Pro Vocals need redoing

[Bikerdude]

If that quote is per/h, and we need only 1 or 2 hours worth it, we might be able to get that money together. I am sure I'd throw in quite a few € (and not the greek ones to bring that to fruit and donate the result to TDM. Springheel, or any other, can you estimate how long a recording of one voice set is?

Id be happy to donate to this.. what would be ideal is to have someone like Stephen Russell - as in someone who can do multiple voices..

 

In fact has anyone tried contacting him..?

[Springheel]

I am just trying to convince you that if the artist does 3 lines, he might as well do 6, or 10,

 

That's easy to say, but of course that doubles or triples the amount of time it takes to write the script, record the lines, and process the sound files. Not to mention tripling the amount of space it takes up and the amount of memory used, etc.

 

The seond argument I am trying to bring across is that if we redo them, we might throw in situations nilly-willy,

 

Yes, I could try and imagine and write lines for situations that there might be need for years down the road. I already do, to some degree, as we still have plenty of lines that aren't used yet. If people can think of specific types of lines that we need but don't already have, I can add them. But I'm not going to spend much time trying to imagine what we might possibly want, someday years in the future.

 

Springheel, or any other, can you estimate how long a recording of one voice set is?

 

I know how long it takes to write and process them...can I get payed for that?

 

Biker would know how long it takes to record.

[deadite4]

I don't really know the length of the scripts you guys have so I can't really comment on time.

 

Our Astronomer voice in Hexen was done in probably 20 minutes total including setup(there was a lot of audio we cut out that we recorded but didn't use in game). The character voicing Roden for us was done in under 10 minutes during our lunch break(the script was 1.5 pages long of dialogue and we were working together for the week on another project).

 

Each talent was fine for voicing for free for me because of our working friendship and the free nature of the project but I bartered a bit any way like driving home the Roden talent for the week so he didn't need to take mass transit, saving him money.

[Tels]

I know how long it takes to write and process them...can I get payed for that?

 

Just quote me the number of hours and how much you want per hour. I'll then subtract that from my bill I am going to send the TDM team *groan*

[Narrator]

Hi there,

I am new to this board even if I follow it for quite a while.

 

Doing voice over is (a small) part of my job. I did some audio books, museum guides or dvd documentaries as a narrator in the past and have my own home recording equipment that satisfies at least the basic professional requirements. It's not a studio but you won't hear the difference when you listen to it on the radio, which is where my voice normally happens to be broadcasted.

 

I could imagine doing some voice over for The Dark Mod as a small contribution to the fabulous work you have done with this total conversion of Doom3. In fact I am pondering over this for years...

 

This forum topic inspired me to try some lines of the "pro"-set.

I am hesitant because I am not quite sure what you mean by matching 'the basic sound of the pro voice'. I can certainly try to capture the basic mood. But that my or may not result in a quite different solution nevertheless, as the original is indeed not always that inspiring (sorry to whomever did that set - it was a work of love, I'm sure!)

 

Anyway, I uploaded a sample file for you here:

pro-guard_sample.ogg

 

Be warned though: What you hear may very well not fit what you are looking for.

Why?

Well, because I am not a native english speaker.

 

But even if I do not sound straight enough for your acute ears, maybe some day I can help to do those lines in my mothertongue, which happens to be... Well, what would you guess? ;-)

Edited October 14, 2011 by Narrator

[Mortem Desino]

Very nice. I love the color and quality of your voice.

 

Your pronunciation and emphasis is just about perfect. I might not have detected it if you didn't mention being a non-native speaker. (I might guess perhaps a hint of Polish nationality?)

 

Time-wise: I recorded Builder5 in about 2.5 hours (with some time in the beginning to get the speaker's voice warmed up and "characterized", and some time in the middle to rest the vocal chords).

[Tels]

Verry nice, I love your voice. And I wouldn't have know you are not a native speaker, either!

[grayman]

Excellent voice, Narrator!

 

Sign yourself up.

 

Well, have Springheel sign you up.

 

And you sound like a native English speaker to me.

[Bikerdude]

"he fights like my sister"

 

[Springheel]

I am hesitant because I am not quite sure what you mean by matching 'the basic sound of the pro voice'. I can certainly try to capture the basic mood

 

In this particular case I'm looking for someone who can "sound like" the existing pro vocals, but who can make them more believable.

