FOREIGN VOICEOVER, BEWARE !

That's an old problem. A client is surprised to find its industrial video's multilingual version not appropriate to sell its product, because voices are lousy and the speech can't follow the picture. To cap it all the brand name has been pronounced completely wrong.
Well this is a typical process that can double the cost of a normal VO in multiple languages...

HEAVY ACCENTED AD REJECTED
It just happened to me, but this time it was much worse. I got a phone call from an Italian customer asking for help to find a true German voice to record his ads on toys to be sold in Germany during the Christmas season. He insisted on having a true, genuine, native, authentic Germanic, Deutsch voice... He wanted to avoid what he had just experienced: he hired a German person to voice his ads in Italy, but when the ads were mixed and ready to broadcast in Germany, the distributor rejected those. "The voice speaks with a funny accent, exotic, un German, she is not German", said the distributor. The Italian producer was mad at hearing the bad news but accepted his mistake. So we had to organise an urgent recording session with one of our authentic, genuine, true German voice talents and this time the ad was broadcast.

IT TAKES A NATIVE TO RECOGNIZE A NATIVE
Some studios that offer voiceover are not necessarily knowledgeable on foreign voices. They can certainly provide local talent and certify about their authenticity, simply because a native person can recognize when the voice masters his mother toung. It takes a native to recognize another native. They offer a casting of voice talents in the main languages because they see there is an increasing demand for that, but more often than not foreign voiceovers is not their core business. They choose talent based on references, on their nationality or their good-sounding voices, but that's it. Audio engineers are not linguists so, how can they make sure that the foreign talent has kept his native language in good shape?

SOME TIPS & ADVICES TO SPOT RELIABLE FOREIGN VOICE TALENTS

• Make sure the foreign voice has good references and proven experience in VOs.
• Ask him how he keeps his language sharp and fresh while living in a foreign country
• Inquire on where he comes from, in most languages you have regional accents or dialects that could be inappropriate for certain target audiences
• Don't hesitate to ask for his CV, Resumé, since education is the main, basic feature you expect from a good voice actor

This should not intimidate the voice talent. If he is a good one, he will even appreciate your professionnality as a producer or as a sound engineer.

What do you think? Have you ever had issues with foreign talents? Your feedback is much appreciated.

Constantino de Miguel

A power failure and you are recording !!!

It just happened in India, it could happen to you too !

Grids supplying electricity to half of India's 1.2 billion people collapsed, trapping coal miners, stranding train travelers and plunging hospitals into darkness in the second major blackout in as many days.

A blackout could happen anywhere, anytime and it could be devasting for your business as a voiceover talent. Imagine you are in your booth recording this long script that absorbs all your concentration and the power fails? Your time and effort is wasted and it could also damage your reputation as you might not be able to meet your deadline to your client. A power failure could be temporary nuisance or as in India last for too many hours, but sooner or later the power would arrive at the mains and then cross your fingers !  The power could come with undesired peaks that could ruin your recording equipment.

But there is a solution for this problem as any sound studio knows.
Here is our CHECKLIST of things to do to protect your home studio in case of power failure

1. Buy a Uninterrupted Power Supply or UPS at any computer store. You can buy it at around $ 70 or € 50. It's basically a battery that stores DC electricity and transforms into into AC at the normal current you use 110 or 220 V.  
2. The UPS should be connected to the computer on which you are recording the audio, so when power fails you have still 5 to 10 minutes (depending on UPS battery capacity) to save your precious recordings and shut down.
3. Make sure that the battery is standard and you can buy the replacement anywhere (even a do it your self stores). The UPS battery has a capacity of up to 1000 charges and could last for 3 years.
4. Or consider buying a more powerful UPS in the first place if you want to go on recording no matter the power failure. It could cost you from $ 500 or 600 €. You will need it for your preamp that also use electricity and feeds your mic with phantom power. We stress that the UPS should be of much better quality, because a standard, cheap UPS will introduce unwanted noise into your recording, since the alternative power is not streamlined.
5. A stronger UPS unit should be connected to computer, preamp and screens and can provide filtered good quality electricity for 15 minutes with some luck.  You can then finish the part of the script you were reading and then save everything.

Another reason to have a UPS interconnected is that you will protect your equipment from power surges when electricity goes on and off after a storm for example. Also your valuable telephone lines or ISDN. This unit below has 8 outlets.

Interviews, a success formula 


Any interview for the media is a kind of battle between two brains interacting: one with the mission of extracting information and the other trying to give away what is convenient or relevant. It's more than words that are exchanged in the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, since gestures and attitudes, including body language, are a key part of any face to face talk, especially if both participants are on camera at a TV show or at a prerecorded interview.

Larry King, in his book "How to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere. The secrets of a good communication", says that an interview has the same elements of a conversation. He has a success formula with four key elements:

1) Honesty, I would say just be yourself, don't pretend and be sincere to your audience

2) Practice, so do as many interviews as possible or rehearse them if you don't have the chance

3) Interest on what the other person has to say, so you need to listen and show sincere empathy

4) Be frank, so be as open and sincere to your interviewee as you want him to be with you

Je suis un journaliste, pas un acteur, alors comment puis-je faire face à une caméra ?
Eh bien si vous n'avez pas été formé pour le faire, ce n'est pas grave,  c'est comme tout une question de pratique, beaucoup de pratique. 

