- Darren "Robbo" Robertson
- Robert Marshall
- George "The Tech" Whittam
- Andrew Peters
- Matt Calrick (https://www.mattcowlrick.com/)
- Tribooth: The best vocal booths for home or on-the-road voice recording (Code: TRIPAP200 for $200 off).
- Austrian Audio: Making passion heard.
- Introduction:
- The episode kicks off with the hosts introducing themselves and their sponsors.
- The main discussion revolves around recommendations for setting up a first home studio for voice-over work.
- Key Points:
- Building a Booth: Robbo shares how he built a recording booth for his wife in their walk-in wardrobe, using clothing for sound treatment.
- Microphone Recommendations:
- Sennheiser 416
- NTG5, NTG1, NT1, OC16
- Audio Technica AT875R
- Interface Recommendations:
- AI1, SSL2, Micport Pro, Steinberg UR series (IXO12, IXO22)
- Headphones:
- Closed-back models like Audio Technica ATH series and Austrian Audio Hi-X 15
- DAWs and Software:
- Twisted Wave recommended for its simplicity and cross-platform capabilities.
- Additional Insights:
- Importance of a good recording space.
- Flexibility and longevity of audio gear.
- Importance of connectivity for remote sessions (Zoom, Source Connect).
- Conclusion:
- Investing in quality gear that can be used both at home and on the road.
- Recommendations for a balanced setup: Tribooth, Sennheiser 416, and SSL2.
- #ProAudioSuite
- #HomeStudio
- #VoiceOver
- #AudioGear
- #Podcasting
- #Microphone
- #AudioInterface
- #RecordingBooth
- #AudioProduction
- #StudioSetup
00:00:00
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai - Go Unlimited to remove this message) Y'all ready to be history?
00:00:01
Get started.
00:00:01
Welcome.
00:00:02
Hi.
00:00:02
Hi.
00:00:03
Hi.
00:00:04
Hello, everyone.
00:00:05
To the pro audio suite.
00:00:06
These guys are professional, they're motivated.
00:00:08
Thanks to Triboose, the best vocal booths for
00:00:11
home or on the road voice recording.
00:00:13
And Austrian Audio, making passion heard.
00:00:16
Introducing Robert Marshall from Source Elements and someone
00:00:20
audio post Chicago.
00:00:22
Darren Robert Robertson from Voodoo Radio Imaging, Sydney.
00:00:24
Next to the VO stars, George the Tech
00:00:27
Witten from L.A. And me, Andrew Pickers,
00:00:29
voice over talent and home studio guy.
00:00:35
And welcome to another pro audio suite.
00:00:38
Thanks to Triboose.
00:00:39
The golden handcuffs are removed with your Triboose.
00:00:42
And don't forget the code TRIPAP200.
00:00:45
That will get you $200 off yours.
00:00:47
And Austrian Audio, making passion heard.
00:00:51
We're once again joined by Matt Calrich.
00:00:53
Afternoon, evening, morning, g'day, whatever time it is
00:00:57
when you're listening to this.
00:00:58
We got a question and it was actually
00:01:00
sent from our mutual agent, Matt, in Australia,
00:01:04
asking if we could help out with some
00:01:07
recommendations for gear for people setting up their
00:01:09
first home studio for voice over, of course.
00:01:13
So we thought we'd do a bit of
00:01:15
a round table and just come up with
00:01:16
some ideas.
00:01:17
I think...
00:01:18
Can of worms.
00:01:18
Yeah, can of worms, but it's got to
00:01:20
be like, you know, moderate budget, microphone interface,
00:01:25
headphones, and probably a space.
00:01:28
We need to talk about that as well,
00:01:30
because there's no point having all that stuff
00:01:31
in the middle of the kitchen.
00:01:32
You've got to start with space, don't you,
00:01:33
really?
00:01:34
You've really got to start with space.
00:01:37
I'm happy to lead off here.
00:01:38
I mean, I've built my wife, for those
00:01:40
who don't know, does voice over.
00:01:41
You built your wife?
00:01:43
Yeah, I did.
00:01:43
Yeah, I built my wife.
00:01:46
That's another episode.
00:01:46
That's a whole other episode, absolutely.
00:01:51
A brave new world.
00:01:53
But I actually built her a booth in
00:01:54
our walk-in wardrobe, which is perfect.
00:01:59
There was one bare wall, which I've put
00:02:01
some treatment on, but then just put clothing
00:02:04
around, and just by sort of playing with
00:02:07
the amount of clothing that was in a
00:02:08
certain spot, I've managed to build her a
00:02:11
little sort of booth that works magically.
00:02:13
And she's on a 41.6, because at
00:02:17
the time, there was only about three mics
00:02:19
in the house compared to now, and so
00:02:21
I've been lazy and never changed it, I
00:02:22
guess because her clients have got used to
00:02:24
that sound as well.
00:02:26
And she's just on an AI1.
00:02:28
So, God, what's that work out to?
00:02:30
The 41.6 is the big piece.
00:02:33
The 41.6 is the big one, and
00:02:34
you could knock that out and make it
00:02:36
an NTG5, probably just as easily.
