Do You Have To Go To School To Be An Audio Engineer?

This is the second of a two part series from a good, long-time friend and colleague of mine, Rene Coronado. I love they way Rene answers the question I am often asked; "Do you have to go to school to be an audio engineer?"


Where you went to school is 100% irrelevant in this field. What you're capable of is all that matters. When people with real money go looking for someone to do their creative audio work they never ever ever look for a degree. What they're looking for (if they don't already have a personal relationship) is a reel and or a recognizable credit list.

With that said, there is a fair amount of good that can come from school, but it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

I went to a 2 year school in West Texas and got my AAS in sound technology on a free scholarship ride, but if I had paid for it out of my own pocket it would have been chump change compared to what places like the Art Institute charges. Literally a few hundred bucks a semester - and we had our own building filled with all kinds of great rooms, mics and boards to work with. It was a little old-school (we were cutting to 2 inch tape and learning calibration), but the formal teaching of fundamentals and troubleshooting were essential to my career.

My advice is to find a place (be it school or otherwise) that will teach you the following:

• electronics theory
• signal flow
• troubleshooting
• acoustics theory
• writing and communication
• microphone and compressor theory
• file management
• business fundamentals like accounting and bill collection

Once you've found your spot the next step is to put it out of your head that you'll learn what you need to know in school. Theory is an important part of the equation, but it only sets up the most important step - practice.

Start finding projects as early and as often as you can. Work for free if you have to, but get paid when you can. Work on your own stuff and work on other people's stuff. Find a mentor if you can, otherwise engage online.

By taking on projects early and often you'll develop your skill set at a rate of speed that will allow you to keep up with the thousands of other kids sitting in their rooms dreaming up cooler sounding stuff than you are. You'll also start building a reel that you can use to either drum up work as a freelancer or look for a staff position somewhere.

Most importantly though, you'll be building relationships with other people that need audio services. To them, it doesn't matter that there's some kid downtown that can make cooler sounds than you because they don't know that kid downtown. Therefore they can't like that kid. But they like you because you do good work and you get it to them on time.

If it were architecture or medicine I'd say get the best degree you can. But its not. Its audio, so instead you'll need to get the best skillset you can and do it as fast as you can.

About Rene Coronado:

Rene Coronado joined DAPG in 1999 as an Audio Engineer and became Lead Sound Designer soon thereafter.

In his role as lead sound designer his responsibilities include creating custom sound effects and foley for a large array of websites, TV shows, films and live events. From the beginning Rene has worked closely with the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers on both broadcast and in-game presentations. In addition to several others, he was the lead sound designer in the film El Descubrimiento (The Finding), which won the Juried Award at the Short Shorts Film Festival in Mexico City in 2009.

Rene has also been an ADR recordist for Fox TV, Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures, and he was audio team lead for voice recording on video games such as Brothers in Arms-Earned in Blood, Dragonball Z: Budokai 3 and Spikeout Battlestreet.

Rene graduated with an AAS in Sound Technology from South Plains College in 1999. As part of the team here at DAPG, René continues to expand his knowledge in all aspects of audio production. He currently writes articles about audio for video on BrightHub.com.

What Do You Say When Clients Ask For More?

This is the first of a two part series from a good, long-time friend and colleague of mine, Rene Coronado. Rene has always been very progressive in his thinking when comes to working within the audio field as well as very willing to share his knowledge. I am very pleased to be sharing some of his valuable words with you.

What Do You Say When Clients Ask For More?

The best way to deal with this situation is to do what you can to avoid it entirely, though that really comes with experience.
Here's how to avoid the situation:

Do your homework on the project

Always discuss deliverables before starting work on something. If you get question marks over heads when the topic comes up, then you need to be prepared for the amount of work in front of you, and make plans and decisions accordingly. Its fairly common for an inexperienced video producer to be in need of audio education even though he's already halfway through his project, and its your job as an audio guy to be as honest and straightforward as possible with what you are wiling/able to do given the price and what his project will require in order to ever make any money.

Even experienced video producers and filmmakers can be sometimes shockingly uneducated with regards to the amount and type of sound work required to make their projects marketable. They don't all have to be works of perfection, but you'll know as well as anyone what can pass muster and what can't, and what kind of effort it will take to get from A to B.
If you can anticipate any compromises that will need to be made in order to deliver the project on budget and on time you'll be able to set expectations and minimized the compromise effect accordingly.

All of this comes from the courting process though, and the red flags that people throw up will become more apparent with experience.

Write a contract

I know, people hate signing contracts, but they also hate paying for audio work so you have to protect yourself. Contracts can be flexible by the way. You can specify a package rate for x deliverables and x hours, with an ability to continue work for a studio rate after those hours and deliverables are fulfilled. This way everyone knows what to expect, and it allows for a new entry point into the money conversation if new requirements appear as the project moves along.

Contracts don't have to be all legalese and complex, in fact, the more straightforward and readable the better. Your goal with a contract is not to litigate it if your client wants other stuff - its to use it as a mutually agreed upon framework for the working relationship.

You don't need a signed contract for every job, but you should start considering it when the work looks like it will span more than a few days. Each situation is different so react accordingly.

Also, a wise man once said that you should only have two prices - free and full pop. Anything in between devalues your work without diminishing expectations.

Communicate immediately when surprises occur

When you initially take assets - if you expect one thing and find another, then stop down for a moment and reassess. Then talk to your client before moving forward. If you see a problem and begin work anyway, then you will miss the opportunity to head off trouble before it can multiply.

About Rene Coronado:

Rene Coronado joined DAPG in 1999 as an Audio Engineer and became Lead Sound Designer soon thereafter.

In his role as lead sound designer his responsibilities include creating custom sound effects and foley for a large array of websites, TV shows, films and live events. From the beginning Rene has worked closely with the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers on both broadcast and in-game presentations. In addition to several others, he was the lead sound designer in the film El Descubrimiento (The Finding), which won the Juried Award at the Short Shorts Film Festival in Mexico City in 2009.

Rene has also been an ADR recordist for Fox TV, Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures, and he was audio team lead for voice recording on video games such as Brothers in Arms-Earned in Blood, Dragonball Z: Budokai 3 and Spikeout Battlestreet.

Rene graduated with an AAS in Sound Technology from South Plains College in 1999. As part of the team here at DAPG, René continues to expand his knowledge in all aspects of audio production. He currently writes articles about audio for video on BrightHub.com.

