Hey there! Yes, I do have a professional VoiceOver booth. It is a double-walled vocal booth that I designed and built myself. I started as a single "wall" (the wall was mostly 2x4 frame with roxul safe and sound insulation inside), and then I added a layer of Sonopan, resilient channel and drywall. My noise floor is usually between -60 dB and -75 dB. Thanks for the question! I will do a video on this! You can definitely start with something simple and home made, and add onto it over the years. If you follow me on instagram @katelyndawnvo there are videos of this in my reels showing some of my booth I think!
what software do you use on your iPad to connect with your computer? Can you control the cursor and remotely control the computer? Push To Talk / Mute?
Great question! I use Google Docs. I upload the script I get from the client in Google Docs and I adjust the font size and line spacing (I like 16 pt, and 1.5 line height) from my iMac. Then I use a Samsung tablet in my booth. It is mounted to the wall and I can adjust it where I want it. I make sure I'm logged into the right account on Google Docs so the script will sync on my tablet. Currently, I do not control the cursor/remotely with the computer/push to talk/mute, etc. I do have future plans to install a second computer monitor in my booth and mirror the screen on my iMac. Currently, I love the paperless way I do things now. It works really well.
hi Katelyn! Question- I don’t have a very quiet recording space and typically use a bit of noise reduction on every file i deliver for jobs or auditions. Does this mean I can’t use Source Connect? (i have auditioned for a couple of jobs that did prefer Source Connect and had to say i don’t have it, so then i wondered if it may have lost me the job and if maybe i should get set up). Any advice appreciated
Hey there! Good question! This is a really important topic actually. If you have to run your audio through processing/plugins to sound good, just know that when you do connect with clients for a live recorded session through Source Connect, you will have to turn all that processing off. They will want your RAW audio. The recording studio on the other end will be receiving what you have, and they will process the audio as that is their job. If your audio signal is particularly noisy it will reflect poorly on you, I don't want to lie. Now, I'm not an audio engineer and I don't know where the point is where they would be turned off from working with someone. I'm not sure what your audio sounds like RAW. If its just that last few dB I'm sure its fine (like if you're noise floor is hitting -55dB and not -60dB for example). But if you've got consistent noise, they may not want to work with you again, but I can't say one way or the other. You could always connect with "Uncle Roy" he is a sound engineer who does studio assessments. Or Larry Hudson who also does assessments on audio. I would say if you don't have Source Connect, don't audition for jobs that require you to have it. If they are open to SC or Zoom, then you could say you only have Zoom and will record locally on your computer. If you are at a point where you are booking work and making money, I think it would make sense to purchase Source Connect if it is holding you back to not have it. You should at least create an account with SC because it is free to do this, and then you can have a username. Then you can say you have SC. You can also get a 2-day pass. Then if a recording studio books you and they want to do a SC test, as is often the case, you can say that you can do a SC test the day before your session, and get the 2-day pass at that point. Know that schedules change and they may reschedule you, and you'll have to get another pass. You could also purchase a month pass if you book a job, and just have it for the month your session is booked for. SC requires you to do some "routeing for your ports" or something to do with your network and ports.. and routing... ???? (not my area of expertise, but someone helped me with that so my settings say port: open). So there are some settings you need in place when you install SC. Don't leave it to the last minute. Connect with their customer support and/or get help from fellow VOs who have SC that can help you. Best of luck!! :) Getting an audio consult will help tremendously more than my comment.
Katelyn, like Emma E., I'll be jumping into my first live directed session later this week. Anything wrong with just putting my cards on the table 'on the day' and letting the audio engineer and director this is my first live directed gig?
Totally up to you! I didn't mention it on my first live direct and just mustered up as much confidence as I could and it went really well. If you saying that you are new will put you on edge or make you feel uneasy that they know you are new, I'd say don't. If it will increase your confidence then go for it. Whatever will help you perform your best.
Sorry for the blurriness... I'm Blursela. I'm still learning 😅
Thanks! Super informative!
I'm glad!! 😀 Thanks for watching!
