Happy Birthday to Carol Bergeron, Queen of Ops

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Carol Bergeron, Cake Pops, Cocoa & Fig, Babble-On Recording Studios

Another month, another birthday rolls by here at Babble-On Recording.  Like the pagans of old, it seems like these events cluster together for us during the coldest and gloomiest times of the year.  Thank God – (or, okay… gods, if we’re sticking with the whole pagan riff).  Few things beat the drabness of an interminable Minnesota Winter like the brightly colored packets of joy we’ve been getting from Cocoa & Fig these days.

The latest reason for indulging our sugar jones is that Carol Bergeron turned the page on another year.  So, we all took a break from the broadcast TV and Radio projects we’d been working on that day for Purina, Harley Davidson and SuperValu to give her the most thoughtful gift we could – not singing Happy Birthday to her. Instead, we indulged ourselves in a confection that we picked out for her special day – something the Cocoa & Figgers call, Cake Pops. Wow, The Sequel.

We could try and compare these to the Peanut-Butter Pops we had for Greg Geitzenauer’s birthday last month, but such an exercise is like being on a brewery tour with a college drinking buddy – it all tastes good, you can’t make a decision, and in the end… you just feel kinda wobbly. At least, with respect to the Cake Pops and Peanut-Butter Pops we could probably still drive.

Next time your in for a session, lean your head into Carol’s office, wish her a belated “Happy”, and ask her how birthday dinner at Om was. Namaste.

London Calling – A Voice from The Prairie visits Babble-On

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Recently we had the distinct privilege of hosting Garrison Keillor for a voice-over recording session with some of our friends across the big pond, Wave Audio Post in London. The water analogy is fitting as Mr. Keillor is best known in these parts for spending a lot of time on “the other side of the river” – Firstly, he is the de-facto voice of public radio and rarely does broadcast commercial work and, secondly, one typically finds him strolling the boards of the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul as he hosts his weekly radio show, A Prairie Home Companion.

We were happy to have him cross over to the other side in all manners of speaking.

Garrison Keillor, Voice-over session, Audio Post production, Minneapolis, Becky Carlson, Prairie Home Companion, Honda, ISDN Digital Patch

The voice-over session was for Wieden & Kennedy who is using his voice for a 2 minute and 30 second corporate video for Honda Motor Company. The piece is for Honda as a whole, rather than singly for the automotive division.

Our Engineer, John Lukas, placed Garrison behind a Neumann U87 in Studio B that we ran through our gorgeous new BAE mic pre-amps and hooked up with London via ISDN Digital Patch using our Telos X-Stream. Although the script was only a few words in length, we recorded three versions to get the feel just right. Truthfully, a little goes a long way with a voice like that. Proof that, it would seem, Honda is really all about mileage and quality.

After the session, Mr Keillor was kind enough to pose for a photo and sign a mug for Becky Carlson, our Studio Coordinator. The mug has its own story – it’s from the New Richmond Granite works, which was her Grandfather’s business (sadly, he passed last year). The family has been big fans of the show and, in fact, Becky’s dad, uncle grandmother and aunt had all been in to see A Prairie Home Companion the week before – but were unable to get an autograph. So, in a very special way, it has become a mug filled with significance.

For Haiti – we’re not just phoning it in

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No doubt you’ve heard, “There’s an app for that” in casual conversation.  The expression has quietly seeped into the cultural groundwater, tainting everyday speech in a way that “Can you hear me now?” did only a few years ago.  Tip your hat to the iPhone. It is inarguably, by any standard, a revolutionary device.

And, while the ability to find a nearby restaurant or gas station is pretty remarkable – or the chance to pass a few minutes during your long LRT ride feeding organ loving zombies is fun, neither act is exactly changing the world.

But, the iPhone is about to be harnessed for some truly ground-breaking social work thanks to a Minneapolis company called Ultralingua, with a little help from Babble-On Recording, and a grad student from the U of M named Ruben Joanem (pictured) who is fluent in Haitian/Creole.

All of us are gladly donating our time to what should be something truly memorable.

Ruben Joanem Recording in Studio A at Babble-On Recording Minneapolis

The cause?  Relief for the people of Haiti in the wake of the earthquake that flattened Port-au-Prince, and devastated many other areas of that country on January 12th 2010 – killing nearly 250,000, leaving 300,000 or more  injured, along with an estimated 1,000,000 homeless.

The idea? To create for the iPhone (and other platforms), a spoken Haitian-Creole/English phrase-book application (with text) that could easily be used by first responders to assist in giving critical care. In essence, when everything comes together, it should be as simple as, “Just say the word, and it shall be done”.

Now, that… is cool.

Of course, this is no small undertaking.  There are over 2000 words and phrases that, in the end, will need to be done. Recording just the first 800 phrases or so alone has taken more than eight hours of recording and nearly a fortnight of editing, and extensive sweetening.

In approaching final processing, in particular, this was a unique opportunity for us here to really hone our skills at mixing for the iPhone medium – many experiments were necessary to ensure that Ruben’s voice could be heard clearly and distinctly on such a small hand-held device when it was placed in a noisy environment.