Three Things I Couldn't Live Without In Pro Tools

I’ve worked in Pro Tools for years in one capacity or another. Something I’m always surprised about is when I discover a tool that I somehow missed, and not just any tool…It’s almost always a golden tool, one that I feel like I can’t live without once I find it. I wanted to share with you three of these tools. Maybe you use these all of the time, but if not, you’ll be happy you are reading this.

Strip Silence

This is especially handy for VO editing, but is also invaluable for editing snare or kick drums. Open strip silence by pressing ⌘ - U (Mac) Control – U (PC), from there, it’s pretty easy to play around with. Set you threshold to the dB level that you want it to start engaging set the minimum length of file you want created and tell it how much time you want at the beginning and end of the cuts that will be created. Once you hit strip, it tears away the silence and you are left with a neatly cut file.







Tap for Tempos

I have to admit, I feel pretty silly about this one. I remember sitting in a session trying to do some overdubs and setting up a click track. I was having an impossible time getting the tempo right when my assistant engineer said “Dude, just open up tempo and tap the ‘t’!” It really is that simple, open up the tempo window, press play, tap “t”, and viola!

Consolidate Region

This is one that I knew had to exist and went looking for it; it was not hard to find either. I wanted to make one file out of all of precise editing that I was working on so I didn’t inadvertently loose the front or back of the file from moving it around. Highlight all of the audio you want to consolidate and on a Mac; Shift+Option +3 and on a PC; Alt+Shift+3 will do the trick.





Simple but effective, I hope these help you out as much as they have helped me! Please fell free to share some of your favorite tools within Pro Tools below.

Vocal EQ Tips

One of the most common areas I address with those new to recording is equalization. It’s not surprising that this is a roadblock for many aspiring engineers simply due to the fact that with all of the controls and adjustments that are available, it’s easy to feel like you need to make use of EVERYTHING. This is not the case, the numerous options that are available are simply there to provide flexibility to compensate for the recording source, the engineers preference and any other of the innumerable issues that can arise in a recorded track. In this installment, I’m going to continue to focus on the usage of this tool on vocals.

Not to break tradition, I want to start with the disclaimer that, as with just about everything in a studio, equalization is very subjective. At the end of the day, what sounds good to your ears is correct. I have spent a lot of time studying and practicing learned EQ techniques, and I can tell you, the best education that I have received is spending time critically listening to the music that matches the style I’m working on and working to emulate that sound. In most cases, we are not trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to attain a good sounding vocal that rides in the correct place in the mix. What I will share with you here are some of my most common practices as I am mixing vocals. I’m also writing this from the perspective of the current trend in vocal presentation, which is a crisp vocal from the top down with a much less obvious bottom (especially true with female vocals).

Depending on the style of music, one of the first things I’m working on is cleaning up the bottom end frequencies of the mix. Knowing that there is a lot of room for “mud” between kick drums, toms, bass, guitar and vocal sibilance, I work to make the vocal track stand above those instruments. Generally speaking, I begin with a high-pass filter on a vocal initiating a gentle roll off between 250 & 125 Hz (Know that if you are going for the “big” male vocal, this may have to be adjusted). With many microphones mid-range frequencies are accentuated, the next place that I’m looking is at these frequencies. Generally, these are the frequencies that will “argue” with my guitar tracks. Typically providing a gentle cut in the mid-rage will remedy this. Finally, to get the “crisp” sound, I work with my higher frequencies. I will usually slightly boost 8-ll kHz, which adds the breathy crispness. Use caution doing this, as it is very easy to make your vocal track too “brittle”. I spend the bulk of my EQing time on the high-mid frequencies with the desired end result of making the vocal ride perfectly on the top edge of the mix. While the above is greatly over-simplified, it is a good point of reference.

The more time you spend working with your equalizers the more comfortable you will become making the right adjustments. It’s just like anything; practice makes perfect. Find what you like, listen to as many reference mixes as you can and work to make your mixes sound similar.

I love to get your input and tips as well, feel free to share. As always, I’m happy to answer questions or provide my opinion.

Recording Tips: The (very) Basics Pt. II

I have received a lot of positive feedback on my blog post: Recording Tips: The (very) Basics, and have been asked by several people to expand on it so that it might encompass what an entire project style studio would need to be to achieve a more complete set-up. I will preface this by saying, if you’re like me, you will never have enough “toys in your toy box” and that a “complete” studio is a very subjective thing. Here I will provide, in my opinion what a good starting point is for a more complete set-up.

In the first installment of this blog I discussed the three most critical facets of the studio, the microphone, the preamp and the room. Assuming you have those three figured out and are happy with that, let’s round it out.

First, you have to have something to record to, either a computer with software for recording or a standalone device for recording. I prefer the computer method, as most do these days, so I’ll focus on that style. First, don’t skimp on your computer, you will be asking this machine to do a lot and to do it without creating latency. Don’t expect an old machine with slow processors and very little RAM to do the job without creating tons of frustration. Get a computer that can handle the workload, Rain Recording is a great place to check out for quality machines. The software is also very subjective and there are tons of choices like Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic and Sonar (just to name a few). Find what works best for you and learn it inside out. Know what you will need to properly run the software; you will likely need an external piece of hardware as well.

Next, you will want to be able to hear what you are recording. You will likely need headphones to do this. Look into multi-channel headphone amps and good, comfortable headphones. The number of channels that you will need for your headphone amp will be dependant on how many simultaneous tracks you intend on recording. You will probably not need an eight-channel amp if you only have two inputs available to record to. Also, if you don’t need many headphone outputs, be sure to check on your external piece of recording hardware (if one is needed for your software), many of these have 1-2 outputs preinstalled. Speaking of hearing what you are recording, you will also likely need a decent pair of studio monitors. There are many choices for studio monitors and again, it is subjective, but be sure to get something that provides a very clear and uncolored sound. Studio monitors are crucial to the mixing process and need to be worked with to get the mixes you like. You will likely have to do some work “tuning” your room to get the best possible sound.

If your audio source is being recorded in another room, you will also want to consider a talkback mic, which enables the engineer to communicate to those being recorded through the headphones. A good, inexpensive place to start is with either the Mackie Big Knob or the Presonus Monitor Station. Both of these will also provide many different ways to configure your monitoring system.

After you get all of the above, a few things that are often forgotten about are, microphone stands, pop filters, good cabling and a music stand. Don’t forget to budget these things into your mix. They do add a considerable amount of cost and are hard to do without if you forget.

This is a very over simplified list, and there are certainly MANY other things that you can add, but as a starting point you have a nicely thought out studio set-up. Studio set-ups can be as simple or as complex as you can make them. The most important thing is that you capture good quality sound and have the ability to take that captured sound and mix it into something pleasing to the ear.

