Knowing your omni from your cardioid from your stereo polar patterns can help you achieve better recordings. What are the benefits of the different patterns? And in what situations might you choose them?

Below we've provided suggested uses and a description for each pick-up (polar) pattern and how you can use them to get great results, every time. If you have a multi-pattern mic and this all seems a bit much, just remember you can always try recording while switching through each of the patterns and experiment to find the best sound for the task at hand.

How to choose your polar pattern:

Cardioid

Cardioid (also known as "unidirectional") is the most commonly used mode and can be useful  in most any situation. It gets the name from its heart-shaped recording pattern. 

If you are recording vocals, a podcast, or a voiceover, cardioid is likely your best choice. It can also be great for capturing rich instrumentals as well.

When recording in cardioid, sound directly in front of the microphone is picked up while the sounds at the rear of the microphone are not picked up (area known as "point of rejection") Therefore, you will want to arrange the sound source directly in front of the microphone and any other noises (ie. computer fans, etc) directly behind it within the point of rejection. Cardioid will deliver the most direct, rich sound, but will not offer as much airiness or ambiance as the other recording modes.

Omnidirectional

Omnidirectional means that the microphone picks up sound equally from all directions.

This setting is perfect for recording a band or ensemble of musicians all playing at the same time, recording a conversation between multiple parties around a room, a conference call, location recordings or any other situations where you want to capture the ambiance of ‘being there.’

When recording in omni,  the orientation of the microphone isn’t crucial because sound is picked up from all directions in this mode. As a good rule of thumb, start by orienting the front of the microphone at the primary sound source you wish to record.

Bidirectional

Bidirectional (also known as 'figure 8') means that the microphone picks up sound at the front and rear of the microphone, while the sounds to the sides are “rejected”, or not picked up.

The bidirectional setting is very useful in achieving a nuanced, pleasant sound when recording musical instruments, and is perfect for recording a duet or an interview with two or more guests.

 By placing the microphone between two or more subjects (front of microphone facing one source, rear of microphone facing another), you can achieve a natural sound without the complexity of using multiple microphones

Stereo

Stereo captures audio on the right and  left side into two separate audio channels. This can be done using one mic with multiple capsules or using two mics positioned appropriately.

Stereo is great for capturing a realistic sonic image when recording: vocals, ensemble or choir and instruments. It can also capture more "natural" room recording for podcasts or voice overs.

When recording in stereo (with one mic), center the microphone in front of the sound source that you want to record. By centering the sound source, you will get equal amounts of signal in both the left and right channels. If you want a little more of the signal in the right channel, move the sound source a little to the right side of the mic, and if you want a little more of the signal in the left channel, move the sound source to the left. Alternatively, you can record everything as centered as possible, and easily adjust the position when you’re mixing the recording.

Find out how to date a musician, why all mics are not created equal and what went down in our parking lot…. Be sure to find us on Twitter @BlueMicrophones for more great info!

Kiwi mics ready to be hand-built here in the US at Blue yfrog.com/nwxk5mjj #proaudio

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 5, 2012

Not all microphones are created equal. Why choose a a mic with a specific sound? budurl.com/SigSeries #recording

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 29, 2012

Rules for Dating a Musician bit.ly/HS5Vwp

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 30, 2012

10 ways to capture the ideal #guitar #recording (without editing in the mix!) budurl.com/GuitarTips

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 29, 2012

Move over, "movie trailer guy," @JakeFoushee and his Snowball are taking over! yhoo.it/HW21I3

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 28, 2012

It's time for the "Love Mic" and we've got it going on…. youtu.be/xgVS74t0Zbc #recording #guitar #tips

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 27, 2012

We won! Spark and Yeti Pro won 2012 package design awards – Congrats to our creative director! bit.ly/IwzDKh #BlueStyle

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 26, 2012

This is happening in our parking lot: youtu.be/hDp5lJEKnWM with @ErinJoHarris. Look for studio recording and podcast coming soon!

