Voice Tracking...

[txradiochick]

Okay, so I couldn't just stop at one post about Voice Tracking. I had to come back and make a whole new thread. <mumbles something about being a woman> I would much rather hear a station VT than hearing it on the bird. VTing can be done right but it takes someone who is dedicated in knowing the news of the town. Someone who can say something about the potholes on Main Street being similar to moon craters. You can't just presell/backsell say the call letters and switch the mic off. You have to put something in to get something out. Traceyhttp://traceycarrington.voice123.com/

 

[Chuck]

Okay, so I couldn't just stop at one post about Voice Tracking. I had to come back and make a whole new thread. <mumbles something about being a woman> I would much rather hear a station VT than hearing it on the bird. VTing can be done right but it takes someone who is dedicated in knowing the news of the town. Someone who can say something about the potholes on Main Street being similar to moon craters. You can't just presell/backsell say the call letters and switch the mic off. You have to put something in to get something out. Traceyhttp://traceycarrington.voice123.com/

I have to agree. VT and automation are simply tools. Use them right and you can do decent radio. It may not be the radio we remember as kids, but come to think of it, some of that wasn't all that great either.On the other-hand satellite may give you high production values, but it gives absolutely nothing to localism. But it's great if you want to sound just like the station in the next county. I've often wondered why stations barter time for satellite feeds,when they have an automation system in house that could give better (and more local) results with very little work. I guess it's just too much trouble.

 

[scottm1025]

The only downside to VT'ing is the jock isn't live. Whoopty Doo....Those who refuse to embrace VT'ing are only hurting themselves in the long run. It's here, it's not going anywhere, learn to deal with it.

 

[average_joe]

Am I the only one that prayed for some type of system like voicetracking when I first started in radio? I remember countless times working the overnight shift and getting the craving for a Whataburger at 2am. The longest song we had in the library was "Hotel California" but even that wasn't long enough to make it down the street and back! I remember thinking about taking the reel-to-reel tape that we recorded phone calls on into the production room and putting 7 or 8 songs, sweepers, and breaks on it. I never did it, but I did think about.Another example of when voicetrack would have been helpful would be doing a shift with a stomach issue. I did a shift one time with food poisoning. The times I wasn't in the bathroom, I had the trash can in between my legs. I was so new in radio that I was afraid to call in sick.

 

[scottm1025]

LOL average_joe. I did the reel thing a few times.. also used carts to VT a few small segments for bathroom breaks or if I was recording an interview or something (record a few songs on a 10-12 minute cart and then use the SEC tones to play a "liner" cart in between the songs). I spent a week one year recording 24 hours worth of audio onto VCR tapes so my staff could have Christmas day off. I wouldn't go back to the "old days" for all the money in the world..

 

[arklatexradio]

Ah yes bathroom breaks we had a 10 minute cart with 3 songs on it for such an occasion....Only problem with voicetracking is keeping having a local jock that knows what his talking about. For Exanple a few weeks ago the local Fox station had no audio during Americian Idol the next day I heard a voicetracked jock talking about how much he enjoyed Americian Idol last night......oops.

 

[nuzguy]

Maybe he was a lip reader.

 

[MattKuhl]

Maybe he was a lip reader.

Or maybe he had satellite...

 

[txradiochick]

Looking at it from the business side of things...voice tracking is a godsend. Think about the dollars saved. If I were an owner and just looking at the bottom line, I might have one or two live shifts, morning and afternoon drive, and the rest...VT'ing. Geez, I hate saying that out loud since I'm middays. Traceyhttp://traceycarrington.voice123.com/

The only downside to VT'ing is the jock isn't live. Whoopty Doo....Those who refuse to embrace VT'ing are only hurting themselves in the long run. It's here, it's not going anywhere, learn to deal with it.

 

[txradiochick]

NO FAIR! You guys have it easy when it comes to bathroom breaks...I'm a GIRL!!!! But you ought to see how fast I can suck down a smoke. Traceyhttp://traceycarrington.voice123.com/

Ah yes bathroom breaks we had a 10 minute cart with 3 songs on it for such an occasion....Only problem with voicetracking is keeping having a local jock that knows what his talking about. For Exanple a few weeks ago the local Fox station had no audio during Americian Idol the next day I heard a voicetracked jock talking about how much he enjoyed Americian Idol last night......oops.