Audio Engineers (Unsexy) Checklist

I hate that feeling right after I get all settled in somewhere and then I suddenly realize that I forgot something. Inevitably, right I after I go retrieve my missing artifact, get settled back in…I realize that I did it again. The good news is, if it’s a task that you do regularly, these occurrences get less and less, but until you get the habit built, nothing beats an old fashioned list!

There are a few things that I make sure to have on hand or prepared prior to starting a recording session. This is exceedingly important if you are working with clients since your time is their money. I think that my clients have to think that I am half crazy when I first talk to them before a session because I ask so many questions. The reason is, you can’t prepare for what you don’t know about and nothing is EVER as simple as it sounds. What I’m going to share with you right now are the basic things I make sure are close by when I’m recording and some tools that I suggest you have available to make your life easier during sessions. We can call this the underground checklist, because most of this is the ‘unsexy’ side of being a recording engineer.

Here’s my list:

Pen & Paper – Make LOTS of notes while you are recording! Note the areas that might need to be ‘punched in’, document exceptional passages, write down EQ thoughts, write down areas that might need more compression and don’t forget to write down some creative thoughts to share with your client. All of these things will help you while mixing and let your client know that you are paying attention to their project.

Scripts or Lyric Sheets – These are invaluable for keeping track of where you are in the recording, catching errors and making production notes. I use a pencil on these since I may change my production notes depending on the take.

At Least One More Microphone Option – Be prepared to swap mics, and don’t be too lazy to do it. If your not immediately happy with the sound you are getting, or it’s different than you had first envisioned, it just takes a few seconds to swap a mic and it can make a world of difference.

Extra Mic Cables – Why? Because they do wear out and fail. You don’t want a basic component like that to stop a session dead in it’s tracks! You would be surprised how many times I’ve seen people with only one cable available.

Extra Headphones – Again, these fail. They are high use, (unfortunately) high abuse items and can and will go out without warning.

Bottle of Water (or other beverage) – You will be talking back to your client during the session and you don’t want to have to stop what your doing to go get a drink.

It’s a simple list and not often considered, but can make a world of difference. Assuming you have prepared the rest of you equipment correctly, this should minimize session stopping issues.

Recording Tips: Limiters

If you have spent any amount of time recording and mixing, you have likely tried to keep a sound from clipping or tried to boost the overall volume of a recorded sound only to have it clip because of a small section or a single sound that tends to be much louder. We’ve already covered two types of compression, basic and side-chain, now I’d like to discuss limiters, which will help with the above issues.

A limiter is a compressor that is typically set to a higher ratio and faster attack (see compressor basics). The goal of a limiter is to “limit” a sound to a specific top volume. Limiting effectively reduces the dynamic range of a sound, this means that if set correctly, it will turn down the louder sections to bring their volume closer to the softer sections. Limiters are used frequently in live sound applications to prevent sounds that are too loud from damaging speakers. In a studio setting limiters are often used as a tool to reduce louder sounds so that the volume of the track as a whole can be increased without clipping or distorting. We will focus here on the studio usage only.

A compressor begins limiting once the ratio is set above 5:1 although it is usually a higher ratio setting, closer to 10:1. Also, attack times are generally much faster. To set up a limiter, start by setting your threshold (or ceiling) to the dB level that you want the sound to start to being effected. An example of this would be if you had a sound recorded where the majority of the sound was below -10 dB, with some areas that were around -2 dB and you wanted the volumes of those sections to be closer to the rest of the mix, you would set your threshold somewhere below -2 dB, but probably not more than -10 dB. Next, adjust your ratio to the desired amount of effect you want to use; 10:1 is a good starting point. Now you will use a fairly quick attack setting (this will be a “to taste” adjustment) to tell the limiter how quickly you want the effect to be executed on the sound. Finally, you can use a make-up gain to increase the overall sound of the newly limited track, which should provide for an overall higher volume without clipping. If you limit too much and use an attack time that is too fast, the result will likely be undesirable.

Limiting is a great way to protect speakers, smooth out performances and increase volume. Remember there is no standard setting for any two sounds, so spend some time tweaking the parameters to get the best effect possible. Try not to use more limiting than is necessary as the goal is to improve the overall mix without being overly obvious. The untrained ear should have no idea that it is there at all (unless that’s desired goal).

Recording Tips: Acoustic Guitar Microphone Tecniques

Right behind voice, acoustic guitar is one of my favorite sounds to record. The sound can be extremely complex and is governed by so many factors that it is actually very easy to experiment with. In sticking with the basics, this installment will focus on micing up an acoustic guitar. I will share with you my favorite techniques and give you some general “rules of thumb”.

Before we get into micing up the guitar, I want to share and stress a lesson that I have learned many times over. The overused saying, “fix it in the mix” should be thrown out the window and replaced with another often-used saying, “garbage in, garbage out”. The goal should always be to capture whatever sound you are recording in the best possible way. When looking at recording acoustic guitar, consider the variables that can be optimized prior to setting any levels. To many of you, this will seem like common sense, but I cannot tell you the number of times that I have had to “gently suggest” this to musicians. First, replace the old strings on the guitar with new ones. New strings will drastically change the tonality of the sound. Next, please make sure the instrument is tuned. Finally, have extra strings, picks and anything else that is unique for the instrument handy. Nothing kills the energy of a session faster than having to run up the road to the store to buy a new set of strings because one broke on the perfect take.

Now that you’re ready to play, let’s mic the guitar. Condenser mics are usually the best choice for acoustic guitars due to their ability to capture the higher frequencies. I usually favor a large diaphragm condenser if I’m only going to use one (which I almost never do). If I were to do what most people new to recording would do, which is to place a single microphone facing directly at the sound hole, I would find out that the sound would be very resonant and bass heavy. This sound is probably not the sound that you are going for. This sound is often more desirable, however if you are using multiple microphones to capture the entire sound of the guitar. So in a single microphone set-up, you will want to place the microphone between the sound hole and the 12^th fret facing the guitar. Sometimes, when using only one microphone, I will place the microphone approximately at the 10^th fret facing back toward the sound hole. This gives a good mix of body from the sound hole and brightness from the neck.

