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Mics From NAMM

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Voice Acting is apparently not big enough to prompt equipment makers to hold their own convention just for us (YET)…but NAMM comes close.

NAMM originally stood for North American Music Merchants, but now it’s an international show for manufacturers, affiliates, resellers, and other vendors in the world of audio.

On the heels of CES in Las Vegas, NAMM was held this year in Anaheim, CA, and broke previous records for attendance.

If you saw my quick review of the new Blue Microphones at CES, well, NAMM is that…on steroids… times ten.

Apparently USB mics continue to be the darling of any recording set — vocals, voice-overs, or musical instruments.  Most audio engineers agree it’s not possible to get the same high quality fidelity from a USB microphone as you can with a XLR input, but that isn’t keeping manufacturers from trying.  That’s mostly driven by the insane pace of iPhone and iPad sales, and the realization that these devices can actually serve as excellent portable/mobile recorders.

At CES and NAMM, many of the name mic vendors bring their prototypes to show off, and then make vague promises that they’ll be on shelves “mid spring”, or “sometime in March or April”, or “just before Summer”…as was the case with the 3 new “Blue” mics I reviewed.

The mic pictured above, though — the MXL Tempo — is available now.  You can even get it in red and black, and it’s being priced all over the place at $59.   MXL also touts it’s iPad-compatible TRIO USB mic.

There are others, of course.

The iRig MIC Cast Mobile Microphone is a nice unit, but plugs into the earphone jack of your iOS device…not the 30-pin connector.

Finally, the Editors Keys SL150 USB mic comes with a kit that lets you plug right into your iPad for recording.

So many choices!  So little budget!  It almost makes you wanna hope for a road trip just to justify the expense of a USB/iPad mic to your better half!

CourVO

Filed Under: Conferences, Equipment, Hardware, iPad, Mics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CES for VO’s

January 12, 2012 By 3 Comments

My total time at CES this week was 4 hours one morning…maybe more like 3 hours and 25 mins.  That may sound like a lot, but time goes like:

(I think you get the idea).

The microcosm of the Exhibit Floor is like a futuristic city of commerce with all the finest in hucksterism, sales, presentation, hype, sex appeal, and product that you can stomach…and thousands of people — like ants — bustling around like they know where they’re going, and they have something important to do….most of them on their smart phone trying to text or call someone, and finding it pretty hard, ’cause there aren’t enough cell phone towers in the USA to handle all that concentration of traffic in one place.

I put together a little video of a few shots I took while I was there to give you a flavor of the scene.  Its only 1:10.  Check it out, and then I have some unexpected meet-ups with VO people to tell you about.

You saw my story about the Blue Microphones yesterday…after visiting that booth, I wandered.  I had no plan of where to go next, and at CES, that’s bad; you can get lost.  From the cavernous South Hall, I meandered my way to the behemoth Main Exhibit Hall where the Microsofts, the Sonys, the LG’s, and the Panasonics hang out.

A Voice actor named Christopher Flockton had briefly written me on FaceBook that he was working the Haier booth next to Panasonic, and I should stop by if I had the time.  Christopher turned out to be a wonderful conversation.  He was actually working as a spokesman for Haier.  These are good gigs to get as an actor…they pay well, but you’re exhausted by the end of the day.  Christopher had memorized the schpeel for his presentation…which he had to deliver several times during the day.  I’ve done similar work at NAB before with an ear-prompter for presentations, but I actually think memorization is easier.

I had barely said goodbye to Christopher…and walked about 50 yards, when I bumped into Steve Savanyu who (among other things) is the Director of Educational Services for Audio Technica.  I’d first met Steve at VOICE 2010.  He’s a technical whiz, and audio expert, who can quickly get you lost in hi-fi verbiage that maybe only George Whittam and Nikolia Tesla can understand.

In my mind, running into John P (yesterday’s blog), Christopher, and then Steve in an exhibit hall PACKED with thousands was not only beyond coincidental, but underscored for me the place audio and especially VOICE has in the consumer world of  hi-tech.  We matter as a profession, and as a force within the world of entertainment, advertising, elearning, publishing, and on and on and on.

And THAT quickly… 3.5 hours was gone!  On my way out, I stopped by the TwiT.tv location in the main hall.

The set-up was a veritable audio/video delight…mics and cameras everywhere.  And there was the man himself:  Leo LaPorte just ambling about talking to people.  In Las Vegas, some people call me a celebrity, but to me Leo LaPorte is a celebrity.  So, yes, I was shocked when Leo called me by my first name and started a friendly conversation.

‘Turns out he watches me when he’s in town.  I am so grateful for my life…it’s  not all good, but parts of it are amazing.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my wanderings at CES2012.

