Demo of The Day Thread 07/02 to 07/08

Eben Fowler · **Voice Talent** Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Posts: 3

I'd appreciate it if a few folks would review the demos on my page and let me know what you think.

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

Hi Eben!

Well, I liked your demos but the very first thing that jumped out at me was that you didn't showcase your natural voice. Your first listed demo starts off with a character voice, actually a few character voices. If I'm just looking for a straight read, I have to dig deep into your V123 page to find it. You obviously have talent though Smile

Robert Jadah · **Voice Talent** Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 2627

Hey, Eben; welcome to the funhouse's Hall of Mirrors.
Your request should probably have been posted as part of a greeting on the Hello Thread (and you'd better hope our resident cyber-cop, Joe J. 'Jail'em' Thomas doesn't catch you loitering here), but I ambled over and took a listen anyway.
If I were allowed to answer you here, I 'd say you know you're right up there: another pro to take crumbs off my table.
Your sound is polished, smooth, versatile.
I'd only quibble with the line-up in your Commercial Demo; leading with two similar western twang pieces and then ending with three same-style clips.
I'd lead with a serious money-voice, slip to Cowboy One, and then shuttle the other front twang piece towards the end.
No big, I guess...but the money voice should go first.
And the whole thing is a tad on the long-ish side.
But, since this is not the place for this cyber-chat, I really won't say anything.

Voice On!

Maggie's Voice · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 588

Eben, welcome to the pond!

The place to post your Demo is on "voice over Idol" at http://voiceoversavvy.com/forum6.html and invite critiques.. This thread is for posting the custom demos we submit for the leads that are posted each week...

Robert - you crack me up. Joe, see in what esteem you are held?

Joe J Thomas · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 1521

Skip Roscoe · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 22

Lee:

On your Benz read, did you use a compressor? I heard the dynamics changing like the ratio was a bit high and could hear the hiss changing with the level. The last read was my fav, but I think you might consider how to clean up the hiss around 3.15 - 5k. Just a suggestion,

Skip

Lee Gordon · **Voice Talent** Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 1549

Skip -- I did not use compression on any of those Benz demos, although I might have worked a little closer to the mic on that last cut. In fact, I record almost everything flat with no effects of any kind, especially for submitting demos. Since Voice 123 reduces the sample rate to 64 I don't feel there is much need to try to enhance what I upload; it's going to have some of the life sucked out of it anyway. I consider that to be my version of "watermarking." Cool

For these demos I'm not even sure if I bothered to turn off my air conditioner.

When I send a client a track "for real" I do turn off all the fans and such and also digitally strip out any ambient room noise.

BTW, the Einstein quote in your sig is very similar to one that was used in a book I recently worked on. In fact, it was in one of the chapters I edited. The editor in chief wanted to sprinkle apropos quotes from famous people throughout the book and yours was one that we considered but we ended up using "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." That was also from Einstein.

Lee Gordon · **Voice Talent** Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 1549

Colin Campbell · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007, 20:41 (GMT) Post subject:

I don't get TBYS's anymore. I'm too lazy to complain. I don't even think I get job notification emails anymore, have to make sure I login to see what's up all the time. And... I can't get the damn site to remember my login so I have to type it all the time. Sometimes that doesn't even work. It's pathetic.

I gotta say, the Voice123 experience from a technical standpoint is a dissapointment lately.

For any organization, the worst thing is when your "customers" get so tired of complaining that they stop.

Maggie's Voice · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 588

Lee Gordon · **Voice Talent** Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 1549

I actually record my Voice123 demos at a lower volume level than I record "real" things. I find that if I submit a demo at the normal volume there's a chance it will be significantly distorted by the time Voice123 gets through with it.

Ronald T Robinson · **Voice Talent** Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1008

Before bouncing, I check my master-fader with a VU meter and will bounce with peaks between -3 and 0db.

However (and I have always been wary of this), I have a sneaky suspicion that by the time they reach a Seeker, my demos are somewhat "hot" - maybe to the point of distortion.

The alternative is a weaker demo, and I'm not too thrilled with that concept either.

Maybe the new 96k rate will alleviate the problem if, indeed, one does exist.

(I'd hate to think that I have been sending out distorted demos all along.)

Erik Sheppard · **Voice Talent** Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1317

I'm a -6 man myself. I had done a bunch of research a while back and that seemed to be the general consensus of where you want your final products to be and it seems to work with the V123 auditions. Of course, they were all distorted anyway but not due to the levels.

September Day Leach · **Voice Talent** Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1526

I agree. I always try to fall somewhere between -6 and -3. I figure it's best to be a bit too quiet that overwhelmingly loud

Colin Campbell · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007, 18:02 (GMT) Post subject:

Ah.... being an old radio man, I think LOUD is good. Sorry. I try to peak at 0 and if I don't, I'll normalize to it. Yes, 123 stuff is a little distorted but not horribly so. The raw .mp3's sound good anyway.