 Voici quelques conseils pour vous:
1) Préparez à fond votre sujet. Etudiez le sujet que vous allez en parler jusqu'à ce qu'il devienne une partie de votre connaissance, jusqu'à ce que vous pouvez l'expliquer à partir d'angles différents et avec une richese des mots et des expressions. Si vous devez parler à un large public à travers l'objetiv de la caméra, vous devez faire comme tout soldat qui part sur le front: prendre assez de munitions et d'armes. Cela signifie pour vous des arguments et des opinions claires sur ce que vous parlez.
2) Ne mémorisez pas le sujet. Préparer un sujet ne signifie pas l'apprendre par cœur, puis le dire comme une machine à parler. Dale Carnegie écrit que «l'homme qui écrit et mémorise ses recits perd son temps et beaucoup d'énergie et il va vers la catastrophe". Vous devriez penser en fonction des idées, non en fonction des paroles. Comme Carnegie souligne «si vos idées sont claires, les mots viennent aussi naturellement et inconsciemment que l'air que nous respirons.
3) Lisez avec votre esprit ouvert. Contrairement aux idées reçues, les acteurs n'apprennent pas ligne par ligne, littéralement l'enregistrement dans leur esprit les phrases. Le processus est lu maintes et maintes fois les textes clés de votre discours et points de balle. Ce processus d'assimilation doit avoir lieu avec désinvolture et pendant les meilleurs moments de leur quand il n'ya pas de pression.
4) Répétez. Oui, vous avez besoin pour la pratique en face de quelqu'un qui peut vous orienter, ou si vous êtes seul dans un hôtel, le faire en face d'un miroir. Ne vous inquiétez pas si le discours change à chaque fois, rappelez-vous que vous n'êtes pas une machine, vous devrez exprimer des idées non pas une collection de mots, cela signifie que vous pouvez formuler vos idées dans différents modes, tant qu'ils sont clairs et que vous êtes debout dans le plein contrôle.
5) Gardez le contrôle. Il est naturel que vous vous sentez mal à l'aise et en tension quand vous savez que vous allez faire une présentation en direct devant les caméras. C'est une bonne chose, car cela signifie que votre adrénaline coule dans votre corps et l'esprit, alors quand vient le moment vous serez en mesure d'être forte. Obtenez votre esprit hors vous et se concentrer sur le sujet.
6) Gardez-le refroidir sur une caméra. Lorsque vous signalez la vie devant la caméra, vous serez debout pendant un certain temps, peut-être quelques minutes avant le point d'ancrage vous salue et vous pose des questions. Vous ne serez pas en mesure de le voir, mais vous avez à regarder la caméra, sans trop bouger. Pendant que vous attendez tout simplement se détendre et peut-être réfléchir sur les messages clés de ce que vous allez dire. Puis ajouter de l'énergie et de personnalité à vos phrases, mais ne suis pas nerveux si un mot est mal placée, si vous avez soudainement oublié quelque chose.

On Camera Live Coverage. How ?

I'm a journalist not an actor, so how can I face a camera and have a fluent meaningful speech that sounds and looks natural ?

Well you haven't been trained to do it, but it doesn't matter, this is a matter of practice, a lot of practice. Here are some tips for you:

1) Prepare your subject matter. really brood over the topic you are going to talk about until it becomes part of your knowledge, until you can explain it from different angles and with different words and expressions. If you have to talk to a wide audience through a camera lens you need to do as any soldier will do to combat, get the right ammunition and weapons. That means for you arguments and clear views on what you are talking about.

2) Do not memorize the topic. Preparing a subject does not mean to learn by heart a text and then say it like a talking machine. Dale Carnegie writes that "the man who writes out and memorizes his talks is wasting his time and energy and courting disaster". You should think of ideas, not words. As Carnegie points out "if your ideas are clear, the words come as naturally and unconsciously as the air we breathe.

3) Read with your mind open. Contrary to conventional wisdom, actors don't learn line by line, literally recording in their minds the sentences. The process is reading over and over again the key texts of your speech and bullet points. This assimilation process should take place casually and during the best moments of they when there is no pressure.

4) Rehearse. Yes, you need to practice in front of someone who can direct you, or if you are alone in a hotel, do it in front of a mirror. Don't worry if the speech changes everytime, remember you are not a machine, you will express ideas not a collection of words, that means that you can formulate your ideas in different fashions, as long as they are clear and you are standing in full control.

5) Keep control. It is natural that you feel uneasy and in tension when you know that you are going to do a live presentation on camera. That is good, because it means your adrenaline is flowing in your mind and body, so when the moment comes you will be able to be sharp. Get your mind off you and focus on the subject matter.

6) Keep it cool on-camera. When you are reporting life in front of camera, you will be standing for a while, maybe several minutes before the anchor greets you and asks you questions. You will not be able to see him, but you have to look at the camera without moving too much. While you wait just relax and maybe think about the key messages of what you are going to say. Then add energy and personality to your sentences, but don't get nervous if a word is misplaced, if you suddenly forgot something.

At PrimeVoices' studios we record voice-overs in multiple languages. We have a casting of native voice talents from all over the world. From simple voice-over to more elaborate dubbing or lip-sync, at PrimeVoices we can also mix the speech track with music or just background sound. With three studio suites, we can perform any post-production from video editing, to subtitling and captioning.
With PrimeReporters, a branch of PrimeVoices, we organise coverage of world events like elections or summits, supplying ready-to-air reports to international broadcasters.

