CommercialVoices introduces "CV's Kids"

It has taken a while to put together but we can now let you hear a new CV feature called CV's Kids. This is a free bonus to our Platinum members. If you have missed the details click here. We've believed for a while that there is some terriffic junior talent out there honing their skills and following in their parents footsteps to participate in the VO industry and now we're giving them a voice.

Click here to enter CV's Kids. We hope you enjoy and as usual your comments/suggestions/ideas will be warmly welcomed.

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New Business Development Feature
By Liz Raphael Helgesen

A professional voice talent and business mentor Liz will present an inspirational quote and then share a personal application of that wisdom to help us achieve greater success in our field.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank

Luckily, I discovered my gifts when I was a very young child. I loved performing for others. So I just did it. I joyfully acted, danced, tapped, twirled and sang my way through my youth for whoever would watch or listen. As I grew, I realized that my purpose in this world is to touch the lives of others using my voice and inner power. So I just did it. I built a career as a voice talent with that vision.

Early on, I looked for every opportunity to impact you with my voice and gifts, whether on the phone, face to face or behind the mic. I care deeply about your experience. So I just continued developing my craft.

Today I realize this impact at a much deeper level, with every syllable I speak and every minute action I take. At this very moment, I can turn around and speak heartfelt love to my husband and children, listen to a friend, speak kindly to my neighbor or the produce man, and make a difference in their lives. It is this voice, and these simple and small acts that bring me closest to using my gifts for a higher purpose.

My career truly begins with who I am when I get out of bed in the morning; first with the relationships that I am building inside myself, in my home, on my street and in my community. This is the fastest, most direct way to improve the world. And this opportunity is available to me at every moment. Right now, I can turn around and just do it.

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Welcome to Sound Ideas

Glen Campbell welcomes all CV Newsletter subscribers and readers with an exciting exclusive offer that you will not find anywhere else. Simply submit your name, mailing address. phone number and email address to Glen monthly...that's all there is to it. First he will offer to send you a Sound Ideas Sampler of many of their terrific products and you will also be eligible to win one of two great Production CD's, Captain Audio (450 sfx) or Mzzz Muzic (200 music tracks). Just click on Glen's name to submit. I have been dealing with Glen at Sound-Ideas for many years both in radio and in VO. He is very knowledgeable and professional about his business and is not a sales-hound if you know what I mean. Give Glen a call anytime at 1-800-665-3000 (within Canada) or 1-800-387-3030 (USA), 905-886-5000 (International). Check out their Blue Plate Specials every month for amazing deals!

Welcome to Sound Ideas Online The world's largest publisher of professional sound effects, royalty free music, and your source for a comprehensive selection of production music and production element libraries.Buy direct from Sound Ideas - our e-commerce Web site offers secure online purchasing of more than 200 different sound effects and stock music products for broadcast, post-production, multimedia, game development and other wireless and entertainment applications.

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Branding – What does it all mean?.....Deb Munro

You don’t really have to brand yourself before you’re ready, but good branding can get you a ton of work. This easily identifies you and what you do without explanation. Something catchy and original. There are many forms of Branding. Slogans, logos, marketing materials (Pamphlets etc.)

In the MIC & ME Voice Biz Handbook I talk more in-depth about marketing/branding, but I’ll leave with some tips that you can start with.

Let’s start with your slogan. What is the phrase that will say it all? Can you follow through on your promise? My brand slogan is My Voice, Your Way! I can follow through with this slogan. If it was something like, Fast as a Cat, well can you really promise that? Does it express what you do without question?...More

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How much do I charge for?.....By Rick Gordon

Due to the popularity of this topic I thought I would leave this rate information for the month of May with one additional bit about markets. Pricing always varies depending on many facts and facets and one of them is charging for the particular market. Here is a link to Arbitron radio market ratings. For those VO talents who are heavy into commercial production this should be helpful in determining your rates. Here is a link to pricing for commercial production for radio/TV, regions, audiobooks etc.

After many emails and phone calls about fair rates here is a quick reference foryou to keep and refer to. Of course there are alwasy extenuating circumstances different rates for better clients but here is what I go by.

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Sounding good and taking less Tylenol.....by Liane de Lotbinière

As a former post audio engineer and self recorded singer/composer I’ve discovered, and have been fortunate to get great advice from my peers and mentors, a few recording and editing shortcuts to SAVE lots of time.

I use ProTools on a Mac which I believe, having sold Macs and Audio software in the early days (late 80’s early 90”s), is a most RELIABLE and EASY platform to work with.

Here’s my set-up:

- Mac IBook G4
- Rhode NT100 mic (we tested 5 side by side – this one came in a close 2nd to the Neumann U-87 for MY particular voice)
- MBox
- Vocal booth (good one)

Not much eh?
My outboard gear, compressors, Lxps, mixers, crazy cables etc are in boxes! Go figure…I need the computer IN the booth!....More

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The Funnies

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Producer's Corner
The Home Court Advantage
Thanks to the various editing software programs (and a little thing called the internet), it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to plug in a mic and record voice-overs in the comfort of your own home. However, there is one minor catch; how to keep the world at large from making a cameo appearance on your recording. Car alarms, your neighbor’s dog, even your own voice bouncing off of the hardwood floors can ruin an otherwise great read. So how do you keep the excess noise out of your VO track? While I’m not a sound engineer, these are a few approaches I used that worked well in a pinch.

For a couple of years now I’ve done my home recording in a Whisper Room. This is essentially a pre-made recording booth that you assemble yourself. And when I say “yourself,” I mean with the aid of at least two of your strongest friends. The upside is I’ve been able to record voice-overs while construction was happening outside my apartment, and the mic never picked it up. I also purchased mine used, so it really has turned out to be a great investment. But before you run out and buy one, you should know that it is very large and very heavy, and takes up a lot of space. So it’s probably a good idea to take some measurements first to make sure that your home (and anyone who happens to be living with you) can handle it.

Before the Whisper Room, I took the trial-and-error approach to home recording. I initially started out by covering my wood floor with a very large rug. I then bought a tri-fold room divider and threw a heavy blanket across the top, and stood underneath it while I recorded. I had to do occasional re-takes if an ambulance drove by, but when I was getting started it was an inexpensive way to cut down on the room noise. Another approach that I found effective was attaching acoustic foam to the walls of my closet, and recording inside. I lived in a rental at the time, so I glued Velcro tabs to the back of the foam, and attached them to strips of Velcro tape that I attached to the walls. This way I could take them down later without causing any permanent damage. A friend of mine once suggested putting hooks into the walls, and hanging heavy fabric from them when it was time to record. I didn’t actually try it myself, but it sounded like a pretty good idea, so I’ll put it out there.

Of course there are many types of mic processors and software programs that are also quite effective. If you have the means and the desire to learn how to use them, they’re definitely worth checking out. In the meantime, a little McGyver goes a long way.

Jon Thomas
Voice-overs

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