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 18, 2012

5 Tips for a Productive Band Practice bit.ly/IL0a7D (via @audioissues)

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 15, 2012

Top 12 Rock Star Stage Mishaps shar.es/r4Zdq

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 13, 2012

Did you know there is a right and wrong way to use Yeti & Yeti Pro? yfrog.com/h2f3eyzj For more info: budurl.com/SideAddress

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 12, 2012

Please take oneyfrog.com/obhn6acj

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 26, 2012

So, you, uh, wanna go out sometime? RT @RobSommerfeldt: Home Studio Corner: 4 Ways Recording Music is Like a 1st Date ow.ly/agduR

— Blue Microphones (@BlueMicrophones) April 13, 2012

We are excited to announce that we have won two 2012 American Package Design Awards for Spark and Yeti Pro packaging, presented by Graphic Design USA magazine (GDUSA Winners – Blue Microphones)!  In receiving this award, Blue Microphones would like to recognize creative director, Ken Niles, creator and designer of all Blue Microphones product package designs!

With over 1,600 entries, Blue Microphones earned not one, but two of the 250 awards presented by Graphic Design USA. The winning packaging for both Spark and Yeti Pro microphones, like the mics themselves, bridges the gap between high-fidelity audio and user-friendly functionality.

Ken Niles, creative director at Blue Microphones, says:

“The Spark packaging draws upon the name Spark as inspiration for the design including a matchbook manual and aesthetics meant to ignite your creativity. The Yeti Pro packaging was designed to alleviate the fears of a microphone with professional features. By using a sleek design and humorous characters on the box, we were able to put the customer at ease, while simultaneously teaching them about the complexities of the mic.”

The American Package Design Awards is GDUSA’s fastest growing competition as packaging increasingly becomes a deciding factor in consumers’ purchasing decisions.The awards honor the best designs in packaging, p-o-p and print-related projects that are visually attractive and feature designs that advance the brand and forge an emotional connection with the consumer.

“The Blue style, creativity, and passion that you see embodied in both our product design and especially the visual concepts of Blue packaging are directly influenced by our creative czar, Ken Niles,” said John Maier, CEO of Blue Microphones. “Ken is the visionary behind the stylish nature of our graphic designs and he consistently infuses Blue’s character into our packaging. We are extremely honored to have his work recognized by GDUSA.”

*Congrats Ken*

WIN A YETI PRO

Whether you’re recording your guitar riffs, band practice, vocals, podcast, voice overs, YouTube videos or even communicating on Skype or iChat, give yourself the highest quality audio! 

Yeti Pro  is the world’s first USB and XLR microphone combining studio standard 24 bit/192 kHz digital recording resolution—the highest digital resolution on the market—with analog XLR output. MSRP $249.99

How to ENTER:

Step 1: Become a Twitter follower (if not already) of @BlueMicrophones at http://twitter.com/BlueMicrophones

Step 2: Tweet the following message and supply a response in the blank:

I just entered to #win a Yeti Pro from @BlueMicrophones to record ______ bit.ly/HRhoiJ #ChooseBlue

DO NOT forget to include the hashtag #ChooseBlue – This is very important to actually being counted in the drawing!

Limit one entry per person.

WINNER will be picked at 4 pm PST on Monday April 23, 2012  @BlueMicrophones will direct message the winner with details on collecting the Yeti Pro. Winner has 72 hours to respond or an alternative winner will be chosen.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Sweepstakes starts at  5 pm Pacific Time (PT) on April 17, 2012 , and ends at 4 p.m. PT on April 23, 2012  (“Entry Period”). The Entry Period consists of  6 days (Tuesday- Monday).

