VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Pam]

Greetings all. I am thrilled to find this site, courtesy of Anthony who invited me in via an acting site. I have been lurking for a while but now find the need to jump in the fray. I am getting my business started, and now have the need to put together a home studio pretty darn quick. I have a Macbookpro I have been auditioning on with a Samson CO1U mic and Garageband but I need to upgrade my mic and purchase the necessary peripherals to make it happen. Along with that, I need to outfit my home with soundproofing and the like. Trouble is, I have no idea what I am talking about and what I might need! While I have learned quite a bit from lurking, when you guys lapse into your techie talk, I get totally lost. So if I could rely on the kindness of strangers, any help, advice and product suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have a room I can soundproof but do I need to do the entire room? It's small, 8 x 8 with plaster walls and 9 1/2 foot ceilings. Does the soundproofing have to just be as tall as me? I could ask a million questions but I guess it all boils down to, if you were starting over, what would you do and purchase to make it happen for yourselves. And please, talk to me like I am your grandmother who still doesn't understand what it is you do for a living. Thanks in advance! Love the site.

[TC]

I have found "The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording" by Jeffrey Fisher and Harlan Hogan to be an invaluable resource. You should be able to find it at Amazon.com.

It's a quick read, and it has answers to just about every beginner question you'll have about setting up your home studio. And when it comes to recommending eqiupment, they're good about presenting a number of options that will fit any budget, from the cheapest to the most lavish.

One important lesson I learned from the book is the difference between soundproofing a room and creating a space that is suitable for recording. You don't have to do the former to accomplish the latter. I used to think they were one and the same.

For what it's worth: Six weeks ago, I had no home studio. Two weeks ago, Bruce Miles used one of my home-recorded voice tracks in a radio spot he was producing. That book and this board were the two main sources of information that I used to get started recording at home successfully. Use this board's Search function liberally; you'll learn a lot from past discussions.

[tackerman]

The "Search" button at the top of the screen is a powerful tool.

If you have a question about a topic/piece of equipment/etc. try running a search on it.
You're likely to get a number of past threads with loads of info.

Good luck!

[Hart]

I second TC's reccomendation on "The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording" by Jeffrey Fisher and Harlan Hogan. Easy read, and full of good info.

Welcome to the site.
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Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[Deirdre]

+1 on the Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher book.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Doc]

Pam,

Oh yes... another nod for Harlan and Jeffrey. In fact, here's a link to another of their sites: http://www.audiosmartactors.com/.

Deirdre - is that a camera in your hand or are you just happy to see me? <weg>

[Deirdre]

[Doc]

So, then... you're not happy to see me?

[Pam]

Thanks guys. I ordered the book last night based on early returns on my post. Amazon should have it here tomorrow. I was just wondering what your preferences have become over the years and what you all would purchase, knowing what you know now, if you were getting started. What is the first priority to get, etc.

[Hart]

1. A quiet space to record in
2. A decent computer
3. A decent audio interface
4. A decent microphone

None of this has to be horribly expensive either.
_________________
Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions