VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Guest]

[kgenus]

You can get Zephyr's pretty cheap these days. Some stations are in the process of upgrading to the the Xstream products and literally dumping their ten year old Zephyr's in the trash bin. I got mine before it headed to one of those bins, paid $800 for the hardware upgrade, missing button and a new NT1 terminal. If you're doing any amount of imaging, it's still a requirement.
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Genus

[Gjoy]

I'm an AudioTX guy myself now. I think the advice you've read is pretty good to think about. Something about the AudioTX I like, is since it's turns your CPU into the codec, and it's software driven, it works with just about everything. Did a long 2 hour session just last week, and outside of a glitch here and there, it went smoothly.

I went with the USB interface, instead of the card in the cpu. Seems to work well. And as mentioned before, it is an IP connect if someone else has the Communicator software. I have experienced glitches with tests I've done with it that way though. I believe, mostly due to the internet. It can get busy and bogged down. The software is groundbreaking, the internet infrastructure, just isn't ready yet. I agree, if things move ahead with the latest rulings of the Telco's not having to lease their lines any more, then they'll start improving the infrastructure with the optics. They weren't about to do that, and have to allow other parties access and undercut them.

There are some sites out there, that only allow you to list with them for work, if you have ISDN. Sunspotsproductions.com is one. There are a few others. Having just gotten myself going on ISDN here, I haven't gone that route as of yet.

Price wise, it all depends on the Telephone company you have. SBC where I'm at, gives me the ISDN circuit (two lines) for just 45 bucks a month. With MCI long distance, it's just 6.5 cents a minute. If you are having this installed in your home, try to have it connected as residential. I could have done it as business, but it would have been 80 bucks a month. In your home, it's residential.

The sites mentioned will help a lot with understanding the background. But make sure you can get ISDN service from your provider first. But again, as mentioned before, you have to tell them it's for Broadcast quality Voice point to point, not dsl or internet access. The person I had do my install said, most the people who knew a lot about this technology are retired now. It's old tech to them. Yet, relied upon heavily still by studios. I keep thinking it'll fade out soon, but, it hasn't. I had a substantial booking last week that paid for the installation. It's out thar. But, ask the good questions mentioned here before you take the plunge. GJ

[jrkaiser]

Thanks for all the help... Muchly Appreciated!

So to quickly wrap it up 1 ISDN circuit includes 2 lines right? In talking with SBC yesterday they said the circuit would be $45, and I asked them if that was for 1 or 2 lines and they said 1. Of course, it took about 8 transfers and 2 hours before I found someone who had any clue... they kept trying to sell me DSL.

Justin

[lisaloo]

Although most folks here have the savvy to handle the ISDN situation on their own (and save money in the bargain), I am one of those techno-dolts who needs help -- which is why I work with EdNet.

The way it works is that EdNet acts as the client to the telco, and (at least in my experience) not only smooths the way with your installation and so forth, but has a LOT more clout with the phone companies than you do as a lone wolf customer if (heaven forbid) something goes wrong with the system. One example: a few years ago, the neighbors were renovating their house and a piece of equipment literally severed wires and I lost my connection. I called EdNet at 4:30 in the afternoon and by 8:30 the following morning, my service was restored. On my own, I bet I would STILL be on hold with Ameritech in Chicago (now SBC). That afternoon, just knowing that I was not the one who had to call the phone company made all the difference. EdNet diagnosed the problem and determined it was an issue with the line from outside (and nothing wrong with my equipment) and then THEY called Ameritech and were able to get a crew out there to replace the line OVERNIGHT.

If you're an affiliate, they will also "build a bridge" for you IN THE MOMENT if for whatever reason your equipment and the client's are not getting along - which can happen from time to time, even with regular clients. This is (to me) an INVALUABLE bonus, especially because they will do this RIGHT NOW to keep the session from being cancelled or postponed.

