Introduction
Hi, good day, kapitVAHays! How is everyone?
How is your voice-over career so far?
I hope you guys are getting projects and exercising your VO skill. We are here again for another video, and for today’s topic, we are going to talk about some technical stuff.
To be exact, our topic is about DAW or D.A.W.
What is a DAW?
So, what is a DAW? According to Wikipedia, “a DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation, an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing, and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations, from a single software program on a laptop or desktop to an integrated standalone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components controlled by a central computer.
Regardless of the configuration, modern DAWs have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks into a final produced piece. DAWs are used for producing and recording music, songs, speech, radio, television, soundtracks, podcasts, sound effects, and nearly any other situation where complex recorded audio is needed.”
Types of DAWs
Ano ba ang iba’t ibang klase ng DAW?
As a voice actor, what I know and have tried using are GarageBand, Voice Memos, Ableton Live, Adobe Audition, and what I currently use at my home studio is Avid Pro Tools.
Basically, in layman’s terms, it’s a software that we use to record our voice. Simple as that.
Recording Demo
Kung ihahalintulad naman natin ito sa isa pang digital program, katulad ng Microsoft Word, kung saan nagta-type tayo ng mga words, sentences, phrases, dialogs, lines via letters, sa isang DAW naman, dito natin ini-insert ang ating spoken words.
Ito ang isang example.
Gamit ang aking cellphone na merong built-in mic, ang gagawin ko ay pupunta ako sa Voice Memos and then I’ll try and press the record button, yan.
And then, itututok ko sa aking bibig and then babasahin ko na yung script natin.
Right, “Narito na ang Tawanan Carnival. Ang Tawanan Carnival ay nandito na, mapapaikot ka na parang chubibo sa roller coaster ng kalokohan na magpapasakit sa tiyan mo ngayong Mayo. Ali-Tawa Mondays, dito lang sa Z Sine. Bollywood na tayo.”
Editing Demo
So, after recording your voice sa isang Digital Audio Workstation, actually, pwede mo na itong i-edit.
Alright, pwede mo nang i-press yung edit your recording, and you can also play it back, yan.
For example, “Tapos sa aking bibig, and then babasahin ko na yung script natin. Right, narito na ang Tawanan Carnival. Ang Tawanan Carnival ay nandito na. Magpapaikot ka na parang chubibo sa roller coaster ng kalokohan na magpapasakit sa tiyan mo ngayong Mayo. Ali-Tawa Mondays, dito lang sa Z Sine. Bollywood na tayo.”
Industry Standards and Real-life Situations
After giving you an example, bibigyan ko naman kayo ng mga real-life situations na nangyayari ngayon sa industriya.
Sa industriya ng VO at dubbing, ang standard na ginagamit ay Pro Tools.
Nakita at obserbahan ko na ito ang software na kabisado at gamay na gamay ng mga sound engineer sa actual recording man or sa pagmi-mix ng mga recorded track.
Nakita ko rin na iba ang kanilang mga estilo sa pagre-record.
May mga sound engineer na preferred nila ay may plug-ins na or effects during recording.
Meron naman na mas gusto nila yung raw or walang kahit na anong nakalagay na effects or compression of any kind, kasi pwede naman itong lagyan ng mga needed S-effects during mixing session na.
DAW Options for Beginners
Ngayon naman, kung ikaw ay nag-i-start pa lang sa mundo ng VO, best talaga na meron kang gagamiting DAW kung saan mo nga i-rerecord ang boses mo.
If you have a budget, but you want to allocate it sa ibang areas of VO like trainings, setting up your home studio, best na mag-start ka sa mga free or pre-installed application.
Kung ikaw ay naka Mac, pwede mong gamitin ang GarageBand.
Or kung sa iPhone, pwede mong gamitin yung Voice Memos tulad nung ginamit natin kanina.
Ang tawag naman dito ay M.A.W or Mobile Audio Workstation.
Pwede kang mag-record at mag-edit on the go.
Kung sa PC naman, pwede mong i-download ang Audacity or Ableton Live kung gagamitin mo lang ito solely for audio recording.
DAW Options for Full-time Voice Actors
Kung may budget ka naman at plano mo talaga i-pursue or i-full time na ang pag-VO at plano mo rin mag-try ng mixing or mag-experiment ng mga effect sa iyong boses, better invest na sa industry standard like Pro Tools.
Isang advantage kasi nito, kung musically inclined ka rin, pwede mo rin isaksak ang mga instrument mo at makapag-record digitally using M Box or audio interface.
Ito naman ang hardware side.
Kumbaga, multi-purpose na talaga ito.
At kapag na-maximize mo ang paggamit sa mga recording tool na ito, I’m sure mababawi mo rin ang pinang-invest mo sa mga ito, given na-maximize mo na rin yung VO arsenal, and you keep on getting paid projects.