Hi Wondering if you use a VO Professional booth? Or you set up home studio yourself using sound proof equipment etc?
Hey there! Yes, I do have a professional VoiceOver booth. It is a double-walled vocal booth that I designed and built myself. I started as a single "wall" (the wall was mostly 2x4 frame with roxul safe and sound insulation inside), and then I added a layer of Sonopan, resilient channel and drywall. My noise floor is usually between -60 dB and -75 dB.
Thanks for the question! I will do a video on this!
You can definitely start with something simple and home made, and add onto it over the years.
If you follow me on instagram @katelyndawnvo there are videos of this in my reels showing some of my booth I think!
what software do you use on your iPad to connect with your computer? Can you control the cursor and remotely control the computer? Push To Talk / Mute?
Great question! I use Google Docs. I upload the script I get from the client in Google Docs and I adjust the font size and line spacing (I like 16 pt, and 1.5 line height) from my iMac.
Then I use a Samsung tablet in my booth. It is mounted to the wall and I can adjust it where I want it. I make sure I'm logged into the right account on Google Docs so the script will sync on my tablet.
Currently, I do not control the cursor/remotely with the computer/push to talk/mute, etc.
I do have future plans to install a second computer monitor in my booth and mirror the screen on my iMac.
Currently, I love the paperless way I do things now. It works really well.
hi Katelyn! Question- I don’t have a very quiet recording space and typically use a bit of noise reduction on every file i deliver for jobs or auditions. Does this mean I can’t use Source Connect? (i have auditioned for a couple of jobs that did prefer Source Connect and had to say i don’t have it, so then i wondered if it may have lost me the job and if maybe i should get set up).
Any advice appreciated
Hey there! Good question! This is a really important topic actually. If you have to run your audio through processing/plugins to sound good, just know that when you do connect with clients for a live recorded session through Source Connect, you will have to turn all that processing off. They will want your RAW audio.
The recording studio on the other end will be receiving what you have, and they will process the audio as that is their job. If your audio signal is particularly noisy it will reflect poorly on you, I don't want to lie.
Now, I'm not an audio engineer and I don't know where the point is where they would be turned off from working with someone. I'm not sure what your audio sounds like RAW. If its just that last few dB I'm sure its fine (like if you're noise floor is hitting -55dB and not -60dB for example). But if you've got consistent noise, they may not want to work with you again, but I can't say one way or the other.
You could always connect with "Uncle Roy" he is a sound engineer who does studio assessments. Or Larry Hudson who also does assessments on audio.
I would say if you don't have Source Connect, don't audition for jobs that require you to have it. If they are open to SC or Zoom, then you could say you only have Zoom and will record locally on your computer.
If you are at a point where you are booking work and making money, I think it would make sense to purchase Source Connect if it is holding you back to not have it.
You should at least create an account with SC because it is free to do this, and then you can have a username. Then you can say you have SC. You can also get a 2-day pass. Then if a recording studio books you and they want to do a SC test, as is often the case, you can say that you can do a SC test the day before your session, and get the 2-day pass at that point. Know that schedules change and they may reschedule you, and you'll have to get another pass. You could also purchase a month pass if you book a job, and just have it for the month your session is booked for.
SC requires you to do some "routeing for your ports" or something to do with your network and ports.. and routing... ???? (not my area of expertise, but someone helped me with that so my settings say port: open). So there are some settings you need in place when you install SC. Don't leave it to the last minute. Connect with their customer support and/or get help from fellow VOs who have SC that can help you.
Best of luck!! :) Getting an audio consult will help tremendously more than my comment.
Katelyn, like Emma E., I'll be jumping into my first live directed session later this week. Anything wrong with just putting my cards on the table 'on the day' and letting the audio engineer and director this is my first live directed gig?
Totally up to you! I didn't mention it on my first live direct and just mustered up as much confidence as I could and it went really well. If you saying that you are new will put you on edge or make you feel uneasy that they know you are new, I'd say don't. If it will increase your confidence then go for it. Whatever will help you perform your best.
@@KatelynDawnVoiceover Many thanks!