Vous pouvez apprendre n'importe quoiLes enfants de certains fermes australiennes connaissent très bien l'education à distance. Depuis les années soixante, ils ont utilisé cet apprentissage en utilisant la radio ondes courtes pour communiquer avec leurs enseignants et leurs classes, parce que c'était la seule alternative possible pour avoir l'éducation lorsque les écoles étaient des centaines de kilometres. Maintenant, il est plus facile et il faut pas vivre en Australie, vous pouvez améliorer vos compétences n'importe ou grâce au e-learning. Tous ce que vous avez besoin est un ordinateur ou même un smartphone et bien entendu du temps et de la concentration. E-learning a été inventé en 1998 par Cisco Systems, société qui avait découvert e-learning comme un moyen efficace de former ses employés partout dans le monde. Par le biais de simples modules d'animations, des vidéos et des schémas, l'étudiant peut approfondir ses connaissances sur des sujets comme l'éthique d'entreprise, comment améliorer le service à la clientèle ou les règles de sécurité sur une usine. La beauté du e-learning est que l'apprentissage est un processus étape par étape, dans lequelle vous faites l'acquisition des compétences suite à une série de tests. C'est auto-formation fournit un résultat objectif clair, car avec un système de choix multiples vous et votre entreprise saurez si vous avez vraiment fait des progrès. Pour rendre l'apprentissage en ligne un outil de formation efficace, les modules d'animation sont toujours enregistrés par une voix humaine, la plupart du temps un narrateur persuasive qui vous parle dans votre propre langue. Parfois, il peut être plus que cela, donc une vraie conversation enregistrée avec des acteurs qui donnent vie à une scène particulière. Ainsi l'enregistrement d'e-learning est un must et c'est ce que nous faisons très régulièrement dans les studios de PrimeVoices.
Nous sélectionnons les acteurs pour leurs compétences pédagogiques, parce qu'ils doivent transmettre avec leur voix une série d'exercices qui peuvent parfois être complexes. Un example très atypique de cours e-learning nous l'avions enregistrée pour Renault il y a quatre ans et la langue en question était le slovène. Ce n'était pas facile de trouver les acteurs dans cette langue, mais alors quand nous avons réussi à les trouver l'enregistrement ce n'était pas une tâche facile . Ils devaient lire un texte très technique avec des instructions spécifiques sur la façon de fonctionner des machines qui fabriquent des voitures dans une usine en Slovénie.
Alors quelle est l'efficacité d'e-learning?. Il est portable, car les modules peuvent être chargés sur n'importe quel appareil numérique, téléphone intelligent, ordinateur ou tablette. Il s'agit d'une formation autonome et une série d'exercices qui permettent d'évaluer votre niveau. Il est objectif et d'entraînement résultat. Mais quels sont les inconvénients? E-learning est inutile si elle est utilisée seule, l'utilisateur doit être soutenue par un tuteur, parce que l'auto-étude a ses limites. Normalement le paquet d'e-learning est utilisé par la filiale à l'aide d'entraîneur professionnel qui fournit des directives générales sur la façon de l'utiliser par les gestionnaires. Last but not least l'utilisateur final devrait aussi avoir le temps au sein de l'entreprise d'être en mesure de suivre le cours.Au PrimeVoices nous avons enregistré d'e-learning dans plus de 30 langues, couvrant non seulement l'audio, voix-off sur les images, mais aussi la post-production finale avec sous-titrage et sous-titrage. Dans certains cas, nous avons localisé les animations afin que les textes embarqué peut également être adapté à la langue locale.

Recording E-learning

You can learn anything
Australian farm kids know it very well. Since the sixties they have used distance learning using short wave radio to communicate with their teachers and their classes, because it was the only possible alternative to have education when schools were hundreds of miles away. Now it's easier and you dont' need to be a kid or live in Australia, you can improve your skills in any area thanks to e-learning. All you need is a computer or even a smart phone and of course time and concentration. E-learning was invented in 1998 by Cisco Systems when it discovered that an effective way of training its employees all over the world was sending them e-learning modules. By means of simple animations, videos and diagrams, the student can improve his knowledge in topics like company ethics, effective customer service or safety rules. The beauty of e-learning is that it is a step by step process, in which you acquire skills through a series of tests. It's self study with a clear objective result, because with a multiple choice system you know and your company knows if you have really made progress. To make e-learning an effective tool in training, the animated modules have always a human voice, mostly a persuasive narrator who is talking to you in your own language. Sometimes it can be more than that, so a real conversation recorded with actors that give life to a particular scene. So recording e-learning is a must and this is what we do very regularly at PrimeVoices.

We select actors for their pedagogical skills, because they have to convey with their voices a series of drills or exercises that sometimes can be complex. A very atypical e-learning course we have recorded it was for Renault and the language involved was Slovenian. It wasn't easy to find the actors in that language, but then when we recorded it wasn't an easy task. They had to read a very technical texts with specific instructions on how to operate the machines that manufacture cars at a plant in Slovenia.
How effective can e-learning be ?. It is portable because the modules can be loaded on any digital device, smart-phone, computer or tablet. It is a self-contained training, with speaking e-teacher, the voice you hear, and a series of exercise that assess your level. It is objective and result drive. But what are the inconveniences? E-learning is useless if it is used alone, the user should be supported by a tutor, because self-study has limits. Normally the e-learning package is used by the subsidiary with the help of professional coach that provides general guidelines on how to use it by managers. Last but not least the final user should also have the time within the company to be able to follow the course.
At PrimeVoices we have recorded e-learning in over 30 languages, covering not just audio, voice-over on pictures, but also final post-production with captioning and subtitling. In some cases, we have localized the animations so that the embedded texts can also be adapted to the local language.

Robotic Voices

You hear them more and more. Their metallic sound, cold and neutral and of course outlandish. Robotic voices are conquering our public spaces, a vocal matrix of instructions and messages, avant-garde of the new controlled society. I hear them every time I drive out of the parking lot at the Lyon airport: "Merci pour votre visite, bonjour". The message is clear, but the inhuman sound is also perceived by my mind as an android sound. I wish it were so pleasant, even funny and sophisticated as C3PO the protocol droid from Star Wars. No way near.

But hey, let's not reject this technology. As you can probably hear in your own computer, some synthesized voices are very close to the real thing. Google has made an impressive progress with its plugin that can emulate human speech. Just try this, write define, then write any word. You can then look up both the meaning of the word and listen to the right pronunciation.

