George The Tech’s Performer Friendly Podcast

EWABS EP146 June 8th Live From Edge Studio with Kristen Thorne

Streamed live on Jun 9, 2014Show LogEpisode 146, June 9, 2014Guest: Kristen Thorne, Edge Studio Director of ProductionGeorge talks about using iPads and Android tablets for recordingDan’s Tip of the Week will be about audio quality in the personal, professional studio0:00:00   The show starts right from the top.  Technical problem: can’t run the spots as usual.  George is in NYC at Edge Studio.0:03:14   Dan rants on bad audio.  He and George have heard a lot of bad audio lately.  Dan reviews the basics:
0:04:15  Acoustics.  If they aren’t right, your gear can’t fix it.  There has to be minimal observable room reaction.  Many don’t hear room reflection.  0:05:40  Base reflex.  This comes from being in too small a room or under a shelf.  Never mind “sound proofing.”  Go into your closet and make it acoustically neutral.0:07:20  Mic technique.  Dan has heard a lot of exploding p’s.   The mic should be above, the copy below.  Some get too close to their mics.  You should be 7-12 inches away from your mic (the hang-10 finger routine).  Headphone leakage, buzzing, noise floor are all issues Dan is hearing.  Dan has a dropbox athttp://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/  0:10:02  George has a sound check service, too, athttp://vostudiotech.com/dropbox/  Note: he’s behind by several weeks because of his workload.  Both services are free.  0:10:57  Starting July 1, World Voice Over will start certifying personal studio audio for members.  0:11:41  Dan still has Studio Suit, a sound damping treatment.  (See EWABS Episode 103 (July 28, 2013) starting at about minute forty-one where Dan sets up a booth with PVC pipe and Studio Suit.  EWABS Ep.103 July 28th, 2013 On the Road with VOPeeps! Guest: Scott Rummell).0:14:00 Technical issues intervene.0:19:22  George talks about how to use iPad for audio.  (See also Whittam’s World Episode 27 at Edge Studio's Whittam's World - Episode 27 "Recording / Editing on iPads")  The iPad is a decent computer, capable of producing good audio.0:20:30  George talks the Apogee One microphone for iPad.  http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/one  It’s an interface and has a built-in mic.  0:22:18  Question: what about tablets?  Non iOS like Android, don’t have standard hardware, so you can’t guarantee how it will interact with USB devices like microphones.  0:23:23  George talks about the “USB Dual Pre” by Art that he’s had success using it on an Android phone. http://artproaudio.com/discontinued_products/discontinued_products/product/usb_dual_pre/   Make sure any tablets you’re thinking about getting have a “USB on-the-go” functionality and cable.  The software on Android isn’t as simple and easy to use as Apple products at this point.0:24:21  TwistedWave on iPad is easy.  Dan weighs in about how that works.  0:25:45   Question: can you run SourceConnect on the iPad?  Not yet, but it’s in the works.  0:26:10  A less expensive mic for the iPad is the iTrack Solo.  http://us.focusrite.com/ipad-audio-interfaces-usb-audio-interfaces/itrack-solo  It just needs to be plugged into USB “bus power” (AKA a USB battery).  George shows an example.0:26:59  George says iOS8 will have some great new features that allow file sharing that will give DropBox a run for their money.0:27:35  George goes to find the guest for tonight.  Dan explains that YouStream didn’t cooperate and they had to use Google Hangout to bring us the show.  He tells horror stories about radio remotes.  0:28:45 Kristen Thorne joins the show.  0:29:20  Dan begins interview.  Kristen tells her background in VO.  After falling asleep in studios, she decided she’s a producer.  0:31:40  Dan asks Kristen what goes on at Edge Studio.  http://www.edgestudio.com/She explains.  It’s everything from audiobooks to animation to corporate work.  0:33:00  Her main focus is bringing in new clients and helping them plan productions.  0:34:42  Question: what are some of your favorite projects and VO actors.  Kristen discusses.0:35:45  As a casting director, she’s looking for professional, reliable voice actors.  0:36:30  George mentions that Edge hires who they train.  George Orlando is an example.  NYC has a thriving studio scene.  Edge is a stone’s throw from Times Square.  0:38:33  Dan asks about Edge’s classes.   The program includes webinars.  0:40:30  Dan asked about coaches at Edge.  Kristen lists several.0:41:12  Question: are you using ipDTL and other remote capability?  Mostly they use SourceConnect.  There are some growing pains which is why George is there this week.0:42:48  Question: what is the n umber one thing a talent must have to work with Edge?  Answer: Great demo gets you in the door.  Location is next.  Are you close to an Edge facility or does your personal studio produce professional quality.  0:44:25  Question: do you come west to teach?  Answer is yes.  0:45:20   Question: Can I record my demo at Fairfield, Conn., Edge studio or do I have to come to NYC?  George and Kristen talk about if remote recording demos is possible.  George says that Edge will eventually have a SourceConnectNow link to allow talent to provide audio.0:48:35  Can you record auditions at Edge?  Yes, it’s billed at 15-min. increments and you can hire a booth director.  They offer “checkup” sessions for $27 where you can have Edge listen to your audition.  0:50:18  How often do you hire Edge students from the “Fresh Voices” library?  Clients hire, Edge just submits from their talent roster.  Kristen describes the process.0:52:05  Can you recommend someone in L.A. for demos?  Noelle Romano is the Edge go-to-coach for in-studio production in L.A.  (You can see her in EWABS Episode 142—May 5, 2014—EWABS Ep 142 May 5th, 2014 with Noelle Romano, voice coach)0:53:20  Is there an Edge Studio in the South?  They have some relationships in Atlanta, but nothing definite yet.  George talked about commercial studio quality sometimes being poor compared to personal studios.  0:55:40  George now attempts a tour of Edge Studio’s facility via MacBook Air.0:57:09  Client’s eye view in Studio B.  0:57:45  Studio B booth.  0:58:20  Ceiling acoustical treatments.0:58:30  Wall thickness!0:59:30  Studio E.1:00:06  Studio C, where the phone patch lives.1:00:37  Kristen talks about the “scream test” to test the isolation of each booth.1:02:41  Elevators and reception area.1:02:05  The Tech Closet!1:02:25   Dolby certified room for production.1:02:50  Foley pits and the mixing production area.  1:04:09  The view of 45th Street.1:04:50  Back off and the edge of the wifi coverage.1:06:00  George describes the coming week and the Promax convention. http://promaxbda.org/events/current-events/promaxbda-the-conference-20141:07:41  The next show will be from Florida and will be a roundtable on marketing.  1:08:40  EWABS Clickers!  The supply is dwindling.  Order now!  Coming soon: a shirt.1:10:39  EWABS Essentials coming online: great moments from past shows.  1:11:20  Thanks to Edge Studio and to support staff.1:13:03  End of the show.

