SELECT TAKES
News and updates from the studio.
ADR for film Los Angeles
Los Angeles...Hollywood...The center of the world for movies. Did you know that 50% of the experience of great cinema is great sound? And, the most critical sound in the movies is the human voice. When directors and sound supervisors need to replace (ADR) or add (loop group) dialogue to film, they need audio post production pros with both technical and interpersonal skills, the right equipment, and a well-stocked mic locker to flawlessly recreate audio for their ADR film projects.
Post production supervisors and coordinators know firsthand the value that a great ADR studio, like Outloud Audio, can add to a production. First things first, an audio studio’s engineers must be experts at live action dialogue capture, editing, and synch. The audio studio must be easy to book, provide the highest quality rooms and equipment, and quickly turn around deliverables. When A-list talent arrives, everything needs to be prepped and ready to go.
ADR for Film in the Burbank Studio
But, the best quality ADR goes beyond replacing words or lines that may not have been clearly picked up on location. For example, a client recently worked with us to replace the dialogue in an entire scene for a high profile project because the director wanted a different performance from the actor. This type of request is difficult on many levels, because the video and visual performance are fixed in the edited picture. The ADR process for a request like this requires detailed work by the director, the audio engineer, and actor to authentically match what the viewer will see on screen. That’s why our ADR mixers must understand all the nuances of the required audio capture and be able to work seamlessly with other creative professionals to achieve the best performance possible. At Outloud Audio’s post production studios in Burbank, we always focus on the elements of technical and interpersonal expertise, delivery, and service to bring the best recording experience in LA to our clients. We want each production and every actor to feel completely taken care of and enjoy the process of capturing great dialogue as much as we do!
Outloud Audio
October 17, 2018
Outloud Audio Opens a New Voice Over and ADR Studio in NYC
On September 5, we moved to our new dialogue recording facility in New York City. Situated in the historic Film Center Building on 9th Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets, in the heart of the theater district, we have two new stages purpose built for animation dialogue recording for TV and film, live action ADR for TV and film, audiobook narration, and VO for advertising, corporate, and TV and film projects.
The Francis Manzella designed dialogue, voiceover, and ADR recording stages are ready to provide producers, directors, casting professionals, and talent the very best in quality, convenience, and technology, with beautiful views of New York City from the 11th floor. Our Midtown New York City location is clean, comfortable, and connected for worldwide delivery.
Delivering the Best ADR, Dialogue, and VO in New York City
Our Arcadia stage easily accommodates multiple actors for animation group records and small loop groups, with a 5.1 control room that hosts production team members and executives for recording, mix, and playback sessions. Our Roke Island stage is specially designed for single actor ADR in an acoustically perfect environment. Both stages interface with our multiple gigabyte fiber connections to the Internet for Source Connect, ISDN bridging, Skype, and Session Link Pro compatibility and super fast downloads and delivery. After 15 years at our previous location, we are bringing you all of our experience and skills in a new, exceptional dialogue recording facility in the heart of New York City. Outloud's team in New York: Rodrigo Rodrigo Galván (senior staff mixer), Jun Torii (staff engineer), and Carly Stipek (studio manager); along with Rhona Medina (studio director), the entire team at our Los Angeles dialogue recording studios, and I look forward to delivering the very best dialogue recording experience to your production from this new location. To arrange a tour of the studios, please contact me: mark@outloudaudio.com or for bookings: info@outloudaudio.
Outloud Audio
September 27, 2018
Voiceover and ADR in New York City
New York City is one of busiest cities in the world and finding the best voiceover recording studio can be tricky. Location is critical for convenience and efficiency. Production teams should look for a voiceover and ADR facility with easy access to New York's public public mass transit system and, ideally, one that is within an easy walk to Broadway’s theater district where so many talented actors are performing every day. Outloud’s superior New York City dialogue stages are conveniently located in Midtown West, near the theater district and all the West Side subways. Our proven voiceover recording expertise is delivered through our highly trained and award-winning staff in a modern, clean, and comfortable facility. As they say, New York doesn’t like to settle, and neither should a casting coordinator or production supervisor who is looking for the best dialogue recording in New York City.
