Guest Blog: Elisa Cañas – Notes from a travelling VO

October 23, 2017

Here at The Voice Finder, we like to bring you interesting things from interesting people.

And none come more interesting than Elisa Cañas.

Elisa has been juggling her VO work with travelling the world, recording as she goes. We asked her to tell us a bit about how she got there, and how she was finding the experience, and she dutifully delivered the following guest blog for your eyes and mids to digest.

So grab the popcorn, sit back, and enjoy!

Hello, from The Butterfly Space, Malawi!

On entering my 11th year as a full-time voiceover artist, I decided to make a small idea that had been tinkling away in the back of my mind into a reality. I had my ISDN line disconnected, I put my Neumann, Prima LT Codec and all the rest of the studio bells and whistles into storage, I invested in some kit well suited for the challenge I was about to face and I headed to Africa on a one way ticket to put the VO in Volunteer!

I’ve always loved my job and appreciated the benefits of being my own boss and being able to grow as a voiceover artist while working with some great producers and learning from fellow VO friends in the industry. The only downside was the isolation that working from home could sometimes cause, and more recently, a strong desire to use my spare time more productively when not in the booth or attending to VO related matters. I have volunteered over the years on small projects in my local community as well as a trip to Mumbai with a like-minded VO friend, but after spending big chunks of 2016 working abroad for personal reasons, it dawned on me that I could take the portable studio idea one step further and embark on a full blown volunteering expedition.

There were many things to consider. I knew that work would alter due to not being at the end of an ISDN line nor near Central London studios. I knew that I would need to be selective about the volunteering projects and the locations as I would need access to electricity, wifi and quiet… 3 requirements that aren’t always that easy to come by in this part of the world! I knew that I would need to have a different mindset about work. I would have to shift my focus and use my voice over opportunities as a means to sustain and enable me to invest my time in the charities I was committing to, rather than the development of my career for personal gains.

Since reliability and availability are so important in business, I expected a change in my workload once the mail shot to my clients about my plans left my outbox but I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to fit the same amount of VO’s into my day when volunteering full-time anyway. The type of work would change too. Long form corporate projects wouldn’t be feasible due to cramped, sweltering ’studios’ with potentially slow upload speeds, meaning big WAV files would be a challenge and my turnaround time would adjust from within a few hours to within 24 hours. Not a huge shift, but sizeable enough to mean certain work would fall away. Before leaving, I considered the option of not working at all during this trip. I wondered whether I would feel conflicted. Volunteering by day with potentially some of the poorest communities on the continent, then slipping away at night to earn the sort of money that the people here would probably never see in their lives. One local radio commercial script of £25 for example is equivalent to 25,000 Malawian Kwacha, more than the monthly wage for the majority of the people here.

I decided that the only way I would be able to balance the two would be to donate a percentage of each script fee to the current charity. Donating time helps a lot here. Donating money to worthy projects and seeing it being used so effectively while knowing it’s from supportive colleagues back home is amazing.

Now I’m into the swing of things, it’s pretty simple. When I change country, I buy a local sim and load up on data bundles so that if there are power outages or dodgy WIFI where I am, I have a back up. This has worked really well so far. I also make sure that I don’t commit to things I can’t deliver. I make sure I check my emails regularly and reply swiftly so that the client knows when they can expect the audio. Out Of Office is a really great tool too. If I’m travelling or just know that I can’t work for whatever reason, I set it up so that no one is left in the dark wondering if I’ll be able to help or not. Although I’m backpacking, I opt for private chalets wherever I go rather than tents or dorms so that I always have my own space to work from and can make contraptions out of pillows, blankets, mattresses and whatever else I might need to get the space sounding right, without pissing off a load of other travellers!

Equipment wise, I’m using my Macbook Pro, a Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB Audio Interface and a Sennheiser MKH 50 mic which I have fallen in love with. It all fits neatly in my cabin sized backpack so I have everything close for peace of mind.

Each day, I get up before sunrise to make the most of the quietest part of the day. This is easier where I am currently in Malawi than it was in Zanzibar because in Zanzibar the call to prayer at the local mosque would mean an even earlier start! I would get up at around 4am, snort a line of coffee and get down to it in the ‘booth!’ In Malawi, it’s more like 5.30am that I start work but actually, it’s very quiet here in my cabin by the lakeshore so I can work at any time of the day as the volunteering projects are on site and I can nip back to the pillow fortress whenever I’m needed! There’s also only an hour’s time difference between here and home so that’s nice and easy too.

