[David Goldberg]

Hi! Upload your recordings, and get feedback from your peers!

• This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by David Goldberg.
• This topic was modified 4 years ago by David Goldberg.
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• This topic was modified 3 days, 3 hours ago by David Goldberg.
• This topic was modified 3 days, 3 hours ago by David Goldberg.
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[Mdmcghee34]

Hello Everyone! Hope you all had a pleasant weekend. I uploaded two narration scripts. I would greatly appreciate any feedback! Have a great day.

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[Mdmcghee34]

Thank you both for your feedback!

[SuperLuke]

Nice voice for the read. However, the volume level is a problem, I could barely hear you in your performance.

[Msbvoice]

Volume was off a bit. But the read sounded nice, especially the second one. Smooth voice,nice.

[nperna451]

My homework for my narration coaching session. Any thoughts or comments?

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[Mdmcghee34]

Flam-Rudiements review:
I learned something new it makes me interested in learning more about drum play. Informative, smooth and good energy. I thought it had good pacing. One thing I noticed is towards the final seconds ‘try…in your free improvisation’ It’s a little choppy. Overall well done.

[nperna451]

thanks so much!

[DAYLIGHTVO]

Hello everyone! I’ve uploaded two spots here, one of which I created the original copy. It was really interesting to begin placing technique and body motion into the read in order to get an authentic recording. Let me know what you think, am I on the right track?

Thank you
-Ndehru

Words. They can do anything.

1 Words. They can do anything. They can call in a dog at night. They
2 can bring comfort to an old friend. They can say happy birthday to a
3 girl whose balloons are slowly sinking. But sometimes, words can
4 get you into trouble. Like the human rights activist who was
5 kidnapped for standing up to Government corruption. Or the
6 journalist sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending an email. Or
7 the thousands of men and women who are arrested and tortured
8 just for demanding fair election. Now we need your words, to
9 demand justice; to take a stand. To offer hope, to people around the
10 world, who are silenced for simply speaking their minds. Write a
11 letter or speak out today. Your words can lead to their freedom.
12 Words. They can do anything.

American Health Imaging: Safe Imaging

1 Need Medical Imaging? There’s no need to wait for an MRI, CT or
2 Ultrasound. American Health Imaging is a safe and smart
3 alternative to hospitals. Our clean and safe free standing
4 facilities offer high quality imaging at 75 percent less. All
5 customers are screened for signs of illness and our staff are
6 always wearing masks and other protective equipment.
7 You can also safely check in from your car. Our touch less
8 experience goes above and beyond CDC guidelines. All high-touch
9 surfaces are sanitized after each patient and our centers are
10 disinfected every night. Our one of a kind Concierge Experience
11 guides you through every step of your visit. American Health
12 Imaging, Now More Than Ever.

[DAYLIGHTVO]

Re-Uploaded these spots here.

[jonathan.anderson]

Hi Ndehru,

Please make sure that you are uploading mp3s. Our website doesn’t like any other file type.

Best,
Jonathan

[Msbvoice]

I’m not seeing the audio anywhere?

[RYoung]

I’m gonna regret this, But here it is Bil-bo!

Disney character intro
Howdy folks, I’m Ray the firefly, how y’all doing. Don’t make me light my b**t now! Now folks, I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful wife, there she is the most beautiful firefly of all, Evangeline. Look how she lights up the sky. Hey there Ray, mind if I but in for a minute to say hi? Don’t see why not, everyone else is going to in a couple of seconds. Hi everyone, hi there poo boy, was going to give my introduction, how are you anyway? I’m good I wish I had some honey, don’t look now but here comes eeore. Hi every body, Eeore, why the long face there buddy? I lost my tail again. I’ll help you find it this time but don’t try to loose it again would ya buddy. Hi everyone, oh look it’s Mickey, how are you Mickey? I’m fine, how are you I’m good, say uhhh where’s Minnie? She is is right here, hi everyone, hiya Minnie great to see ya , oh me too. Looks like this is going to be a luvy dovey fest, so folks let’s get this how on the road.

