How do you record voices?

[Kenn Crawford]

Hello everyone,
As I write my first book (first draft is done, now in the rewrite rewrite rewrite phase) To help with the rewrite I read it out loud to check the flow and sometimes I actually record it so I can really listen.

The biggest problem I am having (other than my voice slowly getting scratchier as I read) is doing different character voices. I don't have too much of a problem doing the voices per se, but I have a heck of a time switching between characters, especially in the more intense and faster paced scenes...it seems the accent or charcateristics of one voice bleeds into the second voice for the first few words. This is especially true when switching between male/female voices. Occasionaly those first couple of words crack like a teenage boy hitting puberty :)

This will prove to be a huge problem when I start the actual recording, so I was wondering how other writers record their dialog. Do you record the entire episode as the narrator and then go back and overdub each character one at a time, or do you record the whole thing with all the different voices and then go back and just overdub the flubs?

Kenn

[Evo Terra]

Jeff Kafer had a great post on this very topic not so long ago:

http://community.podiobooks.com/group/mentorshipprogram/forum/topic...

[Jeffrey Kafer - Male Voice talent]

If you find you're bleeding characters together on action scenes, s l o w d o w n.....

Chances are, you're reading too fast. Just because the scene is an action scene doesn't mean it should be faster. It should just be more intense. You need to learn to bring intensity without speeding up. It's not something learned overnight, so practice. Use a stopwatch if you need to. I've done 11 audio books now, and speed is something I still struggle with, too. So you're not alone.

pausing between narration and characters feels unnatural when you read it, but it feels rushed to the listener if you don't do it. You need to start reading like a listener.

[Kenn Crawford]

Thanks Evo and Jeff. I followed the link Evo and as you said, it was a great post.

Great advice Jeff. I did slow my scenes down and I did a test recording. I thought it sounded like Capt Jame T Kirk :) Of course, I'm just not used to hearing my voice at that speed. For reference I actually loaded some clips of authors I enjoyed listening to such ilyana Kadushin (loved her narrating Twilight), William Roberts (Jurassic Park), James Melzer (the Zombie Chronicals) and I'm listening to my 5th book by Scott Sigler. I then loaded my narration next to theirs (I use Protools) so I can actually see the timing as well as hear it. My new recording had about the same amount of white space, so speed wise I think I'm where I should be now. My older recordings was almost a continous line, so yes, I was reading it too fast. I want to get comfortable working at the slower pace so it becomes more natural before I start doing the voices, but I feel I am on the right track now.
Thanks,
Kenn

[Taleseeker]

I've only just started narrating, but so far I've been reading through each chapter slowly and doing the voices as they happen. It's not only easier to keep their tone in keeping with the other characters in the conversation (as you can play of the tone you've used for the others mere moments before), it's also helps you keep the tone appropriate to what is going on in the scene (since your narrator voice is bound to pick up a little emotion during particularly dramatic scenes).

[Steve Riekeberg]

I want to second what Jeff said here, but also remember that editing is your friend here, and not just for editing out bloopers and flubs. Don't be afraid to take an extra moment or to to switch gears between voices, you can tighten things up later in editing if need be so it will sound more natural.

[Kenn Crawford]

Great advice, take an extra moment to switch gears and then edit out the pauses as needed.

[Philippa Ballantine]

I generally record all in one hit, but when I am doing character voices that I have to be 'in the zone with' I do sometimes make a separate track for. Like Puck in Chasing the Bard- I needed to record him in one go. I think you can get acting whiplash sometimes. Because what you are doing is acting, inhabiting that character- the voice is only part of that. So in those fast paced scenes all that switching can get confusing.
Also when I did Puck, the pitch and cadence of his voice got so in my head I sometimes needed to just be in the role for awhile.
Anyway- hope that makes sense...

