The DMFA Radio Project

[Fuyudenki]

I suppose it doesn't help me any that in Japanese lore, the nine-tailed fox is called a "Kyubii," pronounced "cue-bee," which is exactly how I pronounce the DMFA race.

Only one person can really decide for sure in this case, and last time I tried to get her attention, I got yelled at.(got my answer, at least.)

[Aridas]

That'd be a double I, though >.>

[Fuyudenki]

in Japanese, the double i simply means "hold the sound longer."  That is, "Kyubi" would be pronounced "keyoobee," and "Kyubii" would be "keyoobeeee."  Note the extra Es on the second one.  I might be wrong, and the nine-tailed fox is simply "Kyubi," but at this point, I'm too out of practice to really be sure.  In any case, the pronunciation difference is akin to the English "to" vs. "too."

You've got to be careful, though, because sometimes, that little extra noise is the difference between a girl and an orangutan.(seriously.  And I can't remember which is which just now!)

In fact, I almost screwed up on my forum name, because the kana for "winter weather" and "winter lightning" have one little tick different in the writing.  It's two dots, and if you blink, you'll miss it.  "Winter Weather" is "Fuyutenki."(Fuyu being winter, Ten being spirit, Ki being sky, you get "spirit of the winter sky," which is how the Japanese say "winter weather.")

[Sienna Maiu - M T]

I suppose it doesn't help me any that in Japanese lore, the nine-tailed fox is called a "Kyubii," pronounced "cue-bee," which is exactly how I pronounce the DMFA race.

Dude, I can't believe I've never made that connotation before. Now it's going to haunt me...

Sienna, how close are you to making a third take?  Or are you holding until you've got a fix for the popping issue?

I'm working at it, but I'm coming up to mid-terms so I also have that to contend with at the moment.

[Tezkat]

If you're thinking of doing any serious (not necessarily professional, just more than a few lines here and there) voice work, you're going to have to graduate from a headset mic eventually.  Might as well get one good enough to get you into amateur projects to hold you off for a few years until you have to buy a Neumann for $800.

Dang, and right after I just told my dad to buy me a headset too...

Logitech's USB mic is currently the most popular entry-level mic among AVAs. It retails for around $30 US. Add in a comfy pair of headphones, and you have all the benefits of a PC headset without the limitations that make them problematic for VO work.

I recently picked one up myself to stick in my laptop bag. Sure, it's no studio condenser, but at least the noise level is quite low. Although it really doesn't do justice to lower, more masculine voices, some of the higher pitched voices come out reasonably well. I can't compare it to the cheap dynamic mic that superluser suggested, but it would probably be more convenient to use.

I'm not a big fan of method acting, but there's something to be said for putting yourself in the mindset of the characters at a given time.(Don't actually be angry, but remember a time when you felt angry, and try to emulate that.)

Heh... Sir Ian explained that perfectly. 

and Jyrras just sounds wierd.

My Jyrras voice is apparently an acquired taste.  Plenty of people (Amber included) can't stand it, though many do warm up to it after listening to longer arcs like Discord. It has actually evolved a bit in response to some of the criticism I've received. I no longer pitch it so high, for instance, and I allow a lot more of my baritone resonance to creep in to make him sound more masculine and less squeaky.

The funny thing about all that controversy is that, of all the voices I do for this project, my Jyrras is probably the closest to how I hear him in my own mind. Go figure...

Only one person can really decide for sure in this case, and last time I tried to get her attention, I got yelled at.(got my answer, at least.)

Amber has posted her pronunciations for many of the names over the years. They aren't always the same as those used by the original owners (e.g. Jyrras), but we've mostly tried to use her pronunciations when possible. Heck, her explanation for Jyrras's surname continues to mystify me.


Maybe somebody could bug her in person at AC this summer and get official pronunciations straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. 

in Japanese, the double i simply means "hold the sound longer."  That is, "Kyubi" would be pronounced "keyoobee," and "Kyubii" would be "keyoobeeee."  Note the extra Es on the second one.  I might be wrong, and the nine-tailed fox is simply "Kyubi," but at this point, I'm too out of practice to really be sure.  In any case, the pronunciation difference is akin to the English "to" vs. "too."

