Get A Better Broadcast, Podcast and Video Voice

2023.09.27 - 1000 - The EndThanks for the loan of your ears, for one-thousand consecutive daily episodes. All of my contacts are here: https://linktr.ee/Peter_Stewart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.26 – 0999 – The Diction-ary of Voice – V and W**VVerbal tic – the repeated use of words or phrases such as “like” or “y'know what I mean?”Velum – the soft palate at the back of the roof of the mouth. The back of your tongue touches the velum when pronouncing letters such as ‘k'.Vocal elements – the various ways (such as inflection, pause, pace and phrasing) that one can make the spoken word more engaging he techniques for making a voice interesting and effectiveVocal fold – located in the larynx, a multi-layered fold of tissue that vibrates to produce sound when air passes over themVocal loading – the amount of impact of the stresses and strains on the vocal folds from talking or singing. The loading can be affected by the amount, volume or the tone of the sound, and also by the speaker's levels of stress or tensionVoice actor – different from a ‘voice over', who tends to be an ‘anonymous voice', an actor will appear in audio dramas, audio books, computer games and so on, where they are reading the lines to be spoken by a character in a specific situationVoice guide – a director in a recording situation who will read a script, perhaps line-by-line, for the ‘voice talent' to repeat ‘parrot fashion', and mimic the cadence. Usually used when the actor is inexperienced in script reading, but has a great voice or high-profile name that is wanted for publicity reasons. A voice guide may also be the temporary voice-over track, recorded so video editors can choose shots and time their cuts to which the ‘professional' voice talent can talk to laterVoice of God (or ‘VoG') - loud and large, stentorious and dramatic reads, reminiscent of 1950s (American) radio announcers, and often heard at sports and showbiz eventsVoice over – the reading of a scrip, or narration over a videoVoice quality – one's personal vocal attributes and characteristicsVolume - the loudness of a voiceVowel - speech sounds of a, e, i, o, and u **WWatermark – or more accurately, an audio watermark. This is a snippet of sound (such as a tone or ‘beep') used to protect your recording, sample or audition. The sound briefly overlaps with your voice at points during the recording say veery few seconds, or over the brand name. This protects your audio from being misused for example, without payment Whisper phonation – the proper term for when you are whisperingWindpipe – the trachea.Windscreen – the covering over or in front of a microphone to eliminate unwanted noises such as that made by plosivesWowing – the changing in pitch of a sound causing distortionWrap - the end of a recordingWrap — a recorded news or other content feature, of interview clips linked (or ‘wrapped up') by a presenter or reporter **XXLR - a type of cable connector, very common on microphones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.25 – 0998 – The Diction-ary of Voice – T**TTag (or ‘slogan') – the branding phrase at the end of a commercial Take (as in ‘go for a take') – a recording. Also see ‘pickup'Take a level (or ‘take a bit for level') – the instruction given by an audio engineer to a presenter to ask them to say some words so the volume on a mic channel can be checkedTalk back – the push-to-talk microphone in a gallery/production area, via which a director / producer will talk to you while in the studio.Tape - recorded audio, almost never on tapeTempo - the rate of speechThin – a voice which is weak, with a lack of air, energy and resonance. It may be trained to become stronger and fuller with exercises in the areas of posture, relaxation and breath controlThoracic cavity - the area enclosed by the chestThrow – a passing link made from one presenter to another, “And now with the latest weather here's Susie Celsius”Throwaway (as in ‘a throwaway line/word') – when a speaker gives little or no emphasis on a word or phrase, reducing its significanceTonal quality – the overall timb re, resonance of a voiceTrachea – commonly called the ‘windpipe', along which flows air from mouth to lungsTrack – a layer of recorded audio (or an empty ‘lane' where recorded audio will sit), which can be adjusted independently of other layers before being mixed (or merged) together in a final mixTransients - very short sounds, such as the beginning of a drum hitTX – used to mean ‘transmission' **UUnidirectional microphone – one that only picks up sound from a single direction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.24 – 0997 – The Diction-ary of Voice – S**SScratch Track - a temporary recording that is a ‘place-holder' for the final voice-over. Not ‘broadcast quality' it is used to help producers feel the pacing and style of a project before a final voice over is addedSelf op (‘self op studio') – when the presenter controls their own technical equipment, they are ‘self operating'Session – the single block of time (say, an hour or a day) spent recording with the voice actor, who is often paid ‘per session'SFX – short for ‘sound effects'Shock Mount - a microphone mount that tries to minimize handling noise by using shock absorptionSibilance – excessive ‘s' sounds (fricatives) while speaking which are prone to becoming unpleasantly loud in audio recordingSing-song delivery - when a speaker's voice rises and falls in cadence in a predictable ‘nursery rhyme' type fashionSoft-sell commercial – a script that is read with low volume, low emphasis and in a natural, low-key styleS.O.T – ‘sound on tape', what's been recordedSound-alikes – these voice actors are similar to celebrity impersonators, but whereas impersonators usually perform exaggerated and comic impressions of the star, sound-alikes create the vocal tones and mannerisms (style, cadence and inflection) for short retakes or dubs in movies, tv and radio, and commercials. This saves the cost and time implications of getting the original star in the studio to re-record just a few words. Sneak - to slowly fade up or outSpeech personality – one's individual speaking-styleSpilling over – a distortion caused by too loud a noiseSplit-track – audio with different content in the left and right channels, to allows for independent control of levels during production, for example, two guests. Audio must be ‘mixed down' before it can be broadcastStand by – the verbal ‘get ready' direction given just before a programme or recording startsStraight-read commercial – a script presented without flourish or over-emphasisStroboscopy - an advanced way to view the vocal folds. This usually involves a scope that goes through your mouth to properly identify and define vocal problemsSupercardioid - a microphone pick-up pattern that is most sensitive to sounds in front of the microphone, even more so than a cardioid Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.23 – 0996 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 2Riding the gain (or ‘riding the mic' or ‘riding the levels') – the constant adjustment of the input levels as the sound unexpectedly (and often unprofessionally) varies in volume dramaticallyRoom Tone - the ‘indoor ambience' or background noise in a room, which should be as close to silent as possibleROT (‘rot' or ‘R.O.T') – a recording of what went out on air: Recording Of/Off Transmission Royalty Free Music – music that can be used (with varying restrictions) after paying a one-off feeRP – Received Pronunciation (‘The Queen's English', ‘BBC pronunciation', ‘Standard English') and English accent without ‘perceived' regional accent, usually of the type heard in south east England Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.22 – 0995 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 1**RRate – the speed of someone speaking or readingRate – the amount paid to a voice-over for a day, hour or scriptRaw audio - unprocessed recorded audioRead (or ‘take') – a recording of a script (or the ‘copy')Reaper – a DAW Red-line the meters – to push the audio volume level to the maximumRender – saving and/or converting your audio so others can access itResiduals – payment over and above the initial payment, based on the number of times a commercial is runResonance – a full-bodied voice (not necessarily a deeper voice), achieved through the sound of one's voice vibrating in different parts of the body such as the mouth, throat, nose (sinus) and chest areas – collectively known as ‘resonating chambers'Resonant cavities – the parts of the body which enhance sound and in which resonance develops. Ribbon microphone – the mic type which picks up sound by the use of thin (ribbon-like) metallic elements, suspended between magnets. These vibrate when sound is detected, and converts it into electrical energy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.21 – 0994 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P Polyp - usually unilateral (one vocal fold) mass that grows off the surface. Can be hemorrhagic (filled with blood) or not, and's usually due to voice misuse or overuse. Pop – when a plosive sound is too close to the mic and causes distortionPop guard (or ‘pop screen', ‘pop shield', ‘pop stopper') - a fabric, foam or metal shield between the mic and the mouth to help disperse ‘breath blasts' from plosives and so reduce the likelihood of distorted sound being recorded Post - the point at which a voice appears, or the