 

[a_and_m_king]

I really would think that the *big* supporters of tracking would be in management. I can see where it would help to raise profits, but what is the advantage for a jock? There is no reason to live mid-shift to make a burger run. Eat before or after or bring something with out. And most stations today use automated systems that you can set to auto which should give ample bathroom/smoking time.

 

[average_joe]

It's true...it is definately a "management decision" to allow voice-tracking on a station in the first place.The advantage for the jock in todays workplace is time management. With fewer employees in every department at the radio station, jocks are now having to wear mulitple hats. It's no longer the days of coming in and doing a four or five hour shift, an hour of production, and then hitting the door. Jocks are now the PD, MD, air talent, Promotions Director, web guy, engineering their own remotes, Imaging Directors, etc. Some "jocks" do 2 or three of these jobs...some do them all...and more! I know of very few people left in the industry that can only list their job description as "jock."While it's true that an airshift should be the most important of these jobs (at least to the listener), a well done voice-tracked shift can be just as entertaining as a live show. You still have to do your show prep and put some effort into your show, but done correctly there can be a happy medium between putting a good product out on the air, and juggling your other responsibilities.

 

[txradiochick]

Of course, the big supporters are management. And yes, VTing has cost many of our fellow co-workers jobs. Autmation in any industry seems to hurt the employees more than help them...look at the automobile industry. However, I'm not an owner...I make no decision and can only do what I'm directed to do. Right now, I serve as mid-days, production director, PSA director and anything else that needs to be done. I couldn't do all those jobs without voice tracking and hopefully, the stations will make more of a profit and I'll get a raise. Yes, it's sort of like living off the blood of your fellow workers but that's the nature of the beast today. Believe me...I don't use voice tracking to run down to Burger Barn.Traceyhttp://traceycarrington.voice123.com/

I really would think that the *big* supporters of tracking would be in management. I can see where it would help to raise profits, but what is the advantage for a jock? There is no reason to live mid-shift to make a burger run. Eat before or after or bring something with out. And most stations today use automated systems that you can set to auto which should give ample bathroom/smoking time.

 

[scottm1025]

I've personally never seen a good jock get canned due to VT'ing. I've seen some let go who should have never been put on the air in the first place, but none that had the goods.And for the most part, salaries for full timers are much better today than they were 10 years ago. Especially in the medium and smaller markets.

 

[txradiochick]

Um...you've never seen the night time jock or the overnight jock get canned? Sure he may not be an talented as your morning or afternoon jock but then again, most likely, he doesn't have the experience yet. And if you'll read my earlier post, you'll find that I agree. Salaries are better than they were, of course, we are wearing more hats. I certainly don't think VT'ing is the evil monster. But do you remember your first radio gig...when we were all awful on the mic. What if you had been canned and never really had a chance to developed? I believe there are some young, fresh talent that may never get the chance and where does that leave the industry when the old farts like you and I retire? t

I've personally never seen a good jock get canned due to VT'ing. I've seen some let go who should have never been put on the air in the first place, but none that had the goods.And for the most part, salaries for full timers are much better today than they were 10 years ago. Especially in the medium and smaller markets.

 

[a_and_m_king]

If the salaries are better now, what did they used to be? My first job was in a small market making a ridiculous amount of money. And it wasn't a ridiculously large amount of money. It was tiny. I had to pay for groceries with a credit card at times. So if things are better, I don't even want to imagine what it used to be like. :

 

[Sean Dillon]

Voice Tracking is a tool that can be used to make stations sound good when salaries and other opportunities are not available.I remember starting in radio working full time for $12,000.I think that working now in radio you don't have to work harder, just SMARTER!Good Luck to all!sd

 

[Musicradio]

As far as money goes, I started in 1978 at a small station making $600 amonth. It wasn't good.But -- as the years went by and I got more experience, the money got muchbetter. Then, I got fired a couple of times and the money dropped....but thenI'd find a job in a city where it worked...the money went back up.There are a bunch of variables in the salary game.

 

[a_and_m_king]

I've been shocked to find how HIGH and LOW some salaries are in major markets.

 

[txradiochick]

It all comes down to how well you negotiate and how much money the station is making. It's all about the bottom line and what you bring to the table.

I've been shocked to find how HIGH and LOW some salaries are in major markets.