EWABS Episode 145 with Joe Loesch

Show Log
Episode 145, June 2, 2014
Guest: Joe Loesch
George will give tips about your work flow and efficiency
Dan’s Tip of the Week will be about using the EWABS clicker
0:02:06  The show begins and they succumb to “chit chat.”
0:03:40  George talks about your equipment—is it still costing you money?  Pro Tools is the example.  People stick with what they have because they paid for it and spent 3 years making it work…only they’re using it poorly!  Is there a point when you need to revamp and work more efficiently.  Your equipment and products might be perfectly good; but how productive are you?  In ProTools, some folks “bounce” their audio in real time, for example.  A fast workflow is key in this business.  Sometimes a little training can improve your workflow.
0:07:28  Also, people end up settling on mic’s that can be the most expensive.  Sometimes the least expensive mic can be the best for your voice.  Why keep 4-5 extra microphones?  Hold a “shoot out” of your mic and keep the best two.  
0:09:18  Another way you’re wasting your money is by sending out lousy sounding auditions.  Raw files aren’t good enough anymore.  Send auditions in at the quality of the final product.  Some processing is needed.  Your “RMS” or volume should not be lower than the rest.  Louder things can be perceived as better.  
0:11:28  One more thing: losing out on jobs on sound quality problems you aren’t aware of!  Pervasive sounds you may not notice will cost you work.  So, look for an objective review of your sound.  
0:12:50 Dan joins in the discussion.  Hissing and hums mean your audition won’t make it past the slate.  Expensive equipment that you don’t know how to use will just show how much you don’t know.  Juan Carlos Bagnall said he judges equipment and recording quality in the first few seconds.  
0:14:50  Break
0:16:52  They’re back.  Dan has lots of Studio Suit!  Come on down.
0:18:16  Audio question from Trevor Jones.  He wants more toys.  Is there any point to aspiring to better gear?  He’d also like to get out of the closet into a booth.  Will his sound get better?  Should he sell his Sony 75-6’s to an unsuspecting victim?
0:20:30  Dan on aspiring to more expensive equipment.  Get good stuff, learn how to use it, but the higher the quality of the equipment the more the quality of your recording space is important. 
0:21:15  Does moving to a bigger space improve quality?  George thinks anything smaller than 5’ x 8’ if it’s tuned acoustically, it makes no difference.  You can get better quality in a larger room. 
0:22:36  About headphones—absolutely a personal preference.  If you like the sound of your headphones, go for it.
0:23:25  Tip of the Week—the EWABS clickers, a step beyond.  
0:23:58  It begins.  We all make mistakes, so be good at editing.  Use sound codes, like a clicker, to mark your waveform.  
0:24:50  One way is with a mouth pop.  Another a beep you make, and a third is your clicker.  Each can mean a different problem.
0:25:32  Dan records and shows how it’s done.  
0:26:41  He can now edit visually.  Dan uses the clicker to show the start of a slide, followed by the slide number.  He then pastes over a copied piece of audio file with a marker, with the required time for the start and end of each slide.  Dan uses pop sounds for mistakes and then more quickly delete the mistakes.  He demonstrates.  Dan names the markers as required.  
0:29:25  You create a code for yourself to speed up your process.
0:30:38  Break
0:32:24  They’re back with Joe Loesch, producer and voice actor.
0:33:05  Joe recounts how he got into the biz starting in the 70s.  Robert Redford inspired him.  Joe’s career spans the days from tape editing to now.
0:37:00  Luck favors the prepared.
0:37:30  Joe now teaches in Nashville.  He also teaches “Booth Camp” for John Florian’s “Voice-Over Xtra.”
0:38:56  Dan asks Joe his view of how the business has changed in the last 30 years.  
0:41:37  Joe has written stories and other books for kids.
0:42:50  Joe has expertise in demos.  He talks about how he got into making demos.
0:45:20  Dan asks what goes into making a demo.  Joe says a lot of training.  In this market your demo is your calling card.
0:47:07  Dan comments that you shouldn’t do a demo before you’re really ready.  Joe advises taking baby steps.  Hone your skills.  He wants to hear confidence; it’s everything.
0:48:22  A Harlan Hogan break.  Hear the VO: 1-A vs the Sennheiser 416, ElectroVoice RE20, and the Neumann U87: http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/vo-1a-voiceover-microphone.htm
0:51:00  They’re back for a quick tour of Joe Loesch’s studio.  He describes the sound deadening in his space.
0:53:15  George asks Joe how his air system works.  Joe describes it.  He coils the flexible duct so that the air arrives silently.
0:54:13  JS Gilbert asks what the biggest challenge is now in VO compared to 10 years ago.  Joe is just enjoying life.  
0:55:29  Steve Tardio asks about Joe doing animation in Nashville, not L.A.?  He tells the story.
0:56:06  Is most of your work from local connections, LA or NYC or elsewhere?  Joe has a lot of friends in the business.  He gets work through word-of-mouth.  
0:57:18  Would you advice acting lessons for animation?  Joe replied, “Absolutely,” and goes on to explain.  Improv is great for voice actors.
0:58:11  Do you coach over Skype and what genres do you teach?
0:58:58  What percentage of time do you spend preparing compared to other audiobook tasks?  Joe figures it should be 3:1.  
0:59:34  To slate or not to slate?  Joe always slates.
1:00:10  Do you use ISDN?  Joe sees it going away.  He doesn’t use it or need it.
1:01:00  George asks Joe as producer if he likes live sessions or for the talent to just send a file.  Joe like getting the file.  Dan says that makes making your auditions ready for use, to show the quality of your recording.
1:02:02  What do you to warm up?  Joe uses tongue twisters.  “She stood in the doorway of Burgess’s Fish Store Shop inexplicably mimicking him and welcoming him in.”
1:04:49  When you send a demo to an ad agency or production house, should you include extra material or just a short note?  Joe says short note—no bio, no headshot.  What matters is your demo.  Don’t ask them to look at more stuff.
1:03:38  What mic do you use: Neumann U87 in the booth and an Avlex 79 outside the studio.
1:05:05  George asks about his advocacy of slightly produced auditions, and what Joe thinks about that?  All Joe does in normalize because time is of the essence with auditions.
1:06:42  George asks if Joe does any front-end processing.  He uses MBox and wants to look at FocusRite.  
1:07:30  Joe asks if George and Dan will be at Voice2014 in August in Anaheim.  Yes, both.
1:08:56  How does Joe avoid the “sore throat syndrome.”  He works out and washes his hands.  
1:09:23  What do you recommend for mouth noise and clicks?  Lubricate, drink water.  Eat green apple and chew thoroughly before swallowing.
1:10:54  Joe says goodbye and they take a break.
1:11:51  They’re back.  Joe’s Route 66 Band will be in Kingman, Arizona, in August.  See route66kingmanfestival.com
1:13:10  Announcements.  Donate to the show, it’s not free to produce!  Thanks to the donors.  
1:14:45  George will be in New York City and do the show next week from Edge Studio.  He’s got time Thursday and Friday next week for NYC-area VO help.  He’ll be visiting at the PROMAX convention.  
1:16:12  Next week’s guests: Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute  http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html 
1:16:29  June 16: George will be in Florida at Doug Turkel’s place, doing the show and helping host a “Marketing Masters Roundtable.”
1:18:20  Thanks to the sponsors.
1:18:39  Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter at EWABS_Show.  Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/ewabsshow
1:19:04  Closing remarks.  Thanks to wives, Katherine Curriden, Anthony Gettig in the chatroom, Jack de Golia with show notes, Tim McKean for his work on EWABS Essentials, Lee Pinney for the podcasts.  
1:20:30  Dan plinks a few notes on his ukelele.
1:21:31  End of show.

