I agree with burdakgirl — great performance. If I were producing this, I would ask for a couple small changes (e.g. less inflection on “that are exaggerated) but you do such a nice job with pacing and phrasing overall. You sound like a trusted friend. Also, I might add a high-pass filter to your recording as the low end is a bit rumbly, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing! Bill A.
Interesting practice exercise. I tried listening to just the first line in each recording to see if I could guess the imagined listener and here’s what I came up with: 1) romantic partner 2) casual friend or young person 3) older adult. So, not sure it matters that I guessed right but good that I hear clear differences. I really enjoyed moments from each take and think that smile in your voice is especially engaging. Thanks for sharing. Bill A.
Have you booked any meditation work? Do you listen to meditations? Are you needing some encouragement? I’d love your feedback on my performance… Thank you! Bill A.
Script: I know that you’re scared, and it’s a good thing to be scared. Because with that fear, you realise that there is a strange adrenaline rush that takes over you, akin to most of the top athletes and singers right before they play and start their performance. As you feel scared, you can begin to you know…use this emotion for the better. Use the rush, use the adrenaline, use all of this nervous energy. You get scared because your mind pictures things not going in your favour, however the mind is creative. One of the scenarios it can create, can come from the space of courage. It’s all a picture in your head at the end of the day. So why don’t you take this opportunity to think of the outcome that you want, the one in which you’ll feel happy, satisfied and excited about this journey that you’re about to take. Yes, use all the nervous energy to imagine a level of euphoria unfathomable so far in your life. It’s bright and vivid. You put aside the negative images you were seeing with these new, beautiful and breathtaking ones. Yes, you can……NOW….BEGIN TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
I like the way you lower your speaking volume and get close to the mic. This adds an intimacy to your delivery that works well with this script. Nice job! Bill A.
Hi, Mary. Less clipping in this recording but still an issue (“We all wish they…”). Levels need to be set so that the loudest part does not clip (exceed 0db). You can always boost volume in Audacity but you can’t effectively repair clipped/distorted audio. I’d turn down the gain setting on your mic a bit more. Or, you could back away from the mic by an inch or two. Or you could bring down your speaking volume, project less. That NT1A is a super sensitive mic and will capture more details in your voice if you speak less forcefully. I like the subtle change in your tone when you introduce the solution to headaches. Nice. Bill A.
Regarding your set-up, you have set the microphone gain too high on your interface causing the audio to clip/distort. The halo light indicator on the input k**b should never turn red and only occasionally turn yellow while you are speaking. Super important to set your record level correctly so you don’t clip the audio.
Regarding the performance, I think a softer, conversational delivery with maybe a flirtatious tone makes sense. This appears to be a scene where the listener is buying a drink for someone they’d like to meet at a bar/club. Perhaps you’re the person sitting right next to them, offering this advice. Just a thought about a different way to perform this script.
Congrats on your new gear. Solid choices. Looking forward to hearing more of your work!
I like the way you contrasted the first two lines and, especially, how you delivered “…your immune system is” with a slight smile. You pause a bit too long between “is” and “with” which breaks the flow of this sentence. It does make the product name stand out but I found it slightly jarring. Nice job on the closing line and not dropping off on “immune system strong.” Very pleasant voice! I could hear a couple plosives, which you will want to eliminate through mic technique and maybe a pop filter. Thanks for sharing. Bill A.
I really like the way you said “to create a partnership that will set a new standard for quality and caring.” You sounded most connected to the script here, warm and inspiring. I think this connection should come across throughout the piece, whether it’s a flat read or not. Thanks, Bill A.