00:02:39
Or an NTG1.
00:02:41
NT1, sorry.
00:02:43
So, what are you looking at there?
00:02:44
You're looking at well under.
00:02:45
250 for the point.
00:02:47
US.
00:02:47
Well, the NT1, you just buy the pack,
00:02:50
the sort of combo kit of the AI1
00:02:52
and the NT1.
00:02:54
It's not the NT1A.
00:02:56
Not the NT1A.
00:02:57
That pack comes with just the NT1.
00:02:59
There you go.
00:03:00
Yeah.
00:03:01
Yeah.
00:03:01
The other one I might throw in there
00:03:03
is the OC16.
00:03:05
What's the OC16 in, like, 400?
00:03:07
400 US.
00:03:08
Look, I'm hopeless with prices, but yeah, it's
00:03:10
not, especially US prices, but yeah, it's sort
00:03:13
of in the same ballpark as the others,
00:03:14
I guess.
00:03:15
I always think, like, the NT1 is, like,
00:03:18
the beginning of a mic that's pretty much
00:03:20
an investment.
00:03:21
You can use it for all time.
00:03:23
It's something that you'll keep.
00:03:24
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:25
Probably the only thing with the OC16 is
00:03:27
without being able to select patterns and stuff,
00:03:30
you'd want to make sure that your room
00:03:31
was in reasonably good shape.
00:03:33
It could get messy.
00:03:34
Yeah.
00:03:35
So, if your room's in reasonably good shape,
00:03:36
it would probably be all right.
00:03:37
But, yeah, they'd be my pick for a
00:03:39
low cost, absolutely.
00:03:41
Yeah.
00:03:41
I think the II1 and the NT1 is
00:03:44
a good starting point if you don't want
00:03:45
to spend too much money.
00:03:47
OC16, they're about $500 US for one of
00:03:50
those, but then you've got an interface you
00:03:51
want.
00:03:52
So, would you get an AI1, or would
00:03:55
you step it up a bit?
00:03:56
I mean, I've got the little SSL2 interface.
00:04:01
Yeah, it's a little more gain.
00:04:03
I mean, you may or may not need
00:04:04
it, but my feeling on the AI1 is
00:04:07
it's a little bit weak on the preamp.
00:04:09
It's okay that it kind of doesn't have
00:04:11
many features, like the monitor is just a
00:04:13
push button.
00:04:14
It's really good and simple, but the preamp's
00:04:16
a little bit weak on it.
00:04:18
But if you had an NTG5, because that's
00:04:20
got massive output, that would work okay with
00:04:22
an AI1.
00:04:23
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:24
It's just the most flexible interface.
00:04:26
Yeah, what I do like, and we experimented
00:04:28
with this a few episodes back, was the
00:04:30
SSL2 with that 4K button.
00:04:33
You can actually really have one mic and
00:04:35
turn your mic into a 416.
00:04:39
Well, was it the OC, was it the
00:04:40
18 or the 818?
00:04:43
The OC, it was actually, I said it
00:04:45
was the OC18, but when I think about
00:04:47
it now, it's actually 818, but it was
00:04:49
on cardioid, so no difference.
00:04:51
Yeah, so the 18 would probably work just
00:04:53
as well.
00:04:54
And yeah, once you hit that 4K button,
00:04:56
it was like you had two mics in
00:04:57
one, wasn't it?
00:04:58
Yeah, exactly.
00:04:59
It was a great idea.
00:05:00
And those SSLs are what, like 300 bucks?
00:05:01
Yeah, so they're pretty good, actually.
00:05:04
I think they're great value, actually, from what
00:05:05
you get.
00:05:05
How much is the AI1 compared to like
00:05:07
a Scarlett Solo?
00:05:09
About the same kind of money, I think,
00:05:10
maybe a little bit more for an AI1.
00:05:14
I think the Scarlett's a slightly better piece,
00:05:17
but George, what's your opinion?
00:05:19
I don't know, I've had too many AI1s
00:05:20
be freaky, not super stinky.
00:05:23
I've had at least one go out on
00:05:24
me.
00:05:24
Yeah, I've not been recommending that one.
00:05:28
Tanae's had hers in the booth now for
00:05:30
three years, probably.
00:05:32
I don't think they do well on the
00:05:33
road, actually.
00:05:34
But Andrew, you've traveled with yours quite a
00:05:36
bit, right?
00:05:36
I did travel with it quite a bit,
00:05:38
and then Somerset took it all over the
00:05:40
place when she was away, so she's got
00:05:42
it in her bag now.
00:05:43
I don't know if it's the batches or
00:05:43
what.
00:05:44
It's like, I definitely had one go out
00:05:46
on me, and I think George did.
00:05:47
Maybe it's the switching or something.
00:05:49
But I do also really like the, having
00:05:52
just recently got one, the Micport Pro.
00:05:56
Super small.
00:05:58
Yeah.
00:05:58
Yeah.
00:05:58
That's what you use, isn't it, Matt?
00:06:00
Yeah, when traveling.
00:06:01
And the pre on that is surprisingly decent
00:06:03
for just like little five volt USB deal.