Most of the pro studios I know are affiliated with EdNet, and I followed along because I like the idea of having what amounts to a full-time tech person on staff at all times - whether I need them or not.

If my memory serves, EdNet offers two options for tech support, too. One is a "pay-per-incident" and the other is paid monthly for ongoing support and no cost per incident. Granted, I had maybe THREE issues come up during the five years I had ISDN in my Chicago home studio, but in every case I was served well and so grateful to have them in my back pocket.

They also walked me through the entire set-up process (in plain English, I might add) and ran test sessions with me on my equiment prior to launch, and well . . . given that when first I took the Zephyr out of the box I almost started to cry from fear, that meant a lot to me. I also had to do my first solo ISDN session a mere two days after installation, and watching those two little lights go "blip, blip" and the word "lock" light up made my year! Thanks to EdNet, I went from first inquiry to doing sessions in under three weeks. Amazing.

As for cost . . .

Not too long ago, this was a very affordable option at about $300 for the install and roughly $50 per month for ongoing 24/7 affiliate status. (Costs for outgoing calls are extra, of course, but all my clients dialed in to me, so that was rarely a factor.)

Then one day they suddenly doubled that fee and my monthly went up to $106. Hmm, I wondered. What's up with THAT? So I called and asked. What ya gotta love, though, is that when I asked what was up and was I suddenly getting any new services for this extra charge, they said very honestly, "Nope. Nothing will change. We just aren't making enough money and we have to double the fee."

Fair enough. I admired the honesty. They didn't try to mask it behind some bogus "now you get a t-shirt" or anything. They just did what they had to do to survive. And as I said, the service and peace of mind was - at least for me - still totally worth it.

In any case, after having spent a year without EdNet (haven't needed in-house ISDN in NYC), I am happily going back into business with them again. In fact, I just emailed the sales dude to ballpark the cost of a new install and monthly service, and when I hear back I will report it here. (If I remember to.)

I'm guessing that the install will be somewhere in the $300 - 400 range and that the monthly might be closer to $125 now. I dunno. The pay-per-incident USED to be $75 per crisis, but that may have changed, too. We'll see. I may go with the "per incident" option because I had so few problems, but I don't know yet. That would (I am guessing) bring the monthly cost down to about $60 after install.

Oh! And one more thing -- EdNet can also be a resource for equipment, too. I bought my Zephyr through them (new) back when, but again - I was too a-skeered to buy something reconditioned or on my own. I was a big chicken and I really didn't want to cut corners. The good news is that my entire studio set-up paid for itself inside of six months. I didn't know that it would at the time and your mileage may vary, but it did work out for me that way. Without getting all weird about it, I do think that you have to leap in order for the net to have the chance to appear. Etc.

Here's a link to their site -- and again, I really can't say enough about what a great experience I have had with them. Hope this is at least food for thought, if not a solution.

http://www.ednet.net

Best of luck whatever you decide to do --

Lisa

PS: As for ISDN's relevance, etc. - in my experience it is still very much alive. Especially for promos and some imaging stuff. Don't know how much commercial work outside of the major markets is done via ISDN, but most of that in Chicago, NY and LA is done in person and not via ISDN. The exception to that rule might be an ongoing commercial gig where the relationship is already established, etc.

[Charlie Channel]

[Gregory Best]

Some people I know who are quite successful locally (but do most of their work for out-of-state cleints) say, if a client insists on ISDN, use a local studio with ISDN capabilites. Is there a studio available near you? If the client insists have him/her book the studio and pay the studio fees for the ISDN. It hasn't slowed them down. It doesn't happen often for them either. They use mostly MP3 and FTP.

Since I am new to this VO thing, I am going to wait and see. Technology will catch up, as with computers, hopefully costs will drop. I have been hearing with VoiceOverIP, internet protocols and CODECS will replace ISDN. Just got to get the radio/TVstations and studios willing to spend to upgrade to the newest techology when they have big investments in ISDN paperweights. Seems like the savings in phone charges would pay for it. The TX system someone was talking about will work over an IP internet connecntion, but you need their stuff on both ends. No need for phone lines, just high speed internet. Hopefully, this will be the way of the furture.