CourVO

Filed Under: Conferences, Hardware, Technical, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tascam iM2 Arrives

December 16, 2011 By 25 Comments

Here we go again… the never-ending search for a hi-quality usable/sharable audio file recorded on a smartphone or tablet computer leads us to this:  The Tascam iM2.

Up to this point, the Alesis iODock is the only device this reviewer evaluated that really met the minimum recording quality most voice acting pros would be comfortable sending to client…and it’s not that portable.

A caveat:  ANY $3,000 microphone will not fill the bill if your recording environment sucks.  So the Tascam iM2 is no panacea if you’re recording in the men’s bathroom at Target.

Having said that, though, the iM2 is the closest we’ve seen to making the grade with portable, on-the-fly, smartphone-device recording that you won’t be embarrassed to send to your best VO client.

Right now, it seems to be available only from B&H Photo.  $80.

See my video below for a quick look at the device itself.  My previous blog on the iM2 gives the specs.  Most importantly:  this device plugs into the 30-pin connector on the bottom of the iOS device (works with iPhone 4 & 4s, iPad, iPad2, and iPod), giving it the best possible shot at a decent recording since the Blue Mikey.  Apple changed the internal wiring when it moved from the 3Gs to the iPhone 4, rendering the Mikey unusable going forward.

(ed. note:  see a similar review of this device by Beau Weaver in the comment section of this blog)

Match the iM2 with Twisted Wave’s iPhone/iPad app for the optimal recording.  Twisted Wave also gives you powerful editing and post-production tools, and lets you share by FTP, iTunes, DropBox, email, or Wi-Fi, but does not record in .mp3.  Instead you can convert it to mp3 through a service online TW supports. Save in .wav, AIFF, CAF, or AAC.   Not quite as good, but getting close in quality are the apps:  FiRe,  Monle and  MultiTrack.

  • The dual-positioned mics rotate so you can direct these condensers to the direction of sound.
  • The unit works best when you set your iPhone to Airplane Mode, avoiding any interruptions.
  • The unit is also very sensitive to movement, so you need to get a comfortable grip and not move the phone around, nor move your fingers on the unit while recording.
  • To listen to what you’ve recorded, you must then UN-plug the iM2 to hear the speakers.
  • The iM2 does not come with it’s own headphone jack.
  • If you have the Apple-supplied earphones plugged in the phone will prioritize the built-in mic on the headset cord, and not record through the iM2.

Now the mic comparison.

I simultaneously recorded a couple of sentences holding the Tascam iM2/iPhone4 as pictured.

The saved .wav file on the iPhone, I uploaded to DropBox, opened in AA3.0 and converted to .mp3.

The Studio Projects C-1 recording was into the AA3.0 DAW through a Steinberg CI2 USB interface.  That recording was a  native mp3.

The ONLY tweak was a boost to the gain in AA3.0 for the Tascam recording.  Even though I had the volume control on the iM2 at max, the two comparison sound waves were not equal in gain.  I had to boost the Tascam recording by about 30%.

Below are the two comparison sound files.  I think you’ll agree that while they are not equal, the Tascam recording — standing on its own — would probably pass muster for an acceptable audition, or even a final cut.

The first soundfile is the Tascam iM2/iPhone4 recording.  The lower soundfile is the Studio Projects C-1 recording.

Tascam-iM2 against StudioProjectsC-1 by CourVO

 

StudioProjectsC-1 against Tascam-iM2 by CourVO

Pretty close, eh?

LA voice acting pro Beau Weaver has also previewed this device extensively, and his analysis is included below in the comment section.  Absolutely a must-read if you are interested in the deeper technical side of this issue.  Beau is very thorough in his critique.

CourVO

Filed Under: Apps, Equipment, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, Mics, Software, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For Your VO Christmas

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Holy Grail of mobile VO computing /auditioning: a hi-fidelity recording on your smartphone or tablet computer.  Most would likely agree that the leader in the software part of that solution is  Twisted Wave for the iPhone or iPad.

On the hardware end, many devices have launched over the last year, mostly for some version of the iPhone or iPad.

I’ve blogged about a number of these:  the iRig Mic, the Blue Mikey, the Tascam iZX, the Vericorder XLR Adapter Cable, the Alesis iODock, and probably a few that I missed.  Trouble is, only the Alesis iODock offers a means of input through the 30-pin connector at the bottom of the device…anything else is poor quality.

