The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording (Paperback)

by Jeffrey P. Fisher; Harlan Hogan (Author) "Watching Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman's wonderful Shakespeare in Love, it was hard not to laugh at the sight of the bard's perpetually ink-stained hands,..." (more)
Key Phrases: multitrack software, voice demos, voiceover work, Sound Forge, The Voice Actor's Guide, Real Media (more...)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Harlan Hogan has more than 30 years’ experience as a voiceover actor and has given voice to scores of highly recognizable ad campaigns, including “It’s the cereal even Mikey likes,” “Hey, Culligan Man!,” and “When you care enough to send the very best.” In addition to films and documentaries, it’s Hogan’s familiar voice that says, “This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you.” Hogan is the author of more than 50 radio and television commercials, more than 25 corporate and educational videos, three stage plays, and a book, VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor. He lives in North Barrington, Illinois, and telecommutes via his digital home studio. Jeffery P. Fisher provides audio, video, music, writing, training, and media production services. He also teaches audio and video production at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and writes extensively about music, sound, and video for print and the Web. He is the author of eight books, including Instant Sound Forge, Moneymaking Music, Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry, and Profiting from Your Music and Sound Project Studio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Artistpro; 1 edition (February 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193114043X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931140430
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,210 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I should have checked the dates on all the + reviews, January 27, 2008

By	Dennis M. Wierzbicki (Plainfield, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Man, I should have checked the dates on all the positive reviews of this book. Had I done so, I would have saved myself the purchase price.

3 years ago, when it was published, I'm sure this was a fabulous reference, however, it is now SO out of date as to render more than half the book almost useless. To the author's credit (and the book's ultimate downfall) he includes a high level of detail on things like computer hardware and software, microphones, and other studio technology, but in any techno-based treatise, one year is a long time and three years is an eternity. The very detail that would have been fabulous three years ago is totally irrelevant today.

I found myself skipping more than half the text of the book primarily because it was so out of date. Recommendations like a computer with a Pentium 4 processor with up to a 40GB hard drive and a minimum of 256MB of RAM were appropriate at the time of publishing (early 2005) but not now. Step by step instructions on how to use programs that have long since been upgraded (or even changed ownership) are of very little benefit in the year 2008. What I have in my hands is a 180 page book with maybe 80 pages of pertinent information.

Another example is in the area of ISDN connections. Again, the authors couldn't include programs like Source Connect or Audio TX, both VOIP type programs and neither of which require an ISDN line and associated hardware/software/expenses to function in this book because they had yet to be released, but I go back to my original statement that if a book is going to be technology-based then it is incumbent on the authors to keep it up to date. Harlan Hogan himself has written a very good discussion on Source Connect and Audio TX that can be found at the CommercialVoices.com web site where he discusses the place non-ISDN communication solutions currently occupy and where they will be in 5 years, and it's critical everyone understand this BEFORE making the substantial investment in ISDN.

I don't fault the authors because they wrote an exhaustive and definitive guide covering the subject at the time, but when one publishes a book like this, you need to make a concerted effort to keep the content up to date. I would think an eBook, with a living chapters would be more appropriate than a paper and ink volume like this. Harlan Hogan's web site is very helpful, and in fact, I learned MUCH more from his web site on the topic than I learned from his book.

My bad, like I said, for not checking the dates of the reviews and the date of publishing.

There is still some information in the book that is of general value regarding how to set up a home studio and get started in the business, but I feel there are other books out there that may be more complete and more importantly, more up to date on this score. On the positive side, the authors write in an enjoyable and humorous style which makes reading the book a positive experience.

This isn't a terrible book, but it could be a GREAT book if it were current.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on setting up your VO studio, March 31, 2005

By	G. Maxwell (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I was getting back into voice overs after a ten year hiatus, I needed a book to direct the assembly of a basic--but servicable--home VO studio.

There is a veritable plethora of material available on setting up home recording studios but none of them deal with the specific needs of voice actors.

Written by a VO veteran and a computer recording engineer who teaches at the college level, the authors combine to assist any voice over actor with all of the tools necessary to get started and set up with a very good VO studio.

And the tools and techniques they espouse won't cost you a lot of money. Their wisdom is practical, witty and to the point, and highly recommended for VO novices and pros alike.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best on voice-over reality!!, March 28, 2005

By	Peter Mason (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I have Arlan's/J.P. Fisher's latest book and it's just fantastic.

I am a working pro for a number of years. I have read a number of VO books and they don't touch his stuff at all, the rest are for dreamers and the inept. A. Hogan writes passionately from the soul !!

His no non-sense but whimsical point of view flows from beginning to end as in his first book on "Tales & Techniques".

It's not about making lots of money but his hands on approach to the Voice-Over biz. He won't let you down. Read it!!

Peter Mason