Fine Print:

CAN I ENTER? You are eligible to enter this Sweepstakes if you meet the following requirements at time of entry: You are 18 years of age or older, void in countries where sweepstakes are prohibited or If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Sweepstakes; and You are NOT an employee of Blue Microphones or a member of the Blue MOB; and You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes; and You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Blue employee or Blue MOB member, or a  person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes. This Sweepstakes is void outside of the geographic area described above and wherever else prohibited by law. If you are confirmed as a winner of this Sweepstakes: You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and If you are otherwise eligible for this Sweepstakes, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and / or terms and conditions.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Sweepstakes: You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and If you are otherwise eligible for this Sweepstakes, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and / or terms and conditions.

Not all microphones are created equal

Instead of comprehensive versatility (like our Essential Series, which has its place!), each mic in the Signature Series contains a capsule that is hand-tuned to capture a specific sound. Within the Signature Series, Blue's philosophy is to create microphones that are unparalleled in specific applications. For example: the Mouse is a low-frequency focused microphone that specializes in capturing the bigger-than-life lows of kick drums, bass amps and deep vocals. Whereas the Dragonfly is designed specifically to capture and thicken thin sounds from soprano vocals and instruments like drum overheads.

Find your Sound

No Effects – Just Mics

When guitar (or anything for that matter!) is well recorded, it sits naturally in the mix without having to struggle in editing.  In today's recording, it seems that the go-to solution for achieving the right sound is to "fix it in the mix" instead of capturing that specific sound naturally in the first place. You’ve worked hard to perfect the performance; don’t lose the nuance and emotion with inattentive recording.  Let's look at some ways to use microphones with specific sonic signatures and the right technique to achieve the rich, natural sound you're looking for in a guitar, bass or even mandolin–

10 Different Sounds:

• Target sound: Crunch guitars

Recommendation: Put the Cactus mic a foot away from the speakers cabinet of a heavy distorted amp

Cactus

• Target sound: A punchy tight Electric Bass Guitar 

Recommendation: Position the Mouse an inch or two off the speaker cabinet of your amplifier. Rotate the grill 10-20 degrees for the tone that suites your taste. 

• Target sound: The top end and midrange from a Mandolin

Recommendation: Try the Bottle Rocket Stage One with a B7 (Bottle Cap). This capsule when properly placed in the front of the instrument brings out a presence and detail of the strings as they are being picked.

• Target sound: A Full Rich “Audiophile” Acoustic Guitar

Recommendation: Position the Kiwi an inch or two off the center cabinet of sound hole and four to five inches away from the guitar.

 *Two Kiwi placed on either side of the sound hole in the same configuration yields a beautiful wide stereo sound.

• Target sound: Live and heavy distorted guitar

Recommendation: Set your Baby Bottle mic several feet back from the amp.

• Target sound: A clean country guitar sound

Recommendation: Position the Dragonfly an inch or two off the speaker cabinet of your amplifier. 

• Target sound: Small Body Acoustic Guitar Finger Picking Tone

Recommendation: Position the Blueberry four to five inches directly in front of the sound hole. This will catch the details of the fingers as well as the tone of the strings. 

• Target sound: Live sounding “Distorted/Classic” electric guitar rock tone

Recommendation: Position the Woodpecker three to five feet away from the guitar amp/speaker cabinet.

Blueberry

Experiment by moving the mic side to side no more than one foot for the required tone

• Target sound: A traditional Banjo tone

Recommendation: Position the Spark four or six inches off the center of the banjo. Press the “Focus” control in to tighten up the sound and reveal the finger picking nuances. 

• Target sound: Crunchy-distorted rhythm electric guitar sound with a punchy bottom end

Recommendation: Turn Reactor's capsule grille 90 degrees so that it is flush with the body of the guitar and place it as close to the amplifier speaker as possible

• Target sound: A rich acoustic bass guitar sound

Recommendation: Place the Reactor in cardioid pattern about four inches in front of the sound hole. Move the microphone left or right to achieve the right tone for your taste.

