VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

MelissaVoicer · Guest

Hi all! Well I'm off to Michigan tomorrow to visit the fam...and my handy dandy laptop decided to go kaput...so I bought a new one tonight, and finally went MAC!! So now I need to pick software since I can't use Audition...I might look into running XP on the mac..but my XP is not a service pack 2 disk, so it'd take some doing. So my question is: is Garage Band "good enough" I would need to hard limit and noise reduce and program some "favorites"...Protools requires hardware, right? It's not JUST software? And what about Audacity...is that "good enough?" Thanks in advance!!!

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

Lots of options out there, Melissa.

Yes, ProTools does need specific hardware, although there are more options now in that regard. If you're content with just stereo/mono voice editing and don't require multitrack and mixing capabilities, I am comfortable recommending Sound Studio. I'm still using the previous version and it's been fine for my purposes. Of all the ones I've tried, Sound Studio seems (to me) to have the most intuitive editing.

You could also try Amadeus or even Cacophony. I tried them both before deciding on Sound Studio. I wasn't as happy with Audacity, although many people really like it a lot..and you can't beat the price.

Are you hoping to get something installed and running before you leave tomorrow? If you have time, you can look into some of the ProTools options using the M-Audio hardware rather than Digidesign's. Good luck.

Don

Deirdre · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject:

Pro Tools ain't that hard.
It's probably more than any VO needs, but what the heck.
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

Yeah, DB. I used to love ProTools Free, because I could use it with any hardware. But I can't justify booting into OS9 anymore just to use it. And I also can't justify spending a chunk of change on hardware and software so that I can use ProTools LE on the rare occasion I need multitrack nowadays.

richgates · Guest

Garage Band is good enough but I am not sure how effective the noise reduction is. I would use Garage Band over Audacity personally, but it's an aesthetic decision more than anything.

I bought an M-Powered version of Pro Tools which wasn't overly expensive compared to getting some of the LE versions. It is probably overkill for VO, but I wanted to learn it since it is the standard and I was looking at the future and Source Connect.

davidmonteath · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:30 am Post subject:

I pretty much agree with all of the above posts;

certainly Pro Tools has more bells and whistles than you are ever likely to need, but when you get used to it, it is a superb way to work, I love it!!!

Sound Studio is great, and as Don said very intuative. It's been a while since I used it and it was an older version......but, I don't think I could save as an MP3. If you download the demo version, I think you get 10 or 14 free saves, which may be enough for you without shelling out any extra cash

I know a few people who are very happy with Garageband and of course it is free.....one of my favourite words.

Audacity was just OK for me. Free (again) but I just didn't like it.

You pays your money, you takes your choice. Have fun!!!!
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

MelissaVoicer · Guest

thanks everyone. I'll be playing with software demos today! Smile

I really only need multitrack to lay music under the very ocassional full prod MOH. (2 tracks TOTAL!)

MelissaVoicer · Guest

Let me get this straight though: you can't save to an MP3 in Sound Studio? So what do you do?

Vance Elderkin · Contributor IV Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 133

If all else fails, and you need to get going instantly, there's always Audacity...

TC · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:45 am Post subject:

There's also Bias Peak LE. I don't use it, but I have a friend who's a VO who uses it and likes it.

Bruce · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:46 am Post subject:

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

davidmonteath · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:08 pm Post subject:

Hi, sorry been away, so missed the opportunity to reply to your post about not being able to save as an MP3, yes indeed convert in iTunes or Switch.
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.

todd ellis · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:17 pm Post subject:

nothin' for nothin' but ... why doesn't PT make that conversion? seems like a big wrench in an otherwise fine product? is it just the mac - aif vs. mp3 thing?
_________________
"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

davidmonteath · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject:

I'm sorry, I don't follow you.

My point was an earlier post about Sound Studio not saving as an MP3, so I had to convert via iTunes at the time.

Personally, I use either PT 7 or Apple Logic, both of which save to just about any file type I have ever needed. If I need to do anything else clever I use Switch. Smile

Do you mean thats its weird that PT needs an extra payment to save to MP3?
_________________
www.davidmonteath.com

Sponsor of Voice APpreciation Indulgence Day 2010

Proud member of Self Appointed Voice-Over Experts Discussion Group - overenthusiastic pontification a speciality.