start of a sound or part of a sound, for example, a specific drum beat in a ‘bed': “make sure you hit the post”, that is, stop talking a beat before the drum comes inPost (‘post-production) - the final step in a recording process, including the editing, mixing. “It's OK, we'll fix that in post”Predictive eye – the name given to the process of scanning ahead as you read to give prewarning of what's coming upPre-produce - to mix or record a piece or interview in advance of a live show, perhaps for technical or timing reasonsProducer - the producer can have more than one role (much like a director), but usually the one who hires the voice actor and other staff, and liaise with clients and agenciesProduction master – a final, ready audiobookProduction studio – where programmes are recorded rather than go out liveProduction value – the ‘effort' (including duration, complexity, and post-production) put into the making of an audio or video show. One lasting an hour with several guests, archive footage, and theme tunes would have ‘high production values'. A single presenter ‘read' lasting just a few minutes is likely to have a ‘low production value'Pronunciation - a general term for the way a word is spoken (see: ‘enunciation', ‘diction')ProTools - the accepted professional standard for a DAWPSA - Public Service Announcement such as a government or charity appealPTC – Piece To Camera: style of a video presenter, looking directly at ‘the viewer' Punch – an energetic reading style Punch and roll - a form of ‘continuous editing', where you scroll back and record from a convenient break, and then start re-recording where the mistake was made Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.20 – 0993 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P - Part 2 Pharynx – the area between the larynx and the nasal cavitiesPhonation – the process of making sounds into words, which articulation turns into recognisable speechPhonemes – the different smaller sounds which when combined form a wordPhrasing – delivering groups of words within a sentence to enhance meaningPickup – when you go back to re-record a small section of content, such as a sentence, because of a slip, trip or mispronunciation. A ‘take' is a longer piece of content. Whereas a Take may be annotated 1, 2, 3 a Pickup will be marked A, B, C, so you may have “Take 21, Pickup C”, which helps the producer keep track of the ‘best bits'.Pickup pattern – the three-dimensional area in which a microphone will best detect soundPitch - the relative highness or lowness of the register of voice, determined by the frequency of the vibration of sound: the faster the vocal folds vibrate, the higher the pitch that they create.Placement – where you put your tongue in your mouth to create certain word-soundsPlayback on smalls – playing back a recording on small sub-optimum speakers to replicate how people will hear the produced version, at home or in the carPlosives - the group of sounds in the English language which cause a small ‘explosion' of air from the mouth, often at the start and end of words (‘stops') such as b, d, g, k, p, t. (Put your hand in front of your mouth as you say these letters and feel that rush of air.) Plosives are sometimes called ‘breath blasts', and travel from a speaker's mouth directly into a microphone's diaphragm, causing a moment of deep distortion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.19 – 0992 – The Diction-ary of Voice – N and P **NName check – saying your name on airNarrative non-fiction – a true-story podcastNarrative voice - the voice you use for the storyteller/author part of the story, rather a character voiceNasal sounds – speech sounds heard in words with m, n and ng letters: ‘many nice singers', when the back of the tongue is raised against the roof of the mouth (the soft palate) thereby closing off to sound the resonance chamber of the sinus cavitiesNatural – a delivery which in itself is not noticeableNodules (‘nodes') - bilateral (both vocal cords) callouses that form on the vocal folds due to voice misuse or overuse. Usually these are reversible with corrections in vocal techniqueNPC – Non-playing character in gameplayNSV - Non-Scripted Vocals: any kind of vocals which don't actually contain scripted dialogue, for example, pain hits, exertions, breathing and so on. **OOmissions – when a speaker leaves out certain sounds in their speech omitted such as “cal-forn-ya' (California)Omnidirectional microphone – one with a pick-up pattern that is equally sensitive to all directionsOptimum pitch (or ‘home tone') – the tone at which someone is most comfortable speaking; their natural pitchOvermodulation (or ‘over-modding') - distortion caused by too loud a soundOver-the-top – a presenting style for emphasis or excitement. Not always done deliberately or appropriately**PP2P – ‘pay to play', online casting sitesPace – the speed of a readPad – extra talking usually ad-libbed to “fill for time” that is, until a pre-determined end-time is reachedPan pot – the ‘potentiometer' is an additional dial (rather than a fader) on a sound channel. Turning it to the left or right (‘panning') will cause more sound to come from (or be recorded to) the left or right channel of a stereo mixPatter – informal, adlibbed, unscripted talkPeak - the maximum instantaneous level of a signal or audio waveformPer hour – the hourly rate based on the length of time you spend at the studio (rather than ‘per finished hour', when the level of pay is based on the duration of the finished production, which is usually much less especially in audio book production) Per project - a flat rate for a script, regardless of the time spent recording or producing itPer session - a flat rate for the time spent in the studio regardless of the number of projects recordedPer spot - charging a flat rate for each commercial spot, regardless of the time spent recording itPfh - per finished hour (see ‘per hour') Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.18 – 0991 – The Diction-ary of Voice – M Marking copy – different markings on a script (underlinings, arrows, circles) to show which words require different voice presentations such as inflection, characterisation or changes to volume or speed, difficult passages, odd pronunciations and character thumbnailsMask – using sound to cover a bad edits or to smooth a transitionsMastering - the process of preparing and transferring an edited and mixed audio file from which all copies will be producedMic fright – the fear of talking in an audio or video situationMic level – the volume of the microphone input channel Microdynamics - the difference between the loudest moments and the quietest moments over a short timeframe, usually referring to transientsMicrophone – the device which picks up sound and turns it into electrical energy so it can be broadcast or recordedMix - to combine several audio sources into a single finished pieceMixed audio – see ‘dry' audioMixer – the equipment that allows various inputs of audio or video to be broadcast or recorded at different times and levelsModal voice- your usual speaking voiceMonaural (or ‘mono') - sound on one, single channel, that is, not stereoMonitor speaker (or ‘loudspeakers' or simply ‘speakers') – used to hear studio or playback outputMonotone – when a person talks with little or no variety in their pitch, volume, and speedMontage - several pieces of audio combined sequentially to create a single sound elementMonthly retainer - an agreement in which the voice-over is paid a set amount each month for ongoing work, based on the average amount of recording minutes or scripts per monthMouth axis – the direction of your mouth in relation to the microphone: ‘slightly off axis would mean that you are not speaking towards the mic and so you will be heard slightly indistinctly Music bed (or simply ‘bed') - music played underneath a voiceMute button – the manual switch which significantly quietens an audio feed, maybe completely. This is automatically activated on studio loudspeakers when the microphone goes live, to avoid feedback Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.17 – 0990 – The Diction-ary of Voice – L **LLabiodental – very few sounds use the sound created when the upper teeth rest on the lower lip, but say ‘very' and ‘few' and you will hear twoLapel (or ‘lavaliere' or ‘lav') microphone - small microphone attached to clothing of a presenter or guestLaryngology – the study of the professional voice. An ENT is not a laryngologist, who can give sophisticated diagnosis and treatment of voice disordersLaryngoscopy - the process of using a flexible scope in your nose or a rigid scope in your mouth to see your larynx (or ‘voice box')Larynx – connecting the trachea (windpipe) and the pharynx (between the mouth and nose) this area is the location of the vocal foldsLevel ('volume') - the amount of audio signal strength usually measured with negative numbers “-12db” means it could be 12 decibels louder without distorting. See “Clipping”Limiter - a really fast compressor designed to reduce the level of loud peaksLingua-alveolar – the speech sound created when the tip of the tongue (lingua) is against the upper gum ridge (alveolus). Ironically it is very prevalent in the phrase ‘tip of the tongue' (and not heard as much in those who speak with a glottal stop in words such as ‘butter')Lingua-palatal – a really rare sound when you say ‘r' noises (such as in “really rare”) when the tip of the tongue nearly touches the roof of the mouth.Lingua-velar – if you have done phonics with your child you will be familiar with the ‘kicking k' – and this is how you make that ‘kicking k' sound: with the back of the tongue up against the soft palate (the velum) at the back of the roof of the mouth, and the tip of the tongue on the mouth floorLip mic – a microphone designed to be used very close to the mouth to cut out extraneous noise, for example at a sports event Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.16 – 0989 – The Diction-ary of Voice – I **IImpromptu (or ‘ad libbed') – a comment made ‘off the cuff' without a script or prior rehearsalInflection – the lifting or lowering of the pitch of an individual word or different parts of a word to indicate significance (see: ‘cadence')Insurance takes - when the director wants one more take, ‘just in case'Integrated loudness - the average loudness across an entire recordingInterdental (or ‘linguadental') – the speech sound when the tongue darts through the lips. Used when people say “theoretically, this third thrush threads theatre throws”Interface - hardware that connects to your computer that allows you to record audioIn the mud (or ‘muddy') – a low or distorted volume In the red (or ‘hot', ‘distorted') – a high or distorted volumeIPDTL (ipDTL) - Internet Protocol Down the Line: an IP codec running in a web browser, used for remote broadcasts in television, radio, and voice-over and a replacement and compatible with older ISDN audio codecsISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network: a system similar to the newer over the digitalised circuits of the public switched telephone network IVR – Interactive Voice Response: technology that allows phone users to interact with a computer-operated telephone system through the use of voice. A voice-over artist will record, say, movie titles on show and the screening times and ticket availability, which a caller will interactive by responding to voice promptsiZotope – a software company providing plug-ins that repair audio, doing things like removing background noise, distortion and mouth noises Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.15 – 0988 – The Diction-ary of Voice – H**HHaemorrhage (‘vocal cord bruise', ‘hematoma') - a collection of blood in the vocal fold that develops after considerable voice use and leads to severe hoarsenessHand signals – gestured directions given to a presenter to, for example, start or stop Handling noise - undesired sounds picked up on a recording caused by touching or moving the microphoneHard copy – a script that is printed outHard sell commercial – a script that is presented in a loud, urgent and emphatic styleHeadphones (also ‘cans', ‘earphones', ‘headset') – worn over the ears so a presenter can hear themselves, the mix of output and any direction given to them while their microphone is liveHeadroom - a recording volume range in decibels (dB). It's the difference between the typical operating level, and the maximum operating level when the audio will start to sound ‘clipped'. So, giving yourself “10db of headroom” means that you set your recording levels so your voice frequently peaks at -10db, and if it gets unexpectedly louder it won't distortHigh Pass Filter – an audio filter that cuts out any frequency below a specified point (letting the higher frequencies pass through) and can help prevent plosives and wind noiseHindenburg - a DAW Hit hot - to begin playing at full volumeHit warm - to begin playing at medium volumeHoarse – a raw, scratchy voice (not necessarily low in pitch) which may signify overuse (such as shouting or talking loudly), abuse (such as drinking and smoking) or both (a late-night party for example). At its worst it may be a signifier of a more serious conditionHold / maintain - to keep the volume at the existing levelHook – a line or statement at the start of a commercial designed to ‘hook' the listener or viewer in by catching their attention, often by using a question: “have you booked your holiday yet?”Husky voice – a lower-pitched speaking soundHypercardioid - a microphone pick-up pattern that is most sensitive to sounds directly in front of the microphone, even more so than a supercardioid Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.14 – 0987 – The Diction-ary of Voice – GGlottal – a softer ‘coughing' sound when used in speech, often when used instead of proper pronunciation in words such as ‘hot' or ‘water' when the tongue has not been used to pronounce the ‘t' sound at the end or middle of words. Interestingly (?!), those who use glottal stops in everyday conversation, may put the ‘t' sound back in when they become a passionate speaker and want to be sure they have been understood. Think of a someone who at home might refer to ‘butter' (using a glottal stop and omitting the ‘t' sounds in the middle of the word), but when in a hotel and being brought spread instead will say “I asked for butter” and pronounce the t-sound. Indeed, the marketing slogan “You'll never put a better bit of butter on your knife”[1] contained several potential glottal stopsGranuloma - a large inflammatory mass that grows in the larynx, usually in the back. This most often is due to voice trauma and uncontrolled acid refluxGravelly – the description of a low, deep voice with little energy, projection or intonationGuide track (or ‘scratch track') - when a non-professional voice artist has provided a recording of the script so that the visual edits can be created, and pronunciations given. In this situation, your job is to replace their dialogue with yours [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1qwcbIzz4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.13 – 0986 – The Diction-ary of Voice – F **FFade (in, out, up, down, under) - to gradually adjust the volume of sound from low to high or high to lowFader – an audio channel's level controllerFade to black/fade away – to decrease the volume of a sound until it cannot be heardFalsetto - the vocal register just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octaveFeedback – the loud howl-round, looped sound when a ‘live' mic is too close to a speaker or headphones, and the sound repeatsFluff – mistake or verbal trip “I fluffed that line, can I take it again?” Foley - recording custom sound effectsFricatives – the group of sounds which cause air to ‘seep' from between the lips, such as f, h, s, v, th and sh. Ironically heard at the start of the word ‘fricative'From the top – start a recording from, well, the start **GGain – increasing the volume of sound, usually on a mic channel and usually beyond what is often necessaryGallery – the control room outside the main studio, where a producer, director and clients may sit and work from Garage Band - DAW software that comes for free on a Mac. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.12 – 0985 – The Diction-ary of Voice – EEllipsis – the marking on a script (‘…') usually indicating that a pause is requiredEmphasis list - if an author wants to stress a point, they an emphasis list such as “the country was utterly, totally and demonstrably broken” Encoding - converting your uncompressed audio files into a format more suitable for certain applications, say from a WAV file to an MP3Enunciation (or ‘diction') – the clear pronunciation of a wordEqualization (‘EQ') - the process within the DAW of altering various parts of the voice recording, such as the volume and to lower or boost frequency rates to enhance the soundEye-brain-mouth coordination - the ability to script-read fluently, accurately and effortlessly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.11 – 0984 – The Diction-ary of Voice – D Part 2Dry audio – a voice recording without any music underneath (which would be a ‘mixed' recording)Dry mouth – literally having little saliva in one's mouth, making talking difficult Dub – to make a copy of an audio or video recordingDub - to re-record audio and sync it to a video which shows someone talking and whose sound is muted. Dubbing is used to re-record a translated soundtrack in another language for different markets and also to replace the original spoken word recording in the original language and by the original actor, to replace audio that was poorly recorded on set (or due to a technical problem, late script change, remove a swear-word for a different audience and so on). The spoken word of any dub must sync with the mouth movements of the original performance. Although this is difficult for a translated script, the timings of each line must certainly be as close as possible to the originalDuration – the length of time it will take (or has taken) for a programme element such as a script, to runDynamic - audio that has wide variations between the quiet bits and the loud bits. See ‘Microdynamics' and ‘Macrodynamics'Dynamic microphone – a mic which incorporates a diaphragm-type device which records sound by vibrating a magnet to create an electrical signal, when sound waves are detected, but which are less sensitive to higher frequencies. See ‘Condenser'Dynamic range - the ratio between the maximum and minimum sound levels in a recording. This ratio is usually expressed in decibels as the difference between the loudest possible undistorted level, and the level of the noise floor**EEarly out – ending a programme or item earlier than originally expected “We come out in 1 minute, but there's an early out in 20 seconds…”Edit – cutting down an audio piece for content or duration reasons Edit - to produce an audio piece, weaving