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Hosted by voice over and audio pros, George 'The Tech' Whittam, Robert Marshall from Source Connect and SUM1, Darren 'Robbo' Robertson from Voodoo Sound and Andrew Peters a voice over talent and founder of Realtime Casting. The Pro Audio Suite features interviews with key players not just in VO but anything to do with audio and voice over.They also talk about tech stuff, VO tips and industry news!The Pro Audio Suite delivered fortnightly.
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- Yesterday35 min
Is AI Killing Voiceover? Not So Fast
AI is killing voiceover. Or is it? An email to George kicks off a much bigger conversation this week about what artificial intelligence is actually doing to voiceover and audio production right now, rather than what everyone thinks it might do sometime in the future. There's no question some areas have already been hit. IVR, phone prompts, repetitive information reads and other work where consistency matters more than performance are obvious targets. In some cases, AI may simply be a faster and more practical way of doing the job. But what happens when performance, judgement, direction, taste and creativity matter? Robbo talks about putting a real commercial script through ElevenLabs and trying repeatedly to coax a usable performance from it. The result was nowhere near the performance that ultimately went to air. The guys also discuss an experiment where someone reportedly spent hours directing an AI voice to achieve something a good human performer could deliver in minutes. That leads to the bigger question. Are we actually replacing creative people, or are we mostly automating the work that required very little creative interpretation in the first place? The conversation moves through advertising, radio, post production and sound design, including the danger of companies judging AI purely by the immediate saving on a spreadsheet. Robbo raises the possibility that reductions in quality may take years to become obvious in audience behaviour, much like cost cutting in radio can take time to show up in ratings. There's also another side to AI that rarely gets discussed. Could voice actors eventually license their own synthetic voices? Could agents represent both the performer and an authorised AI version of that performer? And if they do, how do you protect the voice once it leaves your control? That brings the conversation to contracts, watermarking, voice cloning, the story of the original Siri voice, unauthorised voice use, and why performers need to understand exactly what they are signing before handing over the raw material required to recreate their voice. AI is clearly changing the business. The interesting question may not be whether humans disappear, but which jobs change, which jobs vanish, and which ones become even more dependent on human judgement, performance and taste. IN THIS EPISODE • Why some voice actors are already feeling the effects of AI • IVR and repetitive reads as obvious targets for synthetic voices • Why low cost advertising is adopting AI faster than major creative campaigns • Robbo's experiment directing an ElevenLabs voice • Why directing AI can sometimes take longer than directing a performer • Whether technological change actually destroys industries or reshapes them • AI generated sound design and the continuing importance of human taste • AI in radio traffic, weather and news • Whether audiences should be told when AI is being used • Short term savings versus long term damage to content quality • Licensing your own AI voice • Contracts, ownership and voice cloning • The story of Siri's original voice • What happens when a cloned voice escapes into the wild
- 1 weeks ago35 min
What Makes a Microphone Directional? Part Two
After finishing Part One with bikes, the team takes a fairly sharp turn into microphone physics. What makes a microphone directional? How does an interference tube reject sound? Why can the Sennheiser MKH 416 sound fantastic in one booth and thoroughly ordinary in another? Prompted by tours of the Neumann factory, George, Robert, and AP explore shotgun microphones, cardioid patterns, off axis coloration, acoustic treatment and the physics that manufacturers use to control what a microphone hears. The discussion includes the Sennheiser MKH 416, MKH 8060, RØDE NTG5, Earthworks Ethos, electret capsules, true condensers and MEMS microphones. There is even a detour into the oldest captured human voice before everything eventually winds up on Electric Avenue.
- 1 weeks ago24 min
What Makes a Microphone Directional? Part One
What actually makes a microphone directional? In Part One of this seriously nerdy microphone discussion, the team dives into interference tubes, polar patterns, room reflections and the physics behind shotgun microphones. Prompted by a tour of Neumann's anechoic chamber, George, Robert, AP and Robbo examine whether microphones labelled hypercardioid are always what they claim to be. They explore how the Sennheiser MKH 416 achieves its familiar focused sound, why that same microphone can sound horrible in the wrong booth, and what manufacturers such as RØDE and Sennheiser have done differently with newer designs. There is also a surprisingly revealing look at acoustic foam, low frequency room modes, the enormous wavelength of a 20 Hz signal, and how combining microphone capsules creates different polar patterns. Yes, it gets technical. No, the maths does not completely derail the show. Mostly. This is Part One of a two part episode. Thanks to Tri Booth and Austrian Audio for supporting The Pro Audio Suite. Recorded using Source Connect. Edited by Andrew Peters. Mixed by Robbo. Find out more at The Pro Audio Suite.