My main project here at Butterfly Space is assisting in setting up a community radio station. They have been granted a license and lovely premises up on the hillside with spectacular views over Lake Malawi. This is ready to be converted, so it’s all hands on deck to make it happen. I’ve always loved radio but I see it through more appreciative eyes now. In a community with little to no TV or Internet, radio here is precious and an incredibly useful tool to help inform and educate. I’m excited to be helping to promote this and to have the opportunity to bring to the project some previous experience. Funding is a big challenge and this particular one isn’t cheap so that will be high on the agenda.

Would I recommend this to other VO’s? HELL, YES!!!! Come and join me! There’s a studio (of sorts!), a lake to swim in, and a radio station that needs all the help it can get. Becoming a travelling VO was an exciting prospect from my home in London but change is scary and I wasn’t sure how it would go.

Thankfully, it’s proving to be the best adventure ever!

Thanks to Elisa for her fantastic post! It’s got us here all inspired to grab our laptops and jump on a plane…

You can check out Elisa’s profile here, and if you have a great story you’d like to share with the VO community, drop us a message at admin@thevoicefinder.com.

How to make the most of your profile

October 9, 2017

So, you’ve set up your profile. Top work. That’s the first step completed.

Now you’re just waiting for that work to roll in. You’re waiting… and waiting. Is anyone there? Hello?

There are producers from all sorts of industries – from radio to podcasts to video games – all scrolling the the listings, but your phone hasn’t rung yet. So what can you do to make sure you’re getting what you need from The Voice Finder? Below, we take a look at some top tips for making the most of your profile!

1. Show your face

People engage with people, so make sure your profile picture is a nice clear picture of your face.

It sounds like a simple piece of advice, but is often overlooked. When a producer is searching for a VO artist, they want to know that the whole experience is going to be good natured and friendly. If you have a nicely-designed logo, or a stock image of a sunset as your profile picture, you set yourself out as a bit illusive – no matter how nice that logo is.

Remember, they are most likely tucked away in some dark underground studio with no natural daylight. If they see your beaming face shining out in a list of solemn faces and twitter eggs, they will assume you are a friendly person to do business with and pick up the phone.

2. Make your text engaging

You have three things at your disposal to grab the attention of a scrolling producer. The first is your picture. Next up is your written bio.

If you are cold and unengaging in your written bio, that reflects on you as a person. The producer will assume that the whole experience will be a frosty affair, and steer clear.

Put your personality in what you write. Don’t take yourself too seriously, be conversational… maybe throw in a joke? It’s a better indication of what an interaction with you will be like.

3. Put your best showreel first

The third part of the trifecta that makes up your listing – the showreel is an obviously vital component as it displays your best feature!

Get the first two on this list right and people will click the big blue “Play” button, so you need to make sure the showreel at the top of your list of uploads is the very best it can be. That is the one that plays on the search pages, so it needs to be an accurate representation of your voice.

If you upload a character reel first, but are mainly an RP BBC-style VO artist, then you could be doing yourself out of your bread and butter sort of work. The producer looking for a posho will think you are more of a pirate.

Still upload your other reels, but make sure they are after your main one – when producers click into your full profile, that’s when they can listen to the rest of your uploads.

4. Be honest

Don’t be tempted to be everything to everyone. You are more likely to get work if you are honest to your particular style.

If you say you can do a fantastic Scottish accent, you may appear in a few more searches. But if you can’t back that up with a credible example somewhere in your showreel, then how are producers supposed to trust that you can indeed do what you say you can?

Likewise, if you put a huge range of ages that you can voice, you may come up in searches for high fashion brands as well as OAP cruises. However, if you cannot actually sound like an urban teen, or a well-seasoned sailor, then all you do is create distrust with that producer.

Once a producer has decided they don’t trust your claims, then they mentally black-list you. The next time you come up in their searches for another project, they will not click your name as they will assume you still can’t do what you are claiming.

5. Promote, promote, promote!

Here at The Voice Finder, we are tirelessly working to get the site in front of as many Production departments as possible. However, a little self promotion will also go a long way!

Let people know about your profile – tweet about it, add the link to your email signature, write the URL on bathroom walls in your local pub… Whatever your preferred method is, if you shout about your profile, you will get more traffic to it. And the more traffic, the more that will convert into work.