00:06:06
Well, having said that, I suppose you could,
00:06:08
you know, if you're setting up your first
00:06:09
studio, there's no reason you couldn't use a
00:06:12
Micport Pro.
00:06:13
The Micport Pro, though, jumps up.
00:06:14
I mean, how much is a Micport Pro?
00:06:16
300 bucks, right?
00:06:18
I think, yeah.
00:06:20
US might be, is it 300 bucks?
00:06:21
Yeah, it's more than that.
00:06:22
I think it's 350.
00:06:22
Yeah, I was thinking it was like 450
00:06:26
Canadian.
00:06:27
But it's a good piece because like, I
00:06:29
always think of these things that are like,
00:06:31
what are you going to buy that you
00:06:32
might keep instead of just getting the cheapest
00:06:35
thing?
00:06:35
What's the cheapest thing that still is somewhat
00:06:37
an investment?
00:06:38
And it's hard to beat the Micport Pro
00:06:41
in terms of a travel interface.
00:06:43
But they could do like we talked about
00:06:45
last week with the car kit, the car
00:06:47
rig, just sticking a 416 or an NTG5
00:06:51
straight into the Micport Pro.
00:06:54
And all you need is your mic stand
00:06:55
in your booth is just the adapter, the
00:06:57
camera connector that connects to the bottom of
00:06:59
the Micport Pro.
00:07:01
I think if you plan on doing the
00:07:02
car thing, a shotgun is...
00:07:04
We're not going to cars, kids.
00:07:05
That's Black Belt.
00:07:06
We're doing beginner studios.
00:07:08
Yeah, yeah, I was going to say, we're
00:07:10
getting well out of the realm of beginner
00:07:11
studios here.
00:07:12
Yeah, exactly.
00:07:15
And one thing I like about the Micport
00:07:17
Pro is that you don't need software to
00:07:22
run it.
00:07:24
And so you don't have to deal with
00:07:25
any of that planned obsolescence or those sorts
00:07:29
of problems.
00:07:30
As long as the circuitry and the physical
00:07:33
parts in the Micport Pro are going, then
00:07:36
it can last you for a long, long
00:07:38
time.
00:07:39
From what I know, if you're getting a
00:07:41
Micport Pro, you're getting the same...
00:07:43
If you get the Passport VO, you're getting
00:07:44
the same grade circuitry, the same quality preamp.
00:07:48
Everything is...
00:07:48
Is it the Jasmine preamp?
00:07:50
Yeah.
00:07:51
Everything works on their Jasmine preamp circuit design,
00:07:54
which is a good, clean, high-gain preamp.
00:07:57
It's hard to go wrong.
00:07:58
There's one little thing that I don't like
00:07:59
about their battery-powered products, which is why
00:08:01
the Passport does not have a battery.
00:08:04
And you tell me if this is true
00:08:05
for you that use this product, is it
00:08:08
has to have some charge to function.
00:08:10
Don't run that thing down.
00:08:11
It will not go from dead to working
00:08:14
in 10 seconds.
00:08:15
I think the battery acts like a capacitor
00:08:18
for the whole thing.
00:08:19
Did you...
00:08:20
Have you noticed that?
00:08:21
I definitely have.
00:08:22
I remember helping a very stressed-out talent,
00:08:26
because...
00:08:26
...it finally figured out.
00:08:27
It just had to be plugged in.
00:08:29
And all of a sudden, the computer's like,
00:08:30
hello.
00:08:31
But it had to be plugged in for
00:08:33
a while.
00:08:33
I had to charge up.
00:08:34
Yeah.
00:08:35
Yeah.
00:08:35
Because I think they bought it and then
00:08:37
didn't touch it for six months.
00:08:38
Well, that's...
00:08:39
See, that's the thing.
00:08:40
When it's a battery-powered product that you
00:08:41
use for your travel kit, it is going
00:08:43
to be dead when you pull it out.
00:08:45
So if you think, I'm going to pull
00:08:47
it out of my bag, plug it in,
00:08:48
and hit record within the first 10 seconds,
00:08:51
sorry, Charlie, not happening.
00:08:53
It's got to charge.
00:08:54
So that's the only thing, and that's one
00:08:57
of the reasons why the passport does not
00:08:59
have it, but I digress.
00:09:01
Shall I now tell you what I would
00:09:02
recommend?
00:09:04
No, no, no, wait, wait.
00:09:05
Andrew, shouldn't this be the end?
00:09:06
The end of what?
00:09:07
My life?
00:09:08
That's our out.
00:09:08
That's our out.
00:09:10
Yeah, that's right.
00:09:11
Let's cut out before the others go.
00:09:12
Is that good?
00:09:13
I think you should use a...
00:09:16
And the killer wars.
00:09:19
I'm not going to make any sponsors happy,
00:09:21
but that's okay.
00:09:22
That's not the point.
00:09:24
I think a mic that just repeatedly surprises
00:09:27
me in how good it sounds at the
00:09:28
price is the AT875R shotgun mic from Audio
00:09:35
Technica.
00:09:36
It just sounds good.