Conclusion and Encouragement
So, pag may nakausap kang fellow voice talent or sound engineer at tanungin ka kung ano ang gamit mong D.A.W or Digital Audio Workstation, alam mo na ang iyong isasagot.
Pwedeng Pro Tools, Ableton Live, GarageBand. May mga pros and cons din ang kanya-kanyang software pero it’s up to you pa rin kung ano ang pipiliin mong aralin at kung saan ka magiging pinaka-comfortable.
Remember that good practice with heart makes everything perfect.
I hope you guys get some value from this topic.
Kindly thumbs up kung meron kayong natutunan and kindly comment below if you have some questions pa.
Okay, so maraming salamat, VAHP! Watch this next video.
I’m sure marami rin kayong matututunan dyan.
Bye!
Introduction
Hi, good day, my kapitVAHays! How is everyone?
How is your voice-over career so far?
I hope you guys are getting projects and exercising your VO skill. We are here again for another video, and for today’s topic, we are going to talk about some technical stuff.
To be exact, our topic is about DAW or D.A.W.
What is a DAW?
So, what is a DAW? According to Wikipedia, “a DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation, an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing, and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations, from a single software program on a laptop or desktop to an integrated standalone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components controlled by a central computer.
Regardless of the configuration, modern DAWs have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks into a final produced piece. DAWs are used for producing and recording music, songs, speech, radio, television, soundtracks, podcasts, sound effects, and nearly any other situation where complex recorded audio is needed.”
Types of DAWs
So what are the different types of DAW?
As a voice actor, what I know and have tried using are GarageBand, Voice Memos, Ableton Live, Adobe Audition, and what I currently use at my home studio is Avid Pro Tools.
Basically, in layman’s terms, it’s a software that we use to record our voice. Simple as that.
Recording Demo
If we were to compare this to another digital program, like Microsoft Word, where we type words, sentences, phrases, dialogs, lines via letters, in a DAW, this is where we insert our spoken words.
Here is an example.
Using my cellphone, which has a built-in mic, what I will do is I will go to Voice Memos and then I’ll try and press the record button, there.
And then, I will aim it at my mouth and then read our script.
Right, “The Laughter Carnival is here. The Laughter Carnival is here, you’ll be spun around like a top on the roller coaster of silliness that will hurt your stomach this May. Ali-Tawa Mondays, only here at Z Sine. Let’s go Bollywood.”
Editing Demo
So, after recording your voice in a Digital Audio Workstation, actually, you can already edit it.
Alright, you can just press the edit your recording button, and you can also play it back, there.
For example, “Then to my mouth, and then I will read our script. Right, the Laughter Carnival is here. The Laughter Carnival is here. You’ll be spun around like a top on the roller coaster of silliness that will hurt your stomach this May. Ali-Tawa Mondays, only here at Z Sine. Let’s go Bollywood.”
Industry Standards and Real-life Situations
After giving you an example, I will now give you some real-life situations happening in the industry.
In the VO and dubbing industry, the standard used is Pro Tools.
I have seen and observed that this is the software that sound engineers are very familiar and comfortable with, be it for actual recording or for mixing recorded tracks.
I also noticed that their recording styles vary.
There are sound engineers who prefer to have plugins or effects during recording.
There are others who prefer it raw or without any effects or compression of any kind, because these can be added during the mixing session.
DAW Options for Beginners
Now, if you are just starting in the world of VO, it’s best that you have a DAW where you will record your voice.
If you have a budget, but you want to allocate it to other areas of VO like training, setting up your home studio, it’s best to start with free or pre-installed applications.
If you have a Mac, you can use GarageBand.
Or if you have an iPhone, you can use Voice Memos like we used earlier.
This is called a M.A.W or Mobile Audio Workstation.
You can record and edit on the go.
If you are using a PC, you can download Audacity or Ableton Live if you will only use it solely for audio recording.
DAW Options for Full-time Voice Actors
If you have a budget and plan to pursue or do VO full-time and also plan to try mixing or experiment with effects on your voice, it’s better to invest in the industry standard like Pro Tools.
One advantage of this is, if you are also musically inclined, you can plug in your instruments and record digitally using an M Box or audio interface.
This is the hardware side.
In other words, it’s really multi-purpose.
And when you maximize the use of these recording tools, I’m sure you will also recover your investment, given that you maximize your VO arsenal, and you keep getting paid projects.
Conclusion and Encouragement
So, when you talk to a fellow voice talent or sound engineer and they ask you what DAW or Digital Audio Workstation you use, you already know your answer.
It could be Pro Tools, Ableton Live, GarageBand. Each software has its pros and cons but it’s still up to you which one to learn and where you will be most comfortable.
Remember that good practice with heart makes everything perfect.
I hope you guys get some value from this topic.
Kindly give a thumbs up if you learned something and kindly comment below if you have any questions.
Okay, so thank you very much, VAHP! Watch this next video.
I’m sure you’ll also learn a lot from there.
Bye!