Hmm... English doesn't really have Japanese style long vowels. Are there any English dialects in which "to" and "too" aren't homonyms? 九尾 ("nine tails") à la Naruto would be pronounced kyuubi with the long vowel on the first syllable.

You've got to be careful, though, because sometimes, that little extra noise is the difference between a girl and an orangutan.(seriously.  And I can't remember which is which just now!)

That would be shoujo (少女 = "young female") vs. shoujou (猩々 = "orangutan"). Another example that's popular in Japanese puns: byouin (病院 = "hospital") vs. biyouin (美容院 = "beauty salon").

In fact, I almost screwed up on my forum name, because the kana for "winter weather" and "winter lightning" have one little tick different in the writing.  It's two dots, and if you blink, you'll miss it.  "Winter Weather" is "Fuyutenki."(Fuyu being winter, Ten being spirit, Ki being sky, you get "spirit of the winter sky," which is how the Japanese say "winter weather.")

I've never heard anyone use fuyutenki in reference to the weather. Maybe fuyu no tenki (冬の天気)...

By the way you're mixing on'yomi and kun'yomi readings of the kanji in that name. That's not necessarily wrong, but it's fairly rare in Japanese compound words. One would be more likely to read 冬電気 ("winter electricity") as Toudenki than Fuyudenki. 冬電 ("winter lightning") would just be Touden (though Fuyuden wouldn't be all that weird given that 電 on its own doesn't have a native Japanese reading).

[Tapewolf]

That makes it easy enough, as I flat-out refuse to use profanity, which would merit a character-breaking re-write of some of Devin's lines.  Just as well, I was about to decide I didn't have the time, anyway.

Ah well.  I haven't decided whether to censor them or not for Abel's Story.  James won't swear either, but it's more important to retain the option for Abel's Story because it's a higher rating than PG.

If you're still stuck, TW, I'll give Devin a go, if you want.

Yeah, if you could.  Try the bit where he's doing the flashback.

[Fuyudenki]

Yep, Sir Ian explains exactly what I was taught in my acting classes.  We actually went so far as having to make character analyses(which I hate), to help get into the mindset.

Daresay, I still can't properly act a character who's unfamiliar with me.  I had to play a ladies' man a year ago, and flirt with one of the actresses, and I couldn't pull it off!  I kept coming off either shy or predatory.

The voices themselves are a bit complicated, as in my head, almost every character sounds a lot like I actually do.  This includes the female characters.  In fact, I caught myself reading a few strips out loud, and noticed I was only reading the womens' lines.  Odd.

Admittedly, I didn't do particularly well in Japanese, but I thought my old "Akaikaze" and "Yukikaze" were getting a bit worn, and wanted something new, with a better flow to it.  You're right, though, "Fuyunoten/denki" would probably be better... and on'yomi and kun'yomi were two things that always slaughtered me when quiz time came.

Sienna: sorry about that.

Ah well.  I haven't decided whether to censor them or not for Abel's Story.  James won't swear either, but it's more important to retain the option for Abel's Story because it's a higher rating than PG.

I'M NOT ALONE!

Personally, I think that in this particular case, Abel's story would lose some of the emphasis and flow that the characters give it if censorship were applied, though if you decide to take a crack at it, then I'd be willing to give Devin a shot.

I dunno.  "Rumor on the street's that I'm a jerk" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Rumor on the street's that I'm an @#$^@#$."  I feel that line's very important to defining Devin as a character.

[superluser]

I recently picked one up myself to stick in my laptop bag. Sure, it's no studio condenser, but at least the noise level is quite low. Although it really doesn't do justice to lower, more masculine voices, some of the higher pitched voices come out reasonably well. I can't compare it to the cheap dynamic mic that superluser suggested, but it would probably be more convenient to use.

I'm not sure how it compares, either.  Of course, I don't have a laptop and my desktop sounds like a 747, so I couldn't really evaluate it.  I'm sure that if it's reasonably well-made, it's fine, whatever mic it is.

Here's a question: I've been looking for a pair of headphones.  Nothing fancy, but I'm concerned that I'll hear them jiggling about on my recording.  Amy suggestions for good, quiet headphones?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

sennheiser do nice headphones.