00:09:38
Is it the lowest self noise?
00:09:40
No.
00:09:41
It's a little hissy when you compare to
00:09:43
a large diaphragm condenser, for sure.
00:09:46
But it's tonal balance, just the EQ of
00:09:49
the mic.
00:09:50
The fact that it is a shotgun mic
00:09:51
means it's a little bit more forgiving to
00:09:54
less than great rooms, and it just always
00:09:57
sounds good.
00:09:58
So that's my choice for first-timer mic
00:10:01
when I have plenty of options to choose
00:10:03
from, of course.
00:10:05
And then for the interface, one that we
00:10:06
never talk about.
00:10:07
Again, really budget-conscious here, folks.
00:10:11
Steinberg came out with a new variation of
00:10:14
their UR series called the IXO series.
00:10:18
And there's the Steinberg IXO22 audio interface.
00:10:23
And what makes it stand out are a
00:10:26
few things.
00:10:27
One, it's $120 US.
00:10:30
I'm sorry.
00:10:30
The IXO12, there's also a 22.
00:10:35
So the 12 is the single mic preamp
00:10:37
variation.
00:10:39
It's very inexpensive, right?
00:10:41
$120 US.
00:10:42
And it has a few little tricks up
00:10:44
its sleeve.
00:10:45
Not only does it have a loopback mode,
00:10:49
but it has a mute button.
00:10:53
So it's got dedicated mute on-off switches
00:10:56
for the mic and the guitar input.
00:10:58
And then when you hold down the monitor
00:11:00
button, it engages loopback.
00:11:03
I mean, for $120 US, that's pretty clever
00:11:07
for a pretty small, easy-to-use interface.
00:11:11
That's my recommendation there at the beginner price
00:11:13
point level.
00:11:15
And then headphones, we didn't mention headphones yet.
00:11:18
You know, I'm not that picky about headphones.
00:11:20
I think headphones have to be worn to
00:11:23
appreciate.
00:11:25
And so you just got to try stuff
00:11:27
out.
00:11:28
I mean, if you've got a pair of
00:11:29
headphones that you already wear and you like,
00:11:31
go ahead and use them.
00:11:33
Even if they're beats, even if they're not
00:11:35
like the best studio headphones, if you know
00:11:38
them and like them, wear them, is my
00:11:41
opinion.
00:11:41
But they should be closed back.
00:11:44
And make sure they seal well.
00:11:46
They should be closed back, yes.
00:11:48
Closed back cans.
00:11:50
So I've got a couple different closed back
00:11:52
cans that I jump between.
00:11:54
But, you know, at the budget end, the
00:11:56
AudioTendica series, the ATH-M 20s, 30s, 40s.
00:12:03
All are amazing.
00:12:04
The Austrian Audio Hi-X 15s.
00:12:08
Yeah, they're good.
00:12:09
The 15s.
00:12:10
Hi-X 15s.
00:12:12
Hi-X.
00:12:12
I have those and I love them.
00:12:14
I've been wearing them more and more and
00:12:15
more now because they're just so stinkin' comfortable.
00:12:19
Really comfortable and they sound nice.
00:12:22
So yeah, that's the same price as the
00:12:24
interface.
00:12:24
That's right.
00:12:25
But yeah, you can get cheaper headphones.
00:12:28
And then Twisted Wave is my go-to
00:12:31
DAW too.
00:12:31
We didn't mention DAWs, but because it's Windows
00:12:34
and Mac now, I can build custom stacks
00:12:38
on the Mac variation of Twisted Wave that
00:12:41
you can open in the Windows variation, which
00:12:44
is really cool.
00:12:45
Crossing the streams.
00:12:46
Crossing the streams by using VST plugins.
00:12:49
So, you know, 100 US for that software.
00:12:54
And that's a pretty solid kit right there,
00:12:57
you know.
00:12:57
A couple of little more accoutrement for mounting
00:13:00
your accessories in your closet.
00:13:03
What's your thought of the 7506 cliche for
00:13:07
headphones?
00:13:08
You don't like them, right?
00:13:08
You know, it's so funny.
00:13:10
We have them at the Donna Fontaine VoiceOver
00:13:12
Lab that we're fixin' to reopen soon.
00:13:15
I was actually over there last week and
00:13:17
testing out all the patching in the walls
00:13:19
and making sure everything works.
00:13:22
And that's what they have there, you know.
00:13:24
So I was listening to them for the
00:13:25
first time, I would say with fresh ears.
00:13:27
You know, I hadn't had a pair of
00:13:29
Sony's on my head in quite a while.
00:13:30
And I was pretty pleased with how they
00:13:31
sounded.
00:13:33
So, you know, maybe because they're broken in,
00:13:36
maybe because my, you know, I'm not as
00:13:38
sensitive to high frequency as I used to
00:13:40
be.
00:13:41
But, you know, they're decent.
00:13:43
I think they're just fiddly with a really
00:13:45
annoying cable and, I don't know, not my
00:13:48
major.
00:13:49
They fold up.
00:13:49
They fold up pretty good.
00:13:51
They fold up.