Dave Courvoisier is an Emmy award-winning news anchor on KLAS-TV (CBS), the most influential VO blogger of 2011, webauthor of SocialMediaVO.com and VOAToday.com, and the administrator for multiple LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter groups that network voice actors into online communities.  Today, he offers insight on the art of voice over. 

 You are an Emmy-award-winning TV news anchor and a seasoned voice actor. Can you tell us how you got started in voice over?

It was a conscious decision.  I had time on my hands, and I knew (in my 50’s) that I had at least one more big thing in me…preferably something I could take into semi-retirement.  I don’t see me retiring…EVER.  I chose VO, because I thought it was close enough to broadcasting to be not such huge leap.  BOY was I wrong!  I jumped into it like off a cliff, and I’ve been searching for the parachute string ever since.  I believe it takes total immersion in an endeavor to make it work for you…if you’re serious about it.   I started asking lots of questions to anybody who would listen…I found mentors…I began hanging out in online forums, buying books, attending seminars.  I stumbled, I made mistakes, I forged ahead.  That’s how I got started. 

There are many microphone and software options. What mic recommendations and tips do you have for specific applications?

Many voice-actors are tech-heads or gear freaks, too (esp. the guys, it seems).  A struggling VO can make the mistake of believing the better the equipment he/she gets, the better they’ll sound, and that’s only true to a point of diminishing returns.  A good many of the top, agency-represented Union voice talent doing national gigs use the Sennheiser MKH 416.  Which is a directional mic.  The other Mic name that seems to get mentioned a lot in VO circles is Neumann.  Both of these mics are crazy expensive, and not necessarily the best for your voice. Any one can go test out mics in a Guitar Center, Sam Ashe music, or similar store.  That’s the best way to choose the best mic for you.  But cost?  You can find your “money” mic for between $100 – $300 in my point of view.  There are more above that range…but modern mic designers, especially Blue Microphones, are hitting a sweet spot of cost/value lately that you would be ill-advised to ignore.

Voice over can require different sounds at different times, do you have techniques for achieving different vocal characteristics? Do you change anything other than your voice?

Yes, any number of things.  There are, of course, all the effects and processing you can add electronically, but most clients prefer what I would call a straight, clean, neutral, plain-vanilla recording with a low noise floor, and no music.  What’s left, then, is your performance, which is as it should be.  You can certainly achieve different results with the way you position yourself ON the mic, but most of all you need to be smart about interpreting the author’s intent (whether it be ad copy or an audiobook), and true to yourself in BEING yourself and all the life experiences you bring to the mic.  You’d be surprised what comes out of you once you’ve diagnosed the copy properly, and change your state of mind accordingly.

Do you have a favorite Blue mic? What do you like about it?

They’re ALL my favorite! I had a snowball when they first came out, and when I sold it, I got all my investment back.  I’ve also owned the original “Mikey” for the iPhone 3G, and now the upgraded model for the iOS4 devices.  I ran a contest in September of 2011 asking VO’s what mic they used, and collectively, the Blue Yeti Pro and the Yeti THX did very well among the contenders. (see: http://www.courvo.biz/2011/10/voatoday-microphone-results.html).  After seeing the Spark Digital at CES, I’m anxious to try it out.  Basically, I don’t have ENOUGH Blue mics in my trophy case!

What are your top three tips for the art of voice over?

 Good question, ‘cause the ART of voice-over is absolutely different from the BUSINESS of voice-over…the latter requiring a much greater commitment of time to be able to be a success.

So, for the ART of voice over my three top tips are:

1)     Practice all the time, on all kinds of copy that stretches you ability

2)     Listen to TV/Radio ads, and others’ demos

3)     Get ongoing and non-stop coaching, mentoring, and learning.

 For more information on Dave Courvoisier and everything VO, visit http://www.courvo.biz/

Blue Microphones has hit the streets and venues of Austin, Texas for South By Southwest 2012! Here is a list of events and shows brought to you by Blue, be sure to stop by and check them out:

(Not at SXSW, be sure to follow along with some of these live streams!)

