VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #584 – Newbie Mistakes
Voice coaches, radio, everything voiceover. Welcome to a brand new episode of voice coaches radio. My name is Marissa and we are at it yet again, uh, getting closer to the summertime, uh, and I don't know about you, but I'm just a much happier person when the sun is shining. And the temperature is above, I don't know, 70?
Like, I mean, hey, don't get me wrong. A nice 50, 60 degree day, fine. Uh, but when the sun is shining and it's like 75, it's like, perfect. It's also a country song. Uh, that's besides the point. But, uh, listen, I know why you're here. It is all about voiceover. And we're gonna jump right in. Um, You know, as people that are beginning in this business, it can be a challenge in so many ways because it's, it's new.
And you know, when you're doing anything new, anything new is, is challenging at first. It's a, like an adjustment and um, and just until things become routine, right? And then it's like anything else, you know, it's like the first time you pick up a video game, you're playing it. You're like, man, I'm never, ever going to do great at this.
And then. A few minutes later, it's like you're a little better. An hour later, you've gotten to the next level. Um, you know, and you just, it becomes that much more fluent to you. And the same thing is going to happen here, but it takes work. Everything always takes work. And there are mistakes that you can make in the beginning, especially if you don't have the education in this, that will allow you to be better.
Um, you know, and to allow it to, to be more fluent in better ways. Not just that it's becoming, we'll say, quote unquote, easier for you and more natural or feeling more natural, but actually sounding better and sounding more natural and, you know, doing the right things. Uh, the biggest mistake that a lot of people have right here in the beginning as they are.
Starting out and, and, you know, maybe trying to navigate doing auditions without having any actual training is just not sounding like yourself, not sounding natural, not sounding conversational and just real. What are the things that you need to know? What are the ins and outs? Those who are taking the voice coaches program.
You're learning that already. You know, that's, that's a big part of what the program is about. You know, how, how do I become my authentic self in a script? Sounds like it's going to be cake. And then you start doing it. You're like, why do I sound so not myself? The personality is gone. I sound robotic. You know, how can I make some changes that will help?
Well, I mean, getting educated is definitely a big part of that. You know, As much as people want to say, it's like, all right, you can just plug a microphone in and do this. Yeah, sure you can. But you want to get good work? You want to get a lot of it? You want to keep being... used and consistent and having this as a profession.
Educate yourself, take some feedback and get better and get better and get better. Um, so, you know, the, the biggest mistake a lot of people make is, is that having some, you know, just very uncomfortable and inauthentic reads. Um, you know, the, the editing process too. I mean, just being in your own home studio, a lot of people will.
God, I don't want to say half booty it, but, uh, I know that it's hard to want to spend the money at first. You know what I mean? It's like you are unsure. There's a lot of uncertainty, but if you want to do well, the best thing you can do is invest in yourself. That goes back to your education, but it also goes to the right equipment and, and having the right setup.
Um. It's not as difficult as people think it is, truthfully, you know, it's, it doesn't have to be as expensive as one might think, and as some articles that I've read try to make it be. I mean, I'm looking at the equipment I have here, you know, some people want to tell you, or maybe you assume it's going to be thousands and thousands of dollars.
Well, look at what you've got already, you know, I'm looking at my home studio right here right now. I, I have a laptop that I have replaced and, and fixed, I can't tell you how many times. Uh, that is what I am recording on currently. I'm using a free program that a lot of people in voiceover use. It is Audacity.
You can go ahead, you can download it for free online. That's, that's nothing. Uh, the microphone I have, I will admit, this is a pretty expensive microphone. I think this may have cost maybe like 400 bucks or something. It's a Shure brand microphone. Um, it's what a lot of, um, singers even use. Uh, but this is an upgrade.
For the longest time, I had like a 150 microphone, uh, that is from the RØDE brand. It is a condenser mic, and it's what I used for years. And it's something that a lot of radio people would use just because it is just, you know, standard. Uh, but it's a USB mic, you just plug it right in. Um, you know, and it's not that costly.
My other setup, what else do I have? Um, I have a compressor in here. I really only have that for the radio purposes, you know, otherwise, you know, there's effects that you can use within your program of audacity that will help give, uh, a lot of that same kind of sound that, that also helps with, uh, but I, I just, you know, need it for stuff that's not.
recorded dry. Um, you know, cause I do a lot of stuff that I just record right into different radio programs. Um, so that is just me on my end. I got a table from Walmart. I don't know, this thing costs like 15 bucks. That's what, that's what I am using right now for everything to sit on. It's sitting on cement blocks that were a couple bucks a piece at Lowe's.