More typically, I’ll use three mics for acoustic guitars for the reason that the instrument will sound very different depending on where the mics are positioned. I still begin with a large diaphragm condenser microphone, but this time I place it directly in front of the sound hole approximately 10 inches away from the guitar. This microphone will serve as the device to capture all of the body and resonance of the guitar. Next, I will set up a small diaphragm condenser at roughly the 10^th fret to capture the brightness and higher frequencies that the instrument is producing. Finally, I will put a third condenser microphone over the player’s right shoulder (if they are right handed, left if they are a lefty), to capture the sound that they are hearing. This microphone to me is the most important because you are hearing the performance the same way the guitarist is and it captures a much more “true-to-life” guitar sound. I will interchange large and small diaphragm mics depending on the performance style. By using three separate microphones to capture the performance, you will then be able to blend them together to get a very clear and accurate sound when mixing.

One word of caution regarding the multiple microphone technique; you will encounter phase cancellation if your microphones are not placed very close to the same position and there is a delay time between the microphones. As long as you are using 3 separate tracks, you can adjust to this while mixing, but as a best practice, try to keep the mics to a very similar proximity to the guitar.

The final mic technique for acoustic guitars that I will share with you is XY pattern micing. I use two small diaphragm condenser microphones with the capsules one on top of the others and one pointing toward the sound hold and the other toward the neck of the guitar. I generally place these microphones 6-10 inches from the guitar with the mics positioned right between the neck and sound hole. I pan them hard left and hard right and record. This creates a very nice and ear pleasing stereo effect blending the dark sound from the hole and the bright sound from the neck.

There are, of course, numerous ways to mic acoustic guitars, these are just a few. The best thing to do is move the mics around until you like what you hear. Try adjusting the height and angle of the mics as well as moving them up and down the guitar. Remember, recording is very subjective, find what sounds best to your ears and record it!

Recording Tips: Preamps

Which preamps are best is one of the most debated subjects in the pro audio world. Preamps are extremely subjective and one of my top three most important things for good recordings. It’s not surprising that this is a confusing subject for many people entering the recording community; there is simply no clear-cut answer on what exactly is needed. In keeping with sticking to the basics as I have done in my last several discussions, I hope to clarify this topic for you all to some degree. I will be focusing on preamps in a general term and will not be getting into the tube vs. solid-state debate right now. We’ll save that for another day.

Preamps are very simple actually, their function in your recording process is to take a low audio signal and amplify it so you can capture the recording. In it’s most basic form there is an input for you to plug your microphone into and an output to plug in to your recording interface. You will have a gain knob to adjust how much the signal is amplified, a phantom power button to power condenser microphones (+48) and typically (although not always) and input impedance to help color the sound depending on the source. Sounds pretty simple right? Well, in a perfect world, yes, but the preamp has to boost this signal without adding too much noise to your recording. A mark of a good preamp is being able to increase the gain with very little noise. Many less expensive and poorly designed preamps will create buzz and hiss as their volume is increased, thus adding unwanted noise to your recordings.

So how do you choose one? Well, as I mentioned earlier, it is subjective and if you are just starting out, your choice will probably be governed by your budget. Good preamps can be very expensive; many go for as much as 3-5K. Many mixers and DAWs have them built in and you will likely find that there is a considerable amount of noise created when the built in preamps are used (not always the case, but more times than not). If you are not looking to spend much money, say less than $400, I’d suggest saving for a little while until you can afford a decent model. There are some very acceptable single-channel preamps currently on the market in the $500-1000 price range. Waiting and getting a quality preamp will make a very noticeable difference in your recorded sound. Noticeable to the point that it will likely expose problems you did not even realize that you had. Usually problems that were concealed by the noise floor that your ears were used to.

You do need to know that if you purchase a great preamp, it might not be the silver bullet that makes all of your recordings masterpieces. There are many things in the signal chain that can affect the sound and the preamp is only as good as the other devices in your signal flow. Considerations are your microphone, A/D (Analog to Digital) converters, recording environment and really just about anything that the signal flows through prior to being captured. Think of recording as if your are building a road for sound to travel on as it is heading toward it’s final destination, in most cases today, your computer. The longer you make the road and the more circuitry that the sound has to travel through the bumpier the road will be and higher the probability of creating unwanted noise. Keep it simple, find what works and sounds good and don’t try to take too many shortcuts, especially when it comes to the preamp.

Recording Tips: The (Very) Basics

We all start somewhere in our quest to set-up our perfect recording environment and we really never stop trying to improve upon it. After getting my degree in audio engineering/sound recording technology and leaving the excellent recording facility that I had been so fortunate to have access to, I found myself yearning for a space of my own. Like most college graduates, I was high on enthusiasm but low on cash. I was given a Tascam 4 track cassette recorder for Christmas by my mother and spent what little cash I had on a cheap dynamic mic. I had a host of songs ready to record, something to record them on and a lot of time on my hands. I went to work recording, but was not so pleased with the results. I kept tweaking my system, borrowing equipment and working on my space until I found what worked for me. I spent the next few years building up equipment, doing freelance projects and honing my skills and in 2004 I was given the opportunity to build and run a small studio for a local company. While running that studio, I continued to build my own until 2006 when it was ready for the world. For those of you just getting started on you quest of putting together your studio, I want to share some of my thoughts and hopefully help you avoid some of my errors.

A good friend of mine and very talented engineer gave me the best advice I received about two years into my project. By this point, I had a little bit more money and was shopping for gear; he told me to focus on the three most important elements first. They were, the microphone, the preamp and the room. He said if you got those three things right, you would be making good recordings. He was absolutely right, the first two were the easiest for me. I had heard my voice through many mics and had a good idea of what it sounded best through, while I couldn't get the mic I wanted at the time (AKG C-414), I was able to find a good deal on an Audio Technica 4040. I found a good price on a decent pre amp and was already extremely pleased with my results. The room proved to be the hardest of the three for me. It seemed that no matter what I did I would still end up with things in my recordings I didn't want; too much room noise, frequency issues and the occasional dog bark. I lucked into some Sonex acoustic foam from a recording studio that was renovating (can't beat "right place, right time") and went to work covering the room floor to ceiling with the foam. This worked well for evening out the reflections and I was able to work my schedule around the dog so my recordings were well on their way. I need to mention that what I didn't buy at the time was a recording interface or anything to process or effect sound. Taking care of these critical components, for me, did much more than any of those could have.

My second realization came to me when I purchased a load of equipment from someone else's failed studio venture. That realization was that you have to know the scope of your recordings and how your equipment works together. If you have a Neumann U87, you are recording it through a cheap preamp and have bad converters, you don't get all of the benefit from the U87. Furthermore, you don't need to spend a lot of money on studio gear that you don't have room to use or won't use for your primary reasons for putting together your studio. After buying this lot of gear and seeing a good portion of it sitting unused, I realized (as I'm sure the person I purchased it from did as well), that I didn't need it and while it was a good deal, I wasted a lot of cash.