EWABS Episode 144 May 19, 2014 with Paul Strikwerda

Published on May 19, 2014Guests: Paul Strikwerda, VO and author of “Making Money in your PJ’s”George on audio processingDan on the best mic for VO0:02:30  Next week: no show.  George tells about his head wound.  0:03:14  Dan shares the mustache gifts he gets and a non-mustache gift he got.0:05:07  Thanking the sponsors!  Harlan Hogan, John Florian at Voiceover Xtra, and Edge Studio.0:05:43  Dan’s Tip of the Week—what microphone is “best” for VO?  Which ones aren’t good?  Among those: SM57—good for guitar amps and snare drumheads, not live VO.  You don’t sound real talking half an inch from someone’s eardrum.0:07:32  The RE20 is great for radio, but not the best for VO.  We take a side trip into Dan’s radio history.  0:09:08  Tip of the Week: In your personal studio, the less optimum a mic you need to use.  Without a professional booth, don’t spend a lot of money on a mic.  A mic between $200 and $350 will work if you use it right, it will capture YOU.0:10:05  Dan shows his mice-TLM 103.  It’s extremely sensitive and not so good for noisy days.  And it’s $1000-E100S.  Great mic.  Not expensive.-Harlan Hogan’s VO1A.  Good price and good sound.-Sennheisser 416 shotgun mic.  Anyone of along with the Perception Series, will fill the bill.0:12:28  While any mic can fill the bill, you have to know how to use it and interpret copy.  Our job is present our voices to potential clients in the way they want to hear them.  0:13:26  George joins the discussion.  It’s the mic you already have (unless you have a bad sounding or broken mic).  Nobody will know what mic you use.  Nobody needs to see where or how the sausage is made.  Keep your audio chain simple.  Don’t overthink it.0:15:15 End of rant.0:16:04  Break0:17:42  They’re back.  Dan has Studio Suit in the basement.  Buy it so Dan can clear the extra bed he needs in June when it mom visits.  0:19:07  George’s “Whittam’s World Episode 18” on audio processing.  George describes applying processing filters.0:28:19  George is back.  0:28:59  Break0:30:20  They’re back with Paul Strikwerda.  Paul tells about his journey in writing books on voice-over.  Paul’s website: http://www.nethervoice.com/Paul appeared on EWABS in Episode 30 (Dec. 4, 2011; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lty2kDbnpFA) and Episode 58 (July 29, 2012; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUjQrchEj8)0:36:30 Paul wanted something with staying power.  He wondered if he should write about being a freelancer or being a VO actor.  0:39:00  He wanted a book about how to be a professional not just for VO actors only, but for all freelancers.  0:39:40  Dan comments that people don’t know what it means to be an entrepreneur anymore.  Paul replies that people know a lot about their art, but not about being in business and marketing yourself.0:41:40  Dan asks Paul what makes his book different.  Paul has developed his writing style from 4 years of blog work.  He’s found it isn’t effective to tell people what to do.  But, if they hear stories about other people, that’s more digestible.   0:43:34  Dan asks Paul for a sample reading.  Paul also shows his colored computer glasses.  0:44:50  Paul reads a story from the book about the “Most Obnoxious Man in Voice-Over.”  0:47:10  Paul ends the great story and discussion ensues.  0:48:56  Dan asks where can you can get the book.  It’s available for download devices, Amazon, and from http://makingmoneyinyourpjs.com/  0:49:28  Paul has a contest.  Buy the book in the next 3 weeks, take a photo of themselves with the book, and send it to Paul to win some prizes, including getting interviewed for Paul’s blog.0:50:00  George asks when the audiobook version will be available.  Paul thinks in about a month.0:51:15  VO is hot right now, and this book gives insights into that.  Some people are reading the book together including people in other fields.0:54:24  George asks Paul how he learned an American English accent.0:56:16  Harlan Hogan commercial.0:58:20  Back with Paul.  How do you say his name?0:59:14  Dan asks Paul about his blog 7-8 months ago about pay-to-play sites.  Paul has tried them all and now has said good bye to them all, including Bodalgo.  He thinks they have cheapened the industry.  We’ve traded convenience for low pay and low quality.  He can’t price for profit at the pay-to-plays.  They’re for the hobbyist.  You have to do a lot more for a lot less.  There are good things about them too.  1:03:50  Paul wrote a blog post, “Leaving voices.Com.”  He plays bad auditions he heard on just one day.  George talks about how so many people don’t get additional coaching.  1:05:40  Paul comments that there’s so much information online.  Ignorance is no excuse.  1:06:41  Dan thinks the whole business is going through a major shift in the next year or two.  Paul talks about crowdsourcing and how he used it to design his book cover.  Paul said if pay was better and quality control was better.1:08:41  Dan asks about Paul’s new studio.  Paul describes it.  He wrote a book, “Building a Booth on a Budget,” available only on his site.  Paul won his mic at http://recordinghacks.com/   He goes on to talk about his gear.1:11:57  George shows an example of Paul’s new interface, the Audient ID 22.  http://audient.com/products/id22  Paul talks about his use of the interface, and his previous preamps.1:14:50  Questions from the audience: Where are your main customers in the U.S., Europe or both?A: Sixty percent are in Europe, 30-40 pct in the US.  He also has clients in Egypt and Oman.He gets up early!1:16:04  Q: What do you think of crowd sourcing at VoiceBank.com.  A: Paul wishes it were different.  He’d rather get work through an agent, like Eric Shepard, to get his top five.  Sorting through the 100 auditions crowdsourced is a waste of time, Paul says.1:18:43  Break1:19:28  They’re back.  1:19:48  Announcements: Dan asks George what’s up with Joe Cipriano is doing with BSW.  Joe is working on a way to get more 416s in people’s hands.  You get a Sennheisser 416 and Joe’s book, “Living on Air,” for $799.  See more at: http://alturl.com/urpgc   Buy from BSW and use promo code: Livingonair.1:22:14   Thanks to the donors.  To donate go to http://www.ewabs.net/ and click on the DONATE button, in the upper left of the screen.1:23:10  George is on a “Twitter-chat” on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Eastern.  Tweet with the hashtag, #ACX, to ask a question or @VOSTUDIOTECH.COM.  1:24:20  There’s a YouTube Channel for EWABS.  https://www.youtube.com/user/ewabsshow  where you can see all 144 episodes!1:25:00 EWABS Essentials—a pile of short tidbits from EWABS.  1:25:50  No show next week for Memorial Day.  The chat room will still be there.1:26:28  On June 9, Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute  http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html .  They offer classes for audiobook narration.There are marketing and demo demolition roundtables in the works, too.1:27:37  Thanks to sponsors.  LIKE us on Facebook!  Follow us on Twitter at EWABS_SHOW.   Like the YouTube videos.  Thanks to the wives and support staff.  
1:30:42  End of show.