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[Bil-Bo]

Hey Rich
Ya gotta stretch every once in a while! I liked it. You do a great Mickey & Minnie! That was a lotta different voices under one roof. If I tried it, would probably take me a month to do each voice and another month to put ’em all together. Good work as always!
BillH

[Mdmcghee34]

That was fun! Nice job switching between characters. I could hear the distinctions clearly. script is engaging and interesting to hear what happens next. Pacing is good and giving you time to hear each character introducing themselves.

[Robert Broussard]

I put together a new script as possible on my Demo. Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks

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[badams13]

This was a great read. Very welcoming and demo worthy

[Robert Broussard]

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.

[nperna451]

Sounded very friendly and it was very well paced! Good job!

[Msbvoice]

I agree. Would be good for the demo. Nice voice and read.

[S3VO]

Hi Robert, your client would love you because that was a fun, folksy read…and I actually remembered the product you were ‘selling’ because of it!

[Robert Broussard]

I appreciate the feedback. I like Budweiser. I worked my way through college at a Budweiser Distributorship.

[mkell755]

Hi Robert, good read! I think this would be great for your demo – it was very conversational and authentic, and laid back. Good job!

Mary

[Robert Broussard]

Thanks Mary, I should be getting close to do a demo.

[Robert Broussard]

Attached is my first read in a while. I appreciate any feedback or suggestions. Thanks

Franklin Disability
You grow up looking to your parents as your providers and protectors. Then one day, sometimes quite suddenly, the shoe’s on the other foot. As you yourself grow older, how can you be assured that you won’t be forced to depend on your own children for your care and security? It’s simple. We’re the Franklin Disability Insurance Company. We’re continually looking toward the future, so you’ll be prepared when it gets here. For more information, contact your broker. Here’s to a long life.

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[D M Ulmer]

Hi Robert,
very relaxed. Sound as if you could be one of my neighbors inviting us over. Good pacing. And I could tell you the product and company.

Dawn

[Robert Broussard]

Thanks Dawn, appreciate it.

[Msbvoice]

Again, great voice. I agree there are a few spots with pacing like between disability…insurance. And I think it is called “up-speak”. I tend to do this on some reads. Where you say “older, children, care and security” it sounds like it should vary more up and down? But I love the voice, I agree with the Tom Bodett comparison.

[Robert Broussard]

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

[touzet]

You have like a signature Motel 6 (We’ll leave the light on for you) kind of voice. Very nice tone. For me, there are some flow issues. One at “…own children….for your care..” , also “…Disability….Insurance Company..”, and “…prepared….when it gets here.” IMHO, those lines should flow more straight through. You might want to shoot for making “We’re” sound more like weer instead of were. Nice work.
– touzet –

[Robert Broussard]

I appreciate your advice, thanks!!

[mkell755]

Hi Robert, really good job on this one! Excellent production too. The tone and pacing were spot on – really good work here, not much that I can think of to critique!

Mary

[Robert Broussard]

Thanks Mary, I have been out of the loop on my day job for a while. Just started up again today. Appreciate it.

[S3VO]

Hi Everyone, I’ve uploaded three scripts to get feedback for a homework assignment. This is my first time on the forum and I would appreciate brutal assessments…I figure it’s the best way to improve my reads and learn how a casting agent might hear my voice. Don’t worry, I’ve got a thick skin! ;). Thanks in advance!!
S3

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[D M Ulmer]

I also agree with Touzet. He has some good technical help there. Your modulations were well done. I found the reads engaging and the pacing appropriate. The last read showed the promise that corporate training videos could be interesting to listen to. Agree with the comment about smoothing things out.

keep up the good work!
Dawn

[Msbvoice]

I agree with Touzet’s assessment. All easily fixed. Nice voice. Friendly, warm, smart. I liked No. 3 the best on the scale, but they were all nice reads.

[touzet]

Very nice voice. At around :19 secs in the first track, you hit “Business” pretty hard.
In track 3, around :11 “…need to know….to produce a…” The gap between “know” and “to” stuck out a little for me. (An easy edit fix).
There are some minor plosive issues…I mean minor but I think could still be mitigated some.
In track 1 “….Buying goods on line…” That B in buying. Sounds like it may be high-passed a bit which saves it some but I’m thinking more could be done with pop screens or mic position. Might be better to have more low end in your track and physically avoid the plosives.
I am also hearing some sibilance issues throughout. Again, back to the first time “Business” is read in track 1. Both S’s in that word.
A de-esser may help with that and possibly some EQ adjustments.
I pretty much like the performance throughout.