Outloud Audio is Your Premiere Audio Post Production NYC Partner
Outloud Audio is pleased to offer two voice over stages in our New York City location, which are custom built for the best sounding dialogue recording. We offer a full complement of voiceover microphones that mirror those we use on our Los Angeles stages and, most importantly, a staff of full-time engineers who record voiceovers and ADR working with production teams around the world. We record dialogue and ADR for animated television and film and live action television and film, as well as advertising and narration projects. And our neighborhood, once known as Hell’s Kitchen, now known as Clinton, couldn’t have more to offer! Just downstairs, we have coffee shops, restaurants, and shopping, all within an easy walk to the theatre district, Central Park, or Times Square. And, you can see it all with a view of New York City’s West Side from the facility. With our deep experience in voiceover, animation dialogue, ADR services, narration recording, and advertising audio; state of the art technology; and so many nearby services, production teams looking for one of the best spots for voiceover recording and ADR services in New York City need look no further than Outloud Audio.
Outloud Audio
July 18, 2018
Voiceover Recording in Burbank, CA
Los Angeles has many voiceover recording studios scattered all across town, from the West Side to Hollywood and The Valley to Malibu. Most production teams look for a voiceover and ADR studio that is conveniently located with deep expertise and a quality staff. Here at Outloud Audio, we take great care to be the best choice for voiceover recording in Burbank. Burbank is well-known as one of L.A.’s media hotspots, and our dialogue stages are conveniently located near many studios, as well as the 5, 134, 101, and 2 freeways.
The Outloud studio experience is distinguished by our five voiceover stages, which are all custom built for the best sounding dialogue recording. Outloud Audio also has a full complement of voiceover microphones and, most importantly, a staff of full-time engineers who record voiceovers and ADR every single day. We work on a variety of programming for animated television and film and live action television and film, as well as advertising and narration projects.
Our neighborhood, known as the Magnolia Park section of Burbank, couldn’t be more hip and fun. Just outside our door, we have coffee shops, comic book stores, antiques shops, restaurants, and one of the best Cuban bakeries in the world.
With our deep experience in voiceover, animation dialogue, ADR services, narration recording, and advertising audio; clean, modern facilities; and so many nearby services, our clients consider Outloud Audio in Burbank to be one of the best spots for voiceover recording and ADR services in Los Angeles.
Outloud Audio
July 4, 2018
Microphones for Great Voiceover Dialogue
To convince the human eye that it is perceiving motion, one needs to watch film at a modest 24 frames per second. But to convince the human ear, we need a whopping 44,100 samples per second to accurately perceive sound. The human ear is so sensitive to sound, and to the human voice, that only the highest quality audio recording can please even the casual listener. For production supervisors, post production supervisors, and directors, there is no escaping the need for pristine audio.
Automatic Dialogue Replacement, or ADR, has the specific purpose of capturing new dialogue that most closely matches an actor’s previously filmed performance. Voiceover recording traditionally refers to audio that accompanies a visual presentation of, say, a film or television commercial. For instance, the narrator of a scene in a film, the voice of the driver thinking about the experience of driving a car in the advertisement, an audiobook, an animated voice—all of these are captured using specialized studio mics.
Mics for Voiceover and ADR
The standard LDC (large diaphragm condenser) recording studio mic for voiceover is the venerable Neumann U87, known for it’s broad dynamic range, reliable quality, and availability all over the world. It’s often the first mic I look for in a studio’s mic locker when working with another animation dialogue recording studio. The standard when selecting mics for ADR is the Sennheiser 416 shotgun mic. It has a strongly defined on-axis address which helps to isolate the voice it’s pointing towards. Ninety percent of animation dialogue recording is captured with a U87. These mics are our baseline for recording great sounding reliable audio, day in and day out. Many studios for voiceover recording find the price point of the U87 can be out of reach, but every studio specializing in dialogue should obtain at least one as most professionals, directors, sound supervisors, and post production coordinators rely on these voiceover mics to capture the best performances of their talent. When I first used the U87, I smiled, as I recognized that I was hearing the sound of so many great dialogue recordings and songs that I had listened to my whole life. I rely on the U87 every day as one of the best built voiceover mics for movies and film. —Mark
Outloud Audio
June 11, 2018
3 Tips for Finding the Best ADR Studios in LA
Capturing ADR and loop group performances is critical to maintaining the audio quality that ensures your final project is flawless. While there are scores of audio studios with varying specialties, only a select few offer the best quality ADR service and professional experience that TV production, film companies, advertisers, and other media clients expect. We strive to be among the top Los Angeles ADR studios and work with many post production studios around the country and the world. Here’s what we’ve learned about finding the best audio post production partners.