- 2 weeks ago26 min
If You Could Only Keep 5 Plugins, Which Ones Survive?
If somebody deleted your entire plugin folder and told you that you could only put five back, what would you choose? That's the challenge this week on The Pro Audio Suite. Robbo, George and AP start stripping their setups back to the tools they genuinely rely on, from stock Pro Tools and Apple plugins through to Waves F6, H Reverb, SSL X Limit, TDR Nova, iZotope RX Mouth De Click and plenty more. But the conversation quickly gets bigger than simply naming favourites. Do stock plugins make more sense when you need old sessions to open years later? Do you really need a dedicated loudness plugin? Is a channel strip the smartest way to cheat the five plugin limit? And are we spending money automating jobs that are actually faster to do manually? The guys also get into Serato Pitch 'n Time Pro, Pro Tools time compression, Cvox, Hush, Waves DeBreath, TwistedWave's click repair tools, LM Correct and the strange satisfaction of still doing certain jobs the long way around. Then the rules change for AP. Forget five plugins. He can only keep three microphones. That leads to the 416, the 818, the NTG5, microphone lockers, U87s and eventually one of those classic Pro Audio Suite detours involving Betamax, VHS, Aston Martins, Triumphs, Ferraris and a lifetime of choosing the technically interesting option instead of the one that becomes ridiculously valuable. So, if you could only keep five plugins, what survives? The Pro Audio Suite is proudly supported by Tri Booth and Austrian Audio.
- 4 weeks ago34 min
Guess That Mic: Four Mics, Ten Listeners and One Surprise Winner
AP records the same voice through four very different microphones and sends the files around without revealing what they are. George, Robert, Robbo and a bunch of trusted audio ears rank them purely on what they hear. Then the mics are revealed. The result is a pretty good reminder that price, reputation and specifications only tell you so much. What matters is how a microphone actually sounds on the voice and for the job you need it to do. And just to make the point beautifully, Robbo put the overall winner dead last. LIBSYN FULL DESCRIPTION It's time to Guess That Mic. AP started out making a sample of one microphone for someone. As tends to happen around here, that simple job turned into four microphones, multiple preamps, a pile of audio files and a blind listening test involving ten people. The idea was simple. Listen to four mystery microphones on AP's voice. Don't worry about the badge, the price or what you think you're supposed to like. Just rank them. The result? Almost nobody agreed. George liked 3, 4, 2, 1. Robert went 4, 3, 2, 1. Robbo went 2, 1, 4, 3. And the more people AP asked, the more interesting the results became. Once all ten votes were scored, the final result was: 1st, Mic 3, 27 points Equal 2nd, Mic 2, 25 points Equal 2nd, Mic 4, 25 points 4th, Mic 1, 23 points So what were they? THE BIG REVEAL Mic 1 Microtech Gefell M 92.1 S tube condenser with M7 capsule Recorded through a Grace m101 Mic 2 Microtech Gefell M 930 art Mic 3 Austrian Audio OC818 Mic 4 AKG C414 EB with nylon CK12 capsule Mics 2, 3 and 4 were recorded through a Neve 1073. No processing or high pass filtering was deliberately added to the comparison. And yes, the Austrian Audio OC818 won the overall vote. Robbo ranked it last. Which rather neatly sums up the entire episode. This was never intended to be a scientific microphone test. It was about something arguably more useful, what happens when people actually listen without knowing the name or price printed on the microphone. A mic one person describes as smooth and full, someone else hears as dark. One person hears useful presence, someone else hears too much top end. One listener's first choice becomes another listener's fourth. HOW EVERYONE VOTED George Whittam: 3, 4, 2, 1 Robert Marshall: 4, 3, 2, 1 Robbo: 2, 1, 4, 3 Chris Gates: 2, 3, 4, 1 Simon Murphy: 1, 2, 4, 3 AJ: 4, 3, 2, 1 Matt McKenzie Smith: 3, 4, 2, 1 Paul Baxter: 3, 1, 2, 4 Matty from Sonic Playground: 1, 2, 3, 4 Mike Aiton: 1, 4, 3, 2 MORE COMMENTS FROM THE SHOOTOUT Mike Aiton Mic 1: Sounds really good. Not over hyped anywhere with a good natural midrange. Mike guessed it might be a 416 and picked it as his favourite "by a