VoiceBunny QC Team said below,
"Hello voice actor,
Thank you very much for your application to join VoiceBunny. After careful review, we regret to inform you that we cannot approve your application at this time for the following reason(s):
Array Hi - the quality of your submission does not meet our standards at this time.
Here are the issues found in your application:
The application should only be read in your natural, native accent. If you are capable of speaking in multiple accents, please choose that one that occurs in your natural speaking voice.
Background hiss, you can hear it clearly throughout your recording.
As a VoiceBunny Pro, you must record using professional equipment in an acoustically treated space. Your performance needs to sound engaging and conversational. We also expect the recording to be properly edited, unprocessed, and ready-to-use."
Thanks for the quick review! I read all of your issues you had with it and here are my thoughts.
I knew I was taking a risk in doing the different accents/voices, but I thought maybe you all would think it was creative to hear that I have a capability to do different voices (how good they were is up to you) and unfortunately it didn’t work. I will say this though: I wouldn’t have done it like this if the instructions would have explicitly said “the application should only be read in your natural, native accent.” I looked for that wording and didn’t find it, but what I did find was that it should sound epic, interesting and a bit mysterious, and I thought doing my voice like that would fulfill those three things. If I would’ve only did my normal voice, I thought it would’ve sounded epic and somewhat interesting but not mysterious. Anyway, please show me if I missed it, but it doesn’t say in the application “read this only in your natural, native accent.”
The background hiss is totally on me, do you have any tips for how I can get around that?
I’d love to apply again with my normal voice and with no hiss. Thanks VoiceBunny!
Very Respectfully,
Patrick Cole
Hi Patrick
Thank you for the comments. When you first register, we do mention that we only accept 100% native accents and ask you to choose only your native one. The remarks also say the reads should be natural which means it should not sound fake and/or made up. However, I do see how this could be confusing! I'll check if we can add some extra to avoid any confusion.
Now, as per the hiss, can you share the recording via a link from Google Drive, Dropbox, Soundcloud, etc.? This way we can listen to it and give you a better guidance!
Thanks Angela,
I sent an email in reply to this with the link to the recording; maybe it didn't go through. Here is the link to it- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VUIdUm2LHgFDfJa8ErLOlVBZoaDX0QW_?usp=sharing. Thanks!
--Patrick Cole
Thanks for sharing, Patrick.
So, I am checking the recording and the fact that you tried many different accents and impersonations did make the performance sound unnatural. The remarks does, indeed, say the recording should be natural and conversational so this recording didn't match our expectations performance wise.
However, I'm going to focus on the recording's quality because it does have a lot of issues. Let me list each issue I found:
1. There's a critical level of hiss noise. This could've been caused by the equipment you're using or by the environment which, in your case, I believe it's a combination of both. It could also be boosted by an excess gain on your preamp so it's worth checking if you're adding too much gain on your interface.
2. There's a lot of room echo which makes your voice sound distant and somehow metallic. This is 100% caused by the acoustic treatment you're giving your space so I highly suggest you review and adjust your mic's positioning and the absorptive materials you're using to treat your room.
3. The recording sounds super bright and sibilant. This could have 2 components: First, the proximity and axis in which you're recording from the microphone's capsule and, second, the nature of your microphone. I do believe as well this could be caused by a combination of both. You could fix this by recording a bit farther away and off-axis from the main capsule to reduce the high frequency impact.
4. There are many plosives and some boominess. This is more likely caused by recording too near and without a pop filter. It's important to always use a pop filter and to locate yourself quite far away from it to reduce them.
Would you mind letting me know which equipment you're using and how you're recording?
Angela,
I sent an email but maybe it's not going through. I'll just comment on here only from now on.
Thanks for your very informative response. I use a Blue Yeti microphone and an Auphonix pop filter.
--Patrick Cole
Hi Patrick
Thank you for letting me know.
I believe the hiss noise and brightness issues are coming from the microphone. Keep in mind that USB microphones are designed for podcasting, live streaming, and basic low-lag applications but not for professional audio recording. USB mics have all the components from an interface inside it so, taking into consideration their low pricing, these components are usually of considerably low quality. This is especially the case with the preamplifier and the AD/DA converter.
For this reason, I highly suggest you upgrade your setup for an interface + XLR microphone combo. Though this is a bit more expensive, these pieces of gear are dedicated for their purpose and are granted to give you good quality.
We have several tips and advice articles on different equipment you can buy! Take a look at our interface recommendation article as well as our microphone recommendation article. I hope these help.