How to get into VO/Radio Commercial Work?

[James Krumhansl]

I have been recording musicians for a few years and I have had a few people show interest in recording commercials for radio. What do I have to know for this that differs from tracking a band or solo artist and what are the common rates for this kind of work? As far as my tracking set up I have the following:

Sonar 7 Producer
Mackie HR624's
KRK 10S sub
Alesis I/0 26
Presonus Digimax LT (Use these converters over alesis)
Focusrite Twintrak Pro (Mic Pre)
I have a decent mic closet but my best vocal mic's are
SM7
AT4040
Rode nt-1a

I have a small 4x4 space with ATS Rockboard pannels and an SE Reflexion Filter for treatment.

[smurfyou]

I think the biggest difference would be dealing with producers and talent. You've got to 'serve' the client's needs and wants.

As far as gear goes, make sure you have good isolated, closed-back headphones (Sony 7506 is popular, but there are plenty of others). Mic's are usually the best large diaphragm condensers you can afford, but SM7 does sound nice on some voices, especially for radio. Variety in selection helps. A quiet, comfortable booth is important to keep the talent happy.

Its generally a good idea to not have any processing in the recording chain, at least nothing that you can "hear". Especially if you are sending the VO to someone else to mix. Light limiting is OK, compression is a no-no (for me). Give yourself plenty of headroom when recording. Keeping track of takes is key. Some clients like you to call out take numbers, some would rather you keep it to yourself.

Whew, thats all I can think of right now, I need to get back to work!

p.s. rates vary greatly depending on the market

[smurfyou]

I forgot to ask if this was a home/project studio? If so, that might be your biggest challenge in convincing people to use you. Also lack of ISDN capability might be a drawback. But if you are looking for supplemental income and have people inquiring, go for it.

[James Krumhansl]

I think my biggest problem right now may be decent headphones, I'm using some cheap sennheiser ones right now. Other than that my LDC's are decent and I am looking into some better ones in the future. Thanks for your advice.

[woomanmoomin]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

Light limiting is OK, compression is a no-no (for me).

Huh?

[Don S]

Originally Posted by woomanmoomin

Huh?

Maybe he means when tracking the vO?

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by woomanmoomin

Huh?

Read the sentence before, I was referring to compression while tracking. I don't do it, and it drives me crazy to receive a VO that was slammed on the way in.

[swirlyd]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

Read the sentence before, I was referring to compression while tracking. I don't do it, and it drives me crazy to receive a VO that was slammed on the way in.

Hehe- almost all the VO I get from other studios is slammed to death :-/ But I went crazy long ago :-D

[Jay Townsend]

Basically you follow the script to make sure the talent reads it how it is written. Mark down any pick ups, takes, times (if necessary for a tag or something), and star the good takes. I call out each take so I can follow my own notes later during post. I will usually ask the director what he thought after each take and give him some time to offer any input. If it's just me running the show then I'll offer my input on the direction I want the talent to go. If we're doing a series of spots I will send the older spot to the talent in the headphones to give them a refresher on what we're looking for.

Never post your rate card IMO

[soundguydave]

Originally Posted by James Krumhansl

I think my biggest problem right now may be decent headphones, I'm using some cheap sennheiser ones right now. Other than that my LDC's are decent and I am looking into some better ones in the future. Thanks for your advice.

Headphones are not your biggest problem and your gear list is just fine. Don't go wasting tons of money on expensive mics and preamps. As long as your signal chain is quiet and you have a good voice, that's all you need. If you start getting tons of work and are making good money off it and you want to go crazy with the gear, then by all means do it. Your biggest problem now is making connections and getting those first few jobs. Once you book a few and people start to know your name, it'll get easier.