– touzet –

[S3VO]

Wow, touzet, thank you so much for the detailed feedback…editing is not my strong point (obviously!). I didn’t do any editing other than deleting breaths, so I have to get up to speed on making EQ adjustments. Also, I’m going to have to play with mic position, because I did use a pop screen and wasn’t talking directly into the mic. I’ve gotten some really important things to work on through this forum so far! Thanks everyone!

[Barb]

Good work!

You do sound like a knowledgeable, trusted friend. I think #3 worked out the best, but the other two were also good fits.

Overall, I’d just work on smoothing it out a bit. You could try looking at the script, memorizing the line, and then speaking it without reading.

Nice job!

Barb

[mkell755]

Hi S3! First of all, welcome!

Good job on these 3 scripts. Your voice is nice and friendly and your tone feels approachable. I liked the third script the best for you, seemed like the best fit of the 3 for your voice. Good pacing and variation in tone for all of them – good job on these!

Mary

[S3VO]

Thank you Mary and Barb for your feedback!! I really appreciate you both listening to all three scripts and it’s really beneficial to me to hear that you both chose the third one as the best fit for my voice!! And I’ll definitely try Barb’s idea for smoothing out my reads. I’ve learned so much already with just my first post. Now, to continue with my homework, I’m to provide feedback to help train my ear (which I obviously need!). 🙂

[mkell755]

Hi all! Here are some practice scripts for any and all feedback. How do they sound? Which one do you like best for my voice? Is the tone right? Trying also to work on getting the correct recording levels. Thank you for listening and commenting!!!

Mary

Liberty Mutual Insurance
Research shows people remember commercials with nostalgia. So to help you remember that Liberty Mutual customizes your home insurance, here’s one that will really take you back…

Ancient Mysteries
Be it endless fascination with the Bible, or chilling tales of Gothic horror, man has been compelled by the wonders of the unknown since the beginning of time. From the possible existence of Big Foot to the grips of a mummy’s curse. Uncover the truth behind “Ancient Mysteries” tonight on Channel 4…NBC.

Mailboxes Etcetera
Everybody can use a little help when they’re out on the road- and that’s where MailBoxes Etcetera comes in. We get it done, and we get it done right. Mailboxes Etcetera.

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[Azalealearning]

Hi Mary. Great work. I liked the third read best out of all three. As a fellow southerner, I can hear a bit of an accent on certain words. For example, “right” and “back” in the script are drawn out. I tend to do this as well at the end of a sentence. Otherwise, you were convincing and friendly at the same time. Very authentic. I hope this feedback helps. Best, Kristen

[mkell755]

Hi Kristen, thanks for the feedback! Yes some of those words show my accent for sure! 🙂 Thanks for listening and the nice comments – it is appreciated!

Mary

[S3VO]

Hi Mary, I liked your reads on 1 and 3 for your voice, too. Your voice has a warm, friendly quality-easy to listen to! As I’ve proven, I’m not much of a tech person, but I had sound that low a couple of times when I forgot to switch from my laptop speakers/mic to my interface speakers/mic.

[mkell755]

Hi S3, thanks for the feedback! 1 and 3 felt the most comfortable for me too, so that’s good. I will try to adjust for sound – it was too loud recently and is now too soft – looking for the middle ground – it will happen hopefully soon! Thanks!

Mary

[touzet]

There seems to be some punching of words and/or syllables that are puzzling. Track 1 line 1: REsearch shows people reMEMber… Also, “So to help YOU remember…” seemed a bit overdone. For me, it needs to flow more with less punching ..or at least more nuanced punching or inflection. Track 2 seems to be an NBC show promo which I believe should be pretty fast and high energy.
Audacity has a decent compressor (I believe the default settings will work ok). After compressing, you can use the normalization tool to set the highest peak to whatever you want. I believe -3 was suggested. The compressor will help even out high and low volume sections of your track.
– touzet –

[mkell755]

Thanks for the feedback Touzet! I will watch my emphasis on certain syllables, did not know it was coming across in a weird way. In the past I have not hit things enough, so maybe I’m getting tot he point where I can work on making it more natural. Thanks for the tip on normalization. I took Art’s class on Audacity recently but am really just learning the software – thanks!

