Custom audition sound quality (again)

Kathleen Keesling · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 00:44 (GMT) Post subject:

I emailed customer service the other day. They replied by letting me know that they personally listened to my auditions and they sounded just fine and that the problem is me. My cookies needed to be cleared and my Shock wave should be re-installed.

Of course, if this were the case my old auditions would also sound warbly...BUT...I did what they asked so I wouldn't be missing anything as easy as clearing my cache. Naturally, there is still no difference. I can't apply to an audition with this poor of quality.

I am off to email customer service again. What's that definition of insanity again?

This problem has gotten me far angrier than SmartCast ever has. And it's happening again...it's unacceptable.

Confused

Bob Bair · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:18 (GMT) Post subject:

Kathleen Keesling · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:26 (GMT) Post subject:

Here is a before and after for all that are not having the problem...

I'd love to hear opinions on what I can do keep this from happening. I had to reduce my amplification to keep it from uploading a worse version (hard to blieve, I know) So, I apologize for the low volume.

HELP! keine ahnung

I did email CS again, and will see what happens. In the meantime, I cannot submit my voice this way. It hurts ME to hear it!

Amy Snively · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:32 (GMT) Post subject:

I hear the difference, and I think my results are even more pronounced. I stopped submitting auditions on V123 awhile back because of the poor sound quality. Then it improved. Now it's bad again. I really don't feel comfortable having my vocal performance and studio quality misrepresented this way. I'm toying with the idea of ceasing to submit custom auditions again.

Sad

Kathleen Keesling · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:39 (GMT) Post subject:

Since I now make more $$ in Private leads, I may stop Custom Auditions on Voice123 altogether also.

I have only gotten one SmartCast award in the last 7 weeks, so to me it's almost not worth it when my audition quality is now begging for a bad rating from VoiceSeekers and can't possibly land a gig.

I hope they fix this. It's frustrating as H E Double Hockey Sticks!

Brick wall

Bob Bair · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:50 (GMT) Post subject:

I honestly hate having to do custom demos for the under $250 jobs. You know they really only want to pay $100 for them. That is one thing that has changed on the SmartCast that I dislike. These customers want to get by with expending the least amount while forcing us to make the most effort.

I've only banked on private leads since SC started. I see and understand the concept but I think more work needs to be done up front. In the IT world the Help Desk where the calls come in is important for routing the calls and determining what the problem really is. In this same vein the calls coming in should be diagnosed to determine if they REALLY need a custom demo.

Again relating to IT, just because the customer thinks it's a high priority doesn't mean it really is. Being the Dean of a college with a dirty keyboard isn't more important than the person in records whos hard drive crashed. He only THINKS he's more important.

Robert Jadah · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 01:51 (GMT) Post subject:

hmmm...now you've got me worried, but I didn't think there was a huge difference, Kathleen. The original was a tad fuller and richer, but isn't there always going to be some degradation when converting to MP3? I don't know; I'll leave that to smart people.

I don't think anyway that the seekers are generally listening on top-notch monitors, so you may be worried overmuch. It's still the read that counts for the lion's share of impression.

I hope.

Connie Terwilliger · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 02:18 (GMT) Post subject:

It does sound different (warbly, underwater, bubbly), but it is happening to everyone and I re-loaded ALL my generic demos the other day and that seems to be holding the quality. [Edit] But NOT when it plays back through the audition screen.

I have taken to adding this sentence recently - "Please note that the technical quality of the auditions on Voice 123 seems to have been reduced recently...I would be happy to send this to you directly if you wish - just send me a note with your email address."

Amy Snively · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 02:25 (GMT) Post subject:

That's a terrific solution, Connie. Well done.

John M. Thomas · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 02:26 (GMT) Post subject: Audition Quality

For what it's worth, I am experiencing the exact same thing Amy has. Shortly after smartcast was launched the audio quality was noticeably better. Just in the last week or so I am hearing some sort of distortion or "warble" on the audition playback??

Dina Monaco-Boland · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 02:35 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks for posting this Amy. I too was having trouble with this the last time. When it started this time I thought I was just hearing things as it was not as pronounced as it was last time. I do have to say that it seems to be getting a bit worse though. Last time, I did just what Connie did-- write it in the remarks box referring that I'd be happy to send them the audio directly.

Fingers crossed that they get this fixed faster this time!

Vance Elderkin · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 03:07 (GMT) Post subject:

Geez...am I the only one who is NOT having this issue?

My auditions sound fine. (Considering that my voice is on them, anyway.) No artifacts that I can hear. So, what am I doing that nobody eelse is doing?

Robert Jadah · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 03:12 (GMT) Post subject:

Amy Snively · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 03:16 (GMT) Post subject:

Remember-- it was worse for the girls last time we had this problem, too. And some girl voices worse than others. That's why I stopped submitting to anything seeking men OR women before I stopped submitting altogether.

Vance Elderkin · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007, 03:20 (GMT) Post subject:

Hmmm...something having to do with the higher frequencies in female voices? Very strange.

Robert, maybe you have something there. Years ago, a radio station I was working at started having reel-to-reel machines randomly turn themselves on for no apparent reason. As a joke, someone created a voodoo stick complete with instructions and put it in the studio. (As I recall you were supposed to wave it over your head 5 times, stand on one leg and offer a sacrifice to the god of FM radio, Uuaauu.) As soon as the voodoo stick was put in the control room, the problems immediately stopped. Never came back. Our GM got into a huge argument with our chief engineer, because the CE refused to take the voodoo stick out of the studio.

I made up none of this. True story.