(Thurs – Sat)Fender Sessions:

For the 26^th year, the South by Southwest music festival descends on Austin, Texas, from March 13-18, and Fender has again teamed up with Filter Magazine (and Blue Mics!) at two separate venues — Cedar Street Courtyard and Bar 96 — where both up-and-coming bands and established acts will be performing.

Filter Magazine’s Showdown at Cedar Street (Cedar Street Courtyard on Cedar & 4^th St) – Thursday, March 15 – Saturday, March 17

Click HERE for the line-up.

Fender Presents the Filter Magazine Culture Collide 2012 SXSW at Bar 96 (96 Rainy St.)  - Thursday, March 15 – Saturday, March 17

Click HERE for the line-up.

(Thursday) The Artery Foundation Showcase:

Live on Blue enCORE:

(Friday) BMI & Billboard Brunch:

Live on Blue enCORE:

(Thursday) New West Showcase:

Live on Blue enCORE

Thursday, March 15^th 12-7pm

RSVP HERE

Click HERE for more info.

(Weds – Sat) LiveSet Sessions:

We're on a road trip to Austin to bring you the best of South by Southwest. We're bringing you 8 days of live streaming music (sound by Blue Microphones!), and it's all completely free.

Follow us on twitter to stay updated, or check out #liveset_sxsw on Twitter and Instagram to follow our journey.

Click HERE for more info.

 On-Air Streaming:

Check out videos streaming from SXSW (brought to you on Blue mics!).

Complete schedule:

Wednesday, March 14th
Noon We Are Serenades
1pm Dry The River
2pm Daughter
3pm He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister
4pm Jimmy Cliff

Thursday, March 15th
11:30am Lights
12:30pm The Twilight Sad
1:45pm Bad Books
3:30pm Say Hi
5pm Allen Stone

Friday, March 16th
11am Blitzen Trapper
Noon Alberta Cross
2pm Rachael Yamagata
3pm Ben Howard
5pm Caveman

Saturday, March 17th
Noon Zulu Winter
1pm The Apache Relay
2pm Ximena Sarinana


Click HERE to watch performances.

Follow them on Twitter for updates

(Thurs – Sat) Converse Rubber Tracks:

At SXSW, Converse will provide local artists the opportunity to record at its "Converse Rubber Tracks in Austin" pop-up studio and present several showcases such as the "The Filter and Converse Rubber Tracks Showcase," the "Boston to Austin" music showcase, and the "Converse X Thrasher Death Match" which will shine a light on break-out artists who have already recorded at Converse Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn, NY.

"The Filter and Converse Rubber Tracks Showcase," a highly anticipated showcase, takes place on Thursday, March 15 from 7:00 PM – 1:30 AM at Bar 96

Not at SXSW: "The Filter and Converse Rubber Tracks Showcase" will also be streamed live via Facebook for music fans that could not make it to Austin.

Converse will once again team up with DigBoston.com on St. Patrick's Day (March 17) to host the "Boston to Austin" music showcase at the 512 Bar on 6th Street.

The "Converse X Thrasher Death Match" takes over Austin at The Scoot Inn March 14 to March 18 from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM.

(Fri – Sat) Whole Foods Showcase:

Live on Blue enCORE:

FRIDAY 16th

QUANTUM COLLECTIVE PRESENTS: O.N.E. COCONUT WATER LIVE MUSIC ON THE WHOLE FOODS ROOFTOP
(3pm – 10:30pm):

3:00pm – Diane Birch (30 mins.)

3:45pm – The Chevin (30 mins.) 4:30pm – The Parlotones (30 mins.) 5:15pm – The Silent Comedy (30 mins.) 6:00pm – Imagine Dragons (30 mins.)

6:45pm – Standing Shadows (30 mins.) 7:30pm – Warner Drive (30 mins.) 8:15pm – The Cringe (30 mins.) 9:00pm – Special Guest (40 mins.) 9:45pm – Special Guest (45 mins.)