It might get in front of some new people this way, or it could jog the memory of a producer you have previously worked with. Any view to your profile increases the opportunity of work.

The Voice Finder is a great tool for marketing your voice, but no marketing is complete without a little bit of thought and work.

Follow our guide to making the most of your profile, and give it some love, and you should be well on your way to becoming a firm favourite on the site.

Interview: Jane from Granite Creative Productions

September 18, 2017

Here at The Voice Finder, we don’t want to just prattle on about ourselves, our lives, and our own experiences.

“BORING, GRANDAD. GET STUFFED.”

We can literally hear you shout that from across the room. It’s ok, we get it.

That’s why we are catching up with some of our favourite people from around the Voiceover world to learn a little more about what’s going on, and to get some insights into some areas you might not have given much thought.

First up, the wonderfully human, Jane, over at Granite Creative Productions!

TVF: Who are you?

Jane: We’re Granite Creative Productions. A small creative house focusing on radio commercial production for local, regional and national advertisers. We worked in Manchester and Birmingham for many years before setting up Granite. Stuart is the ideas man and writer while I, Jane, head up all the production elements. We see ourselves as a friendly, modern thinking company that offers our clients effective ways to stand out on radio. We refuse and have turned down selling cheesy ads. Oh and we’re pet friendly and huge fans of cake!

TVF: What is your process when choosing a VO?

Jane: I’ve been in the industry for many years and I know a lot of the VOs on the circuit. New ones I come across either from The Voice Finder, through them contacting me, or through word of mouth. We work a lot with agencies so often the client is sent 3 VOs to choose from. As a company we prefer more natural conversational VOs – they fit in with the no cheesy radio commercials that we produce.

TVF: What makes you want to work with a VO?

Jane: They must have good availability, be ON TIME for a session, see me as a colleague and therefore want to chat and build up a good relationship. They should have an ISDN connection ideally, if not, they should be willing to have me listen in on the phone.

TVF: Why do you prefer ISDN over some of the newer connection methods, like Source Connect?

Jane: We’re based in the middle of the countryside and therefore broadband can be a bit poor at times. The idea of Source Connect and Ipdtl are interesting but as a business we need to look into the set up more as my machine in particular is focused for Protools with ISDN. I don’t mind WAV / MP3 providing it’s left totally raw and unedited by the VO artist.

TVF: What can Voiceover Artists do to help make your life easier?

Jane: Don’t send availability emails and certainly don’t just add me onto their mailing list. Send unavailability emails. I expect you to be voicing as that is or meant to be your day job. Have up to date showreels that are good and DOWNLOADABLE. As I said we work for various agencies and quite often have no direct contact with the client. We send 3 vo showreels that we feel fit the script. Know your station lists and pricing as well – I understand there have been so many changes to station names, etc., but you should have all the information on your equity pay.

TVF: Why social media is so important for Voiceover artists?

Jane: It’s a massive platform that everyone needs to be using even if you don’t like it. It gives us an opportunity to show what we do and build a sense of community within the industry. It keeps us as a production company up to date in an instant, and humanises our business.

TVF: Any last thoughts before we let you get on with your day? Y’know, your Jerry Springer moment.

Jane: We work in a industry that is very isolated in our studios, under the stairs, spare rooms, etc., and it’s just nice to be nice. Don’t see producers just as a tool for your working life. The more relaxed you are the better your voice will come across. This probably explains why I always try to chat before hitting the record button. Don’t worry about pick up’s and stopping for a sip of water, or tripping over that one stupid word. What we do is not a matter of life or death, so enjoy it.

A huge thank you to Jane from Granite Creative Productions for her time on this interview, and you can check out some of her other top tips here.

Keep your eyes peeled on The Voice Finder for more insightful interviews over the coming weeks.

Radio Vs. Voiceover

September 6, 2017

You’re a radio presenter. You work with your voice every day. So you’ll be able to do voiceover work no problem, right?

WRONG. You idiot.

Maybe I’m being harsh. But maybe not.

This appears to be the thought process for countless jocks who get into the voiceover game, and time and time again, they can’t help but “present” a script. Try as they might… they present.

So if you are a hopeful presenter looking to make it in the big mean world of voiceovers, then read on, as we delve into some of the key differences between the two, with the help of a bunch of voiceover artists who have successfully done both.