EWABS Episode 143 May 12, 2014 with Harlan Hogan

Episode 143, May 12, 2014
Guests: Harlan Hogan of Voiceover Essentials and David McRell of CEntrance, introducing MixerFace.
George on the role of webcams in home studios.
Dan on what you call your “home studio.”
0:02:18 Opening of the show with Dan and George.
0:04:38  George talks about using webcams in your own studio to go back to face-to-face contact.  Why aren’t we using video more?  George urges to use your webcams and Skype to improve the connection you have with clients.  
0:08:13  Dan weighs in on the topic.  Sometimes bandwidth issues interfere.  He uses his iPhone or iPad to do the video.  Clients watch him, but he doesn’t watch them.  Dan and George talk about whether it’s a distraction.  George proposes we explore the idea.
0:11:52  Break
0:13:09  They’re back.
0:13:39  Dan talks about Studio Suit.  People are raving!  http://www.vostudiosuit.com/
Studio Suit comes in 8’x5’ pieces.
0:15:45  Tip of the Week:  At WoVOCon the idea came up of not using the term “home studio.”  Dan thinks we should change the name of “home studio” to “personal VO studios” for client consumption.  No one needs to see how the sausage gets made!  He lists pros and cons of studios at home.  The only thing that matters is how does your audio sound.  PPVOS: A personal, professional voice-over studio.
0:19:01  Back to the show.  Dan continues the discussion.  “Home studio” has a negative connotation.  
0:20:54  Dan shows two business cards—two VO actors, but identically designed cards from Vista Print.  
0:21:23 George likes the idea of losing the word “home” from a branding standpoint.  Then he asks about how “professional” gets overused.  
0:22:40  Dan and George fields a question about TwistedWave vs. ProTools.  A TW user has created a keyboard shortcut for inserting silence to “punch and roll,” and the question was is that possible in ProTools.  George wasn’t aware of one but suspects that a ProTools user out there has created something.
0:26:14 Break
0:27:49 They’re back with the guests, David and Harlan.  
0:28:42  Dan asks Harlan how Voiceover Essentials got started.  Harlan tells the history.    It started with Porta-Booth.  He stumbled into the idea and posted it on the web.  Then somebody suggested making and selling them.  After the first 1500 it occurred him that there was no VO source.  It was a complete accident.  
0:32:59  Harlan tells about how the business grew once he got set up at Amazon.  http://voiceoveressentials.com/  He goes on to tell stories about his stopwatch and his book which looks at the days when VO actors and engineers all knew each other through studio work. http://alturl.com/t7x6x  The second edition comes out in July.
0:40:00  Q: What does HH think of all the crowd sourcing of auditions?  A: It sucks!  It does speak to the difference between auditioning and building a business.  That means going out and finding work.  Pay-to-plays don’t build a business.  
0:42:40  David McRell joins the discussion.  He’s a development engineer at CEntrance.  There are four MixerFaces in existence.  It’s a portable solution for recording with iPhone, iPod, and iPad.  http://centrance.com/products/mixerface/
0:47.53  David explains the limiter function to prevent clipping your audio when you get too loud.  George says the limiter makes this product unique.  Set it and forget it.
0:49:48  George talks about how difficult self-engineering is when you’re performing.
0:51:01  David shows the size of the MixerFace compared to an iPod Touch.  It’s the same size as the iPhone5 generation.
0:52:00  George asks if it’s compatible with other devices, too.  Yes, if you have a USB Audio Recorder Pro.  Check your Android phone specs.  If it has “USB Host” capability, then Android will work.
0:53:41  George asks what controls the MixerFace has. David shows controls.  It can handle ISDN input.  
0:55:35  Dan asks if you can plug it in or if runs off its own battery.  You can charge both the MixerFace and your iPhone or iPad when you plug it in.
0:57:30  Available in July but probably August will be the earliest David said they will be able to ship MixerFace.
0:58:50  Q: Is the battery replaceable?  A: The battery will last about seven hours.  
Q: What about over the long term?  A: It’s not super high powered so they expect the battery will last two years.
1:00:49  Break
1:01:29  They’re back.  Harlan voices his own ad.
1:03:11  Harlan says email terry.lee@voiceoveressentials.com if you’d like to order a MixerFace when they’re available.  When the device is actually going to be available, they’ll contact you.  No obligation.  Harlan then talks about how you could use the MixerFace to serve as a phone patch and mixing board.  True phone patches allow you to play back audio for clients to hear during sessions.
1:08:24  Harlan talks about new items at Voiceover Essentials: Decoupling speaker foam (“speaker shock mounts”).  They “decouple” your speaker from the shelf.  http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/shock-mount-speaker-stand.htm
0:13:13 Harlan talks about a shotgun mic shock mount.   
1:14:10  Harlan shows his find, a 2 oz. shotgun mic shock mount for a 416.  Cost $29.99.  http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/shotgun-shock-mount.htm
 
1:17:15  Harlan shows his adjustable mic stand. http://voiceoveressentials.com/Harlan-Hogan-Universal-Desktop-Microphone-Stand/M/B009W3B2FI.htm
1:17:59  Dan shows a new use for the “Adjustable Boom Stop.”  http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/abs.htm
1:18:15  George points to NO on his t-shirt.
1:18:50 Audio starts breaking up and goes dead for the rest of the show.  Sorry.
1:22:36  End of show.