It’s fair to say that we cannot duplicate the sonic chaos that must exist on the streets of Haiti, but, if our corner of the world at 6th and Hennepin and its noisy rush hour can serve as an adequate testing ground for such a wonderful device, we’re okay with having waited a few more moments for that left turn onto 6th street that now, somehow, seems far less annoying than it used to be.

Perspective, as they say.

Patching Things Together

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on February 24, 2010
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Not all that long ago the expression was, “It’s the economy, stupid”

Fair to say that, of late, that expression has been turned on its head: “It’s the Stupid Economy”

With budgets thinning, everyone seems to be looking for more creative, wise, efficient, and, well… let’s just be honest and throw the word out there, – “frugal” ways of getting things done.  All while maintaining, of course, the same results (or better) than before.

Indeed.  Welcome to The New Economy, where being in the black is the new black.

The nice thing about such a situation is that it can fuel the fires of creative problem solving.

So, it got us thinking.

For years, the best way to record voiceover talent from out-of-town, or make local talent available to markets outside the Twin Cities was through an ISDN Digital Patch.  And, while that’s still the case in most situations, we’ve explored some new options, updated some old ones, and are now utilizing them both for those who need to be more cost conscious.

We recently upgraded our phone patch capabilities to a digital hybrid box from JK Audio.  Each of our studio suites now has the new Inkeeper PBX interface, which allows for much better call clarity and talent comfort during sessions where the client or writer needs to listen in over the phone.

Just call in, direct, and we’ll post the the full resolution takes for you on our FTP.  Simple.

And if you need to hear your session in higher fidelity, we also have the option of listening in via Source Elements‘ Source Live plugin.  This plugin allows us to stream audio from our Pro Tools session over the internet to any number of listeners anywhere in the world (provided they have an internet connection).  The quality is pretty similar to that of an mp3 and offers everyone on the other end the ability to monitor takes more accurately or better hear how a mix is coming together.  And, although the sound is not instantaneous like with an ISDN Digital Patch -  the five second delay will certainly save you more than a few nickels on the invoice of your next TV, radio or interactive project.


Happy Birthday to Greg Geitzenauer

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The anchor tenant of Studio C here at Babble-On, Greg Geitzenauer just had a special birthday this week. So, of course, we had a little get-together between sessions to celebrate it all proper-like. And, if you must know how old he is, well, this is one of those instances where we feel we can always adhere to a policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” without having any political upheaval.

Greg Geitzenauer | Recording Engineer | Babble-On Recording Studios | Minneapolis

Of course, for us, the best part about our staff birthdays is that we get to sample some incredible confections from any of the wonderful local bakeries, etc. that are in the Twin Cities.

This was our first experience with Cocoa and Fig on the 2nd floor of Gaviidae Common on Nicollet Mall. Now we’ve done cakes, tortes, ice cream, etc. in the past but we thought we’d try something more fun and peculiar – “Peanut Butter Pops.”

Peanut Butter Pops from Cocoa and Fig | Minneapolis, MN

The description alone made’em worth exploring: ”Peanut Butter Filling Enrobed in Chocolate & Decorated like a Cupcake”

I mean, wow, who doesn’t like anything “enrobed” – game on.

So, our staff (and a few client) reviews are in:

“Peanutbuttery”, “A+ for uniqueness”, “rich”, “killer”, “love the sprinkles”, “cute as hell, and you get to keep the little pot, too!”, “awesome with a coffee chaser and… a nap”

Next time you’re in, wish Greg “a Happy” and quiz him on his “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” knowledge – as a gift from all of us here, he’ll be in the audience for one of the upcoming shows. Have fun, Greg.

Springtime Is Right On Target

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Target Field | Minneapolis, Minnesota | New Home Of The Minnesota Twins

At the moment it’s all of 20º with a windchill in the low teens. The streets are rutted with snow, ice, lost mittens and the bitter expressions of people bracing against a withering winter. The whole scene is covered in that inimitable flat grey tone that weaves itself into the very bones of Northern cities during these months.

But, no matter….

Today is Major League Baseballs “Truck Day” – the day when teams head South for Spring Training. Which means that in exactly two months, our beloved Twins will be hosting the Red Sox – outside, under an April afternoon sky at the all new Target Field.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Hardly seems possible given the weather we’ve had over the past few weeks.

Or, for that matter, the political climate we’ve all endured just to get the stadium built.

At Babble-On Recording, we’ve been eyeing the construction of Target Field for about two years from our 12th floor wedge atop The Plymouth Building. And, now that everything seems to be bolted together, we may actually have a pretty nice view into this snug little chalice of urban baseball – which should make for some entertaining Summer afternoons here at the studio.

“Circle Me Bert!”, Indeed.

(The photo was taken February 10th, 2010 right outside Studio A).

To Everything Intern, Intern, Intern

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Meet our New Intern

Errol Bruckner | Audio Engineer Intern | Babble-On Recording Studios | MinneapolisBabble-On Recording Studios welcomes Errol Bruckner to our Minneapolis recording studio fold. Erroll is a student in the audio production program at Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. And, we can add to that he is well schooled in being unfailingly polite and a pleasure to be around.