Uh, what else do I got in here? Headphones, those were like 30 bucks on Amazon. I don't know, that's kind of, that's kind of the year. I mean, there's, there's some soundproofing, there's a rug. I mean, that itself, maybe another 50 bucks. A whole bunch of cardboard boxes that are used as a wall here in my basement to help also, um, suck in some sound.
And those were my moving boxes forever ago. They, they paid for themselves. Uh, so, you know, it really, it is all about, um, how... Economical, you can make it. However, spend the money where it's necessary. Don't get a cheapy mic. You know, you want to spend 150, 200 bucks. You know, you want to make sure that you have good sound quality.
You know, don't go cheapy on the space itself. You need to have some sound proofing. You need to make sure there isn't a lot of echo or reverberation. Here's the deal. If you think that that's going to come out of the editing process, I hate to break it to you, but it really doesn't, you know, not all the time, you know, not everything.
And you want to make sure that you sound as great as you can, otherwise, you're not going to get the work, you know, so make sure as a beginner that you are, if you're doing stuff from home. Don't sheepy out. Don't get low quality equipment. Make sure the space is up to par. Don't think that the editing process is gonna fix all the little kinks.
Uh, it's not gonna help all the mouth noises either. Uh, you know, and that's the thing too is, you know, that's the, the biggest key thing that people notice when they get into a demo session going through the Voice Coaches program. They get in there, they put the headphones on. And they realize they can hear everything, everything from tummy grumbles to your own breathing to the like mouth clicks that happen if you have too much saliva going on or maybe just the way that you talk.
It's a lot of you know what I mean? It's like you have to be very aware of these things and you can't have that all in your final demo audio or whatever audio you send in for an audition. You want to have that as clean as possible. So that is where you have to be a little bit. You know, smartened up and buttoned up to, uh, to make sure that you're, you know, doing all the right things and hearing things the way that you need to.
So best thing all around is educate yourself on all of it, whether it is, you know, the, the studio itself. self, whether it is the way to perform to make sure that you are sounding as authentically you as possible, the way to edit in general, um, you know, all these things are going to be incredibly helpful when you are trying to get into this business and get yourself off off the ground.
There's no breaking in, uh, as some people want to think, you know, it's like you got to go ahead and you got to put the work in. So go ahead and do that for yourself. If you got a question, info at voicecoaches. com. We'll go ahead. We'll tackle some more of those next week and hopefully some more guests pop it on with us soon too.
But a brand new episode. We'll be coming at you next week, right here with voice coaches radio. Stay safe, everybody. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
Like, I mean, hey, don't get me wrong. A nice 50, 60 degree day, fine. Uh, but when the sun is shining and it's like 75, it's like, perfect. It's also a country song. Uh, that's besides the point. But, uh, listen, I know why you're here. It is all about voiceover. And we're gonna jump right in. Um, You know, as people that are beginning in this business, it can be a challenge in so many ways because it's, it's new.
And you know, when you're doing anything new, anything new is, is challenging at first. It's a, like an adjustment and um, and just until things become routine, right? And then it's like anything else, you know, it's like the first time you pick up a video game, you're playing it. You're like, man, I'm never, ever going to do great at this.
And then. A few minutes later, it's like you're a little better. An hour later, you've gotten to the next level. Um, you know, and you just, it becomes that much more fluent to you. And the same thing is going to happen here, but it takes work. Everything always takes work. And there are mistakes that you can make in the beginning, especially if you don't have the education in this, that will allow you to be better.
Um, you know, and to allow it to, to be more fluent in better ways. Not just that it's becoming, we'll say, quote unquote, easier for you and more natural or feeling more natural, but actually sounding better and sounding more natural and, you know, doing the right things. Uh, the biggest mistake that a lot of people have right here in the beginning as they are.
Starting out and, and, you know, maybe trying to navigate doing auditions without having any actual training is just not sounding like yourself, not sounding natural, not sounding conversational and just real. What are the things that you need to know? What are the ins and outs? Those who are taking the voice coaches program.
You're learning that already. You know, that's, that's a big part of what the program is about. You know, how, how do I become my authentic self in a script? Sounds like it's going to be cake. And then you start doing it. You're like, why do I sound so not myself? The personality is gone. I sound robotic. You know, how can I make some changes that will help?
Well, I mean, getting educated is definitely a big part of that. You know, As much as people want to say, it's like, all right, you can just plug a microphone in and do this. Yeah, sure you can. But you want to get good work? You want to get a lot of it? You want to keep being... used and consistent and having this as a profession.
Educate yourself, take some feedback and get better and get better and get better. Um, so, you know, the, the biggest mistake a lot of people make is, is that having some, you know, just very uncomfortable and inauthentic reads. Um, you know, the, the editing process too. I mean, just being in your own home studio, a lot of people will.