EWABS Ep 142 May 5th, 2014 with Noelle Romano, voice coach

Show Log
Episode 142, May 5, 2014
Guest: Noelle Romano, voice coach from Edge Studio
George presents a “Whittam’s World” on pre-fab vs. DIY isolation booths
Dan talks about World Voice Over (WoVO) membership
0:04:40 Dan talks about WoVO Con One, the first conference of World Voice-Over. One of the best he’s been to. It began two years ago, as an industry organization for voice-over. Coming up: resources and people so WoVO can be the “voice of the people who speak for a living,” all over the world. There’s now a plan for a special website to promote members’ work. Join WoVO to help make the industry better for everyone. To learn more go to: http://www.worldvo.org/ The meeting was very productive. There was a demo of all three online ISDN replacements. People worked together.
0:11:04 George asked what it takes to join. You have to be a working professional. It’s a member-driven organization.
0:14:32 Break
0:16:47 They’re back. The latest with Studio Suit: Dan has a bunch and will ship! Hang it up and it works. http://www.vostudiosuit.com/
0:17:25 George’s “Whittam’s World” (Episode 22) on isolation booths: build your own or pre fab? The “usual suspects” in pre-fab are similar and start at $4000.
1) George suggests consider looking at resale value if you may have to move soon.
2) Did you consider buying a used booth? Not so hard in L.A., but elsewhere it might be harder. Used booths can cost $3000 and hold their value pretty well.
3) Do you have time to build a booth? Are you missing work without the booth? The do it yourself booths take a lot of time to put together, far longer than you might expect.
4) How good are you at building? Do you have skilled friends? Dawbox plans aren’t the best and depend on your skills in building.
5) Acoustical treatments—all these need more than what they come with. They need denim panels (http://www.atsacoustics.com/) or other material. Some booths have pre attached foam that you need to work around. NONE have adequate acoustical treatment out of the box.
Send questions for “Whittam’s World” to George at whittamsworld@edgestudio.com. For one-on-one consulting, go to http://vostudiotech.com/ The video ended at 0:26:49.
0:26:50 George continues discussing the topic. George talks about Scott Peterson of L.A. (on Facebook) who makes collapsable, custom booths. https://www.facebook.com/scottsvobooths. Not available out of L.A. area. He cautions: often, the better the isolation, the worse the acoustics. It takes effort to make it all work.
0:29:19 Break
0:30:45 They’re back, with a rant about looping software.
0:31:16 Noelle comes on. She introduces herself and how she got into VO.
0:35:45 She specializes in coaching children!
0:38:40 George asks what if he brought Ella in.
0:40:30 What does it mean for a kid to be “competitive”? It comes down to how well a kid can take direction and how consistent are they? Are they enjoying it? Are they understanding it?
0:44:37 How important is it for a kid to have an agent? It’s important for getting access to bigger brands and clients. Otherwise, it would be a big workload for the parent. It’s up to the parent.
0:46:30 George asked about successful kids. Noelle tells of a mom who made sure her daughter got lessons as well as work.
0:49:50 Live spot for Edge Studios.
0:51:01 George talks about his month-long special on TwistedWave effect stacks for $37.50. Coupon code: TWStackMay14.
0:51:53 Q: Do you teach Skype sessions, Noelle? A: Yes!
0:52:25 Q: What percentage of work is going to actual kids compared to adults doing kids? A: It depends on the style of the show. In the pre-school world, it’s more likely to be a kid. For ages 7-14 and above, it tends to be adults doing kid voices. A problem with kid voices is that the kids grow up and their voices change!
0:54:43 Q: Does child acting work translate to adolescent and adult work? A: Noelle said it does, it can.
0:55:45 Q: Do you advocate a rounded acting education? A: Most of her kid clients are doing that. It comes down to the kid.
0:57:27 Q: Should you (the adult VO actor) choose a coach who is close to your own vocal style? A: Noelle thinks that can help, while not totally necessary. See her at NoRoVO.com. She advocates trying a lot of different teachers to cover a variety of learning styles.
0:58:40 Q: Is there work for kids not in L.A.? A: For kids, you typically want them in the room. You might, here and there, do an ISDN session once work is booked. The bulk of L.A. work is in person. Dan adds: NEVER direct your own kids! They can get surly.
1:00:03 Q: How much do you seek talent via auditions from agents or pay-to-play sites? A: Noelle has seen roles go to new talent, when the tried and true talent a studio is used to doesn’t meet the need. The animation world in L.A. is a tough bubble to pop. Competition is intense. Producers love to have choices, assuming the talent isn’t a celebrity.
1:02:50 Break
1:04:19 Dan is back with echo. Next week’s guest is HARLAN HOGAN!
1:05:00 Go over to Voiceover Essentials, http://voiceoveressentials.com/, for the best collection of VO gear. Harlan will have a preview of a new mixer next week, including the mixer’s makers.
1:07:30 Dan on travel fatigue.
1:08:30 Thanks to the sustaining donors.
1:09:29 EWABS t-shirt. George made the mistake of asking about the design.
1:09:55 T SPRING coming: the shirt will be for sale for a limited time and quantity. The proceeds will let George build a Windows computer for the show. Stay tuned for news on the shirt.
1:11:20 Q: Is the show streamed over YouTube Live? A: That’s something the new computer will be able to do once we add some horse power in the graphics card.
1:12:50 If anyone can help create EWABS Essentials segments, George would train.
1:13:55 Show notes are “hot clickable” in YouTube.
1:14:26 Next week, Harlan; May 19: The Elusive Doug Terkel and a marketing for VO roundtable. May 26: Dark, no show.
1:15:13 In June, two audiobook producers, Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html who offer classes, will be guests.
1:15:29 Thanks to sponsors, Harlan Hogan, Voice-Over Xtra, Edge Studios and Home Voice Over Studio (Dan) http://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/. George is way behind, so feel free to drop your audio sample into Dan’s “specimen cup.”
1:17:15 Thanks to support staff and wives, and Anthony Gettig for chat room herding, and Lee Pinney for the podcast work.
1:19:21 End of show

Episode 141, April 28, 2014 James Alburger and Penny Abshire

Show Log
Episode 141, April 28, 2014
Guests: James Alburger and Penny Abshire
George talks about buying a new computer
Dan talks about HISSSSSSS
0:03:55  Thanks to our sponsors.
0:04:44  Dan shows his old carbon microphone.
0:06:30  George goes computer shopping.  Learn what a GPU is compared to CPU.  
0:10:00  How much memory do you need?
0:12:25  Hard drive (HD) or solid state drive (SSD)?
0:14:35  Which operating system?
0:16:38  Dan and George discuss.
0:18:43  Break
0:20:19  They’re back in echo mode.
Bumpers for the show welcome!
0:21:30  Tip of the Week on hissing.
0:26:03  Discussion.  George added that Hiss can be a setting issue.  Some Windows systems can actually add hiss.  
0:28:55  Dan’s “live read” for Edge Studio’s home studio spring cleaning service offer.  George will clean your system and filing, and give you ideas for backup.  All for $127.  Also, his TwistedWave stack service for half off during May. 
0:31:50  Break
0:32:28  They’re back with Jim and Penny.
0:33:55  Jim and Penny join in from San Diego to talk about Voice Over Academy.   Their site: http://www.voiceacting.com/
It all began at Voice 2007 in Las Vegas, and a community was created.
Voice 2014: August 27-30 in Anaheim, Calif.  “Better than Ever.”  They’re having a Spanish VO presenter from Argentina, and more on motivation and marketing.  Check out http://www.voice2014.com/  to see the presenters list.  There will be presentations for intermediate to advanced levels of VO.  Beginners will also find value in the programs.  Most programs will be recorded and most will be available to participants.  Early Bird registration runs through April 30.  Also, until May 2, you can save $50 on registration.  Listen how at 0:51:58.
0:55:37  Harlan Hogan’s Voice Over Essentials:  http://voiceoveressentials.com/
He’s got all sorts of custom voice-over gear.
0:59:00  The interview with Jim and Penny resumes.  They talk about their Voice Acting Academy.  Their workshops will resume after Voice 2014.  Another arm of their business: http://voiceactingstudios.com/
1:01:00  Questions from the Chat Room
1:01:30  Q when will the 5th edition of The Art of Voice Acting, Jim’s book?  A: this fall.
1:04:38  Q is there a chance Voice will make it outside of Southern California?  
    A:  No.  They want it to make it convenient for voice talent and agents in L.A.  
They talk about the sense of community created by the Voice conferences.  EWABS started because of Voice.  Larry Davis and Elizabeth Stuart met at Voice 2010 and married.  Andy Boyns and Mehmet met on the way to Voice, while both lived in Istanbul.
1:13:29  Break.
1:14:30  They’re back.  
Thanks to donors.  
Announcements
Thanks for the sustaining donations we’re getting. 
Check out the YouTube channel for the shows as well as “EWABS Essentials,” which is a collection of nuggets from the show.
Help needed for making “Essentials” videos.
Coming soon:
May 5: WoVOCon report from Dan.  
May 12: Marketing Roundtable.
Get well, Uncle Roy.
Thanks to our sponsors!  Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, like our YouTube Channel.
Thanks to Katherine Curriden, our producer.  Anthony Gettig, the chatroom guru.  Jack de Golia for show notes.  Lee Pinney does the podcast version of the show.  
1:23:35  With the show notes in YouTube, the time stamps become clickable links.  Check that out.
1:24:38  Sign off with the classic microphone!  
1:25:05  End of show.