Will this technology ever replace the job of voice talents, well not entirely. The human voice carries more than just information, it transports emotions that a machine can't reproduce. But voice artists and studios beware, one day not so far in the future, the technology might surprise you. Some companies are developing that software that can read any script in most languages with the rhythm, intonation and pitch you want. But then to avoid a ridiculous expression, there always be a human being behind the puppet.

Copyright release

Every time a voice is recorded to announce or sell any product which is intended to be distributed in a particular market a copyright release should be paid to that voice talent by the contractor company. This implies that the artist gets a compensation for releasing the right to use his voice in that particular work, for a particular time frame and territory.

As this often happens most of the times this is not even written in a contract, is not considered when the service is sold to the client, or when the voice is hired. This is the case of small-scale productions, when budget is too low to lose time in redtape that is useless both for the client and for the voice. Because a copyright release or buyout document should be legally registered to have any value, it should respect the country particular legislation in that area. But who is going to bother for an IVR project of 390 euros ? But this is no excuse, the voice or the agency, or the studio should inquire if the product has a large audience, in which case a simple written document, even an email should act as proof of that copyright release.

For up-scale projects like TV or cinema spots, the voice contractor should be clear as to where and for how long the ad whould be broadcast and the voice should get the right compensation within the fee. The agency should have a document handy for the voice to sign or accept, or in any case should provide that information to the artist, so that he is aware that his voice will be used in a particular market. Again, such a document doesn't need to be a convoluted 20 pages, but it should outline how, when and where the voice of the artist will be exploited.

As Creativecommnos.org puts it "a proper copyright release form has to encompass the owner of the copyright, the designated licensee of the copyright, the conditions of the licensing with all the limitations and the exact name and definition of the copyrighted work that is the subject of the copyright release form."

Sombreros for the Summer

What's new under the sun? Well, some friends, who happen to be our clients and/or providers, have received a surprise very handy for the coming summer: a genuine Panama hat that will not only give them shed, but also enhance their natural elegance. The Pamela Panama also for the ladies was sent. This is just a message that the well being and relax associated with a the legendary sombrero are very important to do a good job too! But above all a small memento of friendship and gratitude for our 10 year anniversary. Yes, ladies and gentlemen we have manage to survive our first decade under one of the toughest business environment in Europe. Regardless of what the French government here says, the fact is that the state administration acts as a hostile force against small companies through their social and fiscal regulations. That discourages investment, employment and growth. Hey but I don't want to talk politics, this is not our country after all, we are world citizens as we proof every single day: Spanish-Dutch, Italian-Ecuadorian, Latins from France, etc...

By the way, maybe you can't read it but on the Panama you can see our logo PrimeVoices

I need Spain

March has been a rather hectic month for PrimeVoices thanks to a series of interesting recordings: a superb ad campaign on Croatia in nine languages, a very effective campaign on Spain as a tourist destination and last but not least a challenging commercial on Italian shoes for girls, challenging because it was actually a song performed by very young actresses in Finnish, Hungarian, Danish and Czech, what an exotic combination it was. We didn't get lost in translation. In fact our Hungarian associate got inspiration from his Finnish colleague, because, yes you guessed it right, those two languages have same roots.
It's quite encouraging when all of a sudden you get an email or a phone call asking your services as voice agency and studio for great brand names, that means they recognize your savoir-faire, that prime voices tries to be just that, get the best voices in multiple languages, organise them, direct them to get really what the client expect: vibrations, emotions, involvement, committment, not just a nice sounding voice.
With the Spanish ads, I need Spain, we had a really great moment. The French and MidAtlantic accented English actors were at our main studio connected real time through ISDN to a studio in Madrid...

Check out the original videos here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ68EQSaU4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh68Uam2zj0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTaGG69uU9Q

Impostare, or how to use the voice at its best

The Italians and Spaniards have a word for it: impostare, impostar...
This means the act of concentrating the strength of the voice on the vocal cords, so that the sound that comes from it is full and round, but mostly non hesitant and firm.

In other words it is a non natural exercise that needs training, that is why it's a job, because you need concentration, vocal skills and experience. If you have the chance to see how radio voices or professionnal announcers behave in front of the mike, you will see what I mean. Their voice suddenly changes to a sound that is completely different from the natural tone of voice of the person. It is a real transformation that you can not only hear, but also see. All of a sudden the voice talent changes is face and posture, he starts articulating also in a kind of artificial fashion, so opening the mouth, as if to pronounce better the syllables. And, yes, the actor can move hands and body, provided that he does it silently, to give that special concentration and emotion to the voice. At PrimeVoices we are very aware of that process, so we have witnessed at our studios many kinds of body languages, most funny of all was an Arabic voice that before the recording session started just lied down on the floor to breath and relax, then he started to made funny sounds as if to release the voice. The ritual ended with a massage of the cheeks to made them more flexible. The voice had a rather high pitch voice for a talent, but in front of the mike his voice turned out to be deep and solemn, we were really impressed...

Are voices responsible for a bad script ?

No, unless they are authors. But in real life this is not that simple. When the voices get a poor translation full of mistakes and not understandable expressions, it is a professional obligation to let the client know about the issue. If that is possible, it is good to suggest an improvement of the text if this is really possible, but on many instances, clients can't decide or they just say to you: sorry this text was validated by the company so we have to stick to it. If no solution is on sight, you don't have other choice but to insist. In the case that the text can be corrected on the spot, then what we do at PrimeVoices is recording two versions, one as it should, and the other as it is. We submit both recordings to the client and warn him that further changes should be paid. In other cases, the text is fine but not convenient to do a voice-over, as it is too long or too short, or just written in a convoluted way. If matching the pictures is a must, as it happens with all videos, then we have to apply some editing skills. When we get texts in English and then we do other language versions, we insist that translations should respect the timings, but it is rare that the translator work with a screen in front and TC.