00:13:51
But the coily cable is annoying.
00:13:54
You know, I'm not a fan of that.
00:13:56
But anyway, that's a solid gear.
00:13:57
If you don't take care of the coily
00:13:58
cable and it gets stretched out in weird
00:13:59
places, it gets really annoying.
00:14:01
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:14:02
It's funny, isn't it?
00:14:03
When you, like Matt was saying last week
00:14:06
about, you know, having the universal audio outboard
00:14:09
gear that has since been moved on, the
00:14:12
more we go down this track of these
00:14:14
interfaces and stuff, talking about the Passport VA
00:14:16
that will be with us very soon, fingers
00:14:18
crossed.
00:14:20
All that stuff is fast becoming redundant.
00:14:22
Really, we, you know, the travel rig, you
00:14:25
can stick in your booth, and that's all
00:14:26
you really need, to be honest.
00:14:28
That's true.
00:14:30
That's why I wonder about that audio technical
00:14:32
mic.
00:14:32
Do you consider that something that someone might
00:14:34
keep in their kit long-term, or at
00:14:36
some point, they definitely outgrow it, and it's...
00:14:39
Like I said, I think it's only shortcoming
00:14:41
is it's self-noise is a little bit
00:14:42
elevated.
00:14:43
You know, I know the sound of that
00:14:45
mic because I've heard it a lot.
00:14:47
And when I hear the self-noise, I
00:14:48
go, yep, that's, it's little Achilles heel.
00:14:50
It works on a pretty wide range of
00:14:52
phantom, does the...
00:14:53
Yeah, it's a very, like, robust throw in
00:14:56
your video.
00:14:56
It's the kind of mic that would not
00:14:58
be treated nicely.
00:14:59
It'd be kept in the camera guy's kit,
00:15:01
you know, and not respected.
00:15:04
That's the mic.
00:15:05
You know, it's really made to be strapped
00:15:07
onto a video camera and just be there.
00:15:09
But it's just shockingly decent.
00:15:12
It's just a really pleasing sounding mic.
00:15:14
Not harsh, not overly crisp and bright.
00:15:17
Not dead flat, you know, because there's...
00:15:19
What's the other Audio Technica?
00:15:21
There's the Audio Technica 435?
00:15:25
Well, there's a 4073.
00:15:27
And I had a 4073.
00:15:29
That was my boom mic of choice when
00:15:31
I started into the biz 20 years ago.
00:15:33
And it sounds awesome.
00:15:35
I had Lori Allen get one for her
00:15:36
road kit just to save a little bit
00:15:38
of money.
00:15:40
And it's not much cheaper than a 41
00:15:42
.6, but it's less expensive.
00:15:44
And it's a very good mic.
00:15:46
I believe it's still...
00:15:47
I believe they still make that model too.
00:15:50
I think there's another one.
00:15:52
There's an Audio Technica shotgun mic that actually
00:15:54
works off a Phantom or Double A.
00:15:58
They make a lot of different shotgun mics.
00:16:00
8035, I think.
00:16:01
I think the 808035.
00:16:04
Let me see if that's...
00:16:04
Could be.
00:16:05
Yeah, because by the way, that's no longer
00:16:07
called the AT4073.
00:16:10
It's not called the BP4073.
00:16:14
So if somebody's searching and not finding it,
00:16:16
they change the name.
00:16:17
I would just...
00:16:18
I would kick off and just like bite
00:16:20
the bullet by a 41.6, a mic
00:16:24
port pro, and a pair of decent headphones
00:16:29
and twisted wave and you're going, you're on.
00:16:33
That would be...
00:16:33
Because you're not going to be sort of
00:16:35
having to reinvest down the track going on.
00:16:37
You're like the buy once, cry once kind
00:16:39
of mentality.
00:16:42
And even with the mic port pro, if
00:16:44
you develop a need for an extra workflow
00:16:47
and if you want to be able to...
00:16:49
Because I think the mic port pro, you
00:16:51
can't plug monitors in, right?
00:16:54
No, it would have to plug into the
00:16:55
headphone jack, right?
00:16:58
But the idea is that you can scale
00:17:00
around it.
00:17:01
Well, it's a good piece of kit to
00:17:03
have to travel.
00:17:04
And I think it's something that as your
00:17:06
career grows, it could be your first setup,
00:17:09
but then it becomes your travel setup.
00:17:11
And that's why I try to think of
00:17:13
gear that is going to be kind of
00:17:16
long-term because you can imagine you might
00:17:19
get a 41.6, but you might not
00:17:22
want to travel with it because it's expensive.
00:17:25
And if you have an NT1, you might
00:17:26
say, hey, whatever, I'll travel with my NT1
00:17:29
and here's my travel rig.
00:17:32
And so, you know, something that works early
00:17:34
on can work well into your career if
00:17:36
it's the white gear, if it's the right
00:17:39
gear.
00:17:41
Exactly.
00:17:41
Well, Matt, we haven't heard from you yet.
00:17:43
If you had to start again, what would
00:17:45
you be doing?
00:17:49
Engineer...
00:17:50
Yeah, marry an engineer.