country mile". Mic 2: Sibilant around 7.5 kHz, less lower mids and consequently less full sounding. Definitely not Mike's cup of tea. Mic 3: Subdued top end with a very full bottom end. Mike wondered whether it might be a ribbon. Mic 4: Mike thought this sounded like a TLM 103, noting the bass lift and saying he would probably reduce some of that for AP's voice. Matt McKenzie Smith Mic 1: Matt heard harmonic resonances around 470 Hz and 980 Hz, plus some additional energy around 2.5 kHz. Mic 2: "Sounds lovely", with a little more prominence around the 4 to 5 kHz area. Mic 3: Hotter in the low end and sounding great, although Matt noticed a prominent phase offset. Mic 4: Similar phase offset, along with great low end extension. Matt's final ranking was: 3, 4, 2, 1 And perhaps that is the real conclusion of the whole exercise. There isn't a microphone that everybody is going to prefer. The expensive one isn't automatically better. The one with the flattering frequency response on paper isn't automatically better. And a microphone that sounds gorgeous solo might not necessarily be the one you'd choose when that voice has to fight its way through a commercial mix. Pick the microphone that works for your voice and your job. What a bloody novel concept. Thanks to Tri Booth and Austrian Audio. Recorded using Source Connect. Edited by Andrew Peters. Mixed by Robbo. Tech wisdom from George the Tech Whittam. Got your own audio issues? Visit justaskrobbo.com Don't forget to subscribe to the show and join the conversation on our Facebook group. Leave a comment, suggest a topic or simply say g'day at theproaudiosuite.com.
- Aug 17, 202626 min
Best Voice Over Mic for Women? It's Not That Simple
Is there actually such a thing as the best voice-over microphone for women? It sounds like a simple question, but once the Pro Audio Suite starts pulling it apart, things get much more interesting. This week, George, Robert, and AP look at why choosing a microphone based on whether the talent is male or female probably misses the point entirely. What matters far more is what the voice is actually doing. Is it bright or dark? Sibilant? Mid forward? Deep and chesty? Does it have a lot of mouth noise? And does the microphone complement those characteristics, or simply exaggerate them? The crew gets into why a bright voice may benefit from a smoother or darker microphone, why a big baritone does not necessarily need even more bottom end, and why certain microphones can sound fantastic on one voice and downright horrible on another. Along the way they get into the Sennheiser 416, RØDE NTG3 and NTG5, Austrian Audio OC818 and CC8, Audio Technica AT4047SV, Neumann U47, U67, U87 and TLM 149, ribbon microphones, the Gefell M930, Grace M101 and even the dark art of matching microphones with preamps. They also look at how much you can fix with a little sympathetic EQ, why ribbons can sometimes be a brilliant solution for bright or aggressive voices, and why auditioning a few microphones on your own voice, in your own space, still beats buying something because somebody on the internet called it "the best". In this episode • Why there really isn't a "male mic" or "female mic" • Matching the microphone to the characteristics of the voice • Bright and sibilant voices versus darker microphones • Why deep voices don't necessarily need more bass • The 416 versus the RØDE NTG3 and NTG5 • Why the Austrian Audio OC818 makes a compelling desert island VO mic • The AT4047SV and transformer character • Why an expensive U87 can sound awful on the wrong voice • Using ribbon microphones for difficult or aggressive vocal tones • Condenser versus dynamic microphones for voice over • How microphone transient response can expose mouth noise • Matching microphones and preamps • Why auditioning microphones is still the smartest way to choose Sponsor and Production Credits Thanks to our sponsors Tri-Booth The portable VO booth that works. Save $200 with code TRIPAP200. Austrian Audio Making Passion Heard. Recorded using Source Connect. Edited by Andrew Peters. Mixed by Robbo. Tech support from George the Tech Whittam. Got your own audio problems? justaskrobbo.com Join the conversation, suggest a topic or just say g'day at: theproaudiosuite.com
- Aug 11, 202625 min
Can You Build a Proper VO Setup in a Tiny Room?
