Today, another little peek behind the scenes of a voice-over business. Mine, of course. E-learning continues to be my top genre, followed by corporate videos, characters and then good old-fashioned commercial reads.
When things are going smoothly, you just hum along in a routine. Audition, hire, voice, payment, lather, rinse, repeat. But, I experienced a big bump in the road recently. My RE-20 microphone, the same one that’s still the standard at many radio stations, started acting strangely. Weird noises I didn’t make, like a cross between a thump and a goat’s cry, would occasionally appear on my recordings. They became more frequent and were impossible to edit. The mic that isn’t supposed to ever die, was dying.
Now I’m using a Yeti Blue. It’s a USB mic, meaning it plugs directly into a computer. It’s part of the reason why it’s so easy for anyone to try the voice-over biz now. And it’s made a huge difference. I get short-listed for jobs more often and a couple of my regular clients say it’s clearer and truer to my voice. Who would have imagined that my expensive, work-horse microphone was actually working against me while one that cost a fraction, would sound even better? Thank you, modern technology.
However, changing mics isn’t as simple as plugging the new one in and carrying on. The Yeti is more sensitive than the RE-20, which is a broadcast mic. I swear the Yeti can hear me smile. It’s a desk microphone that’s too big around to attach to my boom arm, so I have to find a solution for that, too. I like a hanging mic. My arms are suddenly awkward to manage. If they touch the desk, the mic picks it up and adds background noise. If I fold them against me, I cramp my delivery. I’ve never been so aware of my arms.
You know what it’s like when you paint one wall in a room, and you need to do a whole lot more just to make everything else look right? The same principle applies here. Meanwhile, the work hasn’t stopped (I’m not complaining!) and the deadlines are just as tight. It’s a bit of a juggling act, but so far, it’s working out.
Derek picked up the old RE-20 and it deposited a coating of metal shavings on his hand. He turned it upside down while inspecting it, and could hear the inner workings move around. That’s not supposed to happen! The poor ol’ gal has finally given up. She was reconditioned when I bought her and still lasted another 20 years. She owes me nothing. I can only hope the Yeti has a fraction of her endurance.
Thanks Lisa, this post alone is worth the cost of my yearly subscription! My wife wants to start recording readings of her children’s bible stories and I’ve been looking for a mic. If this inexpensive unit works for you, it will more than suffice for Jan.
I’m so glad you’re getting your money’s worth! 🙂 I came home today and Derek had purchased, and set up, a boom mic and a pop filter. He got them both on sale at Long & McQuade for about $60 total. There is no question that this mic sounds better than what I had before and I’ve done some poking around and lots of VO pros use the Yeti. It has a nice, crisp sound and several settings so you/she can choose which one works best. A buddy keeps telling me I need a $2000 mic that’s the “industry standard”. I say hogwash!