00:17:53
Yes, there you go.
00:17:55
Yeah, I think AP's point of starting with
00:18:00
a good mic and then having an interface
00:18:03
that you can grow from, if need be,
00:18:07
is a really good idea.
00:18:11
As an alternative to the 416, I did
00:18:14
have to get the NTG5 in a pinch
00:18:16
when I was traveling, and it's a very
00:18:19
fine mic.
00:18:21
Yeah, I think it's a cheaper alternative to
00:18:24
the 416.
00:18:26
I mean, the only thing I would throw
00:18:27
in there as a new offering would be
00:18:30
the Apollo Solo.
00:18:32
I've used that for travel in the past,
00:18:34
but as a standalone interface in a studio,
00:18:38
it's great, and you can really plug everything
00:18:42
you need into there.
00:18:43
If you at some point decided to add
00:18:45
an extra microphone into your workflow, it does
00:18:47
have that second input, or you can use
00:18:50
a stereo modeling mic like we talked about
00:18:53
in the previous episode.
00:18:55
You can definitely grow into an Apollo Solo
00:18:57
for a while.
00:18:58
Is it a twin or a solo?
00:19:02
What's the solo?
00:19:03
The arrow became the solo.
00:19:05
The arrow became the solo.
00:19:07
So you just don't have the same number
00:19:09
of physical outputs, I think is the main
00:19:12
thing.
00:19:13
I've got one sitting here in the booth.
00:19:14
The twin has additional line outs, and so
00:19:18
that has more routing.
00:19:20
It has more cues.
00:19:21
The twin also can run multiple virtual channels,
00:19:24
like four pairs, and the Solo can only
00:19:27
do one pair of virtual channels.
00:19:30
The Solo still seems to give a good
00:19:31
amount to grow into.
00:19:32
Does the Solo have the full unison preamp
00:19:35
and all that stuff?
00:19:37
Yeah, and the other nice thing I like
00:19:39
about the Solo is that it runs off
00:19:41
Thunderbolt just from your computer, so it's powered
00:19:45
from your computer, so you don't need that
00:19:47
external power source, if that's a problem.
00:19:53
The only thing about the Apollo gear is
00:19:55
that there is that learning curve of the
00:19:58
system within it, the console.
00:20:00
Add to the cost the hiring of me
00:20:02
to set it up for you.
00:20:03
Exactly.
00:20:06
Although I do have a forum on uadforum
00:20:10
.com, there's one on there specifically for voiceover
00:20:15
people, and I lay it out there.
00:20:18
I literally have screenshots of my entire workflow
00:20:21
of how to set it up, so I
00:20:23
do provide it for free.
00:20:24
Give it away, George.
00:20:25
There you go.
00:20:26
There's the tip, people.
00:20:26
Let me ask you, Matt and AP, this
00:20:31
same question.
00:20:33
For someone who's just starting out then, if
00:20:35
we're talking about rigs for someone who's starting
00:20:37
out, connectivity, is that necessary in terms of
00:20:41
a Zoom connection or Source Connect?
00:20:43
Do we need Source Connect?
00:20:45
Do we need the ability to at least
00:20:46
connect to Zoom?
00:20:47
If you're going to have a home studio,
00:20:49
what would be your thoughts on that?
00:20:51
I think it's more important than ever to
00:20:54
at least have those functions spring-loaded, ready
00:20:58
to go.
00:20:59
Even if you haven't bought Source Connect or
00:21:01
you haven't needed to use Zoom on a
00:21:04
session, I think as part of your tech
00:21:08
development and being a voice talent, you need
00:21:10
to get these things under control because the
00:21:14
day is going to come when an agent
00:21:17
either comes with a direct booking or you've
00:21:19
done an audition for something with Source Connect
00:21:21
and then it's required.
00:21:23
You just need to have that functionality ready
00:21:25
to go.
00:21:27
That's kind of relating to playing within a
00:21:30
certain circle of work or for tiers, for
00:21:34
want of a better word.
00:21:35
But if you want to work with particular
00:21:38
studios and particular buyers, then I think you
00:21:41
just need to have that ready to go.
00:21:43
Yeah, I agree.
00:21:45
It's like being a...
00:21:46
I used this analogy.
00:21:48
If you are a qualified plumber and you
00:21:52
turn up with a tool bag full of
00:21:54
kids' toys, you're not going to get the
00:21:56
work.
00:21:58
So if you're in this game, you get
00:22:00
the right gear.
00:22:01
So you do need a good microphone, a
00:22:03
good space, a good interface, the means to
00:22:06
be able to record and edit and also
00:22:08
the means to be able to do a
00:22:10
session down the line, which means you've got
00:22:11
to have Source Connect.
00:22:12
And in fact, during COVID, that was mandatory.
00:22:14
Every agent was saying, this is what you
00:22:17
need to do to set up at home.
00:22:19
But to be fair, that's at a certain
00:22:20
tier.
00:22:21
I mean, people doing rip and reads on
00:22:24
Fiverr or some of these voiceover platforms, they're
00:22:28
not going to be necessarily need Source Connect,
00:22:30
but they're probably going to need to at
00:22:32
least to be able to connect to Zoom
00:22:33
or something similar like that, correct?