a narrative from multiple interviews and other audio elementsEditor – in a newsroom, the manager of a team of reporters who's responsible for deciding what stories goes to air and how, and for giving feedbackEditor - the person who assembles a show from raw material, who works to a producer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.10 – 0983 – The Diction-ary of Voice - D Part 1 DAW - Short for ‘Digital Audio Workstation' (or ‘Workspace'), said variously D.A.W and DAW (as in ‘door'). The software you use to record, edit, mix and play back your audio. Either a computer which is dedicated to audio only, or a complete multitrack recording system (software) such as Protools, Cubase or Logic. Other examples include Audacity, Hindenburg and AdobedB - abbreviation for ‘decibel', pronounced “dee-bee”Dead air – silenceDead cat - a type of mic wind-screen that has long synthetic hairs surrounding it and makes a long microphone look like a dead cat (!)Deadroll - sound or music that begins inaudibly at a specific time in a mix – so that it will come to its natural end at a specific time through the use of ‘backtiming'Decibel – a measurement of the volume of sound, abbreviated to ‘dB'. In the digital audio world, it refers to decibels relative to full scale (dBFS), where ‘0dBFS' represents the maximum possible digital level, and so measurements in digital audio production are generally represented in negative values (say ‘-9 dB').De-emphasize – to produce a less emphatic, dramatic readDe-essing – to reduce sibilance caused by high-frequency ‘s' sounds. A ‘de-esser' is a plug-in to the DAW that automatically controls sibilance in recordingsDemo - a recording of your professional voice work given to prospective clients as an example of your voice and variety. Demo as in a ‘demonstration' of what you can do. A ‘demo reel' or ‘demo tape' is an audio portfolio of examples of a voice artist's workDialect – a regional variation of a language with a particular accent. So, the English language may be spoken with a Cockney accentDiaphragm – the muscle which separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and which is the main muscle used in breathingDiaphragm - the part of microphone that is affected by sound waves and turned it into electrical signals to be recorded or enhanced. See ‘Dynamic' and ‘Condenser'.Diction (or ‘enunciation') – the way you talk: your enunciation and the types of verbiage (words and phrases) you use.Digital – recording/processing with a computer in which audio signals are broken into numerical valuesDigital Analog Converter - DAC. Hardware that turns an analogue signal into numerical values, and vice versa. Anything that connects a microphone to any type of computer has a DAC, including Digital Audio Recorder and microphonesDip or Duck — to fade sound underneath a track or other audio that is at a higher volumeDirector – the person responsible for deciding how a programme is run while it is on air, or in charge of a recording project. The director may oversee or themselves be the writer producer or audio engineerDistortion – when sound has been recorded at too high a level making it difficult to comprehendDouble Ender - see “tape sync”Dramatic pause – when anticipation or tension is created by a pause within a script Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.09 – 0982 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 4 Cue – the instruction to a presenter to start talking or performing. This could be verbal or by a light or a audio ‘cue tone'Cue – the short script read by a radio presenter or newsreader to introduce a guest or other live or pre-recorded itemCut – an edit of a piece of audio to remove a portionCut - as a direction during a recording, to stop immediatelyCyst - usually unilateral (one vocal cord) mass that grows within a vocal cord. Fluid-filled, usually due to voice misuse or overuse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.08 – 0981 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 3Conversational read (sometimes ‘transparent read') – when a script doesn't sound as though it is being read, so, using an authentic, friendly or realistic style that gives the impression the voice-over is talking with the listener one-to-one, telling a story or convincing them from what appears to be their own experience. A tone that personifies everyday speech. It is ‘non-announcery'. Think: everyday conversationConversational show - a show or podcast where the audience listens to a recorded or live conversation, discussion or ‘roundtable'Copy - another word for the script, the words written to be read out loudCopy - to duplicateCopy – ‘message understood'Copy marking – The system or annotating a script to remind you about issues such as inflection, pauses and pronunciationCPM - Short for ‘Cost per Thousands' (confusingly, not ‘millions', the ‘M' is the Roman numeral for ‘thousand'). How much advertisers will pay to reach one thousand listenersCTA – the ‘call to action', that is, the part of the commercial script that tells the user what to do such as “buy now”, “call this number for tickets”, “visit our website for details” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.07 – 0980 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 2 Clipped – when a recorded signal has gone past the 0db threshold (or any other maximum recording level set by the engineer) and the computer software has no more ‘headroom' to record. This is often heard when a voice actor shouts, or when the microphone is too close to a speaker, or in a field recording, when a large vehicle passes by. To the ear the sound is heard as distorted. On a DAW, the waveform has its top ‘cut off' and appears flat rather than in various peaks and troughs. Clipping is undesirable and should always be avoided by reducing the input sound. Clipped - when audio is missing the beginning or end of a sound element or word by a split secondCo-anchors – two presenters working together in partnership with an on-air role divided between themCold copy – a previously unseen script. You may be asked to ‘read cold' or ‘read a cold script'Comb filtering (also called ‘phasing', or ‘colouring') - when two versions of the same sound play at slightly different times (measured in milliseconds), for example when two mics are live / recording and the voice of one speaker is heard not only though their mic, but also very slightly through the other. This can cause some frequencies to be cancelled out and slightly distorts the true sound. It can be fixed by reducing the possibility of one voice being picked up by two mics: lowering level of the second mic, moving them further away from each other, having a screen between them, or most simply, turning the mics slightly so each pick-up pattern works in an optimum wayComing out – ending a broadcast or recording: “we're coming out in 30 seconds”Compression (file) – file compression reduces the file's size. Very different from compression of sound (below)Compression - a process applied to audio recordings, which 'level-off' the peaks and troughs of a waveforms. This is done with a ‘compressor' (below)Compressor - a device or plugin/tool in a DAW, which automatically boosts quieter sounds and supresses louder ones, so there is less variety in the levels, according to a set threshold. Doing this will mean that the listener has less manual work to do in adjusting levels when hearing the audio. Using a compressor is an art and over-doing it will make the whole track, well, over-compressed and restrictedCondenser microphone – a mic which reproduces sound with the help of an electric circuit and so needs a small amount of power to operate, either from a battery or from the recorder. See ‘Phantom power', and ‘Dynamic (microphone)'Contractions – I'd suggest you'll want to add abbreviated words to scripts so they'll sound conversationalControl room (also ‘gallery', ‘ops' or ‘operations room') – the room outside the studio where a director or producer may sit. Sometimes used to refer to the area where the main servers for a radio station are housed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.06 – 0979 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 1 **CCadence - rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or word (see: ‘inflection') Camera panic – anxiety about being in a video affecting someone's ability to talk or act effectively (also see ‘mic fright')Cans - headphonesCardioid – the pickup pattern of a microphone which is heart-shaped, with a larger area of sound detected from the front of mic and a little from each side and barely any sound from the backCharacter bleed - when the vocal attributes of one character voice (or sometimes the narrative voice) continue into the voice of another character or piece of narrationCharacter voice - the voice adopted to help portray an individual in the scriptChoppy – a way of talking in which the flow of delivery is broken up by frequent and unnecessary pauses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.05 – 0978 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 2 Binaural – a type of recording and/or processing that allows a 3D sound space to be conveyed over headphonesBit depth – refers to the quality of the recording, where higher ‘bit rates' have a wider difference between the quietest sound they can record, and the loudest sound, and therefore allow you to record at lower levels. 