EWABS Ep. 140 April 21, 2014 Third Anniversary

Episode 140, April 21, 2014Third Anniversary Show, together at the Ganguzza’s house in Irvine, Calif.  0:3:10 Guests: Many, including Dan’s mom.0:4:00  Dan tells about meeting a SoCal mouse at his mom’s.0:5:25  Dan tells some EWABS history, starting with a talk George gave at Voice2008.  Then, at Voice 2010, it started to jell as Dan and George collaborated on solving a problem.  They took inspiration from NPR’s “Car Talk”—hence the “body shop.”  Now we’re at episode 140.  0:9:55  Dan admits to editing with a razor blade.0:10:05  George admits his age (40), and then Dan does, too.  (+17)Some shoutouts:0:10:45 Bob Sauer0:11:04 Adam from SLC0:11:29 Andy at Top Voice-Over0:11:37 Andy Boyns and Memet Onur sing happy birthday in Turkish (and sing it well)0:12:12 Anthony Gettig from the U.P. Michigan0:13:00  Break0:14:25 Back at the party.  0:14:50 Dan prepares to roam the room.  Dan talks with Johnny Cavetas and his camera.  0:15:34  He then moves over to see Larry Hudson and Sylvia McClure, the EWABS “bumper” folks.  Is it “Dan and George” or “George and Dan”?  Simon Vance is the cameraman.0:17:30 Katherine Curriden, the EWABS producer for the last two years.  She’s the person who gets the great guests for the show.  0:19:08  Connie Terwilliger.  She met Dan at Voice 2007 in Las Vegas.  Unconscious incompetence is curable.  Connie is a good source on forums for good information.0:21:17  Denise Chamberlain.  She worked with Dan on Voice-Over Virtual last summer.       Dan sent an ALL CAPS email.  They originally met at Voice 2007.0:22:30  Karen O’Bryant, a frequenter of the EWABS Chat Room.  She recalls her favorite “cluge” when George had to broadcast Dan’s image from an iPhone perched on his forehead (Episode 125, Dec. 30, 2013).  Her other favorite moment was a long discussion by George with no audio—the Chat Room filled in with their own words.0:24:28  Alex Apostolides0:25:13  James Alburger and Penny Abshire came up from San Diego for the event.  Voice 2014 will be at the Anaheim Hilton this year.  The theme is “Better than Ever.”  A Las Vegas headliner will do a show and a talk later about the show, “Creating a Million-Dollar Mouth.”  Other presenters will be new, too.  Lots of surprises.  0:27:45  Martha Kahn, who helped Dan with the Voice-Over Virtual conference last summer.  More shoutouts:
0:28:44  Joe Cipriano, the view from the wiring tangle, behind and underneath it all.0:30:03  Cliff Zellman, from his studio0:30:20  Dave Courvoisier (CourVO) from his car0:30:49  Ed Waldorph with a distinguished shoutout0:31:35  Break0:32:50  They’re back.  George has a new virtual audience toy.  It has cheers, crickets…0:33:30  Dan wanders over to meet Simon Vance.  Simon tells us about his current audiobook work.  He recounts his 700 title-career.  He explains why he worked under other names.0:36:55 Dan asks Simon how he’s seen the business change.  MP3’s contributed to the change, and then Audible combined with Amazon which “democratized” audiobooks, but drew in a huge number of new actors and changed the standards.  The industry has expanded hugely.  0:42:03  Ann Ganguzza, the party host.  Ann talks about Voice-Over Peeps.  She remembered the fun of Episode 103, last July 28, when Dan built a Studio Suit booth in Ann’s living room.  More shoutouts0:45:42  Elaine Clark, from Voice One in San Francisco0:46:00  Jerry Pelletier, from Florida, and his Studio Bricks studio0:46:32  John Taylor, in his house0:46:57  Kevin Scheuller from his EWABS inspired cave, with his EWABS clicker!0:47:30  Source Elements (Robert Marshall and Rebekah Wilson) sends a shoutout0:47:57  Break0:49:18  They’re back with a dead mic and frozen video.  (Apollo 13 continues.)0:49:54  A wave from Dan’s mom.0:50:06  Dan’s mic dies.  Gear shift.  Cover SFX.0:52:30Q  Is Dan shaving off his mustache in honor of three years?A  Detailed answer0:53:20Q  What equipment are you using to do the show?A   (George adds a mustache).  0:53:50 George gives an extended answer.  Be ready to take notes on all the details!0:57:00  Prizes offered to the assembled fun-havers.And then it was time to “fork a poke,” … er…1:06:50Announcements:
Next week: James and Penny talking about Voice 2014The week after: VO Marketing Roundtable (Ann Ganguzza and others)1:08:00We still have clickers.  $5.  Get them at EWABS.com.1:09:30Sponsors: Harlan Hogan has a supply of “personally vetted,” very dense foam at half the cost for studio monitors.  He has a shotgun mic with “field replaceable o-rings.”  Harlan will be on the show in May.  He’ll talk about a new audio interface for iOS.1:11:59  Contributors: Eric Erigoni, who donates weekly.  Thanks to the wives.  1:12:45  Our sponsors: Harlan Hogan (Voice Over Essentials), Edge Studio, VO Studiotech.com (Soon to be Edge Studios), Voice-Over Xtra.   Voice-Over Xtra’s daily newsletter is worth a daily read.  Edge Studio’s newsletter got a shoutout too.1:13:15  LIKE US on Facebook, LIKE our videos on YouTube, FOLLOW us on Twitter, SUBSCRIBE to YouTube.Thanks to show support staff, like Katherine Curriden; Ann & Jerry Ganguzza; Lee Pinney for the Podcast; Jack de Golia for the show notes.1:14:42  We wind up with “Happy Birthday”!  (Actually sung pretty well!)Time to stick a fork in it.More shoutouts!1:16:19  Nathan Cundiff1:16:29  Lee Pinney from Voice Around Town1:17:09  Steve Tardio with Three Clicks!1:17:26  Andy Barnett from KC1:18:06  End of Show