00:22:35
Yeah, maybe.
00:22:36
Usually those Fiverr people, they don't work with
00:22:38
people.
00:22:38
It depends if you're being asked to do
00:22:39
live record sessions or if you're being asked
00:22:41
to record stuff and turn in files, even
00:22:43
if you're, you know, just in a meeting
00:22:45
room and they say, hey, record and send
00:22:47
us the files later and they're just using
00:22:49
the meeting room as a way to give
00:22:51
you general direction, then that might be all
00:22:54
you need.
00:22:54
I think the reality with Source Connect is
00:22:56
that it really should, like, easily pay for
00:23:00
itself, like, if you're...
00:23:02
Yeah.
00:23:02
Well, here's another one.
00:23:04
I'm going to throw this out there.
00:23:05
Some people who make podcasts aren't as lucky
00:23:07
as us to have Robert on the show
00:23:09
so that they get access to Source Connect
00:23:12
and all these other amazing things we get
00:23:13
the privilege of.
00:23:15
What would you guys recommend?
00:23:17
And Matt, if you've got a thought on
00:23:19
this, please feel free to throw in as
00:23:20
well.
00:23:21
What would you guys suggest in terms of
00:23:22
recording interviews for podcasters?
00:23:24
I just connected someone with buying the...
00:23:27
Is it the Rode Caster Pro or the
00:23:30
interface?
00:23:32
Yep.
00:23:32
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:32
Yeah.
00:23:33
I mean, bring the phone in through that,
00:23:34
through the Bluetooth connection.
00:23:36
Yeah.
00:23:36
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:37
Yeah, that's not a bad one.
00:23:38
Yeah.
00:23:38
So, like, is this doing interviews over the
00:23:41
Internet or interviews in person?
00:23:43
Well, this is what I'm saying, interviews over
00:23:45
the Internet.
00:23:46
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:46
If you had to do a remote interview,
00:23:48
if you were a podcaster, George, what would
00:23:49
your choice be?
00:23:51
Well, I mean, if I had to do
00:23:52
it all the time, I would love having
00:23:53
a dedicated interface mixer-type device that does
00:23:56
that really well.
00:23:57
I mean, the Rode Caster Pro does that
00:23:59
really well because it has two separate sound
00:24:02
buses, one for record and one for communication.
00:24:06
It makes it super, super easy to capture
00:24:09
an interview, no matter what software that interview
00:24:11
is going to be on.
00:24:12
It could be on literally anything.
00:24:14
It's agnostic.
00:24:15
Which is exactly the design philosophy behind the
00:24:19
Passport VO as well.
00:24:21
Right?
00:24:21
That's why we have two audio interfaces on
00:24:23
board.
00:24:24
Same concept, just in a much more compact,
00:24:27
less way simpler form factor, you know, but
00:24:30
same idea.
00:24:32
But yeah, that's what...
00:24:33
That would be my first choice.
00:24:34
If you want to keep it in the
00:24:36
software domain, there are things like Nexus and
00:24:38
Nexus Gateway where you can...
00:24:41
It's free.
00:24:42
And that is free to use to connect
00:24:44
to others.
00:24:44
The audio quality over Nexus, when set to
00:24:47
HQ mode, is extremely high quality.
00:24:50
So it will just make the experience of
00:24:52
recording while the nicer.
00:24:54
And you can see each other.
00:24:55
And you can see each other as well.
00:24:56
In the free version, you can't, but yep.
00:24:59
What's the paid version with video cost per
00:25:02
month, you know, off top of your head?
00:25:03
11 bucks.
00:25:04
It's 12 bucks.
00:25:06
Yeah, it's really reasonable.
00:25:06
Wow, a couple of coffees.
00:25:07
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:08
So what do you think the learning curve
00:25:10
is like for people that are outside, you
00:25:14
know, doing voiceover or engineering, Robert, for getting
00:25:18
onto the source Nexus for, say, doing a
00:25:21
podcast, like if someone is just fresh going
00:25:23
into podcasting?
00:25:24
I think where it's at right now is
00:25:27
not where it's intended to be for podcasting.
00:25:29
So I think it's going to get a
00:25:31
lot easier, essentially, where you have a system
00:25:33
where you can send invites out, everyone hooks
00:25:36
up, you hit a button to record, instead
00:25:39
of everyone hitting individual buttons and snapping their
00:25:41
fingers, that process is automated.
00:25:45
And then, you know, you'll probably get a
00:25:47
certain amount of space that it just automatically
00:25:50
uploads back to.
00:25:51
So it should be like a packaged thing
00:25:54
to make it really easy to do podcasts
00:25:56
where the recordings are made locally and uploaded,
00:26:00
like what a lot of the other services
00:26:01
do.
00:26:01
But with the file transfer function wrapped into
00:26:05
it, yeah, that makes it so much nicer
00:26:08
for the guests and things, you know?
00:26:11
You know, it's like with Source Connect free
00:26:13
or Nexus free, you get the double end,
00:26:15
you know, but you have to do it
00:26:16
manually.