[Philip Banks]

If you think you can't then you can't, if you believe you can........

Change of thinking required.

ISDN voice work is there and will be for some time to come. If you are concerned about technology costs, line costs, call costs or changes in technology you are looking in the wrong direction. It is not about how much it will cost you it is about how much it may make you.

According to one TV commercial producer, for him and others ISDN has raised the bar as he no longer needs to put up with voice artists who are able to get to his studio, the world is his oyster.

Depending on your point of view - ISDN enables you to work and trade globally or ISDN means you have to compete globally.

Philip Banks, the 2nd best voice artist in Portgordon, globally he's ...er ...um, now let me see.

For sale - ISDN codec one careful owner also mic, preamp, mixer, headphones x2

[Bruce]

To ISDN or not ISDN? Here's my experience:

Getting equipped with ISDN is a leap of faith for someone who’s been working their way up the ladder of voiceover work.

Side one of the argument: Good ISDN codecs like Telos or my Musicam Prima LT are an investment of about $3,400 or more, and the phone lines in my area are just under $100.00 per month whether you use them or not. If you can afford to buy them and have them sit there for a while, they may pay off handsomely for you. (Audio TX, as you've seen, is about $1,500 for all of the software and equipment, depending on whether you have a good PC to run it on, and the phone lines are still $100 per month)

Side two: The way to pay for them is to find the clients who prefer, or
insist on, working with ISDN equipped talent, and that route is usually
through talent agents in major cities and/or through the larger voice talent
brokerages such as Procomm and SunSpots. The rub here, is these folks won't sign you up until you have the equipment installed and ready to go.

Side three: (and here's where the faith really comes in) Do you have the
talent to secure such agents and agencies, and the talent to get jobs off of
your demos on their websites, or to win some percentage of the auditions
they send your way? Only you, your confidants and your deity(s) (if any) can help you make that decision.

Luckily, my faith was rewarded. It took me six months to pay for my expenses to that date, and then, a year after taking the plunge, I had a week of ISDN jobs that would have bought me another new unit (it was an unusually great week...results are not typical...see your medical professional if itching persists).

Are you ready financially, talent-wise, spiritually? Only you can answer
these questions.

Bruce

[anthonyVO]

[Jeff McNeal]

This may be slightly off topic, but I found that my ISDN also serves as an excellent phone patch. For clients who want the files sent FTP or downloaded off my web site, I just have them call in to one leg of the ISDN and I can hear them perfectly, yet they don't print ito the recording that I lay down. They also hear me very well. It totally obsoleted my Symetrix TI-101 phone patch. I use a Telos Zephyr Xstream, and I'm assuming this sort of jury rig is available with all ISDN units. So if you invest in an ISDN (and it is an investment), bear in mind that it can do double duty as an outstanding phone patch interface.

[Deirdre]

Jeff-- They're able to call from a regular telephone and hear you?
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DBCooperVO.com

[kgenus]

The latest firmware update for the Telos Zephyr supports it, as well as the new Xstreams. I've never used it on mine...

I guess I should change my avatar because I'm in league with AnthonyVO, with the exception that there's 3 inviduals here in Northern, VA that support ISDN, and it took 4 LONG hours to get it installed properly because they were "training" a fourth when they came over. Gotta love it.

According to Telos, in the US you can expect ISDN to be around for a minimum of five years. Without getting too technical, the Telos Zephyr Xtream has RJ45 connections and they sell it as a network aware device, however, it will only work your local subnet - do not buy it with the expectation that you'll be able to use it for internet connectivity (at this time anyway, I'm sure that will all change).
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Genus

[Deirdre]

Well, dang. I just bought a TI-101.

How do you get a firmware update into the Zephyr?
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DBCooperVO.com

[kgenus]