SATURDAY 17th

QUANTUM COLLECTIVE PRESENTS: THRILLCALL LIVE MUSIC ON THE WHOLE FOODS ROOFTOP (12pm – 11pm):

12:00pm – The Ettes (20 mins.) 12:30pm – Allen Stone (20 mins) 1:00pm – Tommy Brunett (20 mins.) 1:30pm – Retro Stefson (20 mins.) 2:00pm – Dead Sara (30 mins.) 2:45pm – Ume (30 mins.) 3:30pm – Graffiti6 (30 mins.) 4:15pm – Quiet Company (30 mins.) 5:00pm – OK Sweetheart (30 mins.)

5:45pm – Rachael Yamagata (30 mins.) 6:30pm – Loquat (30 mins.)
7:15pm – Espirit De Corps (30 mins.) 8:00pm – Warner Drive / Brad Standley & the Foxflies (30 mins.)
8:45pm – Native June (35 mins.) 9:30pm – Special Guest (40 mins.) 10:15pm – Metro Station (45 mins.) 

(Weds) Laugh Button Live!:

Click HERE for more info.

(Monday) Spotify Sessions:

Monday March 12, 2012 12:00pm – 6:00pm @ Spotify House 1010 E Cesar Chavez St Austin, TX 78702

Spotify is south-bound and opening the doors to a new world of music discovery.

Join us at the Austin Spotify House presented by MSN. We've got everything from Spotify sessions (with Blue mics!), local food truck flavors, ping-pong, giveaways and more. Let our house be your home during the Festival, and uncover new ways to love, discover, and share music!

Microsoft, Warner Bros., Hyatt, National Geographic, Sears, Whirlpool, and American Express are among Bill’s thousands of voice over credits. Today, he shares his secrets with us!

A successful, seasoned a voice-over talent and voice over consultant, can you tell us how you got started?

I developed a love of talking into a microphone early in life and decided at age 12 that I wanted to be a radio personality.  After college, I worked in radio for a number of years (morning personality, production director, program director, station manager).  I later became a college professor, business/marketing consultant, then VP of a corporate learning services company. 

All that time, I had it in the back of my mind that I would LOVE to be a voice talent!  The reality was that back then, to be successful, you needed to live in a major market, have an agent, and be available during the day to go on auditions.  I didn't want to quit my day job, wait tables at night, and hope for my big break.

Six years ago, I was downsized in my corporate job (shortly before the company went bankrupt).  I decided it was "now or never."  I set up a home studio, recorded a demo, and started marketing myself like crazy.  Within a year I had exceeded my previous job's income . . . I never looked back.

What are your tips for creating a recording studio/home set up?

First and foremost is a quite space!  That is really the biggest studio challenge for the "at home" voice talent (which most of us are).  Contending with kids, the TV, traffic noise, and low flying airplanes is a daily challenge.  If you have the greatest gear and a noisy recording space, you're sunk before you start.  For the first few years I operated out of the master bedroom closet.  My wife allowed me (and even helped me) drill holes in the wall so I could operate the PC from an adjacent room to eliminate the computer fan noise.   Since then I've graduate to a Whisper Room recording booth.  It's not 100% sound proof but it sure goes a long way in isolating noise.

The next big thing is the microphone.  Your mic is what will determine the ultimate quality of recording more than any piece of gear.  It also becomes a marketing tool as many of the studios that you work with ask what your equipment is before they will agree to work with you.  I always counsel talent to be sure to take no shortcuts in recording their commercial demo and buying a good microphone.

After that is a matter of having a good pre-amp and adequate recording/editing software.  There are lots of recording software programs on the market.  Get what works best for you needs (for me, simpler is better!)

Check out a video of Bill's studio here:

Voice over can require different sounds at different times, do you have techniques for achieving different vocal characteristics? Do you change anything other than your voice?