Be Versatile

When you are presenting on your radio station, be it a national commercial station, a local BBC site, or even something like “107 The Beast” community RSL, you have a style that works for your listeners.

You might have a soothing overnight style, perfect for an older generation who keep getting up for a wee and need something to help them nod back off to sleep. On the other hand, you might be the bright and bouncy bubblegum voice of the post-millennial world.

But when it comes to voiceovers, that one style is not going to be enough. Learn to be more versatile and you’re off to a good start.

Simon Beale – Presenter, Heart Network:

Doing voiceover work is like being on a different radio station with every session! Does the client want you to be fast & upbeat? Slower? More natural? More salesy? You could start the day voicing a music promo as if you’re on Capital, but end it narrating a documentary that would be more like BBC Radio 4.

James Heming – Presenter, Heart Breakfast with James and Becky:

As a broadcaster you want to remain ‘yourself’, but as a commercial voiceover artist, you can go for your life – accents, energy, tempo, impersonations (if you can!), because the script tends to steer you in a different direction. Honing your voice skill to be able to take on anything from a second hand car garage to narrating an environmental series for the Discovery Channel takes practice and commitment.

Be naturally natural

On the radio, you can have your wacky jokes. You can be crazy and bonkers and go over the top with that big stupid laugh you do. You can bring in the intern and the producer and the girl who does the travel news and be so blinking silly your eyes might fall out of your head with all the shenanigans.

When you get in the vocal booth, it exposes you for who you really are. You are alone, bar the producer sat on the other side of the glass. That microphone will pick up all your insecurities and falsities.

One of the biggest things producers are looking for in a voiceover is a natural sound. Over the top may have sold products in the 60s, but in this era of “brand sense” people want to feel connected to the brand and the voiceover they are hearing.

So, even though the words are there in front of you, be real. Be you, talking about that product.

Jude Vause-Walsh – Former Presenter and Actress:

The direction on a LOT of my scripts – ‘girl next door/a REAL woman’

Simon Beale – Presenter, Heart Network:

The challenge for me has been to make scripts sound natural (if they’re not hard-sell). As radio presenters we’re used to ad libbing and talking off our heads, it’s been a learning curve to give that same natural delivery when I’m tied to exact words on a page.

Charlie O’Brien – Presenter, Married and Tired with JK and Charlie:

This is the one I found the hardest to master after years of being a newsreader and then an enthusiastic presenter. It takes practice and lots of it.

Be a Performer

When you finish a link on the radio, you queue up that chain of 80s classics, hang up your headphones, switch the kettle on and go to the loo. That link is over, and now you’re thinking about your next one. Or about how Producer Paul got to the loo before you and why he’s taking so long.

My point is, a radio link exists in the world for as long as the mic are up, and then it is gone. Pffftt. Into the ether.

A voiceover on the other hand, lives on for a much longer time. It will be listened to over and over again by its audience.

If you are serious about voiceover work, then this should be a bit like acting a scene for a movie – craft it, take your time, make sure it’s right. This is not an off-the-cuff comment about traffic on the A22, or Katie Price’s new pet llama.

Jude Vause-Walsh – Former Presenter and Actress:

You need to really ‘think’ abut the words on the script, and really make them come alive, using light and shade. I find each script is a beautiful performance, rather than a radio link.

Charlie O’Brien – Presenter, Married and Tired with JK and Charlie:

When I’m recording a VO I do many takes with varying ‘shades’ – that way the client can choose the one they prefer. I also always ask for guidance and there’s no shame in this – it means everyone is happy with the outcome.

So, there we have it – a list of some of the big differences between presenting radio and doing a voiceover. It is by no means an exhaustive list however. Both disciplines are crafts in their own right, and just because you are great at one doesn’t mean you will immediately be at the other. It’s all going to take commitment and hard work I’m afraid. Sorry.

If you think of any we have missed, why not let us know on Twitter?

Top Turn-Offs For Producers

August 21, 2017

Producers.

The mysterious, studio-dwelling, sunlight-starved, mole folk who keep the industry chugging along.

Think of them like the dwarves in Lord Of The Rings. Hard working, sometimes bearded and bespectacled, and often grouchy.

But if you don’t keep them sweet, they will not let you through the doors into the caverns of gold they preside over.

Here are a list of things that get right on their wicks (the producers I mean, not fictional dwarves). Avoid these 5 pitfalls and you should be laughing all the way to your castle vaults. Providing you don’t run in to any dragons, that is.