16-bit is CD quality, 24-bit is preferred for recording, 32-bit uses lots of disk space. See ‘Headroom'.Bit rate - how much disk space is used per second of audioBleed – sound such as a music bed or other microphone voices ‘leaking' from a presenter's headphones and being picked up by their individual micBlimp - a type of wind-screen that entirely covers a microphone and looks like blimp. Sometimes called a ‘Zeppelin'Board (‘desk') – the panel of faders and controls that are used to turn on microphones and other audio or video sources and control their levelsBoost - to increase, raise or make louder: to boost (sound) levels.Breathy voice – in which excess air escapes as someone speaksBSF (Basic Studio Fee) - the amount paid to the voice actor for the time that they spend in the studio sessionBuy out – a flat rate which gives the customer of the voiceover project all rights to a recording in perpetuity. So, a recording might be re-versioned as short soundbites and used forever without an additional fee paid to the voiceover artist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.04 – 0977 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 1**BB2B / B2C – different marketing or advertising models. ‘B2B' stands for 'business to business', that is, an advert for a product or service services that targets other businesses, while ‘B2C' is 'business to consumer', where the (in our case) audio advert is slanted towards a personal consumers, and so might use different selling points, words and styleBack-time – adding together the durations of remaining programme elements, and then taking that sum from the time by which the programme has to end by. The resulting figure tells you when you the time you need to start the elements to end on timeBandwidth - a measure of a range of frequencies in Hertz (Hz), or musical octaves Barks – the short lines of background dialogue often heard in gameplayBeat – a slight pause perhaps between words, lines or different character's dialogue, as in “don't come in straight away, give me a beat (or “half a beat”) first”, where a ‘half-beat' is a shorter pause, and a large beat is a longer oneBed (‘music bed') - the background music played underneath a presenter's voice, or other ambient sound running under audioBending the needle – what a sound engineer might say when excess volume is indicated on a visual display and the needle hits the ‘end stop' of the meterBi-directional – a microphone that picks up sound from two directions, usually directly oppositeeach other, such as an interviewer and an intervieweeBilabial (sometimes just ‘labial') – if ‘labial' refers to lips, then bilabial is ‘two lips' and for our situation it's when both lips are used to pronounce a sound, like the initial sounds in each word of ‘properly wonderful' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.03 – 0976 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 2 Alveolus – the area just behind your upper teeth and where your tongue darts to in the final sound of the word ‘sin'Ambience (‘ambient noise', ‘ambi', ‘nat sound', ‘sfx' – ‘sound effects') - The general sound at a location, such as traffic noise, a protest march, birds and wind in the trees, or the sound of a studio (such as the air conditioning, slight bizz of computers and so on. The sound can be used by itself or mixed under voice clips.Amplify – to increase the signal strength to make a louder sound Announcer – an on-air role of someone who has an authoritative or commanding way of speakingArticulation – the process by which you use your teeth, tongue, mouth and lips, to shape sounds into words. Sometimes used to mean ‘clear pronunciation of words' such as the right tone, volume, pitch, and quality. (See: ‘enunciation', ‘diction'.)Artifact - undesirable sounds around words, such as random humming noises Aspirate – the release of a puff of air in the pronunciation of a word. The air is not as pronounced as a plosive might be on the initial sound of the word ‘pronounced', but softer as in Santa saying ‘ho, ho, ho'Attack time - the time it takes for a sound processor to begin adjusting the volume level, once the noise threshold has been reachedAttenuate - to reduce in force, or make quieterAttitude – speaking style that shows how a character (or the speaking actor/presenter) would feelAudacity - free audio editing software, a common first DAW (Digital Audio Workstation: the program on which you can record and edit audio)Audio book - the recording of a narrator reading a book Audio drama – the audio recording of book or play in which several voice actors take part, together with sound effects and music. Sometimes called ‘fiction podcast' Audio engineer – a term used by different studios and stations in different ways for different responsibilities, but essentially someone who uses sound equipment/software to record and edit. Possibly also a ‘sound recordist', ‘audio editor', ‘audio mixer', ‘mastering engineer' (or ‘engineer'), or even ‘producer'Audition - Adobe's paid-for DAWAuthenticity – a speaking style that shows credibility and generates trust Automation - in a DAW, the ability to automatically change an attribute over time, such as dipping the volume, or panning a sound from left to right, or any other attribute you'd like to change. See ‘envelope'AVO – Announcer Voice Over Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.02 – 0975 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 1The Diction-ary of Voice ON GOOD SPEAKING TERMS **AAbdomen – your stomach area that moves out as you breath in, as the diaphragm lowers to allow the lungs to expandActuality (‘act') – sound, such as an interview, recorded on location or in a studio and which are not the reporter or narrator.Ad lib - a spontaneous addition or change to a script, or a usually witty off-the-cuff comment during a live or recorded conversationADR - Automated Dialogue Replacement. The art of re-recording or dubbing a video script while matching the original actor's mouth movements. This is time consuming, expensive and experience is required as the original speech patterns can be unpredictable in speed and deliveryAffricates – the speech sound that combines the rush of air of a plosive (as in the letters ‘b' and ‘p') with that of a fricative (when air is forced through a small gap in the lips or teeth – as in ‘ssss'), to give what is heard at the start of words such as ‘chant', ‘choke' or ‘choo-choo'… which is certainly something to ‘chew' over…Air check – a recording of transmission (‘ROT') of either audio or video. Used to give feedback or sometimes required for job applications so someone can hear/see how you perform ‘in real life' rather than in something specifically recorded for the applicationAlt – short for ‘alternative' as in “give me an alt on that” when the director asks for another version of a line-read. This can be for a variety of reasons including wanting variations on takes, wanting just one or a couple of words changed, or to be said with slightly different inflection or intonation etc. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.09.01 – 0974 – A Whispering VoiceWhispering voiceSymptom: Speaking very softlyPrescription: Don't. A whisper needs vocal fold tension, with the sound produced in a small gap between them. Instead talk in a breathy voice as outlined in episode 770. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.31 – 0973 – The Whining Voice Whining voiceSymptom: As you might expect, this sound is related to the ‘unnatural pitch' described above. It too is a higher-pitched voice, with the added issue of elongated words, especially vowels, and often additional nasality. Those vowels may ‘whine' on a steady pitch, or rise and fall similar to a police siren. Put all that together and the speaker may be perceived as speaking like a petulant child: “I doooooon't waaaaan't tooooooo-er”.Prescription: · Listening back to a recording of yourself and identifying this issue is the first step to eliminating it from your vocal personality. Concentrate on speaking with short, more succinct vowel sounds, perhaps highlighting on a script where these may potentially occur.· The higher pitch can be partly solved by using the techniques under ‘forced pitch' above.· Nasality often means that too much air is being diverted through the nasal cavity while speaking. Look at the advice on that above, or get personal diagnosis and advice from a professional speech therapist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.30 – 0972 – ‘Vocal Fry' Voice‘Vocal fry' voice[1],[2]Symptom: We have covered this in some depth previously, especially in episode 38: the low, glottal, creaky, choppy, breathy delivery often described as a millennial speech pattern used most often perhaps by women and most famously by the Kardashian clan and Katy Perry. It happens when vocal folds stay relaxed when you speak, with minimal air passing through them. It can give the impression to some that you are bored, lack intelligence, or less competent and less trustworthy.Prescription: Unless your audience is made up entirely of a millennial audience that would relate to vocal fry, you are probably better off avoiding this pattern of speech. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6r7LhcHHAc [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_LmC-ynqGM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.29 – 0971 – Valley SpeakValley speak (short for ‘Valley Girl-speak')[1]'[2]Symptom: This is a combination of several vocal features (nasality, uptalk, fast-paced run-on sentences, breathiness and vocal fry) and vocabulary (“like”, “I know, right?”, “whatever”, “totally”) Episode 638 discusses the use of the word “like” and 640 is on other ‘filler words'.Prescription: Such a style may be appropriate (although a little dated) for an audience of millennials, but if that's not you then it's probably best to avoid this style and adopt one that is considered more mature for most of your reads. [1] The ‘Valley Girl' dialect was originally associated with materialistic upper-middle-class young woman of the San Fernando Valley in California, and a way of speaking that became familiar across the English-speaking world. It came to be associated with being ditzy and spoken by those with a greater interest in material items than intellectual or personal accomplishment.[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL6XBB-umc0&feature=youtu.be Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.28 – 0970 - UptalkUptalk[1]Symptom: Most sentences end on a lower inflection than how they start, to give a signal that the end of the thought has been reached. Apart from sentences which end with a rising inflection. (“Do you agree?”). Uptalkers use a rising inflection no matter the sense of the sentence. It can give the impression that you are doubtful of what you are saying, or that you lack confidence or intelligence.Prescription:Again, if you are talking to an audience that speaks in this way then you are likely to connect with them if it also comes naturally to you. Otherwise, ending a sentence formally, on a down-tone, shows confidence. Episodes 190 and 315 look at the correct ‘question intonation'. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEfMwri22SM&feature=youtu.be and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdhJxAmUu3Y Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.27 – 0969 - Unnaturally pitched voiceUnnaturally pitched voiceSymptom: This is similar to the ‘mono-tone' (but where that is usually a lower pitch, this problem is usually one of being too high), and ‘forced pitch' (but this is not done deliberately). It's when nerves or excitement (sometimes combined with an undue haste), cause you to speak with too high a tone, away from your natural ‘home tone'. This makes you sound forced and shrill and some may perceive it to be child-like. It may be wearing to listen to, and wearing on your own vocal folds.Using an incorrect higher pitch reduces your ‘headroom' and so makes proper intonation difficult.Prescription:· Relax and slow down. · Better breathing and breath control will help steady nerves and instil confidence· See advice on ‘a nervous voice' and listen to episode 210 ‘Michael Caine on How Your Voice Pitch Can Be Affected By Nerves' and 277 ‘The Nervous Newbies' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.26 – 0968 – The ‘Tired' Voice Tired voiceSymptom: You sound dull, flat and a little ‘slurry' as your tongue has trouble forming words.Prescription: · A voice will become tired with the amount, volume or the tone of the sound it is being asked to perform (see: ‘vocal loading' and episode 756). Regulate your speaking so you don't speak for too long, too loudly. Consider that 10 x 1-minute breaks allow your voice-tissues to recover more effectively than 1 x 10-minute break. (Episode 774 has ‘Voice Advice From Justin Timberlake and Larry Hagman' on this.) · As well as warming-up the voice, don't forget to warm-down too, to relax the voice into its usual state and not harm it. There are some exercises in episode 928.· As well as considering and correcting what might be making you anxious mentally, do a ‘condition check' on yourself physically to see how anxiety has affected how you are holding yourself and how that is affecting the efficiency of your voice-use. Episode 846 is titled ‘Fit Body, Fit Voice' and may be of interest.· A voice will also be tired if you are physically or mentally tired. So, have a good night's sleep and if on a night shift, have an energy boost (being careful to avoid caffeine and sugar energy peaks and troughs, they're mentioned in episode 853's ‘Food And Drink Naughty List'). Inevitably, “hydrate, mate!”· Physical tension (perhaps in a rush to meet a newsroom deadline) will drain your energy so control any temptation to panic. Episode 815 is about how you can achieve Relaxation From Tension Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.25 – 0967 - The ‘Throwaway' Delivery ‘Throwaway' deliverySymptom: When your voice trails off on the last word or two of a sentence. This makes them sound unimportant and sometime unintelligible and can be another pattern of talking that you don't realise you have adopted.Prescription: In news and commercial scripts, the last words may be vital to the item. A pay-off, a punchline or a kicker, as discussed in episode 309, complete with a joke!· Review the sense of the sentence and ensure you know what the point is, of what you are being asked to say, and what words to lift or subdue.· Be careful (and this may sound obvious!) to sound the complete word and not drop off the last syllable. · Concentrate on what you are saying before being caught up with what you are going to say next and throwing away words in the rush to get to it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.24 – 0966 - Throat Clearing Throat clearingSymptom: Throat clearing can become a habit. The slightest tickle and you may cough, but this irritates the vocal folds even more and makes them more raw and sensitive which then exacerbates the problem.Prescription:· Swap a cough for a hard swallow, preferably with a sip of water and you have a double-whammy: you have eased the irritation without causing more trauma, and hydrates yourself at the same time. Episode 761 covers this.· If the problem persists, see a health professional in case there is an underlying issue that demands investigation and explanation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.23 – 0965 – The ‘Thin' VoiceThin voiceSymptom: A voice which is weak, with a lack of air, energy and resonance. It may lack authority.Prescription: · It may be trained to become stronger and fuller. Review the advice about relaxation to reduce tension, better breathing skills and breath control, and increasing resonance in your voice.· A thin voice may also be down to starting at too high a register which is leading to poor resonance and running out of breath … both of which lead to nervousness and hence a higher pitch. (Look back at the advice for ‘a nervous voice' and listen back to episode 277.)· A different kind of mic, its placement or the acoustics of a room may help to a small extent. There's a lot of advice on this from episode 513. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.22 – 0964 - StumblingStumblingSymptom: Verbal mistakes in adlibbed conversations or more likely, when reading as script: restarting words, mispronunciations, mis-intonations, repeated corrections and generally losing your way in a sentence. I outline some more of these in the episodes after 650.Prescription: Give your mouth and mind a chance to get things right!· Relax and warm up to remove any held tension in your vocal apparatus. Have a good rest before a recording (episode 108 and the ones just after).· De-stress mentally so you are not distracted. Have confidence in what you have been asked to do, your knowledge of the topic and your experience.· Review and rehearse your script or make notes if you are adlibbing (ad-libbing is in episode 485 and 633 amongst others). Knowing your topic will help you with intonation, checking pronunciations (episode 138 onwards) will help reduce guesswork and inaccuracies. Reading through and good sight-reading (episode 590 and 642) will give you familiarisation that will reduce on-air or on-tape surprises. Practice this ‘cold reading' to improve your confidence. · Open your mouth enough to allow your tongue to properly form the words (episode 72)· Hydrate to allow your tongue to slip around your mouthy easily (episode 751)· Sitting properly will lead to better breathing, which will calm you and lead to better resonance and calmness and accuracy, in a ‘virtuous circle' · Adjust the script (if you are able to) to make it easier to read: maybe the words used, sentence length, font size or layout. We looked at this in episode 174.· Slow down if stumbles are caused by your mind working faster than your tongue (episode 379 is a good one on ‘fast talking speed traps, also 646 and the ones just after).· Remove tongue or lip studs that may reduce tongue manoeuvrability Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.21 – 0963 - Stammering –Stammering – also called ‘stuttering'Symptom: Stammering is when someone:· repeats sounds or syllables – for example, saying "mu-mu-mu-mummy"· makes sounds longer – for example, "mmmmmmummy"· a word gets stuck or does not come out at allPrescription: · Little is known of the reasons behind stammering. Those with it have probably experienced it since childhood and are probably already in the health-care system and being assisted by professionals. Therefore, such advice is beyond the scope of this book.· Although acute nervousness and stress are not thought to cause stammering per se, those situations can trigger it in those who are already predisposed.