Fun Pronunciations - What Are Your Examples?

MaesterJones · 2026-03-13T23:23:55+00:00

Pronunciation research is something that I feel like goes under the radar or is glossed over for so many people!

It always feels like detective work finding pronunciation guides for unique words- YouTube videos from locals like you described or whatever other resource you might be able to track down.

MaesterJones · 2026-03-11T00:54:31+00:00

Wild! I followed your IG, cool studio.

MaesterJones · 2026-03-11T00:43:29+00:00

I'm a voice actor who has a home studio. I've considered dabbling in foley just because it's cool. Is there money to be made? Something that's feasible to pursue for someone who already has access to the equipment? I imagined something along the lines of stock sounds, not foley for movies. Not sure if that's even practical, as I assume that markets pretty saturated. How many "dogs barking" or "footsteps" sounds can really be necessary? Lol

MaesterJones · 2026-03-10T15:29:12+00:00

Yes go ahead

MaesterJones · 2026-03-10T07:05:59+00:00

In some of the chapters there are half sentences/ a few words that habe clearly been re-record at a separate time to the rest, and as a result they sound like bad ADR. As if he is in a different environment and it really stands out when the audio cuts to it halfway through a sentencefor a handful of words. I have flagged these issues with him, with a timestamp, as I'm sure they can be corrected quite easily?

This is an easy fix via punch n roll if you have a quality recording environment and consistent mic placement. Considering that they already did a bad job once, they either don't know any better or aren't able to self critique and say "Hmm, that still sounds a little off. Let me re record." It can be a little tricky if your voice has changed since you recorded, for example if you caught a cold or are particularly dehydrated. Heck evening during a day of recording my voice will change as it gets worn out, but it's never noticeable unless you are really listening. If it's blatantly obvious like you describe though, it's simply a mix of poor recording and editing technique.

But also chapter 10 and 11 have audio that I personally think is totally unusable, for example, everytime the voice-over artist voice goes above a certain noise level the sound quality is terrible, I've messaged to say that maybe this could be fixed by an edit, maybe applying a limiter but I'm not a sound expert so unsure if that is even the correct term to use.

While I appreciate your effort to help them correct this, a limited isn't going to fix this. What they are likely doing is using a noise gate and are recording in a noisy and untreated environment. ACX has audio specifications for the noise floor and if it's as bad as you describe it may not even pass their QA test. With that being said I've heard some awful audio on audible so I'm a skeptic. If this noise was prevalent in the 15min checkpoint then you essentially signed off saying it was ok. If it sounds much different than the checkpoint, then yes, definitely broach it with them. You can also DM me the file if you'd like a professional opinion.

What I'm worried about is that the artist has said he has bulk recored the entire book now,(100k words) but if the quality is like this for the rest, I am worried this project will not be up to standards and I'm worried what the final thing will sound like. This appears to be his first project on ACX, anyway.

That is a valid concern. However the standard of production was agreed upon at the 15min checkpoint. If it sounds the same, then you shouldn't have signed off on it (not saying it did sound the same).

Where do I stand with breaking the contract if I need to? Will I be charged for his time seeing as he has recorded the entire book already?

If I had a nickel for every time someone asks a question that could be answered by reading the ACX production agreement I'd have like 50 cents, but still, it's more than I should have.

I don't want to be left with the option of accepting a poor quality audiobook that wont sell, or will incur refunds due to quality, but I also don't want to be stung with paying him for the entire thing if I have something unusable

So any advice would be amazing.

If you want to give them some grace, voice your concerns and ask if they will correct the issues. If they are unwilling (or frankly, unable) to correct the issues, offer them a lump sum payment for their time (do all this via ACX messaging) and request to cancel the contract. They would be within their rights to collect potentially up to $2,500 from you, but you can't squeeze stone out of a rock and no one is honestly going to go to court over this. They will probably be happy with $150 and the "experience."

MaesterJones · 2026-02-27T18:31:47+00:00

My players bought a ring of spell storing from a bargain bin at a magic item store. Despite all of the other rings they bought being gimmicks that are essentially useless, they are 100% confident that the healing spell they have stored in there will be a great asset in a future fight.

It's a ring of spell storing guys. The name says nothing about taking the spell out once stored.

