lot from Harlan Hogan over the years. For one, changing your name won’t hurt your career!

Paul Strikwerda ©2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS the author of this article is in no way compensated by Mr. Hogan, Mr. Fisher and/or Avant Electronics, for featuring their products.

PPS ever wondered  why your custom demos hardly ever lead to anything? Is it you or are there other factors at play? Read my next blog and find out.

Technorati Tags: Avantone Pop Filter, branding, Dutch, Harlan Hogan, MXL, Paul Strikwerda, Personal Branding, Porta-Booth, VO: 1-A, VO: 1-A Harlan Hogan Signature Series Microphone, voice-over, voiceover

Did you hear the one about the three voice-over actors bragging in a bar?

“My condenser has phantom power”, says the guy with the spooky voice.

“My shotgun produces killer demos”, retorts the man in black.

“My ribbon has a suspended diaphragm”, snaps the girl in the Hogan baseball cap.

Waitress: “Anyone ordered a Blue Bottle?”

Unidentified customer: “No, I just got a Snowball.”

“Can I get some MixCubes on the side, please?”

Waitress: “Active or Passive?”

TICKLES
Hearing voice-overs talk is like listening to a Monty Python skit. It can be slightly surreal and silly. One thing’s for sure: many VO’s have opinions. Strong opinions, especially when it comes to gear.

Whenever people take themselves too seriously, I’d like to tickle them a little. If you ever plan on messing with the mind of a VO-pro, go to an online voice-over group and type in the following words:

“I am new to this business and I need your help. What’s the best voice-over mic?”

Unknowingly, you just released the beast. If you honestly believe that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a big deal, wait until you get voice-overs started on their choice of mics…

You’ll soon discover that some VO-Pros suffer from a condition the psychological community calls “Microphone Envy”. So far, there is no sound treatment for this auditory affliction.

Here are some of the comments these hired voices might make about their precious sound catchers (in order to protect their identity, I decided to name all of them ‘Mike’).

Gear Geek-Mike: “My mic has a 32 mm gold sputtered thin Mylar capsule.”

Show-off Mike: “Mine has a retail value of $7,775. I got it for 7 grand on Ebay.”

Frugal Mike: “My cheap Chinese mic sounds almost like your pricey German one.”

Model Mike: “But I cut a deal with the Germans to endorse this microphone”

Macho-Mike: “Mine is bigger and better.”

If you happen to be in the market for a microphone, these message boards might not be the best place to solicit advice. In fact, I highly recommend not asking anyone for any recommendations. Period. Not online. Not in the shop. Trust me, you’ll sleep much better. Determine how much you can afford to spend and start doing your own homework instead.

Researching mics can be good fun. Why not fire up your laptop on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and listen to a few microphone tests. The fellows on this page always manage to crack me up… They’ll say something like this:

(test: courtesy of Nethervoice Sound Laboratories)

Remember though that a microphone is only one part of an audio chain and that different people will sound differently on the same mic. One colleague just bought a brand new and very expensive German mic. It was exactly the same make and model he had purchased fifteen years ago. In spite of that, the old and the new mic had their own, distinctive sound!

MY CHOICE
Many of you have asked me what microphone I use to bring home the bacon  (not an easy thing for a vegetarian). I use an MXL VO: 1 A cardioid condenser microphone. It’s the first mic designed for voice-overs by veteran voice actor Harlan Hogan.

At $249 it is not only very affordable; should you decide it’s not for you, you can send it back because it’s sold with a no-questions-asked money back guarantee.

The VO: 1-A has been tested against much more expensive industry standard voice-over microphones such as the Sennheiser 416, the  ElectroVoice RE20 and even the Neumann U87. Without exception, the reviews have been stellar. But what matters most to me is the fact that my clients seem to like what they hear (and I have some very picky customers!).

If you experience a sudden attack of “Microphone Envy”, remember this:

Writing about microphones is like ice skating about food

It doesn’t really make sense. Just as you can’t get wet from the word water, you don’t know if a certain microphone is the one that will flatter your voice the most by merely reading about it or by staring at a picture. You’ve got to give it a spin and use your ears.

So, have you heard the one about the two voice-overs in a bar?

With tears in his eyes, the first one exclaims:

“Why did Don LaFontaine have to go before his time? It is so unfair.”

The other one thought about it for a moment, took a deep but silent voice-over breath, and replied:

“I guess God wanted his voice back!”

Paul Strikwerda © 2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS This blog only reflects my personal opinion and I am not compensated in any way for featuring certain brands and/or products.

Technorati Tags: best voice-over mic, Don LaFontaine, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice over, European voice, Harlan Hogan microphone, microphone test, MXL VO: 1-A, MXL voice-over microphone, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, voice-over, voice-over microphone, voiceover