REVIEW: Voice Actor's Guide to Recording at Home and On the Road, 2nd Ed.

[Brad Venable]

This is the official review thread for Harlan Hogan and Jeffery P. Fisher's

Voice Actor's Guide to Recording at Home and On the Road, 2nd Edition!

Anyone who has purchased the book is welcome to add to the three reviews that will be coming in from our three winners. All opinions welcome, but remember that all reviews are subject to moderation, and not the Buddha kind of moderation. :P

To paraphrase my friend Robert Jadah, "Review on!"

[Paul Plack]

Based on the title, I expected Hogan and Fisher to focus on knowledge needed by experienced voice actors who are novices at the technical part of the recording process. I had not anticipated the value the book would offer those of us who've been at this a while.

For beginners, there are discussions of the merits and drawbacks of various microphone types and models ranging from $60 into the thousands, explanations of the various parts of audio chains, tips on choosing computers and recording software, and techniques for preparing rooms acoustically, both at home and in challenging remote environments. The technical matter is presented in terms clear enough for the non-geek, and with few exceptions, guidance is backed up with reason.

One of those few exceptions, as an example, is the advice on choosing a computer: "Get the fastest processor, the biggest hard drive(s), and the most RAM you can for the money you have available." While this sounds reasonable, it might not be the best approach in applications where quiet operation is important.

I commend the authors for avoiding completely the condescension which seems so hard for many experienced writers to avoid. There's no "because I say so" attitude, and it's apparent these guys are comfortable enough with their places in the industry to be open and candid. You'll never feel like an outsider because you chose PC over Mac, or because you lack a collection of vintage Neumann mics.

One facet of this subject which might be overlooked by some is the nuances of "telecollaboration." The authors do a nice job touching on all the important aspects of equipment for POTS, ISDN and VoIP, as well as observations on the process of working with an unseen director.

The book offers a surprisingly broad treatment of the business, including the basics of post-production and audio processing, marketing and demos, evaluating internet voice marketplaces and thoughts on creating a personal website. The book's conclusion introduces a website for handling the inevitable obsolescence of equipment and emergency of new technolgies and techniques. There's also a glossary, which will be a big help to newcomers learning the jargon, and an "Essential Resources Guide," which includes the URLs of many of the equipment manufacturers mentioned throughout the book.

Best of all, these guys are obviously good friends who've spent enough time together to be at ease poking fun at one another. When they feel the need for even more humility, their imaginary editor, Prunella Skykes, makes fun of them both simultaneously. Hogan and Fisher attack a topic which could be very stiff and dry, and manage to keep it entertaining for well over 200 pages. This book will fly by, make you smile, and voice actors at almost any level of experience will learn something.

[rdsmith]

First off Harlan, Jeffrey, along with an occasional aside from their ever watchful editor Prunella, draw the reader into the material as if you’ve been included in a conversation among friends. The material is accessible and engaging. Sometimes the occasional corny joke pops up (get used to rolling your eyes at this stuff), but those actually serve to keep the reader engaged.


It delivers more than what it promises. Going in just from the title, you’d think it was purely about how to get your studio set up and running. All of that is there of course, but it takes you much further.


Specific recommendations about equipment abound. They tell you what they like, what they think is good, and what you should throw away. But they leave the choices up to you. You get the detailed information you hope a book like this would have. That even includes how to pronounce "Neumann" (don’t laugh, a lot of the kids who work at your local Guitar Center don’t know how to pronounce Neumann either).

A major part of the book is the "how to use this stuff" part. Here’s the core of it, they’re specific about what to do, how to do it, and they keep it readable.


How to promote yourself, both as a voice-over artist and as someone who now has a working studio, is covered in detail. They show how (with a working studio of your own) you now have several potential revenue streams available to you, and how you can leverage those opportunities.


A couple of chapters at the end of the book deserves special attention.


Chapter 11 is about working the world wide web. It’s not just "here it is, go have a ball," They take you into the must-know details on the technical side so when you post audio on the web, it works right and sounds right.


I would have paid good money for chapter 12 alone. It covers advanced production techniques. If you’ve ever wrestled with a 400+ page pdf file before, you know they (the software tech writers) may tell you how, but don’t hint at the specifics we need to know as voice-over artists and producers. Harland and Jeffrey do. From essentials of post-production workflow to a how-to guide to fix common problems. They get into exactly how to fix those problems.


Harlan and Jeffrey have developed more than a good how-to book, they’ve created an essential home studio reference guide for voice-over artists and producers.

Thanks to Julie, Brad, and everyone on the forum for the opportunity to review this book.

Roger Smith

[teris]

Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey P. Fisher’s new book is a valuable resource for the new VO actor, as well as the experienced home-studio operator. It covers, in detail, everything from choosing the right computer, microphone and pre-amps, to recording at places like hotel rooms and cruise ships, to advanced techniques with voice editing software.

Harlan and Jeffrey walk you through every aspect of setting up home and mobile studios. All of the hardware and software they review is completely up-to-date and includes discussions on the future of ISDN, VoIP, phone patches, and how to build Harlan’s own Porta-Booth for recording away from home.

VO actors who have had an in-home studio for years, will discover new information on current technologies and new techniques to make their auditions and final spots sound even better than before.

I guess now I can't use vacations as an excuse to "unplug" anymore!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Teri