Initial Communication
When searching online for the best ADR studios in LA or anywhere, one of the best ways to create a short list is by eliminating any that don’t respond in a timely manner. Production managers have hard deadlines for studios completing ADR and looping. Time is a huge factor, as is a courteous and prompt response not just to booking requests but to confirmation of session details or answering any questions.Project Portfolios and Studio Features
The best ADR studios for live action television, feature films, and voice over for advertising in Los Angeles or other major cities, such as New York or London, will have a number of top clients and interesting portfolios of recognizable work. They are also likely to have a résumé of voice over recording for clients from premiere corporations. When working in smaller markets where studio credits may be less recognizable, the quality of the studio build out, the selection of microphones, and having the most up-to-date technology can signal that a studio has the chops to meet your TV, film, or advertising production needs.The Approach
It can be a challenge to vet ADR studios to discover their approach to projects. Do they understand the client’s post production requirements while providing the highest quality service? Can they cater to audio post production workflow specifications? How do they handle media security? Do they offer a comfortable environment for execs and talent? The best ADR studios in Los Angeles or Albuquerque should have clean, modern, and comfortable facilities and offer the technical solutions production managers look for, such as IP-based video services so that production teams from multiple locations can fully interact and engage in each project in real time. The best ADR studios shine in the details. A solid post production studio will take care of everything from having comfortable spaces to the latest audio technology. It will also offer superior client service with a willingness to customize based on a client’s ADR needs. Studio staff will be prompt, locations will have multiple stages and a team of professionals with the best recording and editing equipment in the industry. It takes time to look at the details for every ADR studio from approach to delivery. When you do, you can find an ideal partner to work with on your next project and many more to come.
Outloud Audio
May 3, 2018
Microphones, a Love Story
Microphones may be the most important tool we have to help us deliver the perfect audio performance for our TV, film and VO projects. From large diaphragm condensers to shotguns and lavs, we own many of the industry's beloved voiceover microphones and multiple sets of all the coveted live sound mic packages for matching pre-recorded live performances for ADR.
I like to match the characteristics and performance capabilities of the mic with the specific source and production goal. For instance, we always match the mic's used in production with the mic's we use on the stage. In addition, we will work with the talent and sound supervisor to catch the pitch, energy, and axis delivery of the source performance, so integration in the final picture is 100% seamless. If you love microphones and mic history, catch up with me on this topic. I’ll be happy to share my enthusiasm for mic options during your next visit to our dialogue stages in New York City or Los Angeles. —Mark
Outloud Audio
April 20, 2018
Cheers to All the Nominees!
Woo hoo! Disney's Ducktales, Elena of Avalor, Puppy Dog Pals, Mickey Mouse, Sofia The First, Tangled: The Series, Star Vs. The Forces of Evil, and Lego Star Wars; Nickelodeon's Welcome To the Wayne; and Amazon's Danger and Eggs and Click Clack Moo have all been recognized with Daytime Emmy nominations. We are honored to be the dialogue recording studio for these outstanding series. This year, all the Daytime Emmys action will take place on Friday, April 27, and Sunday, April 29.
Outloud Audio
March 21, 2018
Audie Awards Nominee x3!
We are thrilled to have partnered with Audible again this year to produce three Audie-nominated titles: Anne of Green Gables narrated by Rachel McAdams; I Cant’ Make this Up: Life Lessons written and narrated by Kevin Hart; The Handmaid’s Tale, Special Edition, narrated by Claire Danes. We have been honored to work with many amazing narrators over the years. These artists must carry the thread of a story and engage the listener over many hours through dialogue performance alone. Bravo to all the nominees! The Audie Awards will be held on May 31 in New York City.
Outloud Audio
March 1, 2018
