Blog – Ryan Drean | Audio Branding: Recent Episodes
Ryan Drean
Here’s an interesting release form someone I’ve featured here a bunch. Adam Venton, at Little Monster Media, has launched AudioBricks. I placed his PR info below so you can read in-depth but here is my main takeaway: instead of paying a large price for a large package, what if you want to pay a small…
Neil Wilson is an experienced Voice Actor based in the Baton Rouge area. His work is found on Radio like GO COUNTRY in L.A., TV Promo work such as FX Network and HBO, TV Affiliate, Commercial and more. Neil is also, possibly, the biggest football fan I know…like right up to the edge of annoying…
It’s a FestiveFuzz(2) for the rest of us!! Adam Venton and Little Monster Media have a new release out today. FestiveFuzz 2 is (obviously) a follow up to FestiveFuzz. I wanted to get this posted right away. I barely downloaded it and scanned the content…but it’s great (as I would expect it to be) and…
Pete Gustin is the voice of many Radio and TV stations, Movie Trailers, national commercial campaigns and perhaps most notably, the signature voice of The Fox News Channel. Pete also has a background in radio production starting his career at WEEI, one the more powerful stations in one the largest American Radio Markets, Boston, Mass. …
My old pal from the UK, Adam Venton, has delivered yet another great sound design package: Halloweeny. Great name, awesome sounds, mostly themed for the holiday (but I can hear some in use year-round). Halloweeny has plenty of dynamic elements, excellent processing, Keys and BPMs are provided where appropriate (which should be standard these days)…
JAMES STODD is Group Production Director – Celador Radio plus Classic Rock Imaging Producer at Benztown. James is a UK based Radio Imaging producer who has held a well rounded variety of jobs. From his start as a “jock” in college to Radio Mercury in Crawley where he got his start with Production among other…
I can safely say my guest is a “ROCK GUY” and that is both a compliment and true. He would also be the first to tell you it’s what he loves and what he has done his entire career. The thing is, he also does a ton more. Malcom Ryker is the Creative Services Director…
Steve Taylor has been on an impressive RISE over the last few years. For me, I went from sort of knowing of him and hearing him some places…to befriending him and hearing him EVERYWHERE! Based on his work with iHeart Radio Stations, TV Networks and Local TV Affiliates… and everything else he does… he might…
Adam Venton is back again with a new package from Little Monster Media: RETROGRADE. He gave us plenty of info (below) AND there is a special INTRO Price for 30 days of £119.99 ($150). BUT even better? I got you a special discount rate found only on my site. Here are the details: “Your readers/listeners…
MY good pal Adam Venton in the UK has been producing a unique variety of Imaging SFX for years now under his Little Monster Media brand. He’s alerted me that he’s offering a Sampler Pack for FREE right now. Well, that’s pretty much it. FREE Sound Design FX for Radio Imaging. May as well grab…
Another returning guest, Jeff Schmidt is back for a very specific reason: He is producing some of the biggest and most successful podcasts available. Jeff is atop-tier radio imaging producer and sound designer based in the Bay Area. Most recently, as I mentioned, he’s focused on podcast production. In this “new” podcast realm he has…
The fine folks at Sticky FX have dropped a new FX Library on the world. GRAND FX. More Info from the PR below. They produce tons of libraries, cover various formats and budgets plus have some free stuff to offer! Check em out! Link: https://www.stickyfx.com/en/products/grand-fx.html —————- Press Release! Radio is evolving and so should…
As a Voice Actor Issa Lopez makes it very clear that she knows who she is…and who she is NOT. This is one of the biggest factors in her growth and success. Issa is a bilingual talent focusing on Radio Imaging, Commercial, Narration, IVR and more in both English and Spanish. She is heard all…
A veteran Voice Actor, Mark Peeples is heard…everywhere. Radio, TV Affiliate are the BIG ones for Mark but he also reads Promo, Trailers, Commercial, Late Night TV bits and more in his Alabama studio. Mark started in Radio but shifted to Voiceover pretty early in his career in Atlanta. One of his big “breaks” was…
Roger Keeler is UNIQUE. He is also immensely talented, creative, experienced, off-beat, musical, and highly SKILLED in all things audio. BUT above all else – UNIQUE. This is one of the few people I wanted to have on for a second time. When I am out in the wild talking Imaging with other pros his…
—This page is FILLED with Audio!!!!— Main Demos and a couple things mentioned in the show at the top… Here are a million (36) “LOL COLORADOPEDIA” Bits Roger sent me — I posted all of them!
Our guest, Dan Mumford, spent a decade at RADIO 1 in the UK starting at age 25. He then had some other Radio Imaging related jobs but quickly found his place as a successful music and sound design producer/composer/engineer. We discuss his music background, radio background and how they intersect. Of course we talk tech…
Today I bring on a Voice Actor with an enormous body of work. Beau Weaver has seen great success in TV Affiliate work, Network Promo, Syndicated TV Promo, Commercial, Narration, Trailers, Live Announce (Emmy’s and more), Animation, Radio Imaging and everything in between. Beau started in radio in the 60’s moving into voiceover in the…
To finish off 2018 in style I decided the show would require a TEAM as opposed to ONE guest. In fact, I welcome not just "a" team but perhaps THE team. The 7-man Imaging Collective at CAPITAL and CAPITAL XTRA are ALL guests on the show. We commandeered the big studio at Capital and even had multiple remote locations mixed in. I can't begin to summarize everything we discussed but I did my best to cover most of what goes into Imaging such Epic brands like Capital and Capital Xtra plus all the network stations/affiliates.
I should lead with one of the big reasons I wanted Nik Smon on the show: He uses Ableton. Music producers, especially electronic producers, might say, “So what?” But in the Radio Imaging world it’s rather rare to work in this DAW. (Warning – Voice talents or NOT-so-nerdy-audiophiles – we get super nerdy with audio…
Our pals at Sticky FX in The Netherlands have a new product to check out. GLIDE 4 – AC and HOT AC sound design work-parts. Visit their site to learn more: https://www.stickyfx.com/en/products/glide-4.html
Visit the new Producers Podcast page on iHeartRadio Good news! There is another (very awesome) way to Subscribe/Follow and Listen to the podcast. Thanks to my pals at iHeart for posting it. I hope this makes your listening experience that much better (or easier)!