I have a set of PXC 250's myself. They aren't very big, but the noise cancelling takes care of a surprising volume of background noise.

Failing that, a large fluffy headset should work, since, once they're in place, they won't move much. Cutting out background noise is a definite plus, since that way you can listen to what's on the track, and not what's in the background of the room at present.


... I'm sure someone else will come up with some other suggestions - I'm at a "bog standard sound card" level, so it's not like I can say much about audiophile choices, much as I'd like to...

[Tapewolf]

I'm using a pair of Fostex T20RP mk2s, but they were on the relatively expensive side and don't have much in the way of bass reproduction (this is annoying as I bought them for mixing).  I did have a pair of Sanyo headphones which were about £12, but I knew exactly how things should sound in them.  I was gutted when they finally became irreparable.

At work I have a pair of Masterplug DJ headphones.  Those have too much bass but they were cheap - I was hoping to mount the Sanyo transducers in them before I found they were moulded into the chassis.  I'd still like to repair them someday if I can find a donor model on ebay...

[Tezkat]

I'M NOT ALONE!

Personally, I think that in this particular case, Abel's story would lose some of the emphasis and flow that the characters give it if censorship were applied, though if you decide to take a crack at it, then I'd be willing to give Devin a shot.

I dunno.  "Rumor on the street's that I'm a jerk" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Rumor on the street's that I'm an @#$^@#$."  I feel that line's very important to defining Devin as a character.

Oh, you're definitely not alone. A few of our actors won't even say "Oh my God!"

Given the number of AVAs who won't swear into a mic, it's become important for producers to indicate during auditions whether a role will require swearing or other adult content. Finding out that your actors won't read the lines after they've been cast is no fun for anyone.

Mind you... if we do decide to censor profanity for Abel's story (as in bleep it out, not rewrite it), what you actually record would be unimportant so long as the bits before and after the bleep sound like you were swearing.

Here's a question: I've been looking for a pair of headphones.  Nothing fancy, but I'm concerned that I'll hear them jiggling about on my recording.  Amy suggestions for good, quiet headphones?

I use Sony V6's for monitoring when I record. They have a nice, relatively neutral sound production that doesn't overemphasize the bass. Second, they have the words "Studio Monitor" inscribed in large, friendly letters across the top. Finally, out of the dozens of cans I tried on back when I bought them, they were the most comfortable. That was very important to me, since a lot of closed-back models squish my ears or press my glasses against my head (which can give me a headache after a while). They're very quiet, and the coiled, telephone style cord is easily tucked out of the way.

If you buy a good pair of cans, they'll last a long time (and the parts that don't are easily replaced). It could be worth your while to head down to a local audio shop where you can try out several models and pick a pair that's right for you.

[superluser]

I use Sony V6's for monitoring when I record. [...] They're very quiet, and the coiled, telephone style cord is easily tucked out of the way.

I just did a small test with my headphones, and to my surprise, they didn't make a sound when I had them on, even with an omnidirectional mic.  There's a small bit of noise in it, but I think that's from the tape deck, which was right next to the mic.  I think I'll still need a new set, since I can hardly hear anything in them.

If you've ever wanted to know what I sound like, don't listen to this:

http://rapidshare.com/files/27788933/tooloud.wav (Here's why.)

I've got to find a better method of doing this, because my current computer doesn't seem to want to let me record in stereo.  It also has some horrible crosstalk problem where I can hear the scroll wheel through the speakers whenever I use it in resource-hungry apps.  (I'm looking into a single board computer--no crosstalk or moving parts!)

Heh... Sir Ian explained that perfectly. 

Along the lines of Sir Ian's method of acting, I've always been more of a fan of the German expressionist form of filmmaking, where what is most important is getting the message across to your audience.  Nobody ever talks or acts like people do in films.  It's all dramatic conceit anyways, so accept it and use the idiom to your best effect.

[Tezkat]

I just did a small test with my headphones, and to my surprise, they didn't make a sound when I had them on, even with an omnidirectional mic.  There's a small bit of noise in it, but I think that's from the tape deck, which was right next to the mic.  I think I'll still need a new set, since I can hardly hear anything in them.

