Those movie announcers...

[somexone75]

What would you guys say the best way to master over a vocal track to make them kind of have the same sound and depth as those guys with the over dramatic sounds.

Here's an example of what I'm hoping I can get it pretty close to.
[youtube:eb7dcdc790]http://www.youtube.com/v/AgMUYlDz4uc[/youtube:eb7dcdc790]

 

[Massive Mastering]

That has as much to do with mastering as the paint on a car has to do with its 1/4 mile time.

90% of it is the voice -- And of course, capturing it with the right gear in the right space with the right engineer.

 

[somexone75]

That was a lot of help; I've been around the bush a few times...

What I was asking was what is the method that would work best to take it the next few steps?

EQ-ing the track to death?...

 

[hueseph]

Just curious. What's the answer you want to hear? I think you got the right answer already but if you go ahead and post the answer you want to hear maybe someone will oblige you.

The mic in the clip looks like it might be a U47 which can run upwards of $6000 used. That would be a good place to start.

 

[somexone75]

Like I said in my last post, what is the best route of mastering after for get the track recorded. Is it just EQ-ing it, or is there another way that I can manipulate it in addition to that?

 

[hueseph]

As Mr. Scrip pointed out, this has little to do with mastering. You need to get it to sound good to begin with. That means choice of mic, mic placement, the preamp, the medium, but mostly the talent. If It's already on disc/tape then you have no choice but to resort to either hardware or plugins. Maybe eq. Likely some compression. I think it comes down to your voice talent though. You can't squeeze blood from a stone as they say.

 

[mwacoustic]

somexone75,

How about you post a brief clip of your existing track, and ask for suggestions as to how to improve it? This will get beyond the issues of talent, mic, placement, etc (assuming these are already history) and focus on what you can do now.

 

[Massive Mastering]

I don't want to post the "beating a dead horse" animation just yet, but I'd really like to know what he's looking for too.

If I had Don LaFontaine (or Al Chalk, Nick Tate, John Leader, or in the case of this video, Hal Douglas, etc.) in here, threw a SM7b in front of him going into a Crane Song Flamingo, that's pretty much all that it's going to take. Sure, maybe add a little compression (maybe) or a dB or two of high shelf (again, maybe).

If I did the same with *my* "announcer voice" it wouldn't be anything close to that -- I wasn't blessed with Mr. LaFontaine's voice.

The "next steps" are whatever the mix is asking for --

I've been around the bush a few times...

Then why are we talking about this in the mastering forum? I still have no idea what any of this has to do with mastering... It barely has anything to do with mixing for that matter.

But in any case, you get it at the source - If you don't have the source, you barking up the wrong tree.

The video is an example of a bad-sounding recording of a guy with a great voice. Again, it's all the source - and then messing it up as little as possible. Not taking the wrong source and trying to make it sound like something it does not.

 

[bent]

You've all given great answers.

The next post should include a dead horse!

 

[Massive Mastering]

Here you go then.

(Dead Link Removed)

 

[BrianaW]

Man, it's so weird to actually see the face of that guy. His voice sounds almost inhuman.

 

[bent]

Thankee-Sai!

Now my day is complete - Got a new job, got a cold beer (and more in the fridge), got a dead horse pic - what more could a fella ask for?

 

[BobRogers]

Well, would it make the day even better if we said that the key to the "movie announcer voice" is a Newman mic?

 

[bent]

Man, it's so weird to actually see the face of that guy. His voice sounds almost inhuman.

The face of the guy beating the horse, or Newman?

Maybe it's the beer, but I'm having a hard time seeing the horse beating dude's face...

And Newman is a little inhuman...

:lol:

 

[mwacoustic]

I didn't know that Newman was also a movie announcer!? Was that before or after Seinfeld?

 

[somexone75]

I've been around the bush a few times...

Then why are we talking about this in the mastering forum? I still have no idea what any of this has to do with mastering... It barely has anything to do with mixing for that matter.

But in any case, you get it at the source - If you don't have the source, you barking up the wrong tree.

I have gone through both mixing and mastering, just never trying to achieve a certain sound other than from suggestion to suggestion. It just hasn't been the worlds largest bush...

You answered it dead on; for the most part...

Worst comes to worst I can throw up a clip to see if I can get some suggestions.

Sorry for all of the haggle.

 

[multoc]

Next lets discus how much of the gear in that booth was real! those big blue speakers looked pretty animated to me!

 

[RemyRAD]

Come on guys? I know what he's asking for.

When I cut commercials with those spokesman oriented voiceovers with guys like this, I frequently used a U87 or KM86, in cardioid to take advantage of the proximity effect. I'd then also crank in some extra presence around 5kHz, maybe a 100 hertz boost for a couple of extra DB, depending on how close he was to the microphone. And yeah, maybe a couple extra DB around 12kHz. Then I squish him good through a 1176 followed by an old KEPEX I, downward expander. By adjusting the compressor's attack and release times, I can make him huge sounding. Faster release times on the compressor will create greater apparent loudness, until it sounds like crap. Adjust attack times to taste. Downward expander adjusted for 6 to 10 DB that only closes down when he takes a breath. That's a tricky adjustment but really pays off.

Mastering? For commercials? I think not.
Ms. Remy Ann David

 

[TVPostSound]

f I had Don LaFontaine (or Al Chalk, Nick Tate, John Leader, or in the case of this video, Hal Douglas, etc.)

I have had the pleasure of recording all these guys, and quite a few more.
Back then (the 90s) they all shared the same thing, besides their voice, it was a Sennheiser MKH416 into a Neve VRP, or SSL 8000, 80 Hz HPF, to 2" tape, a DBX 165 was used to protect the tape.

As Remy Stated, proximity effect pushed to low end, and the 416 had enough on the top not to need eq..

No esoteric pre, no fancy compressor, no $3000 mics!!!

Mastering??? Naw, we mix into the program.

 

[hueseph]

Kepex? Didn't those have automotive signal light bulbs for the indicator? LOL.