Episode 139 April 7, 2014 Voice Acting Masters Round Table

Episode 139, April 7, 2014Voice Acting Masters RoundtableGuests: Elley-Ray, Marc Cashman, Randye Kaye and Elaine ClarkTo get into the chat room: at EWABS website click on “chat now.”0:03:30 Skype TX coming someday. 0:05:00 Guest introductions. 0:08:00 First topic: Voice Over Styles Elaine: Every city/ad agency has a different feel. Elley-Ray: Actors forget we’re in a dialogue and to naturally respond (not displaying, dictating or announcing).Randye is having bandwidth problems.0:11:20 Changing styles isn’t easy. It seems people who are “just me” do well.Elaine: the more real it is, the more you have to become part of it. For some it becomes more about them. The listener should feel and take action. Your delivery will depend on how close you are to the mic.Elley-Ray: we perform by ourselves, but really we’re part of a team. We forget it’s not a singular enterprise. We can’t just grab the ball for ourselves.Elaine: We have to know our job. Sometimes our character personifies the problem, not the solution. We have to understand our role.The “classic announcer” is now more of a caricature. Randye says the announcer still works but before a group. VO actors have to have a point of view, we’re not neutral newscasters. That’s new in the last few decades. We have to know what we feel and what we want the audience to feel. There’s still a place for the “engaged announcer read.”0:16:30 Dan asks how the number of VO actors these days affects what we do.Elley: adapt and change. For her, time in the biz gives her confidence. For newbees, don’t get locked into what you may think is your “safety net.” Things will come full circle. Bend with the times.Elaine: technologically things have changed, but our core is technically based. In the late 90s there was so much “attitude” and youth orientation, followed by 9/11 which led to heart-felt, deeper. Then with aging baby boomers, now we need 50+ VO. Attitudes and styles of writing change, but techniques stay the same.Elley: Women’s roles have changed from airheads to professions. We’re now more conscious about who and how we voice.0:20:30 Dan asks how do you do it differently?Elaine: there’s only one YOU, complete with opinions and visualizations. Bring your personality to it. Elley: we read left to right and get stuck on punctuation. She advocates dumping the punctuation. Change pitch speed and play with elongating prepositions. “Not read.” Discovery point in a sentence—how do you discover a response. When it’s written down, screw with pitch, speed, rhythm, volumes. Play with those things. Take risks, put your opinion and put in emotional truth.Elaine: coaches’ jobs is to put as much as we can in students’ bags of tricks. Change in reading copy (after 5 seconds of the same, the client is gone).0:26:20 Break0:28:49 They’re back.0:30:00 Marc Cashman joins via Skype and George sorts it out. 0:32:00 Dan talks about a script he got today with confusing direction. And then he got copy written for what they say they don’t want. How do you get through this?Dan reads the copy and asked the group to respond.Randye said it’s difficult to coach since Dan’s read in his “see what this is” mode.This doesn’t say if it’s for radio or TV. Elley: There’s a humility needed that if you know too much, you can sound slick.Elaine: read it again as a TV commercial.Take 2.Dan reads again. Loses the script. Take 3.Coaches reply.Elaine: you have to imagine when you see the word “imagine.” It implies a storyteller style. The copy divides into three parts. Boil it down to a simplistic style. Turn the paper over and tell her a story about the script is about, in your own words in whatever time you want.0:40:36 Dan does that and Elaine asks “why does that matter?” She talks about personalizing the message so that Dan can care about it. Elley: wrote down the word “imagine” – that’s the selling point while you’re selling transit. You have to be sure that when you get to that (transit) that we know it. Elley would have Dan do it in gibberish to express emotion of the words.0:43:45 Marc Cashman arrives. Elley has to leave and come back to reestablish hearing.0:45:00 Randye adds her thoughts—she heard Dan judging the copy as he read it. The copy didn’t suit his personality. He got more relaxed as he got further into it. He got a little Dr. Seuss when not connected to the copy. Each “imagine” is another chance to connect to the listener. Figure out whatever personal connection you can find and have a point of view either of you or the character you’ve playing. Take 4.0:48:10Responses at 0:49:24.Marc—initial take, Dan forgot to breathe. Breathe to the end of your phrases. He also thought it was a little too intimate. He thought Dan pulled back his personality too much. Ignore the direction and be yourself. Also, Marc didn’t hear a smile.Randye says Dan was reacting to coaching from take 1-on. She thinks there are moments in the script that need intimacy, but he didn’t change with the story. She liked that Dan took the risk. Elley urged Dan to change rhythm. He lost emotional truth while making a good change away from take 1 read.0:53:45 Dan said he chose this copy with four coaches because he knew what would happen. Elaine points out that there’s an arc to the story, from personal to global. Marc said that there needs to be a build. Marc asked him to go back to Take 1 more.Take 5.0:56:00.Marc reacts at 0:57:00 and says take the “sell” out and to emphasize “transit.” Elaine says there’s an “In a World” facet to this piece. Too stiff on the numbers. Marc suggests relaxing on the number to fourteen-forty, for example.0:59:00 Dan tries to corral the discussion. 0:59:37 Break1:01:00 They’re back. Time for questions from the chat room.1:01:51Q What’s the definition of conversational reads?A Elaine-having a dialogue with the listener, reacting with in-between-the-lines talk, movementElley—authentic responding with mental, physical, & spiritual action in the voice.Randye—to add on, conversational doesn’t always mean casual. It means “natural for the situation.” Figure out the situation and decide what suits the copy. A thought is a breath and a breath is a thought. We use sounds and tempo changes to emphasize as opposed to mechanical reading.Marc—the way we talk we sometimes stutter, stammer, we never talk in a rhythm, but do talk in a cadence. Depending on the copy you can enhance with “glue” phrases like “so,” “you know,” and so on, to enhance the “flavor.” Don’t read as if in stone. The actors who bring more to the table than just the copy are the best to work with. Sometimes you have to add a little bit to the copy; this isn’t suitable for every piece of copy. George added that the higher the pay, the less suitable it may be to add to the copy.1:07:30Q Are men still dominating the industry?A YesElley: Example, MacDonald’s ad to lipsynch a hen clucking—job went to a man. Randye--P.S. It depends on the field. Lifetime Network is nearly all female. Elaine: there are more women. VO reflects society. Thirty years ago only 10% female. Now 30%.1:10:40Q Do you feel union is overrated, should new actors stay non-union.A Sticky question. Elaine: we need the union to establish standards and rate of pay. It’s there when people are ready for it. Marc it’s nice for somebody to establish minimum scale. His concern is that union doesn’t go after companies for residuals. He hears about VO’s getting screwed. 1:13:45Q Is there an upsteak trend?A Use sparingly. Marc says uptalk is viral. It’s part of the venacular. You should control it and use it when you want, not let it control you. Marc said 30-40% of commercials have it.Elaine: Uptalk makes it hard to edit video. It sounds insecure. 1:17:45 Q My voice changes morning to evening. How should I deal with that?A Elaine pick a time and record consistently at that time. Record yourself throughout the day and listen to changes. Elley: warm up if you need to record first thing. Work at your optimum. Discussion about voice care follows. 1:20:30 Randye talks about singing exercises helping her. Warm up with easy vocal exercises, drink a lot of water. Your mouth gets tired. Take breaks, massage your jaw. Singing and tongue twister exercises are good. Elley talks about soft palate exercise where you yawn. She also puts ice packs on her throat to reduce swelling.1:23:19 Break1:24:15 They’re back. Time to talk about Harlan Hogan products. Voice Over Essentials!1:27:20Q What is the difference between “east flavor” of coaching and “west flavor” of coaching?A Elley-Ray each uses different language, but they all come from the same place. They know what truth and response is, that there are no monologues, just dialogues. Elaine: we all possess good ears so students can hear what needs to be fixed. Marc figures that because of the internet, there’s no north-south-east-west anymore. 1:31:30 Cumbayá breaks out.1:33:00 Announcements. Thanks to donors. Spread the word.Third Anniversary Show is on April 21. Next week: Dark. No show. Thanks to support staff and wives.This week, George will be at NAB in Las Vegas and at the Vegas Voicers workout on 4/10.1:36:49 End of show.