Finally, once I got a clear scope of what I was primarily recording and covered my previously mentioned critical components. I started to see that my more narrow focus was yielding much higher quality recordings. This allowed me to spend less time clearing trash from my recordings and trying to make them sound like they were recorded on decent gear and more time on perfecting a well recorded sound. From there, I continued a focused path and honed my craft accordingly, all the while the other stuff that I had been trying to force prior to that began to happen on it's own.

I'll leave you with, what I believe is a great place to begin assuming you have something to record sound to:

Know what you are going to be recording - Start small, it's good to dream, but be realistic. If you are a voice actor wanting to record your voice, you don't need to buy a set-up to record a full band.

Network - Find people that are making good recordings and see what they are doing that you can adopt. You will pick up a lot of tips and tricks and people love to talk about their craft.

Get a good mic - Try several out and see where you voice naturally sounds the best. You don't have to break the bank at first, but find something that can last you a little while and learn to use it well. Also, invest in a good pop filter, this will save you a lot of time editing.

Get a decent preamp - Talk to others in your field and sales people to find out what others like you are purchasing.

Develop a recording space - This should be no smaller than a 5x7 area that is treated to reduce reflections. Any smaller than that will produce frequency issues that are a pain to work with. There are some pretty cool free services available now that were not there for me. For instance, Aurelex will provide you will a free room analysis and treatment recommendations. You can do this through Sweetwater sound.

Finally, don't underestimate yourself, I have heard some downright incredible recordings come out of a bedroom. It's not the ingredients, it's the cook. Spend the time and money on the right tasks and equipment and get good using what you have. If you do this, your studio will grow before you eyes.

Recording Tips: Side Chain Compression

Now that we have covered the basics on both the compressor and the EQ, we can now start discussing a few of the cool ways to use these tools to improve our recordings. For this discussion, I’ll be discussing a very useful compressor function for those working with voice; Side chain compression.

Side chain compression is feeding one audio source into the compressor to trigger the compression of another audio source. While this can be used in many different ways, I will only focus on its basic use for voice. The side chain compressor is most frequently used for “ducking” or turning down a sound to get out of the way of another sound. You might use this if you are mixing a music bed underneath a voice over track. If set up to do so, this will allow the music to be automatically turned down when the voice track is running and swell back up once the track is silent. Some compressors have this built in and can simply be switched to side chain mode, but it is more likely that you will have to seek one of these out. If you do not have one, there are some good free or very cheap ones that can be downloaded with very little searching. Please realize that every compressor is a little different in its functionality, in this example I’m using a basic Digirack Compressor/Limiter. I will explain how to use a side chain compressor to “duck” a music bed under a voiceover track. Here are the basics:

First you will need to route your “Key Input signal” (the signal you want to be used to trigger the compressor), in this case your voice track, through a bus. Next, place the compressor on the music track to be “ducked” and set the compressor to side chain mode (also sometimes called key input mode). On the Digirack compressor clicking the button that has a key on it does this. Next you will need to let the compressor know what signal it is looking for to be triggered. Look for something that is labeled “key input signal” or similar. This will need to be set to the bus you assigned to your voice track. At this point all of the signal routing is complete and all that is needed is to tweak the settings to “duck” the music track based on the voice track. These settings will be very different depending on the tracks that you are using but I will typically use a fairly slow attack (100-150 ms) and very slow release or decay (600 ms – 1 s) to make this effect as unapparent as possible. I also use a fairly high ratio (6:1 or higher) to limit the music track when the voice track is playing and adjust the knee of the compressor (usually soft) to make the volume transitions as seamless as possible. Also, you will not need any gain compensation for this. The threshold will be dependent on the level of your recorded audio, but all of these parameters can be tweaked until it sounds right to your ears. Find what feels right to you and go with it.

Using a side chain compressor can save you a lot of time when mixing voice over on top of music and will certainly prevent the music from overpowering the voice. It can feel very confusing at first, but once you get it, my bet is you will find yourself using it on just about any project that has these two components.

Recording Tips: EQ

Continuing on through some basic recording techniques, this installment will focus on some basic equalizer (EQ) functions and how you can use this tool to enhance your recordings. As with the previous discussion on compressors I will focus primarily on the use of EQ for voice and discuss only very general aspects of usage. In it’s basic forms, the EQ has two different styles, graphic and parametric. The graphic EQ is the most basic and where this particular discussion with focus.

The audio that we record is comprised of many different frequencies coming through at different volumes. Equalization allows us to boost (turn up) or cut (turn down) those frequencies individually. Equalization done correctly can enhance your audio by giving it body (low end), warmth (mid range) and brightness (high end). Equalization can also correct minor recording issues such as plosives (sounds generated by bursts of air such as the “P” sound) and sibilance (hissing sounds such as the “S” sound). The EQ will not make the voice sound like someone else’s, but will enhance (good or bad) what is already there. To use a cooking analogy, the EQ is like salt; it can make good food taste great, but if you use too much of it, it will ruin it entirely.

Typically with a graphic EQ there are adjustable parameters for individual frequencies. Each one can be turned up or down to affect the audio. There is typically also a Q control, which determines how narrow or wide frequencies around the selected frequency will be affected. Think of the Q control as a gentle “U” shape with the affected frequency in the middle, the higher the Q control is set the narrower the “U” is, thus affecting fewer frequencies.

In most cases, the goal of the EQ is to be undetected by the listener, therefore cuts are much more friendly in facilitating this. Boosts can very quickly cause a voice to sound unnatural so boosting gently is preferred. You can take a little more liberty with the cuts without creating a too unnatural sound. Below are some general tips for voice equalization:

• Use of a High Pass Filter (HPF) reduces frequencies below the set frequency (this is sometimes called a shelf). This is very handy for use in vocals as most audible speech is below 125 Hz and applying an HPF somewhere below that can instantly remove plosives and rumble created from mic stand movement.
• Use a slightly lower Q setting (around 1.0) for a gentler, less apparent affect.
• Frequencies between 125 Hz – 1 kHz make up the bulk of the human voice; lower frequencies will affect the body of the sound, adding or subtracting richness while the higher frequencies will affect nasal qualities. Frequencies above 1.25 - 5 kHz affect the crispness of a vocal and allow it to cut through other sounds better such as a music bed. Frequencies above 5 kHz affect the brightness quality of a voice sometimes providing a more breathy sound. Too much boost in the higher frequencies will cause the voice to sound thin and brittle.

