The Big Think

Geeky post. Just ignore.

Been messing around in Soundtrack Pro looking at the sfx and foley stuff, as well as Apple’s idea of audio workflow. I still don’t think Apple has quite the power in Soundtrack that they want the public to believe (jumping from version 1.1 straight to version 2 is a bit of a cheat), but Soundtrack Pro has some amazing features that leave other audio apps (Pro Tools and Digital Performer) in the dust. Stuff like auto click removal and DC offset fixes, as well as timeline conformity across several apps (mainly FCP). I only hope they continue to improve the product.

For now, even though it means a bit more hand tweaking, I’ll stick with DP. As a result of the session today with Adam I’m going to go ahead and upgrade to the X version of DP. I discovered that the computer likes to rev the internal fans up to full power when in OS 9. During the tracking session today it got hard to hear detail with the machine screaming along next to me. It’s virtually silent (okay, not silent, but much quieter) in X, and the power management software in OS X enables better cooling at slower fan speeds. I can even close the cabinet door and the computer doesn’t go into high-power conniption mode after three minutes. And I can monitor the internal heat in X. I can’t do this in OS 9 for some reason. The HD temp rarely gets above 110 degrees F so I don’t have much to worry about, but I’m loathe to seal the computer in the cabinet without sufficient circulation. I’d hate to see silicon melt.

I’m looking at other equipment upgrades as well, but those won’t be for awhile, or unless I get a big gig that enables them. I really need to get the AT4035a mic and boom kit from B&H, as well as a wireless mic (the Sennheiser G2). I’m considering a solid state recorder like the Marantz PMD670 or even the Tascam HD-P2 down the road. With this rig I could record on location at 48khz/24 bit resolutions straight to a CF card that would transfer data directly to the Mac. Dual record systems for film work (instead of the adequate but non-redundant system of recording straight into camera), as well as the ability to record foley and fx work in the field. I’d love to take the system to the shooting range up the road and spend the afternoon, then dump all those samples into Apple’s Loop Utility and categorize them. It’d be fun banging around to get sfx in the shop, too. I had to do a bunch of shop-sound foley a few years ago and lugging the tools upstairs into the studio was a huge pain. I don’t have any way to record off-site except for the wonky DAT deck (or a client’s DV camera), so having a system like this would greatly add to my flexibility.

Lots of gear that I could get, but it won’t be happening for little while. Still, today was a good work day. It’s good to feel the business momentum!

Today I had the most excellent day of voiceover work in the new studio. My friend and actor/voiceover artist (and there’s a big difference! Just because you can act doesn’t mean that you can do convincing voice work) Adam Creighton came over and we spent about 6 hours wringing out the new booth, new mic, workflow, and everything else that pertains to having sessions here. It was a great experience. Adam got some new additions to his demo and I got to tweak and track down gremlins. It was particularly helpful to have someone in the booth so that I could see what my workflow is going to be. How am I going to interact with the computer and the mixer (which are about 7 feet apart)? How is the workspace in the booth (need a clip-on music stand). Where should the talent stand in order to use the window most effectively? Do I need any more equipment (as always, yes: more auralex, bass traps, monitor mounts, a better talkback mic setup, and a small headphone mixer).

Adam spent about 90 minutes in the booth positively wringing himself out doing all kinds of different stuff. He went from soft Japanese Kanji-Master (okay, you know what I mean, grasshopper) all the way to enraged comic book superhero (wow!) while I tried to follow his levels and get a good setting on the gear. His performance gave the new AT4040 mic a serious workout and convinced me that it really is at the top of the pack for the price.

After the recording we did some editing and comping of the raw tracks, in addition to laying out a good flow for the two 60 second demos. We’ll add music and sfx early next week. I’ll be sure to post the demos here and link to Adam’s demo site.

By the way, if you’re in the market for a really stellar v/o talent, give Adam a call. He’s quite a good actor, as well. He’s had gigs on Friday Night Lights, industrial and training films, and all sorts of other projects. Plus, he’s a real pro and a pleasure to work with. And he likes buffalo wings. How can a guy who likes wings be bad?

I got some good pics of Adam in the booth for the eventual website upgrade/redo. I keep promising to post studio construction pics. Sorry that I haven’t done it yet. I want to do a really good job on the post and that will take awhile.