There was some machine noise. I guess that's to be expected with an omnidirectional mic, but at least it was regular; I was able to remove most of it in Audition, and the remaining noise wouldn't be audible over background music. Aside from that, the recording quality was pretty good. You'd probably need a more expensive mic to pick up noise from the cans, clothes, etc.

If you've ever wanted to know what I sound like, don't listen to this:

http://rapidshare.com/files/27788933/tooloud.wav (Here's why.)

The volume level was fine. Go by the waveform, not the perceived loudness. So long as your voice isn't clipping or drowned out by noise, we can work with it.

I've got to find a better method of doing this, because my current computer doesn't seem to want to let me record in stereo.

That's fine. We don't particularly want you to record in stereo, either. (And you can't create a proper stereo recording with only one mic anyway--a single mic is a mono input.) Ideally, recordings for voiceover should be as dry as possible and free from any information about the recording environment. We'll position the audio during mixing (by fiddling with channel levels and reverb).

[superluser]

The volume level was fine. Go by the waveform, not the perceived loudness. So long as your voice isn't clipping or drowned out by noise, we can work with it.

I was talking about the sound of the headphones jiggling about.  As I was recording the line, I tried to have them make as much sound as I could.  And it sounded like they were making loud, clacking noises.  That's the loudness that I was referring to.

They make plenty of noise when they're not on my head:

http://rapidshare.com/files/27860121/noisyheadphones.wav.mp3

and the noise that I was hearing in the too loud sample sounded similar, so I figured it was showing up on the recording, as well.

I've got to find a better method of doing this, because my current computer doesn't seem to want to let me record in stereo.

That's fine. We don't particularly want you to record in stereo, either. (And you can't create a proper stereo recording with only one mic anyway--a single mic is a mono input.)

True.  I like to record in stereo, since my input is mono, but the tape is stereo, and knowing what data are on which track may help with things like noise reduction when I go to mix the channels.

Anyways, I'm less concerned with the fact that I can't record in stereo than I am by the fact that it turns out like this:

http://rapidshare.com/files/27860329/headphones2.wav

[Tapewolf]

I'm getting kind of curious about this tape deck you refer to.   What are you using?

Anyways, I'm less concerned with the fact that I can't record in stereo than I am by the fact that it turns out like this:

http://rapidshare.com/files/27860329/headphones2.wav

Now as for that, that's awesome.  What did you do to it?  I've never been able to do that on demand.   Is that just Audacity going on a bender of some kind?

[superluser]

I'm getting kind of curious about this tape deck you refer to.   What are you using?

Optimus SCT-86.  I see there's one on eBay.  That's probably the best reference I can find.  It has settings for normal, CrO2, and metal, and a Dolby switch, which is pretty much all I wanted in a deck for recording.

Also, I found some awesome headphones.  Have you heard about the Grado Labs SR60?  They're outstanding.  And, at $70, out of my price range right now.

http://rapidshare.com/files/27860329/headphones2.wav

Now as for that, that's awesome.  What did you do to it?  I've never been able to do that on demand.   Is that just Audacity going on a bender of some kind?[/quote]

rec -c 2 -f s -r 44100 -s w headphones2.wav
(that's the SoX frontend.)

Audacity does something different, too.

http://rapidshare.com/files/27922268/headphones3.wav
(From about 5.3 to the end, I added the noise that I get when the tape deck is off)

[Tapewolf]

rec -c 2 -f s -r 44100 -s w headphones2.wav
(that's the SoX frontend.)

Audacity does something different, too.

Are you using ALSA or OSS?  If you're using ALSA with the OSS compatability layer, have you tried using a native ALSA application like arecord?

[superluser]

Are you using ALSA or OSS?  If you're using ALSA with the OSS compatability layer, have you tried using a native ALSA application like arecord?

arecord -c 2 -f S16_LE -r 44100 headphones4.wav (I'm not sure why you would want this one--since it's just a copy of captaintrips.wav in stereo--but I thought I'd upload it anyway)

It works!  Why would OSS compatibility do that?