Daniel Mumford is a UK based composer and sound designer who is also WELL-KNOWN in radio imaging circles. (I hope a future guest on the podcast too!) He has put out a few packages available at DarkArts.co.uk His latest release (which I got my hands on and it F***ing melted my face) is called Dark…
Brad is the Network Imaging Producer for NOVA Entertainment based in Sydney, Australia. Great gig for a seasoned veteran of the industry…or for someone who has been in for 5 YEARS and is all of 24 YEARS OLD! You wouldn’t know how old or young he is by talking to him. You will know how…
Adam Venton is BACK in a big way. His Little Monster Media imprint has released a BIG, MASSIVE, CRUSHING, EXPLOSIVE, BLISTERING…and yet… tight, subtle, tuned, light, EXTREMELY useful collection of IMPACTS. You may call them HITS, SLAMS or something else but if you produce Radio Imaging you probably use them often. IMPACTIPUS – Go get…
Yep, I read another entire book, all the way through! Justin M. Woodward is new, like me, but IMO doing some really exciting work. So I am very happy he asked me back for his most recent novel – TAMER ANIMALS. AND for his new publisher – Bloodshot Books. (Previous book is THE VARIANT) I…
The transition from a successful career on-the-air in radio to independent full-time voice artist is not exactly an easy proposition and certainly not as easy as some people might expect it to be. Denver-based talent Josh Goodman is a multi-faceted voiceover artist who is LEGIT good at all the various….facets… and has navigated that radio to…
This post is JUST a BIT out of the normal content range for this site BUT I will always do what I can to support guests/friends of the podcast or anyone in our industry. WKG (show here) aka Wendy K Gray has been working on a project for a very long time and is FINALLY…
UPDATE: I am not going to say Ron owes me $10 (I don’t think he accepted my bet) but today, June 7th 2018, Ron was able to announce he is joining the team at Reel World. A GREAT Get for them! The entire staff at the Producers Podcast (me) wishes him continued world domination and success. …
UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Joe has checked back in and he just got a couple very NICE reco’s from a pair of top-shelf producers. ONE has been on my podcast. The other will NOT be on my podcast (Dan – I’m looking at you.) BUT he was instrumental in me getting hired in Dallas…so I have to always…
Bob Schmidt is the voice of the Fox Sports Radio Network, The Dan Patrick Show, AM 570 in LA and countless other (mostly sports) stations and shows around the US. Bob is also…yes ALSO… an extremely talented Radio Imaging Producer. He produces AM 570 in LA, calls that his home base and has been in…
After this interview, and based on our conversations away from the show, I can safely say that Scott Matthews LOVES radio and is proud to make it his primary focus. Scott Matthews is a Radio Imaging Voice. I think I could leave it there and he would be fine with that. But alas that is…
The guys at StickyFX are always cranking out new product. Today we check out COOL TOOLZ. It has 150 different fx from various expected categories and they have priced this one pretty affordably @ 99 Euro. The demo sounds cool (duh) and I’m getting a bit of that high frequency, sizzle, airy feel – I’d…
Terry Phillips is an old friend and one of my go-to guys for any audiophile related questions, issues, brainstorms, epiphanies or other. He is the Creative Director at Entercom Detroit producing imaging for WYCD and WOMC. These are two legendary stations with tons of Heritage and importance in their respective genres and the Detroit Radio…
The show’s guest, Graeme Judd, is one of the preeminent Promo Voices in the US (and Canada). I have had the luxury of speaking to some of the biggest names in more than one industry and in his, he is near the very top. Graeme is regularly heard on CBS, E!, Fox and a multitude…
As long as I can keep featuring the biggest players in the industry AND they happen to be female it’s a big win-win. While my guest, Vanessa James, happens to be one of the stellar imaging voices in radio she also has her hands firmly dug into so many other areas of media and brand…
Many people in the industry and/or who regularly check out my podcast will be familiar with Randy Thomas, today’s guest. If you know the basics – scroll on down to the links, download the show or just hit that big round play button! For everyone else Randy is thought of by many, myself included, as…
I think based on his “Online Names” being episode 113 might be a good thing for my latest guest, Josh Jensen. He is a bunch of things at iHeart Media but mainly Creative Director at 98Rock and US 103.5 (WFUS) in Tampa. He also handles creative for the National iHeart Platform (CHR) and Nikki Sixx’s…
I am late to the party on this one (MY FAULT) but I want to throw some love at the fine folks at Sticky FX. They have just released a new package called Broken Air 2. I’ve placed the Demo and Press Release below. It feels very Mainstream-CHR but I can hear HAC and ALTy…
Giorgio Riolo checks in with a special deal for Radio Imaging Producers… RADIO IMAGING SELECTION is a collection of 50 stereo 24-bit 44.1Khz radio ready imaging elements for CHR and HOT AC radio Jingles, StationID, Liners and Dj Drops. All sounds are royalty free and ready to be included in your radio productions. Price is 9.99…
I had to take a little time before I wrote something down about Phat Matt Ganssle. I interviewed him in the really early days of my show (I didn’t know wtf I was doing yet and I was terrible). We were “competitors” until he moved on to bigger and better. He was brilliant. Episode 4…
…OR you might know him as “Sidey.” Mike Andersen is the Imaging Director at Triple M in Sydney and the Triple M Network. There are a million reasons why he has been the Imaging MAN there for over 20 years and hopefully you’ll hear about a few of those in this show. I guess to…
My old pal Dan Mumford has released another gem available to have NOW – Dark Arts FX2. I suggest you check out the demo below instead of reading my words. In fact I’ll write very little except (go get it and) I love the Tonal Sounds Dan has created. They are incredibly useful and as…
How about one of the top Radio Imaging Voices as my next guest? I welcome in Wendy K Gray. On top of that, Wendy is a killer in the world of Promo, Animation (all aspects of that), Commercial, Industrial and Narration. Plus she is a singer/songwriter with years of writing, recording and performing under her…
I LOVE my new Sound Design products. The quality in product that comes out in buy-out form keeps elevating. I had a few packages come across my screens in the last couple days. As I promised to the world, if you release it, I’ll post about it! Here are THREE products to show you –…
The more I think that being north of 100 episodes means I’ll start to run out of BIG names to get on the show..the more I realize thats absurd. John Pleisse is a major player in the voiceover world especially when we talk in terms of Radio Imaging AND TV Affiliate work. He is heard…
Chris Ward’s official title: Content Operations Director / Group Production Director for the Bauer City Network , Northern England & Scotland. That means he has his hands in dozens of stations and networks across the UK. He is also part of the larger Bauer Media Group which, as I learned in the interview, is REALLY HUGE in…