1. Pre-processing your voice

In a bid to make your voice sound as sultry as possible, it’s tempting to run your mic through some processing before it hits the ISDN line or your chosen recording software (when Adobe come calling with that sponsorship I will name check Audition… wait, damn it.)

Don’t do it!

Producers need your voice as raw as it can be, which means the recording needs to as close as possible to the sound of you just talking to them in the same room. Then they can process it and produce it up to match the sound of the brand or the project they are working on.

Here’s what this tall and handsome chap has to say about the situation:

Jack – Producer, Mood Media

This is particularly notable with radio jocks who also do voiceover work – they are so used to hearing themselves with the added compression, that hearing their unprocessed voice is like catching sight of yourself naked in the mirror after Christmas. You see all the extra flabby bits that aren’t there normally, and it doesn’t feel pretty. But as a producer, I want you naked, flabby bits and all.

2. Bringing your hulking great ego into the session

When you are THE voice of Kevin’s Krisps, or Tony’s Tyres, it can be easy to let that fame go to your head. When you go to your local Zizi’s, you may get a 10% discount for a “celebrity” tweet complementing their garlic bread. When you speak to customer services on the phone, mild-mannered representatives may go all weak at the knees at the sound of their favourite recognisable voice.

Yes, voiceover work can really be that glamorous, but when it comes to working with a producer, it’s probably best to leave that ego at the vocal-booth door. After all, they are the ones providing you with the work that has lead you to these illustrious heights. Make them feel estranged and they aren’t going to come rushing back.

Jane – Producer, Granite Creative Productions

You may have a lovely voice but at the end of the day we’re just making radio commercials. If you make me feel inferior to you then I shalln’t feel comfortable in a session with you and get the best audio outcome.

3. Out of date showreels

Finding a voiceover is a bit like online dating. As a producer, you browse profiles, looking for a couple of cuties to drop a quick “Hey hun”. Someone replies, and you arrange a date – nothing fancy, just a 2 for 1 at Pizza Express (get out your Taste Card, impress them with your frugality). You put on your fanciest frock, or your sharpest shirt, and rock up to meet your date. But, Hark! Is that disappointment calling?

When they turn up, it dawns on you that their pictures were years old, and that small ’95 in the corner of the photo wasn’t their rating out of 100.

Similarly, when a producer hears your showreel, that’s what they are expecting. If your voice has changed in the last 10 years, then you won’t be delivering the product they have ordered.

It also means you probably don’t have some of your biggest or most recently recognisable work on there. To take this back to the online dating analogy, it’s like not showing prospective romancers your fierce new beard or your gorgeous new face tattoo.

Dave – Head of Production, InMedia

You would not believe the number of reels that sit on voiceover’s websites that don’t change for years! I mean why would you leave your biggest selling point to go stale, you wouldn’t serve up out of date food on Master Chef!!

4. Clutter

This point specifically relates to sending MP3/WAV files, when you are recording your own audio. If a producer is in a rush, or doesn’t have the time to direct your voice session in real time, then this is a great way to provide your voiceover files. It’s important to bear this in mind before you send anything.

In this instance, a producer doesn’t want a 10 minute stream of consciousness, which they have to trawl through for 30 seconds of audio. Feel free to have fun (see our blog on that here), but the producer needs 2 or 3 clean FULL takes of the script with any alternative lines bunched together at the end of the session. This keeps it much easier to pick out the bits they need.

Jack – Producer, Mood Media

If you start and stop sentences and jump around in the script, then you make it really bloody hard for me to do what should have been quite a simple line-edit, before adding the fancy-pants bits. Make my life easy and I will throw scripts at you like I throw bacon bits on my salad bar bowl at Harvester.

5. Be on time

You wouldn’t be late to your office-job. You wouldn’t miss the first few minutes of Game of Thrones. You wouldn’t hesitate to pick a £50 note off the floor. So don’t be late for your producer.

Producers are busy people. They may just be a tinny voice on the other end of the ISDN line to you, but the likelihood is they have a few voice sessions to do today, and they all need mixing for a demanding client by 3pm ready to go live tomorrow.

However you are providing your audio, turning up late for a session, dialling in late, or providing your MP3/WAV late, is a pet peeve of producers around the world.

Jane – Producer, Granite Creative Productions

Being LATE. It’s number one on my list. It shows a total lack of respect for us and the job.