Not one recording is the same as the next, take time to work with each individual recording and address the uniqueness of the sounds. The EQ is a very easy to use tool and can have a very positive impact on your finished product if used wisely.

Recording Tips: Compressors

I have been asked many times to share my insights into creating better audio. It’s no secret that many more people today than ever before are doing some sort of recording on their own. The truth to this is that it is a great thing for those of us in the professional audio world (although some disagree). I receive innumerable projects across my desk from those that have recorded something on their own and want to improve it, add to it or work from it. Knowing how to use the basic tools to make better recordings allows these people to spend more time on the creative aspects of what they are recording and less time trying to figure out how to work all of the gadgets that are included in the recording software/hardware they purchased. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing about the usage of some of the most common audio tools used to achieve more professional recordings. I will be writing these as if the reader knows absolutely nothing regarding the tools, so if you are a little more seasoned, stay with me.

When working with voices, there are two pieces equipment that I almost always use, a compressor and an EQ. There are of course a whole host of other pieces that can be added to the audio chain, but these are the basics. For now, I will focus only on the compressor and save the EQ discussion for another day.

While probably the most commonly used audio tool, the compressor is a stumbling block for many people. For some reason, it just seems overly complicated when in actuality it is an extremely easy to understand tool. A compressor is essentially used to even out the volume of a sound source. Naturally, words that are spoken or sung using inflection and pitch will have areas that are louder and some that are much softer. A compressor, used correctly, will bring the space between the loud parts and the soft parts closer together by automatically turning down the loud parts and turning up the soft parts. In order to do this, you have to be able to tell it how to do its job. Before proceeding, I must first tell you that a compressor can do a lot of things and function in many different ways, today I’m only going to focus the most basic settings and controls. I will delve deeper into the other functions another day. The most basic user influenced parameters on a compressor are as follows:

• Threshold – This tells the compressor when to start working. The compressor will start increasing or reducing volume when the audio signal reaches the specified volume of the threshold. If the volume of the sound never reaches the threshold limits the user sets, it will not be affecting the audio at all.
• Ratio – The setting of the ratio determines how much the volume of the compressed areas will be affected. 1:1 being no affect at all, 20:1 being a very considerable amount of affect well past the point of acting as a limiter (also discussed further later). A ratio of 4:1 would mean that if the audio increases 4 dB above the threshold limits that were set the, volume increase would now only be 1 dB.
• Attack – This setting determines how quickly the compressor starts working after the set threshold has been reached. Attack times set to a very fast setting, say 1 millisecond, will almost instantly have compression applied once the threshold is reached, longer attack times will apply the compression more gradually. Remember, the goal when using these audio tools is not to be able to tell that they were applied, just to improve the sound, adjusting the attack time helps with this greatly.
• Decay – This tells the compressor how quickly to release the compression once the sound has crossed back under the threshold. Again, this is used to make this tool subtler. A fast decay time will release the compressor immediately while a slower decay time will gradually decrease the amount of compression.

Since every vocal recording is different, it is hard to give you a defined setting to use, but the compressor is actually very easy to manipulate and knowing what each control does should aid you in tweaking the effect until it sounds right. Your ears are the best tools you have; use them to compare your effected recording to others that sound good to you.

Voice Acting Studio Performance Tips

It’s amazing how a microphone can transform a person. For some people, myself included, it brings out the goofy, over the top entertainer; for others it can turn even the simplest of lines and phrases into insurmountable feats of frustration. There are pros and cons to both of these but both are easy to correct and/or accentuate with a few simple steps.

For those of us who view the microphone as a magic wand that makes us the ultimate actor and comedian, we have to really focus on the task and hand and consider what we are recording. It is essential to stay on task and channel the energy into delivering a controlled performance that is appropriate for the material. I have found that I often have to provide much more production guidance to the client when this is the case. For those not working with a producer, spend an extra few minutes reviewing the recording and looking at it from many different perspectives. It’s often helpful to begin the reads from a much more subdued standpoint and work up the intensity from there. Also, pulling the volume down in the headphones can prove helpful in taming down an overactive read. It’s important not to loose the inhibition in the recording session as this has produced some of the best voiceover sessions I’ve ever had, but too much of just about anything is not a good thing.

For those that struggle with intensity in front of a microphone, it can get complicated. I have found that often people are just concerned about making fools out of themselves. From a producer’s standpoint, it’s especially important to convey exactly what they are looking for in the performance. When producing, I will often read the line myself very much over the top and follow up with, “that’s probably a bit much, but you get the point”. Usually this helps put them at ease as they have gotten a good laugh at my expense. Also, it may help to increase the headphone volume in their case as it makes them more aware that they are portraying a character or playing a specific role in the studio. This group of performers typically takes direction very well and can be easily molded into creating the perfect performance. For those of you who fall into this category and are working without a producer, start your recordings out with an intensity that you think is over the top and dial it back from there. Also, sit back and really listen to the recording after the fact and take the role of producer, if you think it is acceptable for the topic and would give it the green light as a producer, send it on for review. If not, don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board and really develop the character.

Spending time working on your general delivery in front of a microphone is just like practicing anything; the more you do it, the better you become at it. Remember that you are your own worst critic in many cases and don’t be afraid to experiment within your environment. Turn off your lights, close your eyes, turn your headphones up, turn your headphones down, use hand gestures, make funny faces and don’t forget that what you are doing should be enjoyable.

Business Usage of Recording Studios

There’s a pretty good chance that the first things that comes to mind when you hear “recording studio” are images of guitars, drums and an engineer at a mixing board nodding his head to the beat. While this image rings true in many cases there are other sides to the recording studio, sides that people tend to forget about or what some of my friends like to call “the unsexy side of recording”.

Many organizations tend to miss out on a key marketing element that could both help build their credibility and give them a much more approachable image. This element is the voice of the business and can be used in several capacities throughout the marketing initiatives. Integrating audio into the marketing mix helps evoke emotion, increase retention of information and helps leave a more lasting impression on your target audience. In conversations with organizations and businesses, I am amazed at how often the scope of using the recording studio to facilitate marketing needs seems way outside the spectrum. There really are many ways professionally recorded voiceover; music or sound effects can be integrated into just about any business. Below is a short rundown:

• Audio for presentations – Presentations don’t have to be large scale productions, but the addition of custom music and carefully selected voiceover can really help set an overall tone for a meeting. We have added audio to quarterly company meeting Power Point presentations and more complex product launch presentations.