Andrew Berger is the Imaging Director at POWER 106 in Los Angeles, CA. Power is one of the longest running Hip Hop stations in America and one that has built genres and landscapes, waged battles and defined radio strategies for decades. It has certainly evolved in different ways but to say it isn’t an EXTREMELY important station…
I believe this is NOT new but I didn’t know about it and other producers who know MUCH more than me didn’t know about it either. So, You own 397 plug-ins. Scrolling through your category list is SO easy right? Nope. Now you can pick out 3 or 4 or 6 and put them at…
125 TRACKS OF NEW SOUND DESIGN FREQNESS I’m a sucker for new Sound Design FX products. Especially good ones (duh) and that’s what we have here. SPLAT!FREQZ. Now, I don’t want to take undue credit for anything but SPLAT!FREQZ is pretty much all because of me. I mean I didnt produce anything nor was I…
Justin Spencer Dove is a rising star and has been for a solid decade or more. I always know that if a guy’s name comes up many times, by many independent people consistently, I want to get him on my show. AND he has one of the real nifty Imaging gigs out there too! He’s…
United is the worst!! Today. Of course, I know this “Outrageous Incident” will be left behind by the internet soon enough but we had a little fun over at TM this week. Figured I’d share a few versions of the parody here. The idea was kind of obvious I guess so it was easy to do. I…
I’ve noticed the arena of live, hi-quality, online audio recording has become a little more crowded with expensive to free options. It’s also become a little confusing to me. Do we need to pay or not? Do you pay for what you get? Free is necessarily bad…or not? Are there some overt cash grabs being…
While I’m busy prepping my next Podcast (Roger Rose!!) — or trying to find the time to edit it — This just hit my inbox. GLIDE 3 from Sticky FX. I won’t waste your time yapping about it – I will let them do that in the form of a Press Release. I did embed…
“Tell us how you did it.” I should do this more often but I pulled a small, simple quote from the end of our interview because I think this is very important for new/young/budding talent to keep in mind. When applying for gigs and sending audio THAT is what Marc Vickers, Creative Director of Wisebuddah…
UPDATE – WINNERS! – Congrats to the THREE lucky winners of CLAY FX! Ryan McClean @RyanOnYourRadio Christian Thon @christianthon J.J. Stone @jjstone_FM —————————————————————— Mark Chadwick is one of those creatives that likes to keep his hands in all kinds of audio. He’s a well known VO talent in the UK, Music Producer and Sound Designer.…
That’s Ben marks! Imaging Producer at Reel World Europe. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many people from their team and like everyone else – Ben exudes class, humility and TALENT. Check out the link below to Reel World’s Blog about the Radio 1 Extra project. It should show you all you need…
Giorgio Riolo checks in with a new “Toy” for us sound geeks – TEXTROBOT. I have had my way with it and can see lots of potential uses. It utilizes Kontakt and allows you to “play” a ton of digital typing, clicking, switching and slamming FX in a one-shot or rhythmic manner. Perhaps you’re making…
To celebrate the (official) 100th show of my now 8 year old podcast I set out to create the most International audio program about the current state of Radio Imaging. I asked about 40 radio pros to talk about radio imaging. Simple right? We discuss why we do it, the future of the industry, what we…
Not too often do I write up a post about a new AC Radio SFX product. They exist but are often over shadowed by the big CHR or more aggressive content. Adam Venton via his Little Monster Media brand has released BUBBLEFUZZ. I am happy to write up a post on these packages as they…
*(Day One Update Post) I’m writing this after I made the 6am trip over to Berlin. Some hours to kill – so lets post some pics! #TID16 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/RDREAN/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RDREAN FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/drean The Imaging Days Website: http://www.theimagingdays.com/ Again, check out Steven Martin’s posts for the “play by play” at Earshot Creative. UPDATED* Day 2 was just as great as Day…
UPDATED I plan to use Instagram to put out live updates from the show and when appropriate I’ll also put those posts on Twitter and/or FB. #TID16 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/RDREAN/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RDREAN FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/drean The Imaging Days Website: http://www.theimagingdays.com/ UPDATED Monday 3 October 2016: I invite you to check out Steven Martin’s posts for the “play by play” at Earshot Creative.…
Programming Note: No, you did not miss Episode 100. I had planned to line it up with my trip to Europe BUT I actually did a couple bonus episodes so I’ve brilliantly traveled forward to 101 today. NEXT, in October, I will create and post a “100th Podcast Extravaganza Show” – and that will fittingly be titled…
It was not quite ONE year ago today when one of the highest profile Imaging jobs on earth opened up. Dave Foxx left iHeart/NYC – Z100 and KTU – after almost (or more than??) 30 years on the job. I immediately started asking some friends on the inside (including Dave) who would, or could, take…
Another high level and still continually rising voice-talent is featured on the show. Chad Erickson is a big name in the world of Radio Imaging Voiceover but he is also found all over your TV box with promo work heard on CBS, Fox, CNN, ESPN College Basketball, Steve Harvey and many, MANY more. Chad is heard on…
What a horrible title!! I don’t know how to even categorize this and its admittedly a very simple concept but I wonder if others haven’t been doing it…if not it will save you TIME, future headaches and drive space. Scenario: You make a football promo on Monday for “STATION A.” It sounds great. Client loved it,…
Just got word that Tom Baker, that college puke (I mentioned HERE) who thinks he’s a professional Sound Designer, has officially released his first SFX package. On the first day of school too! All joking aside I asked him for more info, a link…and if he was going to offer a discount at release…he obliged.…
My (internet) friend, who I am sure I will actually meet IRL someday, Adam Venton has elevated his efforts with his Production business, blog, sound design etc over at littlemonstermedia.co.uk/ Looks like he’s going to put a sizable effort into everything but really what got my attention…he mentioned ME. Never hurts 😉 But seriously I’ve known Adam a long…
I don’t like to label someone as “The guy from…” or “The person you know as…” in reference to what they do – but in this case, as far as Radio Imaging Voices, Howard Cogan is as connected to ONE specific brand as anyone. Howard is the well known voice of the multi-national JACK FM Radio…
Tom Baker checks in with a cool new sound design product. COLLEGIATE FX. For now…he is just TEASING us with the Freshman 15. http://tombakerradio.com/fx-sign-up/ Go there, sign up, get free noises. From Tom: The Freshman 15 is a free sampler pack of 15 Imaging FX that will be featured in the first Collegiate FX pack…
The not so new Imaging Director (about 1 year in now) is Miles Hlivko. YEP...Another major talent to come out of Ohio, and more specifically, Cleveland. He was at WMMS for years elevating to APD in 2013.