The talent of the voice is measurable in mike-hours

Yes, absolutely. More than a naturally sounding voice, the voice actor is recognized as real talent thanks to many years of reading, announcing, performing in front of a microphone. So we can correctly argue that like the quality of pilots is measured in flight hours, the quality of the voice professional can be determined in the hours of lip service before its majesty the mike. I only understood this some years after starting my career as a radio journalist. At first I didn't know how to breath properly, how to keep the concentration and how to sound convincing and motivated, even in cases that I was not prepared to buy what I was recommending to sell with my voice. At PrimeVoices we have conducted thousands of castings in our ten years of existence. At first some people presented themselves at our studios with quite an usual argument: I want you to record my voice because everybody tells me that I it sounds very good.
It is delicate to express an opinion of someone else's voice, as the voice is part of your identity, of your personality, so we don't want any offence. But sometimes you have to be straight and tell him that his voice is not trained or sounds hesitant, etc. It's easy to recognize someone with real potential, so the best we can do is encougage him and advise him some breathing exercises, reading techniques, etc.
At the end of the day, you know that those voices that are "usable" belong to those who have a proven record of hundreds even thousands of hours. They are the right people for voice-overs and specially tricky dubbings and lip-synchs as you know that they are good, as they are quick and critical with their job, so you save studio time and you know that what you are giving the client is good quality.

Analogic versus Digital Sound Engineers

In the old age of analog sound, the sound engineer was an artist more than a technician. He had to control a huge table with multiple EQs buttons, know how to mix etc, but his skills were mostly based on a very fine ear, great imagination to create sound and some left hand to manage people. He was sandwiched between the demanding client or the listener (in radio for instance) and the voice talent, journalist or anchor at the other side of the double window.

These, like this most respected colleague to the right in the photo, were the sound engineers I grew up with as a radio journalist back in the 80s when I worked for Radio Nederland Wereldomroep. 
Well this a nostalgic moment, just to realize that the world has changed so much. That to record a radio program, you don't need all those machines like the Revox or the huge mix console, etc. A good computer work station with ProTools will do a much finer job, provided you have the right mikes and the right acoustic isolation without the obnoxious sound reflections. But you still need the real technician, a man whose work is so essential for a successful audio communication. But that analogical sound engineer could be completely at a loss in today's fully digital world, unless he brushes up his audio skills to the new changing technologies. An audio engineer today in 2010 has to turn himself into  an IT manager, familiar with the intricacies of computing, because his old analog world has been reduced to just two elements: the microphone and the cable than transports the sound. You may argue that these elements are crucial, and indeed they are, but once that the sounds is converted into binary code, then you have to understand what is going on to be able to tranform, encode, compress and manipulate audio in every possible way. If analog audio can't be transformed or copied without a clear loss of quality, digital sound supports multi generation changes without altering the intrinsic quality.

But the digital audio engineer knows that this is not simple. The universal 44100 khz 16 bits sampling if reduced to lower frequencies can distort and make the sound unusable, so trafficking with digital sound can be delicate if you don't know how the computer processes the sound. Also a deep knowledge of computing is needed to fix the too frequent problems of lack of compatibility among software programs. Because at any given moment, with any audio or video production, the audio engineer uses many software programs, written by different companies, so they are not necessarily compatible or tested, so all of a sudden in the middle of the recording session the system falls down, there is a bug that spoils the job and tests the patience of the team.

Well that's why at PrimeVoices we are proud to have Sergio as sound engineer, because he is more than that: he is a real IT manager who puts light in this brave new world of digital audio. More on that fascinating audio & video technology coming soon in this PrimeVoices blog.
Check out: http://www.primevoices.com




FRENCH
Ingénieur du son, analogique versus numérique
 
Dans la vieille époque du son analogique, l'ingénieur du son était un artiste plus qu'un technicien. Il avait la mission de contrôler une grande table de mixage avec une myriade d' égaliseurs, y devait bien sur savoir comment mélanger le son avec finesse etc, mais ses compétences été principalement basées sur une oreille très fine, beaucoup d'imagination pour créer des sons et une main gauche pour gérer les gens, donc speakers ou présentateurs. Il était pris en sandwich entre le client exigeant ou l'auditeur (à la radio par exemple) et le comédien ou le journaliste de l'autre côté de la fenêtre à double vitrage.

Ceux-ci, comme la première photo le montre, ont été les ingénieurs du son avec lequel j'ai grandi en tant que journaliste de radio dans les années 80, lorsque je travaillais pour Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.

