The Pro Audio Suite

If you've ever built a studio at home, you know that it's not as easy as it seems. There are so many expenses, and (to be honest) choices to be made. In this episode, we talk to two hard-working Voice Actors who have great home setups, and deep dive into whats worked for them, what hasn't, and what they could probably have done without. What follows is a fairly definitive "How To" episode for what...

AT & T has just announced they will be closing their ISDN network from June 1 2023, and many other major players are already winding down services. Australia has already lost their network and the UK closes in the next few years.  Given the ISDN is the lifeblood of a home studio, what's the next big thing? And more importantly what are your choices? In this episode, Robert, George, Robbo and Andre...

So you've got a script that involves a bit of close mic work and some really brash and loud dialogue. How should you tame those nasty peaks but at the same time maintain a good level for the softer bits without compression? Plus we dive into the mailbag, and things get very silly... The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their...

There are a bunch of them out there, clones of some of your favourite mics. You can buy them online as a kit or straight from the designer. But do they stack up to the real deal, and are they worth the $? This week we take a look! The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their involvement with our show, and their generosity. You...

In the Southern Hemisphere, it's that time of year, flu season. While he hasn't got COVID, AP does have the dreaded Flu, and his voice is paying the price. But it could be allergies, a simple cold, you name it. Snotty and sinusy, it sounds like there's a bunch of cotton wool balls shoved up your nose. Is there anything you can do to save it, or is it just a case of suck it up and get on with it? T...

The mic chart! If you're looking for a new mic (or even your first) the one thing that might point you in the direction of a mic or two that's worth auditioning for your voice is the frequency response chart. But what do they show? How do you know what sound that will translate to when you get behind it? And what should you be looking for in the first place? This week, George, Robert and AP take a...

There seemed to be some confusion on a recent Social Media post regarding the upgrade path for Source Connect on PC. Given that Source Elements are mothballing some of the older versions (15 years or older) of their popular software, some users are needing to upgrade to the current version. Given that 3.9 is not available for PC, and version 4 is just around the corner, there has been some confusi...

Every week we use audio terms and technical phrases that can go over some people's heads. Especially if you're new, or just not so technically minded. So this week, thanks to a letter from Bob Leedom, we take a look at a few of the more common ones and what they mean. The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their involvement wit...

 The Acousta LE03 is a high-resolution audio interface designed and made in Austria by Innovative Audio. What's impressive is that the two Mic inputs are built with high-quality ADCs (Analog-to-digital converters) with a dynamic range of 160dB from noise floor to full scale. Meanwhile, the monitoring is courtesy of a Class-D headphone driver and high-quality DAC (Digital to Analog converter), so t...

Interfaces are super easy to use, but mixers give you more flexibility when it comes to routing audio around your studio. So what's best, in what circumstances? This week we investigate your options... The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their involvement with our show, and their generosity. You can see the complete list of...

Everyone has their preference for headphones. Open, closed, in ears, and some you may never have heard of. We opened this episode with the intent of discussing just Open v Closed, but in the usual Pro Audio Suite tradition, the conversation ends up a lot deeper...  The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their involvement with o...

From treatment on the walls to computer monitors, iPads, and more. What is necessary and what is optional in your booth if you really want to be prepared for what may come at you from the other end of the line during a session? The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gear from RØDE microphones. We would like to thank them for their involvement with our show, and their generosity. You can...

So you jump in the booth at home, and with the client on the line, lay down a bunch of takes. Then, down the line, you hear them say, "we haven't been recording here, could you cut takes 2 and 6 together, with the third paragraph from take 12?"... Is this a reasonable request? After all, you're just the voice guy, right? Of what about playback in general. Is that something that's reasonably expect...

Diffusion and Absobtion. Both completely legitimate ways to treat your room and booth, but which one is better, and most importantly, which one should you be using? This week, Robbo, George, Robert, and AP break down the ins and outs of each technique and chat about how and where you may want to use them. Plus ways to achieve both on a budget.. The Pro Audio Suite has kindly been supplied with gea...