CK, Kyle, Cowboy – whatever you call him – Cowboy Kyle is the Imaging Director at WUSY – US 101 in Chattanooga. CK also images over 20 country stations nationwide including New Orleans, Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, Augusta, Des Moines, Wichita, and several more. He KILLS it by knowing the audience, knowing how to write for…
I’ve mentioned the audio experts at Dallas Audio Post before and by extension, their Echo Collective brand – they record highly technical, high quality audio including custom sound kits and instruments for design, film, trailer, and RADIO. Some of their releases are way too detailed for radio or at least too detailed for daily use. SOME are…
Been way too long since I wrote up a simple, unassuming blog post. I typically try to save the blog for something of real value, whether free or discounted product, or just great info. AND today I keep it going BUT it’s FREE product x 25! That’s right, 25 free VST plugins producers are digging…
Creative Director at Studio Brussel in Belgium, part of VRT, Steven Lemmens has an outstanding mindset and skillsetfor radio creative and station branding. He specifically crafts the sound of Studio Brussel but works as part of a large team within the company where everyone is encouraged to wear many hats. Heck he is also the…
Sometimes you just have a great chat with a great talent. Larry MacInnis has been at the center of some large scale creative. In fact if you are in Canada you’ve heard of CHUM-FM, of course. Or maybe specifically Toronto, you’ve heard the Al Palladini’s Pinetree Lincoln-Mercury spots? Experience, skill, wisdom, NO hyperbole, creativity and INTERESTING…
Fact: We all love Dave Foxx but THIS is fun! I’ll let the video do it’s job re informational purposes but looks like we are getting some early info about The Imaging Days 2016. LOVE this event, highly recommend it! Press releases is below as well… TIP: Plan early so you can book a few days in Amsterdam…
The guys from The Arabian Radio Network in Dubai took time out of their busy schedules to do a group interview. While there are many talented producers at ARN I spoke with three including AJ Traspaderme (originally from Canada), Vinay Rao (India) and Heinie Hartendorp (Philippines). Because of the diversity on staff these three producers also represent…
Wow. I use that expensive three-letter-public-college-degree-having word to start this post because Jeff DELIVERED. First, Jeff Schmidt is a San Francisco based Imaging Producer and musician working at the station level, the national level, the service level and he is a highly skilled sound designer for radio, video, web AND Video Games. He is Alien-Imaging…
My upcoming guest, Jeff Schmidt of Alien-Imaging, released a solid video about Dynamics in sound design elements. One of the main reasons AI-FX are my goto libraries is the Dynamic range of the sounds. Other libraries are good at this too…but JEFF made a video explaining it AND he is coming up on the show! So…
I love me some imaging libraries. I try to highlight all that hit my inbox. Hit the link below to hear the 7th installment of NOISE from OMEGA PRODUCTIONS…aptly titled NOISE 7. Solid work (as always), lots of formats covered, all the important categories including a ton a of beds. See the quoted info below from…
Not a lot of movies lately seem…good. But I enjoyed Deadpool. BUT this makes it 10 times as good! https://youtu.be/sMx7qUH_DMs
I love this. It’s an inside look at the folks who make noise at Capital Network, Xtra, TV, FM and all the other UK Capital places. Howard Ritchie, good work.
Let’s get back to blogging!! I grabbed DDLY last week and immediately LOVE it. I get overwhelmed by reverb and delay plugs sometimes. Mainly because they offer so many ways to tweak and often I don’t have the time to really figure them out. So… I keep going back to AIR Delay or other simple options.…
90th episode?? Damn. Scott Fisher is one of the leading Radio Imaging Voice Talents in America. He is heard on some of the largest stations in the largest markets. He is BIG-TIME. It’s a shame that it’s taken me this long to have him on but I had to save some of the best… Scott is…
The first Three-Time guest on the show is (and should be) Dave Foxx. In one of the major developments to round out 2015, Dave is now the EX-Creative Services Director for Z100 NYC. He was also involved in many other major iHeart Radio responsibilities in New York and other parts of the US. Dave is also…
A skilled talent in creative imaging and radio management/administration, and someone who I am lucky to call a friend, has left one of the top Imaging Gigs on EARTH to find greener pastures. Chris Nicoll is (or was, depending on when you read this) Head of Production for Capital Radio, Capital Xtra, Capital TV, Capital Solar System…
Sorry for my extended time away! I had some unexpected delays with 3 different guests but GEORGE TAYLOR made himself available quicker than I thought so he saved my schedule a little. George is the Imaging Director at IMGR and a writer at Wise Buddah. He is extremely musical as an Imaging Producer but… also a…
It was high time I had another recorded conversation with Kelly Doherty. Since we last spoke she moved across the country, twice, and elevated to what might be the most prominent imaging position in the U.S. Kelly is the Vice President of iHeartMedia. Again, as would be expected with Kelly no holds barred content-wise and we…
Another installment of: “Get ready for The Imaging Days 2015!” and Let’s revisit with a superstar of radio imaging. Dom Nero is Creative Services Director @ HOT 97 NYC (Emmis NY). He has held down this iconic position for over 10 years now. Seems like yesterday when I hopped in an unmarked town-car (of course, no…
Back again and not soon enough, John Frost. He is the demented mind behind Frostbytes and an imaging style oft-mimicked but rarely matched. After years of running the first online imaging service, creating the “World Famous” branding at KROQ L.A. and influencing countless stations and producers worldwide, John has been invited to present at The Imaging Days in…
Here is your Imaging Days 2015 Preview episode! The show is just one month away. October 5 and 6 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, about 15 minutes from Amsterdam. Anthony Timmers, Creative Director of the show, joins me to chat about all things IMAGING DAYS. We run down the the list of speakers, or most of…
It’s been a long time coming but FINALLY Rachel McGrath jumps in and joins the show. Rachel has certainly been building up her roster of amazing stations but as we will learn she has put in the work. Years ago she simply got out there and started hustling to build her business and hasn’t shown…