[Tapewolf]

It works!  Why would OSS compatibility do that?

You'd have to ask the ALSA people that, I think.

[superluser]

A thought occurs.

Should Aniz turn out to be someone other than Cid, I think I could do justice to the character.  I think I'm just about over this blasted cold, so I'd like to audition for the non-Cid lines if that is indeed where the story goes.

[Tezkat]

A thought occurs.

Should Aniz turn out to be someone other than Cid, I think I could do justice to the character.  I think I'm just about over this blasted cold, so I'd like to audition for the non-Cid lines if that is indeed where the story goes.

Give it a shot!

Come to think of it... even if he does turn out to be the Cid we knew and loved, a different voice could help listeners distinguish between the "Cid" persona and the "Aniz" one.

[superluser]

Come to think of it... even if he does turn out to be the Cid we knew and loved, a different voice could help listeners distinguish between the "Cid" persona and the "Aniz" one.

Perhaps.  If it turns out to be a Jekyll and Hyde thing.  I don't think I could get the emotions right, otherwise.

[Tapewolf]

Come to think of it... even if he does turn out to be the Cid we knew and loved, a different voice could help listeners distinguish between the "Cid" persona and the "Aniz" one.

Yeah, I'd go with that.  See if it works

Also, I think that Albanion could work with a whimsical Irish accent.  Does he have a voice, yet?

I get the impression Amber will be kind of not happy if I actively discuss the radio project in that thread, so I'm going to reply to the relevant stuff here.  And to be honest, I'd agree in some respects - swapping notes and techniques, yes - recruiting voice talent maybe (although she seems to disagree) - but subverting the thread into a discussion of this project when it has a perfectly good thread of its own is not what I want to do.

To answer your question, no - Albanion does not have a voice, and I must admit I do like the idea of an Irish horse if Rabid is happy to provide the voicing.  I dunno if he's reading this thread or not, so I'll drop him a PM I think...

As for Pip, it really isn't a matter of cute.  "Ki" is easy enough to do, but so far only Slip has demonstrated the vocal range to do a convincing fight sequence.  If anyone else can do that kind of growling, I would really appreciate some samples...

[Fuyudenki]

I get the impression Amber will be kind of not happy if I actively discuss the radio project in that thread, so I'm going to reply to the relevant stuff here.  And to be honest, I'd agree in some respects - swapping notes and techniques, yes - recruiting voice talent maybe (although she seems to disagree) - but subverting the thread into a discussion of this project when it has a perfectly good thread of its own is not what I want to do.

Wait, was that originally posted in another thread?  'Cause I look up, and I see "The DMFA Radio Project" as the thread title.  Seems perfectly fine with me...

though it is not wise to upset the Amber.  Not wise, indeed.

[Tapewolf]

Wait, was that originally posted in another thread?  'Cause I look up, and I see "The DMFA Radio Project" as the thread title.  Seems perfectly fine with me...

I might have mangled the backlink, but Superluser's question was posted in Goatmon's thread.

[rabid_fox]

Well, I just had a shot at Devin's lines from entrance to the classic "sodomise" gag. Let me know what you think...I had the window open so there's a bit of fuzz that I would be able to work out, but of course, you'll be in the needing of hearing my actual voice before anything else. If it's not suited to Devin, maybe you guys can suggest who it could work for?

Also, Soundclick. Click "Hi-fi" to stream it and on Mp3 to download.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=556327

[Fuyudenki]

oh, that was good.  That was very very good.  Be glad I didn't audition for Devin's part, this guy's got it in the bag.

[rabid_fox]

You made me do "stupid grin". Thank goodness nobody was about. Cheers, man!

[Aridas]

since i'm too lazy to click and not enough to judge, and since tape would know a bit better... Then... How much better is this guy than my guy, Tape?

[Fuyudenki]

since i'm too lazy to click and not enough to judge, and since tape would know a bit better... Then... How much better is this guy than my guy, Tape?

Not having heard your guy, I can't say, but speaking as a mere observer, Fox here NAILED the personality and tonal effects of Devin's voice.  I used to hear Devin much like a throaty, slightly deeper Abel, but now he'll always be Irish to me.