• Audio for websites – Done correctly, a short audio intro to a website can speak volumes for your business. These intros don’t have to be long and drawn out it can be as simple as thanking you web-visitor for stopping by, it can also serve as a virtual traffic director, quickly outlining some helpful hints for navigating the website. This can help your website feel more friendly and welcoming to the visitor and may help them linger on your site longer.

• Audio training manuals – While most companies use hardcopy, traditional training manuals, many have found it more effective to incorporate a recorded version as well. This allows trainees to both listen to and read at the same time the vital information that they are to consume. This will lead to a swifter absorption and longer retention of the information that they are being provided. Training processes can be lengthy and expensive; anything to speed the process can decrease boredom and place the trainee in real-life situations faster, saving the company money.

• Custom voiceover and/or music for slideshows – We are seeing more and more slideshows to be given to clients depicting previous work and achievements by companies. While many times this is simply a series of pictures, it is more entertaining and engaging when there is a spoken explanation of the image and music is used to set the tone. This provides a much more professional and polished product to clients.

• On-hold messaging programs – Business that have any amount of telephone traffic have a unique opportunity to market to a captive audience that wants to hear what they have to say. Taking advantage of the time a client is on-hold by supplying them with information about the company, directing them to the companies website or featuring a lesser known product or service will both enhance image and decrease the likelihood of a hang-up.

There are many other business services recording studios can offer such as radio spots, jingles and audio for video. These and others tend to be the obvious thoughts that businesses have relating to studios. Audio usage by businesses and other organizations can be an amazing tool when used properly and could be what sets a company apart from competition in this global economy. One word of caution to this process; professional voiceover and properly mixed productions are extremely important. You want these audio productions to sound their best and convey professionalism. Hopefully these thoughts have sparked some creative juices and provoked some new ideas. Please do not hesitate to ask or comment if you have any questions or thoughts.

Making Your Voiceover Demo Stand Out

Going back through numerous emails and CD’s of voiceover demos recently, I realized that many of the names I did not recognize. In fact only a hand full rang a bell and only 1 or 2 did I use regularly. I reviewed those individuals demos again as well as some of the others that I did not recognize. It became apparent quite quickly why I had chosen the ones that I had based on their demos and why I produced voice demos for actors the way that I do.

In most cases, it was not necessarily the voice (although sometimes it was) that prompted my call, but more often it was the fact that there was a wide range of material displayed in a very short amount of time. Almost none of the ones that I selected sent me separate demos displaying different styles, but one short demo displaying the best of the best across the spectrum. There was almost always a humorous section and in all cases they made me smile. The demos that were selected all evoked an emotion in me of one kind or another and made me feel a genuine connection with the artist. None of the demos that I selected contained an intro or exit that gave me the artist name or booking information, but the demos that were selected all contained the artist name in text on the file itself.

One of the most memorable demos that I remember hearing was from a voice actor that was very good with many dialects. He performed a roundtable discussion with each of his voices playing a different character. It was well written and was absolutely hilarious. I still refer him to studios to this day and submit his demo for him.

Demos are subjective to anyone listening to them, I am simply sharing what “sells” me on the voice actor. Some of my likes are different than what is considered the norm, but I’m sure that I am not alone in some of my demo preferences. Here is a list of what I consider a standout demo:

• Quick and to the point - I receive many demos and want to get the most from them in the shortest amount of time possible. I generally prefer no longer than 2 minutes maximum.

• Establish an emotional connection – Demos should be done in a fashion that the person listening to it is really getting to know the voice actor. After all the hope is that you will work with the person you are sending the demo to, they need to like you.

• Make them smile – Whether it’s cute, cuddly or funny, the listener needs to smile when they hear the demo.

• Use a music bed – Don’t go overboard, but music helps create the emotion. I especially liked the ones that felt well thought out in music selection for each section. Don’t just throw a generic sound bed down for the sake of having one there.

• Don’t oversell yourself – I don’t know why, but when I hear demos that say the artists name more than once (or at all), it turns me off. A good cover letter should cover this aspect. I’m not writing down the booking information from the demo itself.

• Use Metatags if sending mp3s – This will display all of the information needed about the artist in text in most computerized players. Many of the demos I received as mp3s simply said “voice demo.mp3”.

Finally, of the ones that I selected that might not have initially caught my attention, I realized another fact; they had all called me over a period of months and built a relationship with me before I had ever used them. They made me know them before I used them. I knew that they wanted to work, they were serious about their craft and really had an interest in the type of work that I was doing. This speaks volumes about marketing yourself and branding yourself as a voice actor. In many cases, I didn’t even go back over their demos before calling them to work on a project with me.

The craft of voiceover is truly a beautiful one and one that does a lot for many enterprises in today’s world. Demos are the entry point into any project or studio and need to be as strong as possible. Please feel free to share your comments as well below.

How Does Music Generate Action?

I have spent years playing, researching, recording, writing and analyzing music and am always interested regarding the "whys" behind it. Things like; Why is one song more popular than another? Why do some songs never seem to get old? Why are the same songs played at almost every wedding reception you attend? Why is music used in marketing? Why do we hear music in retail stores (and why does it always seem to be a watered down version of the original)? Some of these questions seem pretty obvious, but when you really think about it, the answers don't come so easily. Obviously, record producers have figured out a "method to the madness" of spinning out a hit, even through the changing climate of digital vs. physical music sales. Hits, however have a definite and fickle life span. Not all #1 singles will be well recognized even 2 years down the road, and not all songs that barely crack the top 20 will be forgotten in 2 years.

Popularity of music is driven in several ways; one way is through synch licensing within a movie. I immediately think of the revitalization of the 1994 single, "I Like To Move" it by Reel 2 Real thanks to the 2005 hit movie "Madagascar". Since then this song has become a stadium anthem across the nation and is known by almost every child in the U.S.A.. Another way music is made popular is through long-term advertising programs. In this instance I think of "We Like To Party" by the Dutch group Vengaboys. You may not know this song by name, but when you hear the music and see the old man dancing, you realize you are listening to a Six Flags advertisement. "We Like To Party" has been used for nearly 6 years in a row now. Finally, there are just some artists that have a brand so well established that popularity of their music is almost guaranteed. In this case brand management has done the leg work for them, I think Black Eyed Peas in this instance. They have done an amazing job at creating a brand that both trusted and well recognized by the music consumer.