What doesn’t Drew do? He is the Creative Dir. at WFLZ – Tampa. This station, as most of you know, is maybe most revered for its BRANDING than anything else. It’s been a consistent leader for outstanding creative and a jump-off point for some truly legendary Imaging Talent over the years. Aside from that Drew is the National…
The very respected Jeff Schmidt of Alien Imaging released AI-FX V1 recently as he is also in the midst of becoming a “For-Barter” service via Benztown (Read more on that on his site or join his email list). I’ve owned EVERY package he’s released and I feel like I’ve been more than clear about AI’s quality and…
The Original Voice of Urban Radio – not a self dubbed title but a view held by many in the format, Mitch Faulkner has been heard…everywhere! I probably don’t really need to write much in the way of an intro ad he certainly doesn’t need any hype. I’ll say this – I got as much…
If I had a nickel for every time I heard a prod ask for an instrumental version of some popular song…. Now it doesn’t look like this will get you 100% there but it could be a nice weapon for the arsenal. And then of course there are all the music producers, mastering engineers…
I’ve been speaking (utilizing back channels) with the secretive, underground force behind Race to the Bottom Radio. With seemingly hundreds of “for barter” services popping up every week its rare we see a new cash based updating imaging service. Thats not to say most barter services will put a cash amount on their product…but they ain’t gonna…
Hey! So wouldn’t you know when I FINALLY got rolling and everything updated in Pro Tools 11, the first thing I noticed is all my keyboard shortcuts were gone! Awesome right?? NO. After some research I found the fix and if you like to SEE these kinds of things, I made a video… ..If you like…
This time I feature two guys I respect AND am happy to call friends, or mates, or whatever you say wherever you are. They are the creative force behind Imaging Blueprint, Contraband Media and plenty of other past and present creative endeavors.
Sometimes you just need to see or hear something special to be creatively inspired. The following is the footage they took and edited from 30 days with their new drone in and near Vegas. 30 days of Inspire 1 aerial footage packed into one video! – Jacoo
HAVEN’T EVEN LISTENED T EM YET BUT YOU CAN’T BEAT THE PRICE. IF YOU NEED SOME SOUNDS TO CHOP/SCREW/TWEAK/MANIPULATE – GRAB THESE. Euro House Bundle (Vols 1-3) Source: Download Sample Packs, Loops, MIDI files and Samples | ProducerLoops.com
I am not a big “itunes guy” but i still have to use it. Perhaps a few of these tricks from Gizmodo will be useful or you, like me! Apple’s venerable media suite isn’t everyone’s favorite bit of software, but there are more functions and features available here than you might have realized—from desktop shortcuts to…
Certainly a guest that needs very little introduction. Even if you don’t know the name, once you hear him you will know him. David Lee is heard, well, everywhere and maybe most notably on motorsports commercials OR national sports broadcasts. I know that when Howard Deneroff cast him as the signature voice of Westwood One…
The press release below says it all but based on this announcement and the previous Kelly (x3) Doherty announcement, Anthony Timmers and the team with The Imaging Days is REALLY getting serious. To make it official: John Frost will be at the Imaging Days, 2015. So far two big time “International” talents this year. I am…
If you need another bracket to be a part of I’ve set this up for media pros everywhere. To be honest anyone who finds this page can sign up because the password is…right there…so yeah. Sign up for the Media Bracket here: http://dmedia.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=BPM15_paste_cbsinv Password: Med1a The more the merrier, so get in it!
This podcast has been extra “Britishy” lately and will continue to be for a little longer. (Soon we will get the chat completed with the guys from Imaging Blueprint in London and somewhere near Southampton – my second favorite EPL team) wow…I digress. Anthony Gay is the guest this time and he is a big…
My colleagues at Benztown are bringing back the most cut-throat reality competition known to man: Iron Imager. Startling are the lengths to which producers will go to win this coveted prize. You basically put together an imaging piece with the tools they provide (everyone gets the same tools) and if you make the top of the…
This is another “Special” episode that runs across multiple platforms. Personally I think it could or should be useful to anyone who produces imaging, in any format. This is a Quarterly Conference Call for 360 Country Stations. We have a chat about the BEST ways to gather and utilize artist audio in the Country Format.…
I stumbled into some new production from an old pal, Gabriel Passajou. He is working with Yan Harris in France on a new endeavour – Maxi-Beat http://www.maxibeat.fr/ – Check out the vid and I did ask Gabriel for some more detail – find that below direct form him… Its a new company in France called Maxi…
It’s a big kick off to 2015 for the Podcast. I reached out to a couple of my favorite non-American voice talents and they agreed to be on the show, together. Howard Ritchie (Website) – the legendary voice of Capital in the UK and David Wartnaby (Website)- the legendary voice of Heart in the UK.…
I promise I will post about things that are not new Imaging FX packages or services soon. But this is what is on my radar and I also like to help out friends when I can. Ian at Big Fish Worldwide released Big Fish Workparts 7 a short while back. It is currently selling at…
I think I am ready to get rolling with digital content in 2015! And it’s only…the…20th?? I’m terrible. I’ll start easy with some audio goodness to hear and a new service to check out. The Radio Imaging Library. I haven’t yet had time to actually use this or even hear much more than the demo,…
What a fun time it is having 30 different people on your show…in the form of one man: Mike Kaminski. Actually. I suspect Mike could have brought triple digits if I let him. But as for Character voices and Imitation specialists I have now interviewed one of the very best. There is a radio imaging…
I try to toss up a post about new products I run into (or are sent to me;) and today I will do just that. AND FYI – I do NOT discriminate. If you have a product and want to send me info, demos, samples etc etc – I will get them on the…
I got an email from Ben who was happy I was happy with his product but has alerted me to a price reduction on ID_2 Essentials Extra. SO…if you haven’t checked it out yet or did but weren’t ready to drop the cash I’m told you save “£50 – that’s around $80.” Again, I love…
