Sample Feedback and new member questions.
Hi! I just had my application approved and wanted to say “thanks” and I’m very excited to be improving and learning about voiceover here at VoiceBunny!
I’d appreciate feedback on this sample, including performance and quality. No effects are applied other than -3dB normalization. The physical space is a closet with recommend acoustic treatment. The interface is the Scarlett 2i2 (gain about 45%) and mic is a Shure SM7B and Fethead.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s8pmho9u5shf96j/PSAHunger.wav?dl=0
Also, I’m getting starting with Audacity and not quite comfortable with editing yet. As I’m taking a couple of days to learn, I’ve elected to not receive contests or speedies until I’m more comfortable creating a quality product. Will that hurt my stats or the boost you give to new members?
Would my voice be appropriate to add to the male senior category?
Thanks in advance any help/advice. -Michael
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Welcome onboard, Michael!
Let me address all your points in order:
1. I think your sample has a hiss noise in the background and it might be caused by your microphone. The SM7B being a dynamic mic requires an extra amount of gain that can impact your recording. Perhaps by using a condenser mic your problem will be solved, as I've noticed the same problem with another Pro.
The other issue I've found is that there are some mouth clicks and plosives (0:04, :09, :11, :24). It can be easily solved by recording at a slight angle / moving away from the mic a couple of centimeters.
2. That's actually a good idea. Your stats won't get hurt at all and that way you'll make sure you deliver great quality since the very beginning.
Hope that helps!
Thanks Oscar, I really appreciate the feedback. As I'm getting my ear trained to listen to my own recordings, I do hear the plosives and clicks now that you've pointed them out. Thanks again for your help!
Something else that will help diction and cracking is to hold a pencil or pen in your mouth and try to read the copy as clearly as possible beforehand. It will also help you with copies that have to be read very fast. And for mouth noises, you want to drink at least a liter of water 2-3 hours before you need to record. In the case of doing speedies and contests you want to brush your teeth (still don't know why that helps, but it does) before you record, and, if you plan on doing them often, just drink 1-2 liters of water when you wake up and limit caffeinated and sugary drinks to a very minimum.
You're welcome, Michael.
Awesome tip as well, Devon! The pencil in your mouth exercise is still strong. It's crucial to keep our body hydrated before a recording session too. Thanks for that!