…is consistency and Donna Reed has it. Here , she voices a movie trailer.

As a radio producer I have noticed that a lot of the same voice announcers keep showing up over and over on radio and TV.

A lot of folks see this as a negative, or tired old sameness. But is it really?

I view consistency, including voices, as a positive. One of the principles of success is momentum. When it comes to momentum, One of the most consistent voices in the business is Donna Reed.

Donna and I have been in contact for over 20 years. There have been entire three or four year spans when we would only catch up for a minute by phone but her voice has never been far away . That is real momentum.

Donna’s resume is an eye catcher. It shows her consistency.

She has done voice overs for-

• all of the major networks,
• movie trailers,
• children’s readings,
• characters for commercials,
• TV,
• radio
• and singing jingles.

She has often been interviewed by industry magazines so it is pretty easy to find her advice on how to make it in the voice over business.

Here are a few items:
Donna Reed has recently been asked to submit as a voice double for acting legend Judy Dench.
She has finished a project for LAX, Scholastic books and American Airlines.

Her voice has been a strong anchor for

• news promos,
• sports
• and rock stations both in the US and Europe,
• animated characters,
• narrations
• and tutorials.

She is on the job every week. Year after year.

That is what it takes. And that is why you hear familiar voices, including hers, on a regular basis.

Consistency builds momentum.

So if you ever want to know, “what’s the secret?” Step back and look at Donna Reed.

She is talented and works to improve her performance, she is sincere and trusted, and Donna stays with it even when It is not always glamorous. ( Ha– like being a radio producer.)

She even voices the announcements on the city bus system where I live. It’s normal to be standing near a bus stop and hear a familiar, friendly voice saying, “Welcome Aboard”. I always smile because I know, that’s  a real pro and a good friend, Donna Reed.

Check out Donna’s voice on this video.

Thought you would like this.  If you are in radio sales, programming or production I know you have been in such a bind that this service would be a lifesaver.

In the Weeds

You need a spot produced fast and you are in a situation. Maybe it’s the Holiday’s or your usuals are out or some fluke has you pinned.

Robot to the Rescue

I found this site that is easy to use and actually produces a spot for you. It will spit out a radio or TV audio spot, even an on-hold message for the phone. The site is 123 Audio Ads dot com. Here’s how it works:

Let’s say you wanted to do an ad for an auto dealer like Charlotte Hyundai

You just walk through the steps-

• Paste your script in the blank,
• pick out some background music from their choices and
• they willl have a robo-voice read the script.

If you have written it accuratley it will time out just right.  If you like the spot, you can order it and they will replace the ‘voice-to text ‘  with a real announcer of your choice.

OK, I know the arguments against this but it is still very cool. You have to admit you have longed for something like this many times. ( If you have ever been up against a deadline and had to have something to play for a client or go on the air fast. )

Here’s the creative twist.

If I had to have a spot in the next hour I would write one using a robot voice as the spokes-robot-person (on purpose) and have it produced here. Spot done.

I hope services like this can thrive. They are innovative and useful.  Again,  I know the arguments against them ( not organic, cookie cutter, etc. ) but there is a place for this and I am glad it is here.

Here’s where you can get  a radio spot produced.

25 years ago I wanted small studio recording machines that would do a massive job. For a radio producer to set up and tweak complex devices is just not practical. The job requires quick turnaround. Those simple machnes that would do big jobs were not available back then.

So, I waited knowing that these machines would come along sooner or later.  They did and things are getting even better.

For recording and mixing I have used Pro Tools for the past 10 years.   I also use other devices that I think are amazing. The Roland Boss BR 1200 is one tool that performs nicely. This mutlitrack recorder is just  full of neat options. Some, I don’t even use.

I record radio spots on mine, as well as original music.

Warning, there are a few areas you should know about on the BR1200. This thing was not easy for me to figure out!

I spent a lot of extra time trying to learn the basic flow of this machine and it was frustrating. Finally, I broke down and bought the DVD that teaches you how to do it. For $20, it was a great investment.

Today I can use the BR1200 easily. But I remember the learning curve. It was not fun, especially after so many years of fingertip access to easy recording. So, I recommend you get some instruction to get started, or get the DVD.

This machine can do a lot. And I mean a lot! Plug your guitar in and get plenty of different sounds and textures. Record two or three guitar tracks. I often use my acoustic/electric  as a bass guitar. The BR 1200 will convert your low guitar strings to bass strings for smooth sounds (if you’d rather use the built in bass that’s fine, too. )It has strong bass sounds including jazz, slap, heavy, light, and upright. Add drums already built in to the BR1200. It takes a little time to program these things but once you get the hang of it, the results are solid.

I’ll be honest. I read reviews and searched the internet to try to get some help learning the BR1200. Slim pickins. What’s a hurried radio producer to do?  There is hardly anything out there that helps you learn to use it. Maybe I am just dense but I had a hard time. Now, I can record and edit almost as fast as I can think. So once you break through the learning curve it is a breeze. With so little info and not much support it took a lot of faith to keep going. If you have this problem, contact me and we will talk.

I also use the BR1200 to record voice for radio spots. I add a stock music bed, sound effects, mix it right on the machine, master it and can even burn a CD right there within the unit. It really does a lot.

There are preset voice filters, too. It does a good job of simulating certain mics. You can play around with all kinds of mic textures. There is built in reverb, compression, and equalization.

In the old days there was a general rule for buying a multitrack recorder. You could count on paying a thousand dollars for each track the machine offered. A four track would cost about $4,000. An eight track, about $8,000. Those days are long gone.

I marvel at today’s small audio worsktations. They offer so much at prices that would only be a dream 30 years ago.

If you want a machine to record your original music, including vocals, or if you just want to plug your mic in and record

books on tape, radio , TV or internet audio the BR1200 will do a good job.

I am a fan of the BR1200 and all that will come next.

Any radio producer can benefit by using these great recorders.

One- He talked the way real people talk. Paul Harvey was the master of relating, using radio’s most powerful secret, one on one communication. His delivery felt personal.

Two- Use of word pictures. There has been none better than Paul Harvey. The man spoke theatre-of-the-mind. He used this radio tactic to the utmost. Instead of saying—“it was a cold day”, he would say something like “ it was so cold the stubbly grass on the front lawn was white with frost and crunched under foot.”

Three- He was direct. Quick. Staccato. He left little to ambiguity. Paul Harvey’s phrases were exact. Trimmed. Concise. A commanding style that creates a sense authority.

Four- He was real. We learned of his family. His weekends in the country. His meetings with celebrities. He shared his life with us. How he spent Thanksgiving, weddings, births and deaths.

Five-He was a master salesman with intergrity. Paul Harvey only endorsed products he believed in. No other person on radio has been so convincing. The best promotions do not appear to be promotions. The best sales methods do not appear to be selling at all. His commercials were little slices of information delivered in a compelling voice. Sincere. Believable. Relateable.

Six- He was professional. Paul Harvey was a pro, plain and simple. The best. His example of professionalism is an example of refinement. Educated for practicality. In other words. Useful knowledge.

Seven- Paul Harvey was a master storyteller. His beginnings, middles and endings kept the listener on the edge with curiosity, in the grip of drama and in the wonder of awe . His voice carried the story with such transparency that  he disappeared and the story took over.

Eight- He always gave more than expected and in honor of that principle, I give one extra lesson-

He was creative. One classic newscast was nothing but laughter. He got tickled, could not regain his composure and laughed the entire newscast, right up to his signature closing… Paul Harvey… good day.

Thank you Mr. Harvey, for the memories. Thank you for the laughs, the sharing, and the lessons.

God speed Paul Harvey.