Jason Garte is the President/Big Boss over at The Mix Group. If you are not aware they do a lot in the world of radio imaging but primarily custom production and/or voiceover for radio stations everywhere. I was familiar with them as a group and some of their talent but, full disclosure, I had NO…
I think I’ve been pretty open about my love for new sound design packages. Here, Here, here and well…I could go for a while. I mentioned ID_2 a while back and was very impressed. That’s mainly because I was one of the first in the states to use ID_1 (no proof, I just think I was) and…
Steve Dubbz does A LOT of stuff but when it comes to Urban Radio Imaging his name will be at or near the top of everyone’s list. His skillz (I’ll try not use Z instead of S the whole time) are not limited to Urban Radio as he gets into HOT AC and CHR plenty.…
After the demo vid I explain another reason I am sharing it. But primarily, I wanted to share this quick demo video. 1. Its from a cool producer up in Belfast who does great work and should be noticed. 2. It’s a really cool way to utilize video to display what we do with audio.…
To celebrate the anniversary of the show I wanted to do something big for everyone. To me that meant getting more than one guest and it meant getting the biggest names in the industry. Based on feedback, listen counts of previous shows and just an overall feeling from industry pros, the two guests I have…
Rene Coronado from Dallas Audio Post and echocollectivefx.com, has been a huge resource for me in the past and shared this one. I LOVE when audio is made visual. For me it’s one of the most helpful ways to understand what is happening with audio properties. Also just plain easier to see, when you do something,…
My old pal Jeff Schmidt is at it again with a really creative way to launch a new product. I’ve used his stuff and promoted it, because I love it, for a really long time. If you happen to be in the radio world and also a voice actor then you might want to read on…
September 8th and 9th of this year (2014) I will travel to Europe for the first time. I am excited for many reasons: I am degreed in History so I love opportunities to see, smell, hear and touch historic places. I am also taking part in a very special international event geared exclusively at the Radio Imaging…
his is the 4th year I'm involving myself with this charity bike ride- 525 miles from San Francisco back home to LA. It's a fantastic adventure, and it raises a lot of money for a great 501(c)3 organization, the Arthritis Foundation.
I think I’ve mentioned at least once that I am making the trek to Amsterdam to be a part of the amazing roster at The Imaging Days 2014. I have some updated info and while I know it’s a big expense for the Yanks who read this I hope to see at least a few of…
My old pal out of Brazil, Gabriel Passajou, posted some awesome sounds he has made in honor of the World Cup. I don’t know about you but something weird happened to me. I didn’t just join the USA Soccer team bandwagon….I think I accidentally became a real soccer fan. I don’t know how it happened…
OK. Out of the gate, be aware this is NOT the typical episode. I am doing this in conjunction with my Country Imaging service at TM Studios, 360 Country. I do a quarterly conference call for affiliates where we discuss random topics related to branding and station positioning. This particular episode deals with strategies when you find…
I enjoy supporting great people and great products. With this you get at LEAST one of those two things…..Buh dum dum. Ahem. I have stripped the contents of an email I got that says it “isn’t for sale to the public yet” but I get to pass on the deal to you. I paid the 10…
Shameless promotion of some recent work. The Edge Shave Gel vids are pretty fun and I am told can be seen on Hulu among other places.
Super quick post to pass on some great free sounds. The “Bedroom Bloggers” at 99Sounds.org have posted what appears to be the first “release” for the absurd price of NOTHING. I grabbed them cuz I grab any and every batch of freeness and it is quality stuff! http://99sounds.org/ They have a blog/tutorials you should bookmark…
I focus this blog on people and products that in some way positively affect Radio Imaging. I include great music based products and instruments (Komplete 9, ReFx, Stylus RMX, Break Tweaker, Assault) because as producers we should always try to widen our horizons – Bring maximum value to a project or the company that pays…
For this episode I FINALLY get to interview an old colleague and friend, Jeff Laurence. Jeff is the voice of almost EVERYTHING! Radio stations, TV Stations, Commercial, Industrial, infomercials, universities and the list rolls one. Check out the show notes page for full length demos and some cool YouTube Vids. I kept this one in one part…
If there is one thing that typically disappoints me about most major radio related conferences/seminars it’s that there is never enough focus placed on the Imaging component of radio. Call it Imaging, Station Sound or just Branding it is one of the three most important parts of EVERY radio station (sometimes 2 of those three…
I have been working to get this episode put together for months. The team at Capital was so generous with their time and knowledge and a special thanks to Chris Nicoll, Head of Production, for lining everyone up. Yes, this episode features about 5 of 8 producers who create for Capital FM, Capital Network, Capital…
“In March, just a few weeks after their second son was born, Steve was diagnosed with Leukemia.” That taken from the site linked below and yes it certainly was startling news about Steve Pigott when I first heard it. I do not know Steve very well but I do know him. He is a rather…
While I have a love hate relationship with Facebook I have found great value in some of the Professional Groups. Here is a new one I wanted to pass along. It is geared at Adobe Sudition users. As Gavan Bruderer, creator, says below there are seemingly endless ways to learn about Pro Tools but evidently…
I have a sickness. I love new audio toys. I own a many bundles and many more single plug-ins. I own a CRAP-TON of SFX, Loops, Virtual Instruments and hardware devices. I own some I’ve only used 2 or 3 times. I probably own something I’ve never actually used. But really I do try and…
I heard my friend Brian Lee on some pretty epic Station Sound out of Sydney so I got the demo – Enjoy! Play Demo 2 Day FM has brought him in as the new voice of the Morning show, Jules, Merrick & Sophie With Mel B. I am constantly amazed with the work that occurs…
George is the Director of Technology at Edge Studio and of course VOStudioTech.com. He is an expert and leader in the field of home studio tech.