Eh bien cette nostalgie pour dire que le monde du son a enormement changé, que, pour enregistrer une émission de radio, vous n'avez plus besoin de toutes ces machines comme le Revox ou des énormes consoles de mixage, etc. Une bonne station de travail avec ProTools fera un travail beaucoup plus fine, à condition d'avoir les bons micros et l'acoustique adéquate sans des reverbes sonores désagréables. Mais vous avez encore besoin d'un vrais ingénieur de son, un homme dont le travail est si essentielle pour un enregistrement pro. Mais il faut dire que ce ingénieur du son analogique d'autrefois pourrait être complètement déboussolé dans le monde d'aujourd'hui entièrement numérique, à moins qu'il mets à jour ses compétence audio en les adaptant aux nouvelles technologies. Un ingénieur du son d'aujourd'hui en 2010, doit se transformer en vrais informaticien, doit être familiarise avec les subtilités de l'informatique, parce que son vieux monde analogique a été soudainement réduite à deux éléments: le microphone et le câble que transporte le son. Vous me direz que ces éléments sont cruciaux, et elles le sont effectivement, mais une fois que le son sont est converti en code binaire, alors on doit très bien comprendre ce qui se passe dans l'unité centrale pour être en mesure de transformer, d'encoder, de compresser et de manipuler l'audio de toutes les manières possibles . 
Si les signaux audio analogiques ne peuvent pas être transformés ou copiés sans nuire la qualité, le son numérique est capable de subir des changements sur plusieurs générations sans altérer sa qualité intrinsèque.
Mais l'ingénieur du son numérique sait que tout cela n'est pas si simple. Le format universel 44100 KHz 16 bits si était réduite à des fréquences plus basses pourrait déformer et rendre inutilisable le son. Ceci est juste un exemple pour dire que même le son numérique précise de connaissances pointues, car il faut savoir comment l'ordinateur traite les sons. Également une profonde connaissance de l'informatique est nécessaire pour régler les problèmes trop fréquents de manque de compatibilité entre logiciels. Parce qu'à un moment donné, avec toute production audio ou vidéo, l'ingénieur du son utilise de nombreux logiciels, écrits par des sociétés différentes, de sorte qu'ils ne sont pas nécessairement compatibles ou testés, donc tout d'un coup au milieu de la session d'enregistrement, le système s'arrête, il y a un bug qui se présente, gâche le travail et teste la patience de l'équipe.
Eh bien, c'est pourquoi à PrimeVoices nous sommes fiers d'avoir Sergio comme ingénieur du son, parce qu'il est plus que cela: il s'agit d'un véritable responsable informatique qui met la lumière dans ce nouveau monde de l'audio numérique. Plus d'informations sur cette technologie fascinante d'audio et vidéo à venir bientôt dans le blog PrimeVoices. 
Allez sur: http://www.primevoices.fr

In the old age of analogic sound, the sound engineer was an artist more than a technitian. He had to control a huge table with multiple EQs buttons, know how to mix etc, but his skills were mostly based on a very fine ear, great imagination to create sound and some left hand to manage people. He was sandwiched between the demanding client or the listener (in radio for instance) and the voice talent, journalist or anchor at the other side of the double window.

These, like this most respected colleague to the right in the photo, were the sound engineers I grew up with as a radio journalist back in the 80s when I worked for Radio Nederland Wereldomroep. 
Well this a nostalgic moment, just to realize that the world has changed so much. That to record a radio program, you don't need all those machines like the Revox or the huge mix console, etc. A good computer work station with ProTools will do a much finer job, provided you have the right mikes and the right acoustic isolation without the obnoxious sound reflections. But you still need the real technitian, a man whose work is so essential for a succesful audio communication. But that analogic sound engineer could be completely at a loss in today's fully digital world, unless he brushes up his audio skills to the new changing technologies. An audio engineer today in 2010 has to turn himself into  an IT manager, familiar with the intricacies of computing, because his old analogic world has been reduced to just two elements: the microphone and the cable than transports the sound. You may argue that these elements are crucial, and indeed they are, but once that the sounds is converted into binary code, then you have to understand what is going on to be able to tranform, encode, compress and manipulate audio in every possible way. If analog audio can't be transformed or copied without a clear loss of quality, digital sound supports multi generation changes without altering the intrinsic quality.

But the digital audio engineer knows that this is not simple. The universal 44100 khz 16 bits sampling if reduced to lower frequencies can distort and make the sound unusable, so trafficking with digital sound can be delicate if you don't know how the computer processes the sound. Also a deep knowledge of computing is needed to fix the too frequent problems of lack of compatibility among software programs. Because at any given moment, with any audio or video production, the audio engineer uses many software programs, written by different companies, so they are not necessarily compatible or tested, so all of a sudden in the middle of the recording session the system falls down, there is a bug that spoils the job and tests the patience of the team.

Well that's why at PrimeVoices we are proud to have Sergio as sound engineer, because he is more than that: he is a real IT manager who puts light in this brave new world of digital audio. More on that fascinating audio & video technology coming soon in this PrimeVoices blog.
Check out: http://www.primevoices.com




FRENCH
Ingénieur du son, analogique versus numérique



Dans la vieille époque du son analogique, l'ingénieur du son était un artiste plus qu'un technicien. Il avait la mission de contrôler une grande table de mixage avec une myriade d' égaliseurs, y devait bien sur savoir comment mélanger le son avec finesse etc, mais ses compétences été principalement basées sur une oreille très fine, beaucoup d'imagination pour créer des sons et une main gauche pour gérer les gens, donc speakers ou présentateurs. Il était pris en sandwich entre le client exigeant ou l'auditeur (à la radio par exemple) et le comédien ou le journaliste de l'autre côté de la fenêtre à double vitrage.

Ceux-ci, comme la première photo le montre, ont été les ingénieurs du son avec lequel j'ai grandi en tant que journaliste de radio dans les années 80, lorsque je travaillais pour Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.