In summary, it’s important to keep the producers you work with nice and sweet on you, because then they give you all the lovely work you can handle.

Keep your eyes peeled for our full interview with Jane and Stuart from Granite Creative Productions in the next few weeks!

The 5 Best Microphones For Your Home Studio

August 7, 2017

If you want to start recording your voiceover sessions from home, then choosing the right microphone is one of the most important decisions you will make. This is THE tool of your trade.

After all, you wouldn’t send a plumber to fix a pipe without a good wrench. You wouldn’t send a fireman to work without a top quality hose. And you wouldn’t send a stripper to a hen do without his Velcro-fastened budgie smugglers.

Well, fear not, you perfectly sculpted Channing’s of the voiceover world – we are here to help with a list of some of our favourite voiceover microphones.

Of course, just as every stripper has their speciality act, each voiceover artist has a different voice, and you will want to make sure you are picking up a mic that suits you. If you have a loud, booming, Brian Blessed style read, you may want a microphone that can handle your volume with a 10db pad. Similarly, if you have a higher pitched “little voice” like Jane Horrocks, you will want a mic with a higher dynamic range.

This is a list of OUR favourite microphones, and it’s a bloody good start, but make sure you try some out before you buy so you can see how the mic works with your voice.

5. Blue Microphones Yeti Pro

£199.99 from Amazon

First up is this little number from Blue Microphones.

It’s a versatile microphone, as it has inputs for XLR and, more importantly with this particular mic, USB. That USB is what gives the Yeti Pro it’s place in this list. Yes, you can get a good sounding recording out of it, but if you are a VO who works on the road a lot, or needs to be very portable with your studio space, then this could be the mic for you. It needs a driver to run through USB, but that software gives you lots of control over stuff like the volume levels and the buffer settings.

On the other hand, it is quite a bulky piece of kit, and doesn’t come with a shock mount, so you will need to pick up one of those too unless you want to hear the rumbling of cars on the road outside, or your partners footsteps as they bring you a cup of tea.

The Yeti Pro is not a bad mic at all for what it is, but doesn’t stack up to some of the others on this list when it comes to audio quality.

4. Rode NT1

£209 from Gear4Music

This is the perfect microphone for first time voiceover artists and developing artists alike, thanks to it’s fantastic blend of good quality audio and low price. What’s not to love?

Crisp and detailed, you’ll be getting a well-respected mic that doesn’t exaggerate things from an EQ standpoint. It’s neutral, which is good – you don’t want it too boomy on the bass, or too scratchy on the high-end – and it’s not a particularly noisy mic either.

Another plus if you are setting up your studio, is that the NT1 comes with an integrated shock mount and pop-shield, so you don’t have to go shopping around for extra bits. It’s all right here.

Our verdict? The Rode NT1 is one of the best condenser microphones in this price bracket.

3. Sennheiser MK4

£249 from DV247

A little tidbit for you when considering this microphone – Sennheiser also own Neumann (spoiler alert, see #1). Now, what you are buying here is not a Neumann, and the price reflects that, but the MK4’s diaphragm capsule was designed by the same team behind the industry-pinnacle U87, so you can be sure as shucks it’s going to be a good one.

The limitations – It doesn’t have a pad, so if you are a boomer, you might want to stand back a bit, and it only has a cardoid pattern, but given that that’s what you’re after for VO work anyway, the limitations aren’t very limiting at all.

It has nice clean high frequencies without being too shrill, and it is built like a rock, so durability won’t be an issue. All-in-all, a great mic for a very reasonable price.

2. Audio-Technica AT4047

£548.33 from Studio Care

Don’t be in any doubt, the AT4047 is a professional grade voiceover microphone, and that’s why you’ll pay a bit more for this one over some of the others in the list.

Audio-Technica bill this mic as “warm and smooth”, and a quick look at reviews online will tell you that they aren’t lying. It has a wide dynamic range, with a hi-pass filter to crush the low-end if needs be, and a 10db pad for when you’re just too blinking loud. It is also a quiet and clean-sounding mic, which is always important – you only want to record your sultry serenades after all.

It has switchable patterns, so you know it will be versatile, and should be able to handle your voice no matter your style.

The only downside we can find to this mic? That it’s not the next mic in the list.

1. Neumann U87

£2,165 from Gear4Music

The Gold standard. La creme de la creme of condenser microphones. This, is the ultimate “Magic” Mic.