If you are just finding this page and have not heard the podcast it relates to…go here! George Whittam Podcast Part 1 – Part 2 George Whittam – http://vostudiotech.com/ – @vostudiotech Edge Studio – edgestudio.com Referenced VO Site – VO-BB.com Ewabs Podcast – ewabs.com Gear! Apollo Twin Dou or Solo – http://www.uaudio.com/interfaces/apollo-twin.html Sure PG 42 – http://www.shure.com/americas/products/microphones/pg/pg42-vocal-microphone CAD e100s – http://cadaudio.com/e100s.php Charter…
Justin Case has a snappy name and a great set of chops when it comes to audio imaging production. And now he also has a great title: Director of Programming & Imaging at Benztown Branding. I have had the BOSS’ from Benz on in the past but Justin brings a very fresh perspective to the…
Joe Cipriano is the author of Living On Air: Adventures in Broadcasting. Joe is a well known voice artist specializing in Network Promos (heard on NBC, Fox, CBS and many more) but as we learn in our first interview with him he has a long career in, and a deep passion for, Radio. He is a guest…
My new Lawyer pal, Brett Farrell, in Australia has just posted a fascinating blog about the brand warfare that is being waged in the Australian radio-scape. Melbourne’s KISS was first but now ARN’s KIIS is coming round (yes, using the very famous LA KIIS brand). Brett writes from the legal point of view but does…
Our pal Georgio Riolo, featured before, has a new library that could really come in handy as an add-on to your production. SilentScapes is the name. They are very clean backgrounds and ambiences, indoor and outdoor, that will help with layering and organic widening. Visit this site or read below for more. I think its…
Brian Cooney, requested multiple times, was a nice chat and very insightful on the voiceover world. I really enjoyed his candor on certain topics like money, unions, competition and workloads. I have had multiple interviewees in the past tell me they prefered not to speak about one or more of these issues. BUT we are…
I’m always open to giving the really young, passionate prods out there a platform to show off their work. Rhys Messenger checked in with me a few days ago from Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It sounds made up to me but let’s go with it 😉 He has a real passion for radio and at…
This Podcast is actually the audio feed from my Google Hangout with Jeff Berlin and Steve Sykes. The goal was to toss out all the background and personal interview crap and stick to Issues of TECH and only TECH as it relates to a Voiceover or Production pro. Steve and Jeff are both incredibly tech…
UPDATE: Congrats to @tastyvoice on twitter, Melanie Haynes. She is a voice actor and actress and has been at it for over 20 years. Thanks to everyone for entering and for supporting our good friend Joe Cipriano. Be sure to click the links below to check out his book. I think there is a holiday…
I had a quick chat with Sam Botta after my TECH ROUNDTABLE. Sam is knee deep in the VO world among other things and sent me a quick review on the Apogee MiC. We’ve discussed travel options on this Blog and the Podcast before. There are lots of ways to get great record quality including…
Jeff Berlin and Steve Sykes were Live with me today for the first Round Table. We kept the conversation focused on TECH as it relates to Voiceover and Production talent. I was trying to keep it geared toward freelance talent but in the end I don’t think that was important. The info translates to anyone…
If you are one of the many Voice Over or Production pros in need of live talent monitoring solutions, SoundStreak seems like a great new option. I had only barely heard about it and before I could put any thought into it, I see George and Dan are all over it! (video below) ISDN –…
LIVE LINK: http://youtu.be/eTHturA0gCY UPDATE: We have locked in a new DATE/TIME: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15TH 12PM ET / 9AM PT SYKES – BERLIN – DREAN TECH ROUNDTABLE This is the post I will keep on the front page of my site. It will be updated with info on how to join us live. BUT for now be…
One of the fast rising talents in the Radio Imaging Voiceover world also happens to be female but they are certainly not mutually exclusive. Rachel McGrath was first given a spotlight a few years back when she was in the CCM+E building in Atlanta using her production and subsequent VO skills on The Bull among…
At the conclusion of my DEKE interview I had a bunch of emails out but nothing completely set in stone as far as future guests. Now I have 3 different interviews setup and of course, a few more in the works. Right now I am looking to give everyone a chance to submit questions and…
This isn’t some sort of regular feature or anything BUT I will pass on any cool free stuff I run into. Here are a couple things. FREE SFX: A site you may not know about is called Sound Effects for Free and I finally signed up to see what you actually get for free. Admittedly…
Cousin Deke is a lot of things. Talented Voice artist, Excellent producer, National and International Talent and super down-to-earth human being. Technologically Advanced is not one of those things. I jest (a little) just to demonstrate that while Deke is one of the best and most successful working talents in radio he is also proof…
You want to hit Play and have the Playhead (cursor) stop where you hit stop. You do NOT want it to jump back to the spot at which you hit play. Turn on the little Arrow/Play Button looking thing on the right, next to the Main Counter- excuse the technical jargon.
Friend of the podcast (and me) R'Dub has a damn fine event coming his way. I jumped on him fast to get info, full well knowing he probably can't say anything yet. He is going to be on a show I really love, Shark Tank in a couple weeks.
This is one of those things I notice more producers do NOT have turned on. I personally think it helps me work faster and its possible some people are not aware of it or never bothered to click it. But mainly people are aware of it and somehow decided they don't like it.
The fine folks at noise fusion are ready to launch ID.2. They have a new video promoting this fact. I LOVE ID.1. It was so different and it REALLY cut through everything else, especially when it came out.
I am trying to help my good pal Stew Herrera raise even more money to find a cure for Arthritis. If you are not aware Stew is an AVID bicyclist. He is about to go on another major ride and your support would be very valuable. It’s the Arthritis Foundation 525 Mile Ride. Yep, FIVE HUNDRED…
My pals at Edge studio check back in with more news on their expansion. I like to cover training and the all-around improvement of our skill-set when I can and this fits right into that. This one may be more valuable to our West Coasters! If you have a new product, business or cool thing…
Today I feature a super-talented sound designer in Bulgaria named Kamen Atanasov whom I came across a few months back when I was looking to branch out on some FX for a variety of projects. He has many great credits but one in particular that stands out is his vast work on the great Sound…
George Whittam is the go-to-studio-guy for VO professionals. You need help with your studio, he will be there. I was welcomed onto his EWABS podcast/vidcast recently and now I hear about some big news from him, so I share here. George Whittam and V.O. StudioTech have joined forces with Edge Studio. I grabbed somer time…
I got tipped to a new buyout FX package and now I shall tip you! BUY-OUT-FX is the name of the site and in a complex naming scheme they have called their first offering – FX VOL. 1. Take a listen! I didn’t even bother to find out who is behind this one because let’s…
I have to make this site self serving sometimes though it really does make me uncomfortable. So with that in mind I will veil my attempt at getting you to listen to some of my Voiceover demos by making it seem like I am just telling you about my Soundcloud page. Hey! Go check out…
Vishwanath Balakrishnan is the guest and no, I did not pronounce it right. But he goes by Vish and is a talented imaging producer (Senior Producer) at Radio 2 in Dubai. The reason I wanted to interview him having known almost nothing about him was based on his work for the Benztown Iron Imager entry.…
Mark Turner is too cool for school (in a good way) as you will see below in this edition of 9.5 Q’s. I VERY much enjoyed learning about Mark and his latest endeavor, The Imaging Cloud. First, a little background and a few links. Mark is the guy who launched and runs Wrong Planet music.…
Edge Studio is a valuable resource to many voice over talents across the land as it provides resources for coaching and training plus an avenue for casting. They reached out to me recently with some changes/promotions/additions to the staff so I figure now is a great time to feature them on the blog.
