Double Dutch

According to my blogging buddy Mahmoud Taji, a VO-pro has to be a Jack -or Jill- of All Trades (or in my case “a Paul of all Professions”). He’s right: there’s no such thing as a steady routine in our line of work.

We should be ready to take on any role at any given moment in time. When the red studio light is on, a smoky voice and a hot mic will turn any script into solid gold. It’s insane. It’s addictive. It’s my life.

Personally, I would rather trade stability for variety. That’s why I loved the thrill of working in an international newsroom: never a dull day!

There’s always some silly dictator being toppled; a ‘perfectly safe’ nuclear reactor is about to burst, and yet another A-list Hollywood actor has shown the world he knows what women want. We’ve sheen it all before, haven’t we?

These days, I’m no longer dishing up a daily dose of dirt (a.k.a. “the world news”) for Radio Netherlands. As you know, I’m now riding the voice-over roller coaster, complete with sharp turns and unexpected ups and downs.

This morning I’ll be yodeling another chapter of a book on Austrian economics. Later today I’m going to sell lubricant… for bike chains. In between, I’ll audition for a role as the Prince of Darkness, followed by an e-Learning program on blood transfusion.

As my Granny used to say: “Life’s a Wheel of Fortune.” She’s right. Perhaps I should audition for that show too, but I’ve heard that IBM’s Watson is also in the running for the part. Will that jeopardize my chances? I guess I better stick to the predictable unpredictability of a rich and fun-filled freelance career!

GOING GLOBAL
Thanks to the  interconnected global economy, our voice can reach more people than ever, at rates that barely buy us a Happy Meal, let alone a much needed hardware upgrade. I’m in the market for a new computer and I think I just might have to settle for a mini Mac. ElDorado-George seems to like it, so why go for a big Mac?

As I told an aspiring VO-talent the other day: “If you want to make lots of money, you have two options: you either apply for a job at the U.S. Mint, or you start an online voice casting business.

Don’t waste any time pimping your pipes. The voice-over future is filled with gloom and doom. When people tell you less is more, they’re usually referring to your rate and not to your interpretation of the script. ”

During desperate days there’s always one consolation: the knowledge that we’re not alone in our suffering. The slump is not just affecting government workers in Wisconsin. Well-respected socialite and VO-colleague Dave Courvoisier had to take on a second job as a Vegas news anchor*. It gets worse.

The outrageously gifted actress Lindsay Lohan allegedly stole a necklace to make ends meet. Yes, it’s hard to be glamorous in a bad economy, and life can be terribly unforgiving.

REDEMPTION & RECOVERY
Fortunately, we also know that a sudden spin of the wheel can turn a beggar into a chooser. Golden pipe dreams do come true, as long as your voice-over video goes viral.

By the way… is Ted Williams honing his Kraft or is he still recovering from rehab? I don’t mean to be Cavalier about it, but it must be hard being exploited by the media while your 90-year old mother tells America you’re an embarrassment.

But that story is so yesterday…

As I am getting ready for my next recording session, I still wonder why so many people want to get into voice-overs these days.

Why not invent a cure for cancer or help end global warming instead? Those are dignified undertakings, and you might end up winning a Nobel prize. That surely beats being the voice of BMW or receiving a nomination for an Audie!

Why not leave the voice work to the panhandling Jacks of all Trades that aren’t very good at anything else but blabber? They’ll soon be replaced by clever text-to-speech apps anyway.

What did you say?

They already are?

I better start recording now, before they trade me in for the voice that comes out of my Tom Tom.

The tape is running.

The red light’s on.

If only I could find my script…

Paul Strikwerda © 2011
www.nethervoice.com

* that’s just plain silly and utter nonsense.  Dave leads a double-life as a triple threat! He anchors, he’s a VO-pro and a master of social media.

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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.

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