[Kenn Crawford]

It makes perfect sense, thank you.
I learned how to do accents by picking a "typical" phrase and practiced it until it sounded ok. Once I got that initial phrase out I could talk all day in that accent. The problem was, I could not do nearly as good a job if I didn't start with that anchor phrase. That's more than an extra moment as Steve suggested but that just meant more editing. No biggie.
I'm a fan of animation, especially stop motion animation, so I like watching the behind the scenes stuff on DVDs. I noticed that a lot of the great voice actors were very animated (pardon the pun) when they recorded their lines. They WERE the character! In fact, they often had figures and pictures surrounding them so they COULD stay in character.
What I think I might do is just record everything as best as I can in one reading, then go back and as you said, "just be in that role for awhile" and then record just that characters lines. I'm sure the later chapters (aka practice) I will be able to jump into the characters and switch more easily.
Thanks
~Kenn

[Philippa Ballantine]

Glad to help. Accents add an extra level of difficulty- but then I don't have to put one on. I'm kinda stuck with one. ;)

[Kenn Crawford]

LOL I know the feeling. I am Canadian so to most of the U.S. I have an accent Eh. :) And, I am a Cape Bretoner, and we have a slang all our own (aka bad enunciation). "Livin up 'ere in da great white nort its cold 'nuff dah freeze dah nuts offin iron bridge. We only gots two seasons eh, cold n too friggin cold". :o)
Over the years I gradually undid the slang and learned how to enunciate my word clearly...until I get a few beer into me, then the Cape Bretoner starts to come out LOL

[Nigel Killick]

Hi Kenn,
I know from my experience with professional British actors, that it can be very stressful on their voice, when they have to quickly change from one character to another in quick succession. Each actor has learnt which system is best suited for themselves. But here are a few possible helpful thoughts and tips.

Try not to narrate too much in one go. It is always quality not quantity.
Make sure you have a good quantity of liquid, water with honey is always a good lubrication for your throat. It sounds like to me, that you are trying to do too much and thus making your voice tired and scratchy.

Actors will use a technique if their script demands that their character is angry and loud. They use a very simple technique to simulate anger without actually shouting. In other words they swallow the anger by gritting their teeth and controlling the volume of their voice. This has three effects, one being that the vocal cords are not being stressed and secondly, it sounds more like a controlled rage. And the last being that the microphones are not overloaded.

Remember, you're not a trained professional actor, so you have the luxury of taking your time no matter how many takes it takes to get it correct. An actor is expected to perform to a very high standard within a very short and highly expensive recording session.

As an author/narrator you have the luxury of being able to rework and fine tune your narration. When I worked in the professional theatre in England and was privileged to see some of the greatest theatre actors a plying their craft, I was always amazed at how meticulous and precise they were about every word on the page. Actors are like musicians, they never stop rehearsing and I have seen them up until the last second going over their script. So, rehearse, rehearse and more rehearsals are the only way that you will finally become relaxed and confident that you know your script so well that you can afford the time to dress it with feeling and textures.

Try to be in a relaxed mood as this will relax your voice box.
If you're reading a particularly fast paced section, it is always difficult to know how to break it up so that you do not destroy the pace. But again, try not to overwork yourself, take breaks and think of yourself rather like a racehorse, pace yourself.

Make sure that you mark up your script as if you were narrating someone else's work. Detailed forensic analysis of your script will be helpful and be used to mark up such things as pace, intonation, colour and volume and breathe points.

Sometimes, an actor may have to have as many as 10 takes on an important part of the narration, just to make sure that everything comes together.

I always make sure that the actor is happy to finish a section of narration, in other words, to end on a mutually agreed part of the script for each take.

I hope this is been of some help?
Nigel Killick executive producer at www.peoplktalk.libsyn.com


Please check out my comments called " My thoughts on producing a high-quality audio book, for what it's worth" Here is the link:http://community.podiobooks.com/forum/topics/my-thoughts-on-produci...

[Kenn Crawford]

Wow, thanks Nigel. Lots of great info. Very helpful.
Thanks so much.
Kenn