How do you build a voiceover audition setup when the room is tiny, space is precious, and you really don't want to pull the whole thing apart every time you're finished? AP's daughter has moved into a share house in Melbourne and needs something permanent enough to give her consistent audition audio without taking over the room. The gear is already pretty capable: a RØDE NTG3, CEntrance MicPort Pro, Porta Booth, TwistedWave, Source Connect and a trusty old pair of AKGs. The question is how to put it all together so it actually works. That gets the guys talking about mic placement, portable acoustic treatment, desk stands versus boom arms, why positioning can matter more than buying a better microphone, and Robert's recent experience trying to record someone through a remarkably cheap USB mic. Then the conversation turns to a bigger issue for working voice actors. When did having a broadcast quality home studio become something clients simply expected talent to provide for free? Plus old AKG headphones, MRI headphones, sagging boom arms, remote studio costs, subtle compression and the engineers who can hear processing you thought nobody would ever notice. Featuring George Whittam, Robert Marshall, Andrew Peters and Robbo. Recorded using Source Connect. Edited by Andrew Peters. Mixed by Robbo. Got an audio problem of your own? Visit justaskrobbo.com Join the conversation at theproaudiosuite.com
- Aug 3, 202621 min
In Ears for Voiceover: Brilliant Isolation or Total Overkill?
Do voice actors really need in ear monitors? They offer excellent isolation and can sound fantastic, but they can also feel uncomfortable, create an unnatural sense of pressure, and make it harder to hear your own voice unless your direct monitoring is set up properly. In this episode, George, Robert, Robbo and AP look at when headphone isolation genuinely matters, including WALA sessions, radio interviews, music driven reads, remote recording, pickups and situations where headphone bleed can end up permanently embedded in the recording. They also consider the complete opposite approach. Rather than blocking everything out, could lightweight open headphones give voice actors a more natural performance while still providing enough cue audio for punch and roll recording? Robbo shares how headphone bleed unexpectedly saved part of a previous Pro Audio Suite episode. A damaged recording contained a missing line from Robert, but a faint version had leaked into another host's headphones. After gaining it up, processing it and running it through Waves ReGen, Robbo was able to slip the repaired line back into the episode. The team also discusses reading to music, reading to picture, custom in ear monitors, cheap Koss headphones, modular AIAIAI headphones, and Robert's experimental plan to eliminate Source Connect echo with a ribbon microphone, a loudspeaker and some carefully aimed figure-eight rejection. IN THIS EPISODE Why voice actors consider in ear monitors When headphone bleed actually causes problems Why WALA sessions require serious isolation Radio interviews and remote recording echo Recording pickups when music has leaked into the original take Reading voiceover scripts with music underneath When music improves a performance Reading to picture and visual timing cues How headphone bleed helped rescue a damaged podcast episode Using Waves ReGen to reconstruct missing dialogue Robert's figure eight microphone experiment Why sealed in ears can make some performers feel uncomfortable The importance of direct monitoring with IEMs Open headphones for punch and roll recording Affordable Koss headphones for voice actors Custom moulded in ears Modular AIAIAI TMA headphones
About The Pro Audio Suite
Hosted by voice over and audio pros, George 'The Tech' Whittam, Robert Marshall from Source Connect and SUM1, Darren 'Robbo' Robertson from Voodoo Sound and Andrew Peters a voice over talent and founder of Realtime Casting. The Pro Audio Suite features interviews with key players not just in VO but anything to do with audio and voice over.They also talk about tech stuff, VO tips and industry news!The Pro Audio Suite delivered fortnightly.
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