A guy who’s way ahead of me on the technology of it all — SoCal based professional voice-actor Beau Weaver – recently explained it this way in response to a thread about the technology in question: “…The audio input via the 3.5mm connector has a radical EQ curve built in, attenuating everything under 150hz and above 7khz…..which is to say “telephone filter” quality. There is no way around it, other than to introduce a reverse eq curve to compensate, which raises the noise floor. The work around with the camera connection kit USB adapter worked on the older version of the iOS operating system, but no more. The only way to get pro quality audio in is through the 30 pin connector. Several devices are in the pipeline, but none are shipping yet. For iPad, the Alesis iODock is the only thing that works…..at this point. iOS may be a pro recording platform at some point……but it is not there yet…”

So, why don’t equipment manufacturers develop more products that take advantage of this market?  Beau had an answer for that, too, when I asked him about it: “…they are just afraid to make a commitment because Apple keeps changing the API and  rendering their devices obsolete.  Case in point:  the Blu Mikey….which the second version of iOS broke, with no warning, and no recourse.  Equipment manufacturers are wise to be warry of making mac accessories……because there is a good chance apple will pull the rug out from under them…”

Still, apparently, some audio-equipment companies are willing to take the chance.  Case in point: the new Tascam iM2, seen above. 

It uses the 30-pin connector available in the iPhone and iPad, and according to the product website:  “…a high-quality stereo recorder.  A pair of condenser microphones – the same high quality as TASCAM’s best-selling DR-series recorders – plugs into the dock connector of your Apple device.  The microphones are adjustable over 180 degrees for the best sound placement.  The uni-directional elements are arranged in an AB pattern for detailed stereo imaging while capturing the ambience of your room.  The iM2 contains its own microphone preamp and analog-to-digital converter for low noise and great audio quality.  Unlike mics that use the built-in iPhone preamp, the iM2 can handle up to 125dB sound levels…”

Tascam certainly has a track record of making quality portable recorders like the DR-40, and the DR-07mkII…but this is a bit of a departure for them to release a hardware product that depends on the hardware/software of another device for their success.

Check it out.  I am.  When my unit arrives, I promise an evaluation with sound file samples.

My thanks to Beau Weaver for his help in this blog, and agreeing to my excerpting his comments.

CourVO

Filed Under: Hardware, iPad, iPhone Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mic Cable Babel

October 16, 2011 By 4 Comments

The day you spend hours searching-out a scratchy sound or electrical hum in your audio chain is the day you start wondering if the hi-priced mic cable is REALLY better than the bargain brand.

Right?

“Microphones output a very low signal by nature. Using a really high quality cable on your mic connection will allow the best of a bad situation: your low-output mic will give you better definition, more robust frequency extremes (better lows and more highs), and most importantly, remain even truer to the source.” (from this source)

Some factors to consider when choosing mic cables:

-Price doesn’t necessarily dictate the quality of the cable, but as with most things, you get what you pay for.
-Age of the cable.
-Length of the cable.
-Shielded vs. unshielded (shielded is better)
-Impedance (resistance)  cheaper cables tend to have more resistance due to bad soldering and lower-quality componenets
-Thickness by itself does not dictate a better cable…but better cables are sometimes thicker
-Metal used as conductor (yes, gold is tops, but also most expensive).

“A mic signal is very low power, low impedance, balanced. It is quite susceptible to external interference, which is why it’s balanced: the idea is that the same interference will affect both signal conductors identically, and the mic preamp then subtracts one signal from the other, hopefully eliminating the interference.  Some mic cables use “Star Quad” wiring where there are actually four, rather than two, signal conductors; they are intricately braided together and then paired up at the ends so that they behave like two conductors that are very close together physically.”  (from this source)

Resources:

Mic Cable Comparison article #1

Mic Cable Comparison article #2

DMX Cable vs. Mic Cable YouTube Video

Musician’s Friend Audio Cable Buying Guide

Bottom line:  A reliable mic cable should be shielded, made of good materials, not too long, not too old, and have good worksmanship (some sales people at music stories tend to want to sell you a “Monster” brand cable.  Be sure to ask ‘em why “Monster” is better).

In research for this article, I kept coming up with the term “NEUTRIK” brand connectors and cables.  Apparently, a lot of people think highly of their quality.  Here is the Neutrik Website for Audio Cables.

George Whittam, Dan Friendman….what’d I miss?

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Gizmo Alert!

October 6, 2011 By 6 Comments

Blame Billy James.  I swear the guy does this to me just to get my reaction.  (BTW, Billy has a pretty great blog, and you should be reading it…great writer!)

He’s a geek, too…but not as frivolous with his discretionary cash, apparently.  So he lives vicariously through my wanderings up and down the virtual aisles of online geekdom.

The latest is Tascam’s iZX microphone interface for iPad, iPhone, and iPod.

For $50 this is a sweet little gem of a portable unit for recording.

Or is it?

Well, that, my friends, is for you to decide.

First, for the hard-core among you…some hard-core specs:

Input Level                     -42dBu～ +2dBu
Maximum Input Level       +2dBu
Input Impedance             2.4kΩ
Nominal Input Level         -21 dBV
Maximum Input Level       -10dBV
Input Impendance            470kΩ

Now, watch the video below, where I introduce you briefly to the hardware, then scroll down further to listen to a quick sound recording using the iZX with my iPhone4.