We will start off by saying, yes, it is expensive. Like, an arm and a leg and maybe a kidney expensive. But we are hard pressed to find any bad reviews of this mic. The only thing people seem to be able to find wrong with it is the price, but as the old adage goes, “ You get what you pay for”.

It picks up very little background noise thanks to its superb built in noise gate; it’s EQ is perfectly balanced; it has switchable polar patterns to allow for all sorts of recordings; it has dual diaphragms; and it comes in a wooden box! And if a wooden box isn’t the sign of quality and class, I don’t know what is.

The U87 will get you the closest sound to the source as possible, which is fantastic for producers to work with, and will get across all the subtleties in your glorious voice. You can buy a cheaper microphone for sure, especially if you are just getting started, but you will notice the difference when you hear this bad boy!

Did we miss your favourite mic? Well hit us up on Twitter and tell us what idiots we are.

You’re allowed to have fun, y’know?

July 17, 2017

Voiceover work should be fun.

Some Voiceover artists seem to be afraid of fun, as if somehow the script they’re reading, flogging cheap tiles in Basildon, might one day solve the crisis in the Middle East. It won’t, and people don’t mind that.

Allow us to let you in on a little secret for you to muse upon the next time you are tempted to have fun during a session.

Producers know when what they’re writing is bollocks.

This Easter just gone, I sent a script to a VO artist I have worked with quite a lot on one particular client’s ads, which included the line “We have some egg-sciting deals…”. Now, I knew this was terrible. I knew that, but it’s what the client wanted, and as they’re the ones who ultimately pay for my bread and milk, they got it.

This VO could have just read it and sent it back, and I would never have given it a second thought. But he didn’t. Perhaps this was the 15th egg-based pun he had seen that day, but as soon as he received the script he turned on the mic and, in his rich Irish accent, reeled off the following commentary:

“Good afternoon to all the tossers in marketing who think this sounds fecking hi-LARIOUS… HILARIOUS!”

This made me laugh so hard that I choked on my banana (not a euphemism). I knew it was crap. He knew it was crap. We were on the same wavelength, and now I know he is someone I can turn to who understands the nature of the beast.

Not every voiceover you do will be career-defining, but even the rubbish ones – the ones with 26 seconds of Ts and Cs, that you know will just wash over people’s heads – even those are better than screwing lids on tubes of toothpaste in a factory, or cleaning out post-festival portaloos.

You’re allowed to have fun with this job, that’s part of the appeal. Make yourself stand out, and put across your personality in what you do. In most cases it’s only going to strengthen your relationship with that producer. Producers use so many different Voiceover artists from day to day that just getting one random job on the fly from a particular producer doesn’t guarantee that you will get more in the future. However, if you make yourself stand out, they will remember your name. They will remember your voice on the fun bits, probably even better than on the actual day-to-day scripts.

Having fun will get you more work, and it will make the work you do more enjoyable for you too. Voiceover work is becoming more and more solitary, with increasing demand for remote mp3 and wav recordings instead of in-studio reads. This is your chance to make it a more social experience. At the very least, you can remedy your cabin fever by blasting a rendition of your favourite musical hook in-between “2 for 1 on sausages” and “Half price on selected variety packs of crisps”.

And if the producer is worth their salt, they may even remix your ramblings into a dubstep mashup.

Remember, it’s ok have fun.

Welcome To The Voice Finder

July 7, 2017

Welcome to The Voice Finder’s super duper brand new blog!

We ideally wanted to shower you each individually with confetti to convey our excitement, but apparently Apple have not yet developed a way to do so without using virtual reality, and early testing leaves users disappointingly free of residual glitter.

However, although we may have failed in this goal, it is not actually the primary objective of this blog.

Over the coming weeks, months, and heck, even years, this blog will be a fantastic resource for all you Voiceover Artists, both new and not-so-new alike. We’ll be bringing you tips and advice on a whole range of things to help you establish and maintain your Voiceover empire – from tech-nerd microphone talk, to keeping your voice in tip-top shape during the winter months.

We’ll also be posting interviews with interesting Voiceover Artists, influential Producers, and experts in subjects like Social Media and small-business accounting.

In the mean time, take a look around the new site and familiarise yourself. Put on your slippers and make yourself at home, and if you have any questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by email, on Twitter, or on Facebook. We’re quite friendly after all.

See you later, Crocodile.