We all love the smell of a new car, but did you know it's actually a nasty gas that creates that new car whiff?? Well, it's the same with studio foam, and if that's not enough, what those same particles of foam can do if they get into your lungs as they degrade is even scarier. This week we take a look around a typical recording studio and sniff out the potential health hazards.. The Pro Audio Sui...

In the early 1920s, Drs. Walter H. Schottky and Erwin Gerlach co-invented the first ribbon microphone.  By turning the ribbon circuit in the opposite direction, they also invented the first ribbon loudspeaker.  This week we take a look at how far this technology has come in terms of fidelity and reliability.  Andrew has got his hands on the Sure KSM353, and George pulls out an old "Lip Mic" for a...

Just a few weeks ago on the show, we broached the subject of VOICE AI and the legal predicament it presents in terms of protecting your voice.  Well, it didn't take long for things to come to a head. Just this week (May 2021) Canadian Voice Actor Bev Standing launched legal action against global Social Media giant Tik Tok, claiming they have used sound files that she recorded for another job witho...

Thanks to your feedback on our recent poll, we've begun planning more episodes that feature gear, gear setups, and room tuning tips n tricks. The first cab off the rank is this week's episode. We asked each of our panel members to come up with something new that they have been playing with over the past few weeks. And what we got was a great diversity of NEWNESS... George looks at some software fo...

They're thought of as "The Dark Side" of Audio, long hours behind the mic for some, and hours of painstaking editing on the other side of the glass. This week we speak with Simone Feiler (Brisbane Audio Books Owner/Engineer) and Scott Brick, Audio Book Voice Artist with a stack of credentials. We take a dive down the rabbit hole of questions about this little know artform and have a few laughs alo...

"The NT-USB Mini brings the pristine sound quality of RØDE's world-class studio mics to a compact, easy-to-use USB microphone. Designed to deliver crystal-clear, professional-quality audio direct to a computer or tablet, it's the perfect microphone for gamers, podcasters, musicians, streamers, and content creators who want to be heard in full definition.'' That's what RODE have to say about their...

In past episodes, we have discussed the broader consequences of Voice Over AI.  Bob Bergen talked about the union's position, Tony Bellette discussed the repercussions of selling your voice, and on more than one occasion we have had a discussion around 'owning your voice". And for us, that's what a lot of this comes down to. Can you OWN your voice? What rights do you have, and can anyone just make...

If you follow our show, you will absolutely know who Bill Drescher is. 50 Years behind the console at studios like Sound City, A & M and many others make him a household name in the Music Biz. In Part two of our interview with Bill, we look back at the later part of his career, and Charles Manson, Drum Mic Setups, His Vocal Chain setup, tips and tricks, and a whole lot more...   The Pro Audio Suit...

If you follow our show, you will absolutely know who Bill Drescher is. 50 Years behind the console at studios like Sound City, A & M and many others make him a household name in the Music Biz. In Part One of our interview with Bill, we look back at the early years of his career. The building of the Sound City legend, his production/engineering work with the likes of Neil Young, Barry Manilow, Rick...

Last week we featured Brad Newman ( upper-level CRM owner and founder)and spoke in broad terms about marketing for Media people. This week we get down to the nitty-gritty of what to post and when... Find out more about Brad below.. Brad's VoiceOver website.. bradnewman.com/ Voice Actor website hosting .. voiceactorwebsites.com/services/web-hosting/ Upper-Level CRM.. upperlevelcrm.com/ The Pro Audi...

Brad Newmann is a "Jack of all trades". He's a voice artist, post-production studio owner, and also heads up a marketing company aimed at voice-over and audio peeps... This week Brad joins us to talk about Marketing for the Voice Over industry. What are we doing wrong, what are the ways of getting it right?? And everything in-between.  Oh and don't worry we couldn't let him go without geeking out...