SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—Migrate Sound is a recording and audio postproduction studio specializing in all aspects of audio production, including voiceover, dialogue, group and sound effects recording, sound designing and mixing, remote and on-the-go (OTG) recording, mix to picture (stereo and surround), copywriting, translation and adaptation.
With clients ranging from television and streaming networks to movie studios and advertising agencies, the majority of my projects include radio promos for Fox, Amazon Prime, Hallmark, Audible and more. I produce about 30 to 40 promos per year across a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, reality television and entertainment, or contest-based shows.
Sweeps are a notoriously busy time and as they happen four times a year, efficiency and ways to streamline and advance my workflow are always top of mind. I recently upgraded my studio, migrating from legacy Fairlight to DaVinci Resolve Studio for audio post just in time to tackle Fox’s February sweeps promos, which had me creating numerous radio spots for a variety of shows. Armed with the Fairlight Desktop Audio Editor and Fairlight Console Channel Fader hardware, I went to work.
Compressed Voiceover
Having done this for the better part of 30 years, it comes very naturally to me, but the promo is an art that requires fine instincts and the ability to condense an entire episode of a show into 30 seconds. Producing a radio promo means capturing the listener’s attention quickly and delivering a clear, compelling message within a very short time frame, all while maintaining high audio quality and adhering to branding guidelines.
Trying to fit the entire message into less than 30 seconds gets very tricky. The network gives us creative mandates, which include phrases that cannot be cut no matter what. DaVinci Resolve Studio’s ability to time-compress voiceover bits and soundbites from a show is a godsend. It’s done on the fly, it’s very fast and accurate and it doesn’t require the need to create a new clip.
DaVinci Resolve Studio’s AI-based noise reduction and voice isolation tools are like magic wands. Sound bites from TV shows can sometimes be noisy; with outdoor scenes comes background noise. While it makes sense on television because the visuals are there, it’s just confusing when used for radio. Though I’ve gotten rather skilled at filtering out distracting noises manually, the voice-isolation tools have made my job so much easier.
I was a bit hesitant to upgrade my studio as my original Fairlight system was still working great, so why rush? But I realized that staying up to date with technology is crucial for my business, or any business for that matter. I wanted to make sure my studio had the latest equipment, features and compatibility within our industry, so I can deliver to my clients and stay competitive.
As a business owner, a studio upgrade needs to deliver a return on investment and give me peace of mind that it’ll start up in the morning. I don’t have the luxury of moving to another room when there’s a problem with the one I’m working in. If my studio is down, my business is down. So, the most important thing to me is reliability and support, which comes seamlessly with Blackmagic Design.
For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.