EWABS Ep 138 March 31st 2014 with web designer Joe Davis

Episode 138, March 31, 2014Guest: Joe Davis from voiceactorwebsites.comGeorge on gear in or out of your boothDan’s Tip of the Week on VO Education0:03:30 Thanks to sponsors, Harlan Hogan, VO Xtra, and Edge Studio/VO Studio Tech0:04:00 “Shout-outs” needed for the Third Anniversary show on April 21. 0:04:58 George rolls his “Whittam’s World” (Episode 15) about equipment in or out of the booth. George gives details on where to keep your computer and other gear. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMi8URfLg8&list=PLpWTD2BQBdrKqkKsnsWMWc4FYrh3mXBpH&index=16 to see it again.0:13:00 Discussion between Dan and George about what gear in the booth. 0:14:52 Break0:16:30 Dan’s rant on VO education. Everybody learns from somebody.Acting, technology, and business are the three phases of the VO biz. You never stop studying.Education for profit? Nothing wrong with that. There’s no certification for teaching VO acting. No one person can teach it all. Webinars? The question is what is the information being presented worth to you? Making you a better voice actor is in their interest. The all-in-one organizations offering guaranteed success—RUN! See WoVO’s best practices. http://www.worldvo.org//?s=Best+Practices&x=0&y=0But never stop learning!Dan and George discuss. Dan says his peers have taught him much, with the foundation coming in his school days. Next week’s roundtable will include some top coaches. Q: Does WoVO offer accreditation? A: No, though WoVO will soon offer home studio certification. Coming up: how to make your website better.0:25:57 Break0:27:30 They’re back with Joe Davis. Joe demonstrates branding by wearing a Dan mustache. Joe talks about how he came to the business. His friendship with Dan led him to learn about VO. He began thinking about making web design fast, affordable, and relevant for VO. Joe and Dan now have a business, http://www.voiceactorwebsites.com/Dan noticed websites can be a pain, with somebody else in charge.Joe thinks a website’s goal is either for branding (where you’ve had contact with the clients prior). For those sites, search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t as important. Example: McDonald’s—lots of graphics, nearly no text. Not good for SEO. http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.htmlThe other type that brings in new traffic. That type needs to have a lot of text. Example: Dan’s site. http://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/ It’s got lots of text which is good for SEO. “Flash” can’t be read by SEO. Example is Dan’s VO site, which can’t be seen on an iPhone.So you need to decide your need before you start. 0:37:00 Branding discussion. For Dan, his site is like a business card.0:38:40 Joe asks what is a brand? A brand on livestock was a way of know whoowned which cow. Ultimately, it’s something people think of someone or something.Example: Pepsi logo. Sometimes a brand gives you an insight into a company or it cangive a feeling.For the website Joe runs, he spent hours building a logo with a headset and a mic. And that turned out not to work since VO’s don’t use headsets so much.It might be best to bring a brand or logo to your website development, rather than have the web designer do it. 0:43:20 Dealing with SEO and keywords. What is all that?When you go to a search engine and type in words, the search engine gives different weight to different terms. SEO includes on-page and off-page factors. If you don’t have the words “voice-over” on your page, you won’t get found. Most webpage viewers don’t go beyond the first page of a search result. Something 60-85% click on the first three choices brought up by a search engine. Pay-per-click: Google makes its money by selling advertisers who appear above the search results. The client sets the amount per click up to a ceiling amount. This is why most of us won’t make money via our websites since there are deep pockets getting the most out of their SEO.Google has 10 spaces for the 1.3 million looking for voice work everyday. So if you can identify your niche visually and in text at your site.0:51:15 Harlan Hogan spot. Harlan is having an April Fools Sale, one day only on April 1. 0:53:59 Audience questions.Q I just bought a domain and I’m trying to “host” it via WordPress. If this OK?A Yes. This is a good way to manage your site yourself. Joe tells the history of site management. You can “host” your site through BlueHost. You can have more power and flexibility by hosting yourself. Hostgater is another ($10 a month). George uses SquareSpace. His site includes an embedded element (SourceConnect Now). Joe said you do need to be careful that your embedded content is a trusted source. The other caution: the more you put on your site the slower it loads. It should load within 7 seconds.1:01:10Q: How do you handle multiple websites?A: Depends on what you want to do with each site. You probably need a very different brand for each function if you have a different site for each. If all your sites talk about the same thing, keep the branding the same. 1:04:08 Often there’s a bar across the top. Then a call to action and services in the upper right.English speakers read in an F pattern, looking top left first, then across, back, down, and across: define the brand first, then call to action, down the side your menu, and a way to contact on the right. Sidebars are moving to the right to enhance SEO.1:06:20 Q How much change control do I have?A Depends on the web design system you’re using. 1:08:25Q What about mobile sites?A More than 1 billion use mobile devices to access the internet. Having a site that works is important. You can build a site specific to mobile devices or a responsive design. In those, the site changes as it shrinks.Responsive design is better for SEO. Duplicate content gets punished by Google. You can also get reported by a competitor.1:12:19 Q How important is it to have a blog on the website?A With WordPress you can have both managed on the same system. Google loves fresh content and old content and domain names. If update regularly, that’s good. If you’re not doing it at least once a week, you might want to remove your dates so Google doesn’t think you have an abandoned blog.1:14:48Q What about registering a domain with wix.com?A Joe doesn’t have experience with Wix. The more you use a template service, you’re limited, but it can be easy to use. If you want more flexibility, then hosting yourself is just as expensive.1:16:52Q Single page website vs multi-tab site?A It depends on the goal of the site. The more pages the better if you want to bring in natural traffic. Long single pages could get hit by Google if they’re too long. Google likes organized content with “bread crumbs.” George asks Joe about podcasts. Joe says it requires an audience with specific interests. Now days we can build websites quickly and inexpensively. 1:24:04 Joe’s final advice: buy domains associated with your domain name and then a Break.1:25:38 They’re back. Email your questions to Joe.Announcements:Clickers! Donors thank yous. Subscription donations possible!The YouTube Channel includes EWABS Essentials, with the “best of.”Next week: Voice Over Coaches Roundtable.April 14: DARK. A break.April 21: Third Anniversary with Voice Peeps. Send a video shout out and put up atDropbox.May 5: Marketing Roundtable1:31:30 George tests two mics.1:33:19 End of show

EWABS Ep137 March 24 2014 with Dr. Joel Bernstein Otorhinolaryngologist

Published on Mar 24, 2014Sinusitus and all things sinuses the topic on this thrilling episode of EWABS. Dan shares a TOTW on audio processing, and George shows off and demos his Kaotica Eyeball, picked up while presenting at VO 2014 Atlanta.