CourVO tests the Tascam iXZ from Dave Courvoisier on Vimeo.

Now, listen to the brief soundfile I recorded using a AKG C300B mic, a standard 5-foot XLR mic cable, the Tascam iZX, and my iPhone 4, recording with the Twisted Wave app.  The input volume on the Tascam unit was at about 2/3rds maximum.

I uploaded the resulting .wav file to AA3.0, edited out the breath sounds, boosted the gain a little, but applied no other effects.  The result is here:
TascamiXZ Sample Courvoisier by CourVO

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware, iPad, iPhone Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BSW has Alesis iODock

July 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

For mobile recording geeks, tablet-computing geeks, VO geeks, and geek-geeks, the iODock has been much anticipated.

I’ve blogged about the Alesis iODock here a couple of times, here.

At NAB here in Las Vegas in April, iODock was the talk of the convention floor.  Now the iODock is out, and it’s at BSW and other equipment retail outlets.

The BSW write-up says: “…The Alesis iO Dock universal docking station has the connectivity to let you create, produce, and perform music on your iPad with virtually any piece of pro audio gear or instruments. The iO Dock can connect your iPad’s powerful processor, touch-screen interface and extensive library of apps to your collection of microphones, instruments, professional speaker and PA systems, MIDI controllers, sound modules, video projectors and much more.“

BSW has it listed at $199.

Here’s an Alesis introductory video on the iODock.

CourVO

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware, iPad, Software, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sweet!

May 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

Thinking of making a big audio-equipment purchase?

SweetWater is offering free interest on any purchase over $499 for the next 12 months.  I’m sure there’s some fine print, and I think you have to get their “platinum” card, but this could save you a few hundred dollars on a big-ticket item.

Check it out.  SweetWater’s No-Interest offer.

I’ve used SweetWater a number of times, and find their customer service to be excellent.  I have an inside name if you want to go that way…just let me know.

CourVO

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

iRig Recorder

April 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We’ve dissected the iRig Mic on this blog twice already:

iRig Mic Evaluation

iRig Mic Comparison, Take 2

It seems I’m not the only one fascinated with seeking a  smartphone or tablet computing-solution for a mobile recording apparatus, because the above articles got a lot of traffic.  Eventually, a set-up like this could be a primary recording configuration…if the technology becomes sufficient.

While few were impressed with quality of the iRig Mic sound recording for a job, many said it might be good for a quick audition.  For my part, while I love gizmos and software apps, I always felt the software-side of things with the iRig Mic was confusing.  Their native software seemed to be buried within the Amplitube or VocaLive smartphone apps.

Now iRig is out with their own recording to accompany their iRig Mic:  the iRig Recorder.  Among it’s features:  Exporting the recording by email, iTunes, Wi-Fi, FTP, or SoundCloud…nice!  It has 8 effects processors, and saves in .m4a or uncompressed .wav formats.

$5 for the app on iPhone…I have not had the chance to try this out yet, but (heh) you know I will.  ‘Just wanted to let you know as soon as I found out.  The announcement was in my email box this morning.

CourVO

 

 

 

Filed Under: Apps, Equipment, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, Mics, Software, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gizmos Galore

April 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

My fascination with all VO things trendy hits overload lately with an explosion of new software, hardware and services.  Rather than blog about each one, this article breezes through three of the latest I’ve found.

Steinberg’s new LoopMash app for iPhone is an addictive $3.99 addition to your already over-crowded iPhone screen that does exactly what it says very well.  Create, manipulate, and tweak looped soundbeds with the use of this intuitive program.  You’ll love playing with this!

Next, my friends over at Rain Computers continue to impress with a constantly-upgraded line of laptops and desktops designed especially for audio.  Their newest claims to be Faster, Cooler, Awesomer.  It’s their LiveBook.  See specs and more on the RainComputers website.

Finally,  UK Voice talent Neil Bentley offers a FaceBook-design “minisite” service for you, and when you visit the site, you see exactly what he can do.  I have not priced this, nor inquired about the details of this offering, but I gotta admit what he’s done with his VoiceOver Mini-Site example FB page is pretty cool.

My sincere thanks to Erik Sheppard for pointing this out to me.

 

Oh!…and one last tidbit.  BeeAudio is seeking authentic Asian-sounding narrrators.  Here’s what their casting director wrote to me: We have a rather immediate need for female narrators who can deliver authentic Asian dialects (specifically, Thai) for a book ready to go into production.  This is a first-person narrative with character work, so we’re hoping to find experienced voice actors if possible. If you can provide leads on anyone either local in southern Oregon, or anyone elsewhere with their own recording set-up, who might fit the bill, please forward the information to me at [email protected] as soon as possible.

Hope you find something there!

CourVO

Filed Under: Hardware, Software, VO Community Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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