· At a very basic level, relaxation and breathing exercises can be used as well as helping the becoming calmer emotionally, with reassurance from others about your work, content and environment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.20 – 0962 - 'Sloppy' SpeechSloppy speechSymptom: Good diction doesn't (usually) matter (!). As I have said several times in different ways (such as in epsiode 263), what's important is whether your target listener is getting a muddled message. If they are, then you are not communicating with them and you need to consider whether how your delivery or diction is at fault.Prescription:· Relax and open your mouth effectively to help you form the words. Vocal warm-ups will also help, as will lubrication (“hydrate, mate!”) · Breathe properly to give your sound more support.· Don't over-do the elocution, you want to sound conversational not jerky and staccato Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.19 – 0961 – The ‘Sing Song' DeliverySing Song DeliverySymptom: This presentation or reading style is characterised by an artificial, repetitive pattern of a gradual rise in pitch for the first part of a sentence …. and then a gradual fall until the end is reached. Or any other regularly-repeated and predictable rhythm in melody which takes the listener away from understanding what is being said, to how it is being said instead, and may bore or annoy them. Rhythms struggle against the sense of a sentence and muddle the meaning. Episode 275 and 276 and others around it, will give you a better understanding of this issue. Prescription: · This pattern may be a verbal rut that you've got into (perhaps initially through nerves), and then has become a habit. Aircheck yourself regularly to hear how you really sound.· If working from a script, check to see how it is written and laid out. Consecutive sentences which are of similar length and construction, perhaps with a single-syllable word at the end, often leads to a repetitive rhythm. There's an example of this in the episode and show notes for 171. Simply re-writing them and then marking up the meaning-full words, can make a big difference to presentation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.18 – 0960 – The ‘Sibilant' VoiceSibilant voiceSymptom: When a voice is perceived to have excessive ‘s' sounds it may be because the microphone is picking up and exaggerating that particular frequency.(Consider that sibilance, like many ‘voice sounds' is subjective. In other words, slightly more ‘s' sounds may be in the ear of the listener rather than the err, mouth of the reader! And sibilance may be considered a sound of ‘interest' (rather than the archaic and offensive term ‘impediment'); it gives colour and character to the voice. As long as you can be understood and the message is received, that communication happens … who cares? Having said that you may feel self-conscious about the sound, feel that people are being judgemental about you, or that it's reducing your opportunities.)Prescription:· Adjust the angle of the mic so you are not speaking directly into it. If that doesn't help, speaking with an audio engineer who may be able to suggest altering input settings on your studio desk / workstation. · If you are recording audio, then you may be able to clean it up in post-production: many recorders have a ‘de-esser' which reduces the high frequencies of sibilance. There are also specialist post-production programs such as Auphonic which will be able to help you (but be careful you don't change too many settings so your voice becomes unrecognisable!)· You may want to consider changing your microphone as different makes and models and pickup areas cope differently with different voices.· Or it may be an issue with your own vocal production: poorly-fitting false teeth, a pierced tongue or a tooth-gap. All of our ‘mouth furniture' is slightly different in its shape and size and place – teeth, tongue and where we place them in relation to each other (as discussed in episode 101).· We make the s-sound differently. Say ‘sizzling sausages' and feel where the tip of your tongue is. Is it curling up or down? Or somewhere flatter? We make the sound in different ways just through culture and learning, not being taught, but it may be that if you try the other way it will increase or decrease the sibilance: the amount of air within the ‘s' may affect the sibilance, as might the length of time you make the sound for. Episodes 76 and 86 are good ones to catch up with on this.· So, there are lots of small changes that you may be able to make, and if you are worried or need more help or advice, see a trained speech trainer to work with you individually.· Listen back to episodes 545, 557 for more on this topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.17 – 0959 - The 'Script-reading' VoiceScript-reading voiceSymptom: When you sound as though you are reading words rather than communicating or telling a story. When you sound wooden, bored, flat – or at the opposite end of the spectrum, overacting and maybe even shouting. When you sound different when you adlib an on-air conversation with a colleague or interview a guest and when you read the cue into the next story, or the weather forecast: the warm personality either falling flat or being exaggerated like a fairground barker.Prescription:· Remember you're having a one-to-one conversation, not one to many. Imagining them sitting in a room with you, just the other side of the desk, may help in the volume and tone you use (it's what I previously called a ‘point of vocus' in episode 343).· Talk with your hands! Use body language and gestures to help bring the script to life. If you ‘act natural' you are more likely to sound natural as we looked at in episode 430 onwards.· Know what it is you are reading, the trick is outlined in episode 280. That is understand the context: why are you reading it? It must have some kind of importance for someone, that's why you have been asked to read it, so tap into that understanding and relevance. Picture who is listening and their likely reaction, as discussed in episode 238.· Review what we have looked at before about colouring words and lifting or subduing the ones that are important (or not!). Don't worry too much about applying those ‘rules' in the moment, but having that background knowledge will help you use them more naturally over time.· As I mentioned in episode 132 and 133, Don't worry about precise diction of every letter in every word and stop worrying about how you sound, but what it is you are trying to communicate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.16 – 0958 – The ‘Quiet' VoiceQuiet voiceSymptom: I once worked with two people in the same office who spoke very quietly. Neither of them seemed concerned or embarrassed when their colleagues continually said “sorry?” or “pardon?”, or when it was easier, simply nodded along unable to hear them. Talking quietly is usually the result of little vocal energy or breath support. In a studio you can electronically boost the levels of the sound being recorded, but as we saw before, this can also mean that other sounds are louder too: your breaths, the slight clicking as you open your mouth, the studio air conditioning and the general studio ambience. Prescription: A quiet voice can be the result of a number of issues.· It may be a mental issue, inasmuch as the speaker (whisperer?), is shy, nervous or embarrassed. You can overcome this in part with friendliness, explanation and other ways to boost confidence such as their ‘on-air miles', and understanding of what is expected of them, how to ‘drive' the studio desk and the topic or script at hand.· It may be a symptom of that person not being very enthused with their job. Basic talking ‘therapies' may uncover such an issue.· The main physical reasons for a quiet voice are to do with a lack of projection of sound, a lack of energy from the diaphragm pushing the air. This can be overcome with better breathing, done diaphragmatically of course, and better posture, all tied up with core-strengthening exercises to better assist your abdominal muscles to be able to push and regulate the whole air-flow mechanism.· Episodes 354 and the couple after that, deal with this ‘voice extreme' and how to overcome it Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.15 – 0957 - Popping on the MicPopping on the micSymptom: Some letters are pronounced by the lips temporarily stopping and then releasing a flow of air from your mouth. That means that when you say words with ‘p' and ‘b' in them, particularly at the start of a word and particularly if that word is at the start of a sentence (when you have more air and energy), air may hit the mic, causing the sound to momentarily distort on-air or on the recording.Prescription:· Be aware of words which contain these ‘plosive' sounds and back off from the mic an inch or two as you say them.· Do this together with reducing the power of pronunciation of such letters, and consider turning the mic at a slight angle so that you are speaking across it rather than directly into it.· You should also have a pop shield or filter fitted to the mic – either a foam covering directly on the head of the mic, and/or a gauze-covered ring attached to the stand and sitting in front of the mic.· More in episodes 555 and 556. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.14 – 0956 – The ‘Plonking' Speech Pattern Plonking speech pattern Symptom: This is when a reader doesn't know which word to highlight in their intonation, so they do it either randomly or, like a metronome, on every fourth word (or the last word in every SENTENCE). It's also what politicians do when they want to give the impression of strength and certainty. Rhythms are lazy and show the reader is in a rut. Catch episode 273 and 274 for more on this. Prescription: Listen to people talking in conversation, when they naturally lift the correct words for meaning. Then replicate those ‘conversational rules' onto written news scripts, and mark them up correctly. Work out the context of what you are saying: what makes the story (or the ‘sell'), a ‘story'? what words do you need to colour in some way by lifting or subduing? A poor rhythm doesn't make you sound authoritative, in fact it makes it sounds as though you don't know what you're talking about. Plonking is for plonkers[1].· I have a whole possibly unique series on how to work out what words to lift or subdue, from episode 283, that I'd highly recommend you listen back to. [1] A ‘plonker' is a slang British term for a foolish or silly person. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.13 – 0955 – Noisy Breathing Noisy breathingSymptom: Your in-breath is clearly heard on the recording, sometimes as a suck (occasionally this comes with a lip-smack as well), or a wheeze. This is covered, along with others from episode 0092 – “The Seven Kinds Of Extra Weird Mouth Noises”.Prescription:· Re-angle yourself or the microphone so breaths are less likely to be picked up. Or as a ‘last resort' reduce the level of every breath in the final recording. (Removing the breaths completely may result in the script sounding unnatural, with ‘wordsandsentencesbuttedtogether'.)· Relax. The noise may be caused by a tightness or obstruction in the airway (the mouth, throat or upper chest)· Don't breathe before you have properly open ed your mouth (you're aiming for it being wide enough to slide a halved-burger bun in, but not a fully constructed Whopper!)· Consider if you are sitting properly. A slumped posture will mean less air can get in to power your voice, and that means that not only the air you do breathe is quickly used up and so you have to breath more often), but that you have little control over how it powers your words. Exercise and don't smoke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.12 – 0954 – The ‘Nervous' VoiceNervous voiceSymptom: These may include a higher-pitched, fluttering voice, quickly-snatched breaths, little variation in intonation and regular mistakes. Prescription:· We looked in some depth previously how nerves are a natural part of a performance, but reinterpreting them can be a good first step to overcoming them. See them not as ‘nerves' but as an indication of ‘excitement', a buzz. A feeling that you control, not one that controls you, and a realisation that of the ‘fight, flight or freeze' options, you're going to fight and win-over this feeling with confidence.· Physical ease produces mental ease, so consider how comfortable you are in your seat and at the studio desk. If it's hard to breath, it'll be more difficult to control your mouth, your tongue and your airflow. Can you breathe easily and fully? (Oxygen has a natural calming effect on the body: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.) Do some physical warm-ups.· Warming up your larynx, articulators and brain will also help: we have covered vocal exercises in some depth and reading your script and knowing its context will help prepare you mentally.· There's a whole series on ‘mic fright', the possible causes and potential remedies, from episode 884. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.11 – 0953 – The 'Nasal' VoiceNasal voice Symptom: This is when ‘too much' sounded-air goes through the nasal cavity where the resonance of sound is changed (a ‘bunged up' voice is one that doesn't have enough air through the nasal cavity! Episode 64 discusses the difference in a bit more detail.) Although powerful and penetrating, such a voice has a thin and twangy ‘honk' to it, with very little depth. It sounds false and put on for broadcasting and is sometimes described as “too much of a ‘head-sound'” – there's a great example in episode 417 from a TV sitcom character you may recognise. Also check out episode 68.Prescription: Relax! Yep that basic treatment again! Review the exercises on opening the mouth and throat, relaxing your tongue and controlling your soft palate. Better your breathing too. Doing this will increase your mouth and throat resonance and lead to a better, more balanced voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.10 – 0952 – The ‘Monotonous' VoiceMonotonous voiceSymptom: Spoken tonal delivery which has little variation, with a perception of a single (or ‘mono') tone. Such a delivery gives the impression that the speaker is bored or tired, that the topic is boring, or if reading from a script, that they have not understood the content enough to feel confident giving correctly-placed intonation.Some people deliberately adopt a flatter-sounding voice in the (mistaken) belief that it makes them sound authoritative, as they are keeping their emotions under control. A listener could mentally turn off from such a ‘drone-like' delivery. Catch up with episodes 217, 221, 258 and 316 for more monotonous content (if you see what I mean!)Prescription:· Presentation is a performance so think about what it is about your situation that may make you sound bored or distracted: are you fed up doing podcasts, or this particular topic again? Perhaps it's something outside the reading: do you feel stuck in a rut in life or your marriage? Maybe you (maybe unknowingly) feel you should be paid more and so will not give 100% until you are…. (Episode 890, if this sounds like you…)· A slight monotone may also be as a result of feeling less than comfortable in a current situation, perhaps working with new people or in a new studio or with new, unfamiliar equipment (episode 897 and those around it for more on this).· Remember the need to ‘turn up the personality' a bit when appearing on radio, tv or stage to achieve ‘cut through' a some of your energy is ‘lost' in transmission. (I explain more in episode 332.)· A monotonous voice may be because of tiredness and is sorted rather more obviously: more rest and less stress, better breathing and eating and so on. · If you don't understand your script, you may keep your intonation in a limited ‘safe zone'[1] this sometimes happen when you have to sight-read. Although this reduces the chances of not misplacing an emphasis too badly, it also inevitably creates less variety in the voice range leading it to sound boring, flat and lifeless. Explanation, rehearsal and marking-up a script will help. Better sight-reading for say newsreaders, usually comes from a background knowledge of current affairs so you immediately understand the significance of what it is you have just been handed and can show that in your colouring of words. Episode 720 is a good place to learn more about sight-reading and there's a whole series on marking up a script from 177.· Be more conversational in your delivery. Imagine talking to one person across the room from you and telling them a story (episode 464 onwards), and using gestures (episode 430 onwards) as you do so. [1] A ‘safe zone' may lead you to fall into a repetitive pattern of delivery: starting or ending each sentence in the same way, punching every (say) fourth word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.09 – 0951 – The ‘Hoarse, Husky or Croaky' VoiceHoarse, husky or croaky voiceSymptom: A raw, scratchy voice (not necessarily low in pitch) which may signify overuse (such as shouting or talking loudly), abuse (such as drinking and smoking) or both (a late-night party for example).Prescription: · If there's an obvious one-off cause (such as singing at a concert, or shouting at a sports event), rest the voice and avoid such situations in the future (episode 756, might be worth a listen on your ‘vocal battery').· If you know the regular, work-related cause (say, commentating at a sports event, and talking loud over a crowd), then have a good voice-care regime: hydration, warm-up and warm-down techniques, vocal rest, good breath support and so on. (Episode 920 is a good one for more on this.) · Croakiness may be the result of too much thick phlegm in your mouth and throat. Remember to “hydrate, mate”, and consider whether reducing your intake of things like dairy and chocolate make a difference (as some say it does for them). I have lots of episodes on this: try 753 on why hydration oughta be water and 751 on ‘mucus'!· Smoking and shouting should always be avoided or reduced as much as possible (episode 766). Learn the best ways to scream and shout in episodes 352 and 353.· As a basic cause, a hoarse voice may be down to nervous tension, so practice relaxation and better breathing skills and check your posture.· At its worst, and for ongoing problems (a recurring sore throat), hoarseness may be a signifier of a more serious condition perhaps from scarring because of ongoing misuse, so seek professional medial advice. More in episodes 761, 767. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023.08.08 – 0950 – The ‘Gravelly' Voice Gravelly voiceSymptom: A low, deep voice with little energy, projection or intonation.Prescription: This may be reduced by losing weight which could enhance better posture and increased energy. This will enable easier breath support (listen to episode 833) and projection, with more energy for increased intonation. (A series of episodes from episode 323 was about the volume of your voice.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.