00:26:16
And then if you will have all that
00:26:18
built in with the page.
00:26:19
Yeah.
00:26:20
I mean, by far the hardest thing for
00:26:21
podcast remotes is dealing with the guests' audio
00:26:25
and trying to get, you know, not horribly
00:26:28
back.
00:26:29
You know, and that takes some preparation.
00:26:31
That takes some great communication.
00:26:33
And that may, in the worst case, require
00:26:35
you to send them a mic.
00:26:37
It takes knowing what you're listening for.
00:26:40
Being able to have the wits to isolate
00:26:42
that and listen to what they're really sending
00:26:44
you.
00:26:44
Yeah.
00:26:45
I used to work on a podcast.
00:26:47
It was called the Mojo Radio Show, and
00:26:49
it was sort of anything and everything to
00:26:51
do with personal creativity and all that sort
00:26:55
of gear.
00:26:55
But the whole point of it was it
00:26:57
was supposed to be a high-quality thing,
00:26:59
which obviously it was.
00:27:01
But we actually got to the point in
00:27:03
the show, and unfortunately it ended before we
00:27:05
got there, but we were actually talking about
00:27:06
that.
00:27:07
We were actually talking about buying a couple
00:27:09
of small road cases and throwing, you know,
00:27:11
something like an AI one and a decent
00:27:13
mic in there and shipping it off to
00:27:15
people who had crap audio.
00:27:16
We've done that.
00:27:17
I've done that as part of our studio.
00:27:18
We had...
00:27:19
Yeah.
00:27:20
We did MacBook Airs with little...
00:27:23
I think, you know, we just went really
00:27:25
cheap to be honest.
00:27:26
We did bearing-drew interfaces with bearing-drew
00:27:28
mics.
00:27:29
But that's all you need for podcasts, something
00:27:31
that's half-decent quality.
00:27:33
The thing you're the most worried about losing
00:27:34
is the MacBook.
00:27:35
You know, you're like...
00:27:36
Yes, exactly.
00:27:37
Well, I don't think we were going to
00:27:38
be that generous and buy Macs.
00:27:39
I think it was just going to be
00:27:40
plug this into your computer.
00:27:42
Well, the way we set it up was
00:27:43
so that you like open the Mac up
00:27:45
and all you have to do is put
00:27:46
it on Wi-Fi and then like shows
00:27:48
up on the team viewer type thing and
00:27:50
you're in and then the last thing you're...
00:27:54
We made all the cables so that...
00:27:56
Imagine like a red sticker on the bearing
00:27:59
-drew and a red sticker on the mic
00:28:01
cable.
00:28:02
Half the colours.
00:28:05
Yeah, that's right.
00:28:06
I think that's a great direction for the
00:28:08
Pro Audio Suite podcast, maybe starting today.
00:28:11
Sending out Macbooks.
00:28:13
Yes, that's right.
00:28:15
Yeah, or well, maybe we could send out
00:28:17
Teslas as well.
00:28:18
Yeah, exactly.
00:28:19
The ones with the stuff stuck inside.
00:28:22
Hello Elon, if you're listening, want to join
00:28:24
in?
00:28:24
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:26
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:27
God, imagine the guests we'd have lining up
00:28:29
then.
00:28:32
Yeah, they'd be begging to be on the
00:28:34
show.
00:28:34
So I reckon just as a conclusion, I
00:28:38
guess, just my last two Bob's worth and
00:28:41
also looking after our sponsor.
00:28:42
But I always try and get things that
00:28:45
are going to last a long time but
00:28:46
can be used in different environments.
00:28:47
So if you can take it on the
00:28:48
road with you and have it set up
00:28:50
at home, that's a win-win.
00:28:52
So I would probably wind it back a
00:28:55
bit and go, Tribooth 416 and an SSL2.
00:29:00
Tribooth, I would agree with you, that would
00:29:02
be a great sound, but I wonder whether
00:29:04
Tribooth and 416 together is blowing our budget
00:29:07
a little bit.
00:29:07
Is a Tribooth a beginner thing, or that
00:29:10
sounds like someone who sees it.
00:29:12
Well, it's not cheap.
00:29:13
You know, this is the tricky thing about
00:29:15
beginner stuff and budget.
00:29:17
The two are mutually exclusive, honestly.
00:29:22
Because I get people that enter the industry
00:29:24
all the time that are executives from companies
00:29:27
that have just retired or, you know, they're
00:29:30
starting a new career.
00:29:31
And yeah, they absolutely could buy the $250
00:29:34
instant voiceover or podcasting kit and get to
00:29:37
work.
00:29:38
But they are in a position to buy
00:29:40
better stuff and they do appreciate the better
00:29:42
stuff.
00:29:43
And so they buy, on my recommendation, better
00:29:45
stuff.
00:29:46
So it really does depend on where you're
00:29:48
coming from.
00:29:49
Just understand, just know what your budget is.
00:29:51
Just have a clear understanding of what it
00:29:53
is.
00:29:54
Don't overextend, don't overspend, but don't underspend.