Mary

[solin232]

Hi Mary, I’m not a big Tech Guy but I wanted to comment on increasing the volume of your recordings If you’re using Audacity you can “normalize” it to -3.0 db before exporting it. While in Audacity “Highlight your recording – click on Effect, look for Normalize and click on … in the pop up window make sure the number in the db box is -3.0 if it is Not, change it then click OK — this will increase the volume of your recordings to the accepted industry standard. Hope this helps !

• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by solin232.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by solin232.

[mkell755]

Thanks for the feedback Solin! I will try normalizing the recording, thanks for the tip! I have been racking my brain for how to adjust to a -3 db level either during or after the recording, this is very helpful, thanks!

Mary

[solin232]

You’re welcome Mary !
Steve

[Robert Broussard]

Mary,
I had to agree with Darlene. 1 and 3 are better reads that go with you voice. Good job varying your tones. It seems like your voice volume is lower than it should be. Hope that helps.

[mkell755]

Thanks for the feedback Robert! Glad that 1 and 3 sound ok and with a decent amount of tone variation. I will work on the volume, it’s one of my first recordings with a mic and interface and have a ways to go. Thanks!

Mary

[darleneharris]

Hi Mary! I really liked the commercial reads for Liberty Mutual and Mailbox Etcetera. Very good use of tone and inflection on those. Also, not sure if this helps in regards to you trying to find the right volume levels for your recordings, but I had to turn my computer volume up fairly high to hear. Again, not sure if that’s helpful but figured I’d add in case it is.

[mkell755]

Hi Darlene, thanks for the feedback! The Ancient Mysteries was a different sort of read for me and it sounds like it needs some work. Thanks for the note also about the volume, that is helpful. Thanks again!

Mary

[chas82]

Continuing to focus on my homework for a Commercial demo and appreciate all feedback.
Thanks, Chas

Advil
Arthritis pain? It’s a part of my life. So I keep Advil close by. Just ONE works as well as TWO regular Tylenol. Advil works at the site of minor arthritis pain — stopping it where it starts. Nothing’s proven to work better or last longer than Advil. And now introducing new ADVIL GEL CAPLETS. One more advance for Advil. Advanced medicine for pain.

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[Msbvoice]

Great voice. I’m realizing how difficult it is to critique others being so new myself. But looking at #5 and #6 from the class notes I can only pick out a few things. I would agree with Kevin about overemphasizing. And maybe Branding, making more of the product name.

[kevinwiland]

Chas, really nice work! I agree with the positive comments from Mary and Darlene. I just think that you overemphasized words throughout the read which would cause balancing problems in the engineering room. In particular in the beginning: It’s a part of my life. So I. Go easier on those words. Otherwise, great job!

[darleneharris]

Hi Chas! Great read! The pacing and tone were really well done.

[mkell755]

Hi Chas, really nice! I like the depth and richness of your voice – it sounds very well-suited for this one. Good energy and pacing on this one. Well done!

Mary

[Toque]

Hi folks. Another practice script. Would appreciate feedback on any and all aspects. Thanks! Toque

Intact Insurance script:

Business owners know that success requires commitment and passion.
Unfortunately, passion and commitment can’t prevent accidents. A single liability
claim could put you out of business. Protect your business against costly
lawsuits with Liability Insurance from Intact.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Toque.

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[Msbvoice]

I think it could go either way. Maybe a bit more serious tone would work better but lighter seems ok too. The company name was a bit lost at the end. I think some of the pronunciations were not as clear. Great voice, each time I listen to others I realize I have a lot of work to do.

[touzet]

“Unfortunately” came off a little energetic and perky whereas I think it should be a little slower and more serious.
Recording and vocal tone sound pretty good.

[Toque]

Listening to it again, I absolutely agree. Thanks for the great feedback touzet!

[mkell755]

Hi Toque, nice read! I liked the directness of the read and how you emphasized “you” and “Protect”, Very good!

Mary

[Toque]

Thanks Mary!

[Author]

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