God, I don't want to say half booty it, but, uh, I know that it's hard to want to spend the money at first. You know what I mean? It's like you are unsure. There's a lot of uncertainty, but if you want to do well, the best thing you can do is invest in yourself. That goes back to your education, but it also goes to the right equipment and, and having the right setup.
Um. It's not as difficult as people think it is, truthfully, you know, it's, it doesn't have to be as expensive as one might think, and as some articles that I've read try to make it be. I mean, I'm looking at the equipment I have here, you know, some people want to tell you, or maybe you assume it's going to be thousands and thousands of dollars.
Well, look at what you've got already, you know, I'm looking at my home studio right here right now. I, I have a laptop that I have replaced and, and fixed, I can't tell you how many times. Uh, that is what I am recording on currently. I'm using a free program that a lot of people in voiceover use. It is Audacity.
You can go ahead, you can download it for free online. That's, that's nothing. Uh, the microphone I have, I will admit, this is a pretty expensive microphone. I think this may have cost maybe like 400 bucks or something. It's a Shure brand microphone. Um, it's what a lot of, um, singers even use. Uh, but this is an upgrade.
For the longest time, I had like a 150 microphone, uh, that is from the RØDE brand. It is a condenser mic, and it's what I used for years. And it's something that a lot of radio people would use just because it is just, you know, standard. Uh, but it's a USB mic, you just plug it right in. Um, you know, and it's not that costly.
My other setup, what else do I have? Um, I have a compressor in here. I really only have that for the radio purposes, you know, otherwise, you know, there's effects that you can use within your program of audacity that will help give, uh, a lot of that same kind of sound that, that also helps with, uh, but I, I just, you know, need it for stuff that's not.
recorded dry. Um, you know, cause I do a lot of stuff that I just record right into different radio programs. Um, so that is just me on my end. I got a table from Walmart. I don't know, this thing costs like 15 bucks. That's what, that's what I am using right now for everything to sit on. It's sitting on cement blocks that were a couple bucks a piece at Lowe's.
Uh, what else do I got in here? Headphones, those were like 30 bucks on Amazon. I don't know, that's kind of, that's kind of the year. I mean, there's, there's some soundproofing, there's a rug. I mean, that itself, maybe another 50 bucks. A whole bunch of cardboard boxes that are used as a wall here in my basement to help also, um, suck in some sound.
And those were my moving boxes forever ago. They, they paid for themselves. Uh, so, you know, it really, it is all about, um, how... Economical, you can make it. However, spend the money where it's necessary. Don't get a cheapy mic. You know, you want to spend 150, 200 bucks. You know, you want to make sure that you have good sound quality.
You know, don't go cheapy on the space itself. You need to have some sound proofing. You need to make sure there isn't a lot of echo or reverberation. Here's the deal. If you think that that's going to come out of the editing process, I hate to break it to you, but it really doesn't, you know, not all the time, you know, not everything.
And you want to make sure that you sound as great as you can, otherwise, you're not going to get the work, you know, so make sure as a beginner that you are, if you're doing stuff from home. Don't sheepy out. Don't get low quality equipment. Make sure the space is up to par. Don't think that the editing process is gonna fix all the little kinks.
Uh, it's not gonna help all the mouth noises either. Uh, you know, and that's the thing too is, you know, that's the, the biggest key thing that people notice when they get into a demo session going through the Voice Coaches program. They get in there, they put the headphones on. And they realize they can hear everything, everything from tummy grumbles to your own breathing to the like mouth clicks that happen if you have too much saliva going on or maybe just the way that you talk.
It's a lot of you know what I mean? It's like you have to be very aware of these things and you can't have that all in your final demo audio or whatever audio you send in for an audition. You want to have that as clean as possible. So that is where you have to be a little bit. You know, smartened up and buttoned up to, uh, to make sure that you're, you know, doing all the right things and hearing things the way that you need to.
So best thing all around is educate yourself on all of it, whether it is, you know, the, the studio itself. self, whether it is the way to perform to make sure that you are sounding as authentically you as possible, the way to edit in general, um, you know, all these things are going to be incredibly helpful when you are trying to get into this business and get yourself off off the ground.
There's no breaking in, uh, as some people want to think, you know, it's like you got to go ahead and you got to put the work in. So go ahead and do that for yourself. If you got a question, info at voicecoaches. com. We'll go ahead. We'll tackle some more of those next week and hopefully some more guests pop it on with us soon too.
But a brand new episode. We'll be coming at you next week, right here with voice coaches radio. Stay safe, everybody. Visit voicecoaches. com for more voiceover news and information.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa discusses the most common newbie mistakes in voice over and how to avoid the.
