New Commercial Demo..production by Colin Campbell

[captain54]

Originally Posted by Mike Sommer

In this case --seeing that you're using a RODE NT-- this mic does not have the maturity for this kind of read. It might help to speak across this mic, rather than directly into it.

I always pretty much skew the mic a bit, align it with my jaw and speak across.

I was told by many that the RODE NT1 was a decent bass-baritone mic....What are your recommendations?

[Mike Sommer]

It's probably not best to use a mic that exaggerates the voice. The mic should capture the voice in a mostly accurate, clean
and uncolored manner. Of course every mic can bring it's own flavor to the table, but the end result should be what you
sound like in real life. This over coloring could also be on your part too. As a few people pointed out they liked the Lottery spot
the best, I liked it also, this was because you were in your middle voice, the voice you more then likely speak in everyday. And
that's what the ad people are looking for.


For whisper and general announce mic I use a Gefell UTM 70s (MT71s is the less expensive equivalent). Then there are
all the other favorites: Gefell M930, the surprisingly good Studio Projects C1, Neumann U87, Pearlman MT1, or Lawson
L47MP MKII, and the Neumann TLM 103 (with a really good pre like an Avalon Vt-737sp, to smooth out its rough edges).
The dynamic mics I like are: Electro Voice RE15, and Sennheiser 421 (the vintage 421u5 mics are extra delicious).

[captain54]

Originally Posted by Mike Sommer

this was because you were in your middle voice, the voice you more then likely speak in everyday. And
that's what the ad people are looking for.

of course, for the purposes of demo however, it helps to throw some range in there...an everyday voice only uses a small portion of what you got...I think the trick is to us stretch the range and make it sound like
its a voice you might use everyday...not that easy to do..

Originally Posted by Mike Sommer

For whisper and general announce mic I use a Gefell UTM 70s (MT71s is the less expensive equivalent). Then there are
all the other favorites: Gefell M930, the surprisingly good Studio Projects C1, Neumann U87, Pearlman MT1, or Lawson
L47MP MKII, and the Neumann TLM 103 (with a really good pre like an Avalon Vt-737sp, to smooth out its rough edges).
The dynamic mics I like are: Electro Voice RE15, and Sennheiser 421 (the vintage 421u5 mics are extra delicious).

I had a Studio Project B1 and I'm sorry I got rid of that mic...for under $100 it was really usuable. On the other hand, I had a friend once lend me his Soundeluxe U47 ($4000), and that thing didn't sound as good as the SP B1 or the RODE NT 1 that I mostly use now.

[Mike Sommer]

Range in terms of acting. Give emotion: warmth, happy, concerned, mad, funny, despair, crying, displeased, indifferent, or
whatever emotion you can think of. Do that, and the voice will follow.

Wallowing in concerns of, "I need more base," will detract for the performance. At some point the basso effect sounds
fake and put on, and therefor unbelievable. Which is why everyone liked the Lottery spot. Because it was you - or at least sounded genuine.

And you bet it's not easy to do. It's damn hard to make a turd piece of copy sound real, genuine and
conversational. That's why one must develop their acting chops.

~~~~~

If I remember correctly the he Soundeluxe E47 has less upper-bass content along with being more extended and slightly
brighter highs than a Neumann U47. Either way, any mic over $3000 for what we do, is to much. It's the equivalent of
going to the market to get a carton of eggs in a Lamborghini.

The SP B1 is a little bottom heavy, I can see why you liked it, the C1 can be a little bright at times.

[captain54]

Originally Posted by Mike Sommer

That's why one must develop their acting chops.

Boy, your're a tough cookie Mike.....It doesn't sound however, like you have a real good grasp of
what voice acting really is, from the advice you've given on how to approach this process.

The only reason I posted this demo was so Colin's excellent production chops could be showcased, and
now I find myself taking a whipping from you..

I've been acting since 1975...trained in NYC with one of the top teachers ever....voiceover, is a whole other set of skills, however...I know some famous actors that absolutely suck at VO...it's not for
everyone...Actors have props, sets, other actors, costumes, (usually) great writing. Voice actors have
none of that.... Also, folks that have done theatre all their lives, by nature have a tendency to make
things "bigger"...Voiceover is very much like film in that much of the emotion needs to be internalized,
and "smaller"....again, a completely different set of skills

"Giving emotion" is actually, the wrong way to go about any sort of acting performance...true believeable acting comes not from forcing or 'giving" emotion...but from creating a world for yourself
where the person or persons you are speaking to are absolutely real for yourself and what you say
is a result of how they are reacting to you.



~~~~~

Originally Posted by Mike Sommer

The SP B1 is a little bottom heavy, I can see why you liked it

what exactly do you mean by that, Mike?

[Mike Sommer]

I did miss speak and I painted with too broad of a brush. Thank you for correcting me.

My words were not to suggest that the actor should emote, it is of course the character in you imagination that is emoting.

What I was trying to point out is that when an actor is truly in the "trance" of acting -as the "conduit" of the character- the character takes over, and thusly everything -including the voice- magically falls into place.



As for the SP B1.
It tends to extend the lower end of the spectrum a bit. It is a "fatter" mic then the C1 which can be a little bright, sometimes shrill, if not carefully placed before the actor -about a 30° angle does the trick. At times would prefer the B1 over the C1, but I find that the C1 is a better all around mic.

And Colin does outstanding work. Bravo to him!!