Comments

• 

  C B Bonham June 30, 2009 at 11:21am

  Don't forget to check in pawn shops for gear. Unfortunately & fortunately you can find some good equipment, reasonably. Of course you'll find some shops are better than others.... so be a careful shopper and have a live test of the equipment before you buy. So per usual.... caveat emptor. Get to know the owner of the shop if that works for you. I have been able to obtain some great equipment over the years this way....A shop owner was glad to see me leave after testing all the stuff on my Macke board....However, there were no issues later. A good 30 minute investment.
• 

  joi June 30, 2009 at 4:54am

  I LOVE IT WHEN YOU ALL LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER,THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT,SHARING WHAT YOU KNOW OR ARE LEARNING OR NEED TO KNOW AND LEARN,THANK YOU!!!!!!
• 

  Bryan Stewart June 30, 2009 at 4:41am

  Jonathan,
  
  Welcome newbie -to-newbie.
  
  Seeing as how you're a musician/singer, I'm sure you'll want to have a double-duty studio for music as well.
  
  If you haven't done so, you may want to make a laundry list of items that are most important now and in the future. For example, Applications run the gamut; do you have plans to run midi for music now or in the future? Will track count be important, do you plan to work with samples, video, etc.
  
  I think best to reverse engineer the recording process and research accordingly; start with the microphone(s), input device-mic pre, computer-mac/pc, software, output gear, monitors, etc. Sites like sweetwater sound, harmony central, offer great information, reviews, and prices accordingly.
  
  I have a ever growing mic-cabinet, and am fond of my Audio Technica mics. They make great mics at an affordable price. The AT4050 is a "goto" mic for me as I too have a low tone voice, and it has a nice low roll-off that sounds natural, clean and crisp, and works well for both spoken and sung voice. Being able to sample a variety of mics in a single setting/sitting will allow your ears to be a guide.
  
  Mic-pres are usually the preferred input method to the computer, and if using phantom powered mics, which most condenser mics are, offers a cleaner input method. And there are quit a few systems that are dedicated input/ouptut for the computer: AD/DA converters. M-Audio, Presonus, digidesign, name a few. Note M-Audio also makes systems compatible w/ Pro-Tools software.
  
  Applications: ProTools LE, Sony Sound Forge, Ableton Live, MOTU Digital Performer-cadillac of apps, Steinberg Cubase, Cakewalk Sonar, list goes on & on.
  
  Monitors may be a personal choice, but should be as nutural/flat as possible with as little coloring as possible. Nearfields are preferred for mastering.
  
  I hope this is helpful as a jump-off point. Feel free to email me directly should you have further questions.
  
  Cheers,
  Bryan
• 

  Jonathan Ridley June 29, 2009 at 10:39pm

  Hey John Michael and Orion,
  
  I am trying to accomplish the same task of building getting my own studio together but of course in the challenging economic times, I am on a very tight budget. Any advice on high quality, low cost equipment e.g., mics, monitors, app software, etc?
• 

  William Buckley June 29, 2009 at 5:02am

  Good Morning from the UK.
  
  I have just joined up and it is good to see that there is room for newbies in the voiceoveruniverse.
  
  I started climbing the voiceover tree a short while ago after doing some video work to autocue. Positive comments from the production team were encouraging and so I did some research, found some training, investigated the internet and signed up to some useful voiceover sites and began gathering my equipment.
  
  This is not an easy business to get into. Experience is the key... you can't get experience without... er!... the experience. UK agencies only want people with at least 2 years experience. Lots of auditions on Voice123 gets you blackballed for new work... and other sites are less generous. So I am in contact with a local "not-for-profit" radio station to do promos and jingles (for free) and working on my demo.
  
  Does anyone have any hints to get that first toe in the door gig?
  
  Cheers
  
  William
• 

  joi June 23, 2009 at 12:18pm

  Awesome Steven really good to see you and know you are doing well.
• 

  Steven Hennecke June 22, 2009 at 6:31pm

  Got my home studio together and working on a new commercial demo!
• 

  joi June 11, 2009 at 12:04pm

  I wish you luck Michael,thanks for sharing C B,I welcome you both.
• 

  C B Bonham June 11, 2009 at 11:13am

  I have been on the fringe for a bit. Learning the basics so I could get to a point to feel what to ask or comment on. I've been on Voice 123 for a couple of years at http://voice123.com/cbbonham and had some success.
  A little back ground... I have played electric bass for ...yikes...over 40 years and sang. Time flies by. During that time I was exposed to recording (from reel to reel 4 track to 32+ track digital studios). Did a lot of front man work on stage and told for years I should be doing voice overs. Did the corporate thing for a long time and have now begun working with a home studio. Today, I use a Laptop PC, Mackie mixer, Shure SM7 & MXL 990 (came with my MBox Mini & Protools LE). Have a booth in a walk-in closet. Mounted the SM7 on my desk for long reads but still have to deal with some ambient noise. Dream of having a Neumann.
  I often am overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge I do not have. I understand marketing, and to date, I have chosen to be passive in nature and have had a few random successes. My most pressing need is critique. I understand the difference between critique and criticism and would appreciate any feedback. Lord knows we don't get much back from the 100's of rejections on Voice services. Where many are called & few are chosen. I am getting to the point where I feel confident enough to put out a "real" web page and step out more into the fray.
  My strong suit seems to be in narration, although I really enjoy creating the whole thing with music, FX, etc. I love children and read aloud in schools and to my grandkids. Try to stay in touch with the kid inside.
  As with thousands of my closest friends, I have a natural accent. In my case it is Midwestern. Unfortunately the "Mon for Fun" for a voice coach or classes is, well, short. I would appreciate any suggestions for learning some, shall we say, advanced beginner on Protools for voice and/or dealing with accents, pros & cons. The more I learn, the more I know I don't know.
  Thanks in advance for your time!
• 

  Michael C. Tenn June 10, 2009 at 6:39pm

  Getting the studio finalized...here at home, also just got a domain name and webpage all i need to do now is finish production if my demo and get some copies along with the printed mailings and i should be on my way!! Phew!!! Start up is a tedious process, when all you want to do is perform!!! Wish me luck!!