The guys at EWABS asked me to join their show and before they had time to reconsider I said yes. This is a very comprehensive show on all things voiceover.
I brought up the issue from Pro Tools Experts in this post and then over a Facebook group. Forrest Martin at KIIS L.A. shared a video making A-B comparisons of different Time Expansion/Compression tools. The video is below. After hearing all the disdain towards anything except the Digi TC/E I did a little comparison of…
As I mentioned in my most recent podcast with Mike Bratton, posted like an hour ago, I want to deliver Pro Tools 11 news and reviews to its users or potential users.
As a capable voiceover artist myself I try to keep that side of this podcast front and center in about half of the episodes/interviews. Mike Bratton is a very talented VO that works in multiple mediums and is neck deep in a long successful career. I tried to get as rapid fire as I am…
If you are like me you like to F%$K with stuff. Actually, you like to make things more efficient for your workflow. You may be aware of the Keyboard Shortcut editor in the Mac settings. This quick video shows you how to use this feature to make Pro Tools better. I saw this tip a…
Free plug-ins are usually of a lesser quality and only made to get you to eventually buy the paid versions or other flavors the same company may sell. Put asses in the seats and then grab the cash later. Blue Cat has been around, a while, but I never really dove into these. Here I…
I hope the total time on this one doesn’t turn you away because I think it will be a very worth-while listen. Normally I gun for a 1 hour total time. This one in 2 parts gets near 2 hours. I should be clear up front if you are not totally interested in all the…
I’ve been doing their spots for years and they do some really quality work. I also LOVE burritos BUT I’ve never been there. I’m thinking road trip. Anyone of my southern friends had Izzos?
I mentioned Total Finder, which I still love, in this post. Its a great finder replacement and for me as I already discussed, the transition to Mac had some big roadblocks when it came to the way you could view and manipulate the file system. Now I want to hi-light another program called XtraFinder. I found it when I…
I REALLY want to keep up the super-simple-beginner tutorials but have been terrible at doing it. I meant to post this last week or so but here is a quickie for Pro Tools users. If I dont talk they seem to go a LOT faster. So that will be one of my goals. Yes, to…
I don’t know about you but end of months are getting crazier and crazier. So, I was away from the blog since the – P1″ href=”https://www.ryandrean.com/2013/04/episode-56-jerry-rohira-p1/”>Jerry Rohira Podcast. I am back with some work for you to check out. If you ever want your stuff on display for the world to see, fire it at me! I’ve…
First, thanks for everyone taking the time to enter and share the page, the plug-in and my site in general. BIG thanks to my new BFF’s at Sample Logic and of course to Radio Imaging Royalty, Rick Allen. I don’t know if I can say Hundreds entered but it was really close (I didn’t count…
My good friends at Benztown are up to their old tricks of pitting us hapless producers against each other in a winner take all, fight to the death, blood match in the city of Angels. It’s Iron Imager 2. A great concept that saw Paul Duffy, a guy doing great work out of some far…
Here’s another talented young producer to feature on the ol’ blog. I caught up with Kyal Rose recently. Below you can read about him but he is doing some cool stuff over at 2DayFM in Sydney. The trend of late has been for US prods to drool over Aussie prods so if that is your desire….here…
One of my favorite radio imaging, music production and NOISE making tools to come out in a long time is Assault. I posted about it here and it is already among the top 5 most shared pages on my site. (Actually thats just Facebook and Google +, Twitter not included.) I loved the plug-in so…
Sorry for my delay in these posts. I still have a few other things I wanted to cover which may help out some of our ex-PC, new Mac (or combo of both) folk. Today I want to jump ahead to a Finder replacement or at least enhancement. Total Finder. There are many finder alternatives, search…
Radio Hero and past guest on the podcast, Rick Allen has released something very special. Assault from Sample Logic. Just based on the videos I saw like the one below, I was pretty darn excited to use it. “But I am a radio guy, its made for Film people right?” NO. Well yes, but NO! I say this…
I got to catch up with Toli Matulas recently. He’s Greek (and by the sound of him I wont let him near my woman 😉 He has launched Noise 6 from his company Omega Productions. I knew Toli as he used to Image Mega in NYC (plus others) and I of course had heard of…
I LOOOOOVE sound design tools. Many do. And I’ve made no secret that I am a fan of just about everything Joe D does at Sound Freqz. I don’t personally know Mike Young but his skills are on display here as well. And the HERE I speak of is Expansion 1 for Identi-Fi. Go check…
Studio Bricks is a newish form factor for the home studio (or professional) iso-booth. Its basically a modular way to order and then "Build" an isolation booth.
I had this same thing passed on to me a couple months ago and here is another. This Sunday – FEB 24 – A few spots open at a seminar up in MIN. – ST PAUL. If you are up there this weekend and into VO, check it out!! Your 2 FREE Tickets Just type…
I F**king love thinking about the future. I want to time travel. I want to know what is going to be around tomorrow, today. I read every book I can about what society can or might be like in the future, good or bad. Couple favorites of recent years – “Ready Player One” and “The…
I have been meaning to make it “official” for a while so now is as good a time as any: I love Clip Gain. If you are running Pro Tools 10, Congratulations. If not this may be transferable to other DAW’s but I doubt it. Actually what clip gain does is not brand new. It allows you…
In the last, and inaugural, post about my addition of the Mac environment to my workflow I mentioned that I really like both PC and MAC. However, there are some things I couldn’t really get used to the Mac OS. This time I wanted to point out the Terminal. In Applications>Utilities. Some Mac users may never use…
If you are like me you are, or were, a “PC” guy….or gal. But for one reason or another you are making the transition to Mac. I am 50/50. I have about 5 different computers….actually 6 that I work on regularly. I know that’s ridiculous but I like “gear” and I have different machines for…