 

I haven't listened to your file yet because I can't open .oggs at work. But even if you don't sound like the existing "pro" voice, I could still write a different script for you if you're interested. We can always use new, quality voices.

[Springheel]

Wow! I just listened to this and it's absolutely fantastic! I'd be more than happy to write up a script for you if you're up to doing a full vocal set.

[grayman]

Wow! I just listened to this and it's absolutely fantastic! I'd be more than happy to write up a script for you if you're up to doing a full vocal set.

 

YAY!

[Narrator]

Thank you for the flowers, everyone!

 

I would be happy to voice a part, if you are willing to write one from scratch, Spring. Hopefully you won't mind the occasional german accent (very close guess geographically, Mortem Desino!), that will probably eventually come through at one point or another. But I will try my best :-)

 

A full set with 200-300 takes may take a while though, so bear with me.

 

And if there is ever going to be a full voiced german version of TDM, I would love to do the same (or any other) character there too...

[Seuchensoldat]

You voice is very nice. I think it fits the proguard really nicely!

 

@Springheel: Are there any plans to add some simple conversation lines if you are going to improve the vocals of the Dark Mod?

[Springheel]

Are there any plans to add some simple conversation lines

 

I'm not sure what you mean by conversation lines.

[Seuchensoldat]

Well, I have to say that I'm not a native english speaker so my english sometimes is a bit messy, I'm sorry for this.

 

Let me try to explain: I know that complex conversations are a lot of work and scripting and recording consumes a lot of time. But if you consider to let someone record a new voice you could think of writing some lines for basic conversations (like a guard is talking with another about not being paid well or about another guard being drunk again on shift). It would just add a lot of immersion to fan missions.

 

For example the proguard will be recorded with some lines for a conversation. I think it would be easier to do this now than adding some lines later as the sound quality will maybe differ from the first recording session (of course some authors could add conversations by recording their voices but the voices will of course be different). I also think it would be strange if the conversation voice of a person would be another one than the original voice set of it. Maybe some of your voice actors won't be available in the future?

 

Those are just thoughts and I don't want to give you more work as I know creating und updating this mod already is enough work. It's just an idea to add more atmosphere to your mod. Again I have to apologize for my english.

[grayman]

I also think it would be strange if the conversation voice of a person would be another one than the original voice set of it.

 

I faced this problem in one of my maps, where I had to mimic an existing voice for one of two actors. The other actor exited the game after the conversation, so I was free to give him a unique voice.

 

I think most mappers who want to add conversations using actors who could also be heard outside the conversation face this problem. I say 'most mappers' because some (i.e. Biker) who provided the voices don't have this issue with the voice sets they contributed.

 

Unless all voice actors are available to contribute to future map-specific conversations, it's just a problem we have to live with.

[7upMan]

And if there is ever going to be a full voiced german version of TDM, I would love to do the same (or any other) character there too...

 

Johannes, we just found our Farrell for "Alte Freunde", eh?

[Springheel]

For example the proguard will be recorded with some lines for a conversation

 

There are some lines like this, but it's hard to make anything other than generic questions or greetings, since anything specific 1) may not suit a typical mission and 2) gets noticeably repetitive if used more than two or three times.

[Seuchensoldat]

... 2) gets noticeably repetitive if used more than two or three times.

 

That's right but it is the same as in thief. There are conversations in the sound files and they are used more than two or three times. I personally wouldn't mind to hear them more often. It is just that they add some life and variety to your gameplay experience.

[lost_soul]

I've heard in some Thief FMs where the author rearranged some of the stock conversations. That sort of thing was quite funny.

[Springheel]

Yes, you can already put together barks into a conversation...Sotha did that in Mandrasola.

[PranQster]

That's an awesome voice.

[Komag]

Very impressive voice work there in that sample, I think if you did a full set it would really help the mod shine! Thank you!

[Tels]

Yes, you can already put together barks into a conversation...Sotha did that in Mandrasola.

 

I think the point of the poster was that this is much easier if you also have a few full generic sentences e.g. "What did you say?" "Please go on." etc. and not just the "huh?" thats part of the generic barks, too. Puzzling conversations together can never be sound as good as whole sentences spoken directly, and it avoids the "did th guard just see my because he said 'huh?' or did he not understand his conversation partner?" feeling