Already proficient in a variety of recording studio tools and audio equipment (and about to be certified in ProTools 8.0.1), Errol has jumped right in helping us out on a large editing project – the results of which will help those who are in need of critical medical care in Haiti (more on that project to come in a future entry).

Coming from a very artistic and musically-inclined family, and after having studied psychology and graphic design at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Errol decided it was time to pursue his passion and dedicate himself to audio. As part of his graduation requirements from Hennepin Tech, he is fulfilling an internship with us.

We are lucky to have found such a smart, enthusiastic, talented guy to help us out at Babble-On. Next time you’re in enjoying a PBR and a Slim Jim, be sure to say “Hey” to Errol!

“Pins and Pints” Party at Bryant Lake Bowl

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Babble-On recently hosted a “Pins and Pints” party at Uptown’s historic Bryant-Lake bowl. Delicious food, great beer, and some pin-crashing were all part of the recipe. And what would a bowling party be without a “Wheel of Meat?” Congratulations to our winners, and many thanks to all who attended. We’re honored to be a part of the stellar ad community here in Minneapolis.

Notes from the 125th AES convention, entry 2

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From TASA:

“Not all ‘loud’ sounds irritate an audience to the same extent. The irritability of sounds to an audience is frequency and duration specific. For example, breaking glass at 85 decibels is far more irritating to an audience than a foghorn at 85 decibels.

Rather than simply measuring ‘volume,’ the standard seeks to measure ‘annoying volume.’”

Beyond just having aisle after aisle of shiny new recording gear, the AES convention is notable for the brilliant industry minds it pulls together for roundtable discussions and Q&A sessions that an every-engineer like me can attend and learn from.

One of the more worthy workshops I attended this year was on the subject of listener fatigue. Though on one hand it’s a technical issue for the people like me pushing the faders (er, grabbing the on-screen volume curve with my cursor), it’s also something for the creatives who book us to think about on a more philosophical level.

In addition to being in the business of producing the content that fills our airwaves, we’re also consumers of that content. And in the course of that consumption, whether we’ve thought about it at the time or not, we’ve all experienced listener fatigue. This is painfully obvious when we channel-surf (with the volume differences between channels sometimes startling) or even within the scope of one channel when going from a well-mixed drama to a commercial break with a tear-your-head-off, overly bright announcer. (You listening, Menards?) This is an issue that’s already been tackled (having pretty much brought it upon themselves) by the good folks who mix movie trailers and theatrical commercial spots. Enough consumers got fed up with having to pry their heads out of their backrests after an exceptionally loud movie trailer that the powers-that-be started to listen, realizing that if you keep fighting “the loudness war”, you’ll eventually have no more bodies in the seats.

It’s even easier for the TV viewer, remote in hand, to sit on the couch and shut down a spot. He/she just turns it down or (yes, you know it happens, though you’d like to pretend it doesn’t) changes the channel. He/she won’t ever experience the copywriter’s carefully crafted message, the art director’s highly-polished logo, or the legal department’s carefully-worded disclaimer – they’ll be 8 or 9 channels down the dial by the time the last note of the music house’s jingle rings out.

So, what does it have to do with the work you and I do? The work that you bring me to do? The new digital TV standard has in its verbiage something that essentially says that I as a mixer now have to not only stay on top of the electrically measured volume of my mixes (something mixers have had to do all along), but that I also now have to measure it using new tools that reflect the apparent loudness – how loud it’s subjectively perceived by a human being – in order to save the viewer from the dreaded listener fatigue. The hope is also that this saves the advertiser from being channel-surfed away from.

The FCC has now stated explicitly that on the airwaves of digital TV, the loudness war will no longer be waged. So, now we must ask ourselves: if we can’t make a spot grab the viewers by being louder/harsher/brighter… how will we make a spot grab them? Will we trust enough in the message we’ve crafted that we’ll choose to speak it calmly, soothingly?

The digital TV standard, with the power of law behind it, is tossing us in the water. Grab my hand, and let’s start swimming.

Notes from the 125th AES convention, entry 1

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1. When touring Dolby Labs in San Francisco, one realizes the perks of being a worldwide household name for over 3 decades: You can build an in-house theater with a noise floor, a seat-comfort-level, and a bowel-loosening-yet-heavenly-such-that-Händel-would-have-to-rewrite-that-Hallelujah-thing-of-his low-frequency extension. (JK, Händel. It’s an all-time classic. Almost as uplifting as Ludwig’s “Ode To Joy”. [Come on, I'm German.] And, BTW – no disrespect to Jesus! He was a community organizer, while Pilate was just a governor.)

2. After consuming a quantity of dirty Tanqueray martinis in a restaurant sufficient to excuse one’s presence in said restaurant for the duration of the in-house broadcast of the vice-presidential debates, one can blog with less self-consciousness than which one might otherwise be saddled; yea, less than one might have to surmount for subsequent entries of “Notes from the AES convention,” even. (Ass-coverage, you know. Who knows if the martinis I have on nights to come will liberate me so.)