VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Jack Daniel · Cinquecento Joined: 23 Jun 2016 Posts: 576 Location: SoCal

I've noticed a trend, entirely anecdotal of course, in the mixes of some of the recent work I've done for commercial/brand stuff. Not just trebly but super-sizzley. And this is with music that is NOT sizzley. (I will try not to use the word "sizzley" again, other than in this sentence.)

I don't want to ask the agencies I worked for obvious reasons--but do you find this happening with some of your work?

Possibly important note: these jobs were done with the studios recording remotely with SourceConnect. I know it's not SC per se since other jobs using this platform were not mixed this way.

Do you think this is an actual trend for "cutting through" on poor-quality platforms such as mobile phones? Or perhaps just that some folks dig sizzle?
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 939

Not sure. But I will tell you that rarely is my work mixed in my favor. Which is why I rarely, if ever, use real work on a demo. Be it the mix or the writing, the quality of me is not the intent of the buyer. Their end product is not about selling me, it's about selling their spot to their intended audience. It's pretty common for actors in major markets to re-record a class A spot for their demo so a good demo producer can better control the elements.

I also rarely pay much attention to the finished product, unless I've asked for a copy. I won't do that unless it's a high profile spot which I think/hope might be a good addition to the demo if mixed well. But I cannot stand to hear my work. Any of it! Just too much of a perfectionist and control freak.

Bish · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:28 am Post subject:

I'll agree with Bob here... many times I've shaken my head in disbelief when I've heard the finished product. I've actually re-done some videos with my submitted audio so they sound better (better for me) than the so-called finished product. Most often it's the mix, but occasionally it sounds like they've stuffed the vocal track through a whole bunch of compression and EQ with a semi-trained monkey at the desk.

However... I must keep repeating... it's not about me... it's not about me... it's not about me...
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:45 am Post subject:

todd ellis · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:54 am Post subject:

yup. i heard a bayer spot i did and they pitched me down to an almost awkward degree. i almost thought they got someone else for the gig. it didn't upset me --- but it was weird.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
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Jack Daniel · Cinquecento Joined: 23 Jun 2016 Posts: 576 Location: SoCal

Thanks for the sanity check, fellas. Wise words, well received.
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one who gets paranoid about things like this......sometimes I get the opposite impression.....that the producers just took the raw audio that I sent them and popped it into the video with no processing whatever.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 5:59 pm Post subject:

Just a slight detour into some mixing background:

Processing aside, one widespread mistake that is made when mixing audio is that the person doing the mixing cranks the monitor level up way too loud. While you can hear everything at that level, no one listens at that level. The best way to mix is at a moderate-to-low level; the levels at which most will be listening. When you can hear the background music and, most importantly, hear the VO on top of it at that level, it will play well at any level.

Those doing the mixing also don't consider that they hear the audio over and over again while working with it. Listeners of the finished piece, however, will typically hear it only ONCE and, if background music and/or FX obfuscates what's being said, parts of the message aren't heard and, so, what's the point?

That is a personal peeve of mine. It's extremely disappointing to be listening to something truly entertaining or informative and, due to a moron at the mixing console, bits of the story are forever lost.

How to properly record and mix audio: Listen to ANY Ken Burns documentary.

There. I feel better now.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 1:14 am Post subject:

When I was a radio production director, we had a crappy little 4" speaker that we would test play the commercials on, after we had finished mixing them on the good speakers. If we could hear the VO on that, we knew everybody would be able to hear it on the air, no matter what they were listening on.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

Mike Harrison · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:32 am Post subject:

Bish · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:53 am Post subject:

All Hail the Mighty Auratone 5C Sound Cube... fixing the mix for over fifty years!

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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

todd ellis · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 6:57 am Post subject:

MBVOXX · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:06 pm Post subject:

Like drummers who bring their entire kit to a gig where only a kick and snare are needed, Producers have all those plug ins and often feel the need to use too many of them.

NorthEndVoice · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:12 pm Post subject:

I have it on good authority that some post facilities employ a rather complicated piece of gear specifically designed for the devious task
of totally destroying a perfectly good audio track.

Perhaps you've heard of ...."The S***alyzer" !!

Mike Harrison · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 10:02 am Post subject:

A friend freelanced for a short time several years ago doing audio work for FOX New York, and he told me that in the audio room was a device permanently patched into the chain which he described as some sort of "enhancer." When he asked his supervisor or producer about the device, he was instructed not to concern himself with it but to leave all the controls set as they were: all of them fully to the max.

So... whatever it is or whatever it's being used for... more is better. Always.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.