My greatest tool is microphone technique.  I'm not a character voice actor so my vocal style changes are very subtle but by changing my proximity to the microphone I can achieve everything from a more intimate sound to a more powerful promo feel.  I was working with a client yesterday in recording his demo and we were trying to achieve a more gravely, manly, outdoorsy feel.  I had him lean into the mic, pull back his delivery so he was coming from deep in his diaphragm yet very soft (as if his listener was inches away)…the transformation was amazing.  A little mic technique can go a long way!

Besides having a “great voice” – what should you consider before pursuing a career in voice over?

"Great voices" are far overrated!  It certainly doesn't hurt to have a great voice but ultimately it's about the ability to communicate and connect with your audience.  There are plenty of "great voices" who can't get voice over work.  There are also plenty of regular, everyday type voices that make a bundle.  The difference is communication, not vocal quality. 

I always advise to "consider the cost."  By "cost" I mean time, resources, and energy.  Building a career (of any type) is much more of a marathon than a sprint.  Make a budget (studio, demo, coaching, marketing), train well (product precedes marketing), create a world class demo, create a top notch website,  . . . and that's before you get to the REAL work.

The greatest gap in the voice over business is between "talent' and "income."  Being good does not equate to being successful. A working business and marketing plan is essential!  All the talent in the world means nothing if you don't how to market yourself effectively.

The voice over market has changed dramatically in the past 10 years (as has all business).  The middle man (talent agents) are slowly being squeezed out of the picture as clients begin to deal directly with talent.  Today it is equally important to both talent and businessperson.

What are your top three tips for getting voice over work?

1.  Killer commercial demo

2.  Professional website that focuses attention on your demos and credits

3.  Market yourself directly to clients (audio/video production companies, audiobook publishers, radio/tv stations)

For more information about Bill DeWees or to check out his voice over training opportunities, visit http://www.voice-over-training.org/

TC Group International will cease to be the exclusive European distributor of Blue Microphones effective March 31, 2012

(Westlake Village, CA – February 22, 2012) Blue Microphones, a leading innovator of microphone technology and design, announces a mutual decision along with TC Group International, a world-leader in digital and analog audio processing, to cease their distribution partnership. TC Group International will remain the distributor of Blue Microphones in the MI and Professional Audio sales channel until March 31, 2012. Over the coming months, Blue Microphones will transition away from distribution through TC Group International by partnering with European distributors on a country-by-country basis.

Both TC Group International and Blue Microphones have grown rapidly over the past few years and each company has acknowledged the mutual benefit of this decision. Ending this distribution partnership is seen as a natural progression by both companies as they continue to strengthen their core business and focus on their individual areas of growth.

“TC Group has been a longstanding global partner and we wish them continued success" says John Maier, CEO of Blue Microphones. “As Blue continues to grow, we are making it a priority to focus on European expansion and support. This new distribution strategy is a necessary next step as Blue expands and we look forward to working closely with our distributor and dealer partners in each country.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Blue Microphones and we are honored to have been a part of their growth" says Peter Bager, CEO of TC Group International. “TC Group International will continue to honor its commitments to existing Blue Microphones customers through the transition. Looking forward, we will now be able to strengthen our focus even further on core products and essential groups of customers.”

Blue Microphones offers an extensive line of award-winning microphones, from Blue’s flagship recording line-up, to the enCORE live series, to an array of professional desktop USB mics. Starting in April 2012 all sales and support will be provided by Blue Microphones through its selected distributor partners. Future brand representation inquiries can go directly to Blue Microphones VP of Worldwide Sales – Pro Division, Michael Huckler at mhuckler@bluemic.com.

TC Group International is the distribution arm of TC Group which comprises of several key MI, HD, Touring and Install brands. These include TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, Tannoy, Dynaudio Acoustics, Lab.gruppen and Lake across all worldwide markets (excluding North America). Any correspondence in relation to this transition can be directed to TC Group International VP of International MI Sales Steve Russell at strus@tcgroup-international.com.