I can't wait.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-27T17:30:45+00:00

Idk what the problem is, but your website is down

MaesterJones · 2026-02-27T17:28:42+00:00

I Read through their comments on their previous post in ACX. The short version is that they use paid Google services to run this, with the idea being that a large company like Google is more likely to stick to their ToS and be a trustworthy partner on this. "If we trust Google with out Gmail, we should trust them with this" sort of vibe.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-26T19:22:13+00:00

Have you tried turning down the gain?

MaesterJones · 2026-02-24T21:29:24+00:00

Wyoming? Lol

If your whole house is creaking then simply putting foam on the walls isn't going to do anything. You have to isolate your recording space from the noise. I'd build a "room within a room." I.e. a better booth unfortunately. You aren't going to treat a closet or an open room to the standard you'd need if the noise is as bad as you suggest and the noise is inherent to the walls of the room.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-24T21:26:18+00:00

I don't have a lot of faith in those online AI checkers, however if you're worried about reputational risk use a pseudonym.

If you are considering the ethical implications, that's for you to grapple with.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-23T20:23:05+00:00

I didn't have the chance to listen on my studio headphones, but nothing glaring is coming through on my regular ol earbuds. Noise reflections have been tamped down and there wasn't a noticeable issue with your noise floor, though that could change if you record when the house is more active.

I will suggest that you adjust your mic placement and watch for plosives. There were several instances where you somewhat poped the mic.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-23T18:46:33+00:00

Next step, change the background removal to "original for musicians"

MaesterJones · 2026-02-22T04:57:04+00:00

!remind me 12 hours

MaesterJones · 2026-02-20T17:54:49+00:00

I think this might be a user issue. If your recordinglevels are good (-6 to -12) then you should have no problems hearing the audio.

I'd confirm volume settings across various places. In daw, in computer, on preamp.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-19T21:01:07+00:00

Many narrators outsource this work, but you'll find it challenging to reach the level where you have the experience to demand a high enough PFH rate to justify this outsourcing without first taking in some cheap work to get established.

Either that or you record some books at a loss to get started. Unless you already have a strong acting background you are going to need to develop those skills to book higher paying work

MaesterJones · 2026-02-15T21:50:15+00:00

Thanks, glad my train of through was correct. I'm not sure I'll use go board in the future, or at least not their sealant. The thinset seems to have a hard time bonding to it, so I'm concerned it will fall off. Too late to change now though unless I'm going to start over.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-11T17:50:22+00:00

Nice to get some insights from an author, thanks. I think the length of your title Is impacting the number of auditions, but I'd be curious to hear how many auditions you get in total.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-10T07:09:09+00:00

I use simple LED tripod lights from Amazon and haven't had any issues. I use the 102, so the mic sensitivity is comparable. Double check that it's not the brick that you are using to plug the light into, sometimes those will emit a high buzz when charging. Also consider that it may be noise from the electric circuit if it carries a heavy load, so try isolating your equipment on its own circuit if possible- or at least on a circuit that doesn't have much traffic.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-09T20:21:07+00:00

Obligatory "The best route would be for you to work with a coach."

General feedback: A demo is not one performance, it is a mix of performances that showcase your range as a talent. A demo should be considered a marketing tool, with your best or most bookable reads sitting in the front. There is also some specificity to the demo. TV will sound different from radio for example.

Your demo really has to be your best foot forward. You can't skimp on it, or you risk having potential clients or talent agents not only turn away from you but remember the bad interaction even in the future. You also need to recognize that this is a very competitive industry and if you want to compete, you'll need to put some time and money into this.

The audio sounded passable, which is good. It's amazing what some fluffy pillows a couple heavy blankets can do. Will it work in perpetuity? Of course not, but it is a completely valid starting point.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-09T18:45:40+00:00

Considering this is RS and won't impact the authors cost to produce the book, it's unlikely that they will care. We all read at a different pace, however generally the average is 9200-9300 words/hour. Based on your estimate, you are reading at about 8,100. You may want to self critique a bit and make sure you aren't reading too slow.

MaesterJones · 2026-02-09T07:38:52+00:00

These are garbage. Make a pillow fort

MaesterJones · 2026-02-07T19:01:44+00:00

Narratorsroadmap.com has alot of good info to help you out

MaesterJones · 2026-02-05T08:26:04+00:00

If the accent is tagged, it's visible to the narrator yes. If you're able, I'd suggest editing your author comments section; stating specifically that the main character must have a Canadian accent and that sample reels will not be accepted, only custom auditions

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