Preferred mic...

Why not plug directly into your computer with a USB mic? Blue Snowball, Audio Technica ATR2020, Rode NT-USB are decent for the price.

gorillaonabike said:

Let's say, hypothetically that we, as super low budget film makers have an opportunity to get someone to voiceover something. The good news is this person has a name. The bad new is we have no idea what the audio environment is going to be like ...

What would your suggestion be given as low a budget as possible to make this happen?

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The lowest budget possible IMO, is still higher than the budget and circumstances your question indicates. Having a "name" is a very valuable resource, a resource which no one would want to compromise and risk squandering. The lowest budget possible would therefore be, IMO, the cost of a cheap professional studio with voiceover facilities/personnel. If you're determined to take the risk, then Alcove's suggestions are probably the best but I wouldn't know for sure, as I've never been in the situation where the filmmakers were willing to take that level of risk with a "name".

G

AudioPostExpert said:

The lowest budget possible IMO, is still higher than the budget and circumstances your question indicates. Having a "name" is a very valuable resource, a resource which no one would want to compromise and risk squandering. The lowest budget possible would therefore be, IMO, the cost of a cheap professional studio with voiceover facilities/personnel. If you're determined to take the risk, then Alcove's suggestions are probably the best but I wouldn't know for sure, as I've never been in the situation where the filmmakers were willing to take that level of risk with a "name".

G

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If I could've put them in a studio, I would've done so. They're probably too sick to get them in a studio but they are more than physically able to perform / talk and that means if I can get them to re-agree to do a v/o, the only place to do it is in their house.

They've also changed their mind already (it's a will-they, won't they situation) so when I get them to agree again (if the agree again), then I'll have to move extremely quickly before they change their mind again.

I have a ghetto version of Alcove's suggestion but that's why I need something fast, portable and can be setup in their house in an unknown audio environment. However, their house is big, in a relatively quiet area and with the right setup, I might just get away with it.

What you have to understand is I'm a low-budget film maker with a shot . If I can attach a name, I have a shot of selling. If I can't attach the name then I have no chance. I have to take my opportunities where I can get them which is the art of low-budget production.

So rent what you need for the on-location VO session. Ask him what mic HE likes for his voice. It'll probably be too expensive even to rent, but you never know; a lot of VO guys like the Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun, and it can be rented at a reasonable price.


Hey, you say that you've got a shot here; can you afford a decent sound guy for a day? Can you afford not to hire a decent sound guy for the day?

gorillaonabike said:

What you have to understand is I'm a low-budget film maker with a shot .

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It's precisely because I understand this that I offered the advice I did! If you had a high budget to play with, then you can afford to blow it and still have options; trying again with different equipment/facilities/recording personnel or hiring a different "name" for example. With a "low-budget" and the stated importance of this opportunity you don't have as many/any other options and therefore can't afford to blow it.

The advice Alcove gave in his last post is good, as was his question!

G

Alcove Audio said:

So rent what you need for the on-location VO session. Ask him what mic HE likes for his voice. It'll probably be too expensive even to rent, but you never know; a lot of VO guys like the Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun, and it can be rented at a reasonable price.


Hey, you say that you've got a shot here; can you afford a decent sound guy for a day? Can you afford not to hire a decent sound guy for the day?

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...if I knew what day. Illness. Flexible. She. Last minute scramble. I can handle the sound recording myself and am comfortable that I will struggle but it will be just about enough.

And seriously, an MKH-416??? That's amazing! That's so reasonable! Was expecting a price in the thousands!

It sounds like the VO session and everything revolving around it would be a good documentary.

And yeah, the -416 is brilliant for the price.

Alcove Audio said:

It sounds like the VO session and everything revolving around it would be a good documentary.

And yeah, the -416 is brilliant for the price.

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Producing a doc and trying to get it sold is a documentary in itself. At the moment, we have a small amount of interest and if we continue, have a very outside chance of selling. Really remote.

However, the follow-up doc is better. This one is more the 'learning experience' and I feel so stupid right now.

During this doc, had a runner who had a go at burning down someone's house, the same guy screwed up basic photography / filming / sound, one of the sound guys who works at a professional production house took out a disabled person with the back end of a boompole, was threatened with all kinds of naked sauna antics (the subject thought they were being, um, nice), chasing a 'name' with results as above, car broke down, everything broke down, I'm breaking down...

On top of this, discovered there is a fully professional outfit filming exactly the same subject as us. At least we know we have a good idea!

Aaaarrrghhhhh!!!!

gorillaonabike said:

And seriously, an MKH-416??? That's amazing! That's so reasonable! Was expecting a price in the thousands!

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Maybe you have an incorrect expectation as far as the cost of pro location mics? Most the current top models can be had new for under £1,500. A few things to bare in mind with the 416:

1. It was pretty much the de-facto standard location mic from the mid '80's for about 25 years. They're as or more robust than pretty much anything else out there and established rental houses will probably have stacks of them. They're therefore usually cheap to rent and second-hand bargains are not uncommon.

2. The design of the NTG-3 is based on the 416. While there are some sonic and performance differences, generally the NTG-3 can be used wherever a 416 would be used and with comparable results. Purchase price of the NTG-3 is considerably lower than a 416 though and therefore represents probably the best "bang for the buck" as far as pro quality mics are concerned. However being a relative newcomer, rental prices might not be so significantly lower than a 416.

3. The 416 is a shotgun mic and therefore best suited to outdoor use. Being a short-shotgun type it can (and frequently is) used indoors as well. It's no problem at all in a VO booth, ADR stage or other acoustically controlled interior but is likely to require fairly skilled placement in other interior environments to avoid the usual shotgun (interference tube) pitfalls. In the (vague) situation you described, a hyper-cardioid mic could be the most forgiving and therefore the wisest choice.

G

As above, rental would be a great way to go. Personally, I would go with a portable iso-booth like Alcove suggested. For VO work, most of the guys I know like the RE-20 and that has become my first-pick mic for any type of narration or reading. I'll also second the NTG-3, it is an awesome mic. However, I think that any type of shotgun mic would be a bad choice for VO when there are many purpose-designed microphones available.

VO talent will not be on camera, so there is no need to use a lav or shotgun -- which are intended to be invisible and have to make compromises in sound to get it. Go look in forums dedicated to narrators and VO specialists and see what mics they talk about. Or just ask your talent what he likes?