Eh bien cette nostalgie pour dire que le monde du son a enormement changé, que, pour enregistrer une émission de radio, vous n'avez plus besoin de toutes ces machines comme le Revox ou des énormes consoles de mixage, etc. Une bonne station de travail avec ProTools fera un travail beaucoup plus fine, à condition d'avoir les bons micros et l'acoustique adéquate sans des reverbes sonores désagréables. Mais vous avez encore besoin d'un vrais ingénieur de son, un homme dont le travail est si essentielle pour un enregistrement pro. Mais il faut dire que ce ingénieur du son analogique d'autrefois pourrait être complètement déboussolé dans le monde d'aujourd'hui entièrement numérique, à moins qu'il mets à jour ses compétence audio en les adaptant aux nouvelles technologies. Un ingénieur du son d'aujourd'hui en 2010, doit se transformer en vrais informaticien, doit être familiarise avec les subtilités de l'informatique, parce que son vieux monde analogique a été soudainement réduite à deux éléments: le microphone et le câble que transporte le son. Vous me direz que ces éléments sont cruciaux, et elles le sont effectivement, mais une fois que le son sont est converti en code binaire, alors on doit très bien comprendre ce qui se passe dans l'unité centrale pour être en mesure de transformer, d'encoder, de compresser et de manipuler l'audio de toutes les manières possibles . 
Si les signaux audio analogiques ne peuvent pas être transformés ou copiés sans nuire la qualité, le son numérique est capable de subir des changements sur plusieurs générations sans altérer sa qualité intrinsèque.
Mais l'ingénieur du son numérique sait que tout cela n'est pas si simple. Le format universel 44100 KHz 16 bits si était réduite à des fréquences plus basses pourrait déformer et rendre inutilisable le son. Ceci est juste un exemple pour dire que même le son numérique précise de connaissances pointues, car il faut savoir comment l'ordinateur traite les sons. Également une profonde connaissance de l'informatique est nécessaire pour régler les problèmes trop fréquents de manque de compatibilité entre logiciels. Parce qu'à un moment donné, avec toute production audio ou vidéo, l'ingénieur du son utilise de nombreux logiciels, écrits par des sociétés différentes, de sorte qu'ils ne sont pas nécessairement compatibles ou testés, donc tout d'un coup au milieu de la session d'enregistrement, le système s'arrête, il y a un bug qui se présente, gâche le travail et teste la patience de l'équipe.
Eh bien, c'est pourquoi à PrimeVoices nous sommes fiers d'avoir Sergio comme ingénieur du son, parce qu'il est plus que cela: il s'agit d'un véritable responsable informatique qui met la lumière dans ce nouveau monde de l'audio numérique. Plus d'informations sur cette technologie fascinante d'audio et vidéo à venir bientôt dans le blog PrimeVoices. 
Allez sur: http://www.primevoices.fr

Half an hour rec. session for just four words ?

Oh, certainly that's the minimum if you want to record the real thing !

And that's precisely what we are showing in this video clip: the recording session actually lasted for a whole day, because we recorded nine language versions in a row of a one single 5'' billboard. Time and dedication were invested not just because it's about a very famous and prestigious brand, but also due to the fact that this advert is showing on a well-known international TV station.

So it's a kind of rule: the smaller the text, the longer the time devoted to recording.

How can that contemplation can be justified? Well, everything starts with the translation, not easy either, because here you rather adapt a text for a target audience, instead of a simple conventional translation that could ruin both the original meaning and spirit of the slogan or advert. Once the text is validated by the client, we then have to choose the right voices. In this case, the keyword was elegance, because both the brand and the program that is sponsored have that in common: culture, refinement, status and prestige. So Grazia our artistic director chose not just another deep voice, but a distinguished voice like that of our friend Jean-Claude. Like his other colleagues (Spanish, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic and Turkish) Jean-Claude had to convey in those four words the right elegant pitch, the vocal vibrations that prompt in your mind those brand values the client wants to convey. Sergio, our engineer, equalized the voice track with some good old tube sound to highlight warmth and proximity. Then normalized and exported the track in the right broadcasting format.

So as you can see in our main characters of the video, Jean-Claude, Sergio and Grazia, recording a billboard is not a factory process, it's a delicate operation that needs patience, care and also sense of humor.
Check out: http://www.primevoices.com


FRENCH
Une séance d'une demi-heure pour a peine 4 mots ?
Oui, certainement c'est le minimum si vous voulez un résultat vraiment pro!
Et c'est précisément ce que nous montrons dans le clip vidéo ci-dessus: la séance d'enregistrement et post-prod avait duré toute une journée, parce que nous avons effectué neuf versions linguistiques d'un slogan publicitaire de 5 mots. Du temps et du travail ont été investis non seulement parce que il s'agissait d'une marque très célèbre et prestigieuse, mais aussi en raison du fait que cette annonce serait diffusée sur une chaine de télé international très connu.
Donc c'est une sorte de règle: plus petit est le texte, plus long le temps consacré à l'enregistrement.
Comment cette contemplation peut être justifiée? Eh bien, tout commence par la traduction, pas facile non plus, car ici vous adaptez plutôt un texte destiné à un public cible, au lieu d'une traduction classique  et simple qui pourrait ruiner à la fois la signification originelle et l'esprit du slogan. Une fois le texte validé par le client, nous devons alors choisir les voix les plus appropriées. Dans ce cas, le mot clef est l'élégance, parce que tant la marque que le programme qui sponsorise ont cela en commun: la culture, le raffinement, le statut et le prestige. Ainsi Grazia, notre directrice artistique, avait cherché et trouvé une voix distinguée comme celle de notre ami Jean-Claude. Comme ses autres collègues (espagnol, anglais, allemand, italien, portugais, russe, arabe et turque) Jean-Claude devait faire passer dans ces quatre mots, ce pitch élégante et ces vibrations vocales qui transmettent les valeurs de marque si chers au clients. Sergio, notre ingénieur, avait égalisé la piste vocale avec le bon vieux tube a fin de mettre en évidence la chaleur et la proximité. 
Donc, comme vous pouvez le voir dans nos personnages de la vidéo, Jean-Claude, Sergio et Grazia, l'enregistrement d'un billboard publicitaire n'est pas un processus d'usine, c'est une opération délicate qui nécessite de la patience, de l'inspiration et aussi le sens de l'humour
Jetez un coup d'oeil sur : http://www.primevoices.fr

Voice-Over in Christmas time? Don't do it

Drinking too much, eating too much ? Well it's Christmas time so you have licence to get those extras that your body doesn't need, besides you are not working so no need to be sober. Having said that you know that the voice can sound differently if you are hungry or if you have eaten too much. Yes the voice can also be a gauge of appetite or perhaps an energy indicator.