Then there are the "evergreens", the songs that may have a very specific genre, but no one seems to care. You will be hard pressed to not see almost everyone in a room take notice when "Sweet Home Alabama" or "Don't Stop Believing" start to play. Not many of these songs are "born" year to year, but when they are, they become iconic songs that can be used in almost any situation.

So how can we use these facts to our advantage? How can music be used to call people to action? Make that puchase, donate money, time or spend just a little longer in a store. First, I have never heard anyone say "I don't like music". Everyone likes some type of music and that music will generate emotions. Sometimes, for products at least, the right song is obvious. For example, you are marketing a pre-paid calling card many songs will spring to your mind that would make sense ("Call Me" by Blondie was what immediately jumped into my mind). Even easier are items designed as romantic gifts, there is any number of love songs out there that would work perfectly. Other products can prove to be more difficult, but the joy of music is there is usually several choices of well known songs that fit well for just about any product or service. You can then begin to filter down song choice by the age, gender and socioeconomic groups you want to market to. Maybe it's not a product you are trying to sell, but an emotion you are trying to generate. Ever notice that many times political advertisements use a grandiose patriotic arrangement as a sound bed? These ads are attempting to portray trust and nobility. Music is the perfect ingredient to accompany a strong voiceover to generate interest and create a sense of urgency, because it establishes some sort of emotional bond with the listener.

Music truly is the "soundtrack" to our lives, we listen to it at birthdays, graduations, weddings and funerals. We use it to get through workouts, to make that flight a little more enjoyable, to wind down before bed and to pump us up before the big game. Music is a crucial additive to just about any media project, without it the project will most likely feel dull and lifeless. Same is true with meetings and presentations. I discovered sometime ago that playing music for a group before I spoke to them and inserting some music throughout my presentation drastically improved the responsiveness of the crowd. Music is not something that should be simply thrown into a project, it needs to be well thought out and edited correctly. The right professional should be able to come up with multiple song recommendations or references in very little time as a starting point. If you are not using music correctly in your media projects, you could really be missing an important opportunity to bond and build trust with your target audience.

Making The Most Of Your Sessions

I am often asked by clients "what do I need to do before I come to record". Now, if you are a seasoned voice actor or a musician that has been in the studio many times before, you probably have your own ritual that you go through prior to recording and you probably have a list of things that you like to bring into the studio. That is great, we all have our practices that make us utilize our craft better and certainly different recording sessions mean a different set of needs.

For voiceover sessions, it's always helpful, although not always possible, if the voice talent has gotten scripts in advance as well as some sort of scope on the vocal style that will be used. There is not a lot of other things that a voice actor needs to bring to a session. While most studios have water, it's always smart to bring water or whatever specific needs your voice has to perform at its best. A pen or pencil is also a good idea, just in case. Finally, voice actors need to understand that they are there to please the client and be open minded to the requests and willing to try many different reads and inflections.

I always tell musicians that are coming in to record that the most important thing is that they know the material and know it well. The studio is not a place to iron out the chorus or get your guitarist up to speed on the bridge. That needs to be done in advance. Studios are a place to get your absolute best performance recorded and let the producer and engineer work their magic. Guitarists should always have extra strings, drummers should have extra sticks and everyone should come prepared to focus on their music. There should also be a well defined plan for recording ahead of time. Musicians should know the order of songs and have a clearly defined goal for the recording session. Make those hours in the studio count.

Clients that are brining in songs or albums for mastering need to clearly communicate their desires for their final masters. It helps to provide the studio with reference material of songs they admire the sound of. Also, it must be understood that mastering is not a magic process that corrects poorly recorded or mixed songs. While many things can be corrected and improved through the mastering process, not all issues are correctable. Make sure that you are happy with your mixes prior to contacting a studio to master your project.

The studio can be a magical place but I have seen sessions that could have been much smoother with proper communication and basic understanding ahead of time. Always visit with the studio prior to the recording session and let them know what you want to achieve. Most studios will do all that they can to ensure that you are happy.

Key Audio & Sound Design is always happy to answer your questions and we would love to hear about your pre-recording routines as well! Feel free to post below!

What is On-Hold Messaging?

As obvious as on-hold messaging may seem to many people, many more people are not real sure what it is when I tell them that we do On-hold messaging for businesses. I get all types of responses ranging from the "deer in the headlights" to "Oh! like right before I leave a message?" I wanted to clarify for those that are unsure what on-hold messages are.

When you call a business and either ask to speak with someone or are placed on hold while the business representative is looking up information, you typically hear something. What you are hearing, generally is one of four things:

Silence - Not good. Most callers will hang up if they are left in silence for more than 60 seconds.

Radio - Also, not good. Suppose you own an AC repair company and while your customer is waiting for your quote, an advertisement for a competitor comes on offering $100 dollars off their next service call. You've just done some effective advertising for another company to your client.

CD - Simply put, this is illegal. You have to obtain a license to be able to "broadcast" someone else's music.

On-Hold Messaging - By far the best option. This is a professionally recorded work that utilizes the captive audiences attention to talk about your business. Many of my clients will answer FAQs, discuss why their service is the best choice, advertise specials or direct clients to their websites. Beneath these powerful messages clients enjoy nice selections of fully licensed music and between the messages they are thanked for their time and patience.

If you own a business and handle any amount of call volume, you should heavily consider taking advantage of on-hold messaging. This not only gives your business a polished and professional image, but it also leverages a captive audience who is obviously already interested in what you have to offer.

What is Key Audio & Sound Design?

When talking about Key Audio, I get asked a lot, "What exactly do you do?" There is a short answer and a long answer to that question, each response depends on the person asking the question. The short answer: Key Audio does anything that has to do with recorded audio, in any medium. The long answer is a little more involved; Key Audio records artists from seasoned bands, solo acts and songwriters to Karaoke singers and people just wanting to record something for their families. We create and record music, we master albums and we provide production guidance. Now, that's the music side, but we consider ourselves excellent multi-taskers and can't stop there. Key Audio also creates and produces sound for consumer products (this may require an entire separate discussion), creates custom on-hold messaging for businesses, records audiobooks, creates sound design for picture and video games, records corporate narration and helps build business identity through sound. Finally, we are able to provide CD duplication/replication and assist in distribution of both digital and physical albums.

Key Audio and Sound Design has a vast network of musicians, composers, copywriters and voice talent to meet any and all of our clients needs. Providing unprecedented support through our clients projects, we have been able to build a very strong pool of repeat and referral business. We love what we do and it shows. Please keep us in mind next time you or someone you know is looking for quality recording services.