So let's say that the energy indicator is on the red side, because energy is low and appetite big, this kind of situations could happen for instance when we have to read a script late in the evening after a long tiring day, it is really tough to make it sound fresh and interesting. You could certainly cheat and make it sound authentic and committed, but, man, what an effort !. If you have to read a long script, the voice is really put to the test. In case we are dealing with a voice-over matching a video, or even more difficult a lip-synch dubbing, then the level of concentration is so high, that it would even be irresponsible to record in the studio at that moment, as the result might not be what it should be.

Now let's suppose the opposite: the gauge is green because we have eaten a good breakfast and we are also full of energy because we have slept and therefore rested. Concentration is high, well after a good coffee, and therefore we can read properly and making good sense with the lines.

So let's be aware, that to use the voice to put life, feelings and more to any text, you need to choose the right moment of the day, but if you eat or drink too much, well then just use your voice to make a joke to your friends, sing in a karaoke, or, if needed, snor and rest.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel !!!
Check out: http://www.primevoices.com

FRENCH
Voix Off à Noël? Pas la peine
Trop manger ou trop boire ? Eh bien, c'est le temps de Noël, donc vous avez bien la permission pour obtenir ces extras que votre corps n'a pas besoin, en plus vous ne travaillez pas, donc pas besoin d'être sobre. Vous savez bien que la voix peut sonner de façon différente en fonction de si vous avez faim ou si vous avez trop mangé. Oui, la voix peut être également une jauge d'appétit, autrement dit un indicateur de l'énergie.
Alors disons que l'indicateur d'énergie est sur le côté rouge, parce que l'énergie est faible et don l'appétit et conséquent; ce genre de situations peuvent se produire par exemple lorsque nous avons à lire un script tard dans la soirée après une journée fatigante, en ce-moment-là est vraiment difficile d'avoir un son frais et intéressant. Vous pourriez certainement tricher et rendre un son authentique et engagé, mais, quel effort !. Si vous devez lire un long script, la voix sera vraiment mis à l'épreuve. Au cas où nous avons affaire à une voix off pour vidéo, ou encore plus difficile une synchronisation labiale, donc le doublage ADR, alors le niveau de concentration sera si élevé qu'il serait même irresponsable d'enregistrer dans le studio à ce moment, parce que le résultat ne pourrait pas être ce qu'elle devrait être. 
Maintenant supposons le contraire: la jauge est verte parce que nous avons mangé un bon petit déjeuner et nous sommes également pleins d'énergie parce que nous avons bien dormi et donc nous sommes reposés. La concentration est forcement élevée, après un bon café, et nous pouvons donc lire correctement et faire le bon sens avec les phrases du script.
Alors, soyons conscients que, pour utiliser la voix pour faire vivre un texte, pour le donner de la passion, de l' authenticité, vous devez choisir le bon moment de la journée, mais si vous mangez ou buvez trop, eh bien il suffit d'utiliser votre voix pour raconter une blague à vos amis, chanter dans un karaoké, ou, si nécessaire, bien aller se coucher.
Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel !
Jetez un coup d'oeil: http://www.primevoices.fr

Voice it, but first understand what you are saying !

If you do voice-over for a living, because you are a radio or TV journalist, or a professional announcer, I'm sure you are confronted with a simple fact: you can't read properly if you don't understand what it's written. Well, you could argue, a real voice artist can read any text in any way you ask him to, and not just that: a real voice artist can do some magic too: a stupid or even fluffy text can sound interesting and even intelligent if you apply the right dose of salt and pepper tweaking your voice and applying the right pitch, rhythm and intonation. If you add to that the technical savvy of a good sound engineer and the latest digital sound recording technology the result can be impressive. So beware of nice sounding voices, they can just make you believe or buy almost anything. That explains why some artists get paid nicely because their persuasive voices get the message across to your mind and that is the goal of publicists, preachers and, yes, journalists. Some journalists believe that just reading the facts and showing the pictures is enough to communicate, well they are wrong. They have to put something more of themselves than just the vocal cords, or their news item will be just another boring piece of information.
Check out http://www.primevoices.com


FRENCH
Lisez au micro, mais aprés avoir bien compris le texte !
Si vous travaillez dans la voix off pour vous gagner votre vie, soit parce que vous êtes un journaliste de radio ou de télévision, ou bien un speaker / comédien professionnel, je suis sûr que vous êtes toujours confronté à un simple fait : vous ne pouvez pas lire correctement si vous ne comprenez pas ce que c'est écrit. Eh bien, on pourrait penser, un vrais comédien peut lire n'importe quel texte de quelque manière que vous le lui demandez, et pas seulement: une artiste vraie peut faire un tour de magie avec sa voix: un texte stupide, voire vide peut même paraître intéressant et intelligent, à condition d'appliquer la bonne dose de sel et de poivre dans la voix et ajuster rythme et l'intonation. 
Si vous ajoutez à cela le savoir faire technique d'un bon ingénieur du son et les dernières technologies numériques de l'enregistrement sonore, le résultat peut être impressionnant. Alors méfiez-vous des voix qui sonnent, ils peuvent tout simplement vous faire croire ou acheter presque n'importe quoi. Cela explique pourquoi certains comédiens sont très bien payés parce que leur voix persuasive fait passer le message à votre esprit et tel est l'objectif des publicistes, des prêtres et, oui, des journalistes. 
Certains journalistes estiment que la simple lecture des faits avec les images est suffisant pour bien communiquer, eh bien ils ont tort. Ils doivent mettre quelque chose de plus propre que seulement les cordes vocales, ou leurs infos seront juste une autre pièce ennuyeuse qui déclenchera l'indifférence et le zapping.
Jetez un coup d'oeil sur http://www.primevoices.fr