This episode could be the best thing to come out of 2020, a second helping of the best tips for BOSS listeners! Anne and VO Tech Guru Tim Tippets talk about the importance of getting to know your tools to help you run an efficient business and connect with clients. Learn why it’s vital to backup external drives, which technology delivers the fastest performance, and why adding video capability to your studio can take your recording sessions to the next level. Check out the episode now to rock your business #LIKEABOSS.
Takeaways
Quick Concepts from Today’s Episode:
You should have in-depth knowledge of every part of your studio and business – including your software and your hardware
Don’t skimp on audio equipment when you’re first starting, buy the highest quality equipment you can afford. Consider it a business investment
Quality equipment will usually last longer and be more dependable
You should hardwire your computer to the internet for reliability
Some computers require adaptors and special cables to hardwire into your internet
In today’s work from home world, video is a valuable communication tool
You can easily add video capabilities to your home studio. High-quality webcams start in the $99 range
It is beneficial to know how to use Zoom, Skype, Source Connect, and/or ipDTL
Be aware that these programs might not automatically default to your professional microphone
Know how to switch audio inputs
Always record at the highest quality levels possible within reason. Common recording speed is 48K, and 32bit quality
Always have a back-up of your original, raw audio
If you let your local drive run the software, and you let your external drive carry and process the audio, your system is going to run smoother
Make sure you backup and archive completed jobs
Be aware of your physical and emotional state when recording your audio in case your need to do pick-ups later
Don’t let social media distract you from times that you could be marketing
If you’re posting controversial opinions on social media, you could be alienating potential clients
The internet is forever.
Screenshots can be taken at any time without your knowledge or approval
Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Your body takes time to absorb liquid, so you must always stay hydrated ahead of time
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
Keep organized by using Evernote
Here’s the adaptor how to use thunderbolt to connect your mac to the internet
Learn more about audio by taking Tim’s Courses!
Hear more about tech with Anne and Tim here
Recorded on ipDTL
Transcript
>> It’s time to take your business to the next level, the BOSS level! These are the premiere Business Owner Strategies and Successes being utilized by the industry’s top talent today. Rock your business like a boss, a VO BOSS! Now let’s welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza.
Anne: Hey everyone. Welcome to the VO BOSS Podcast. I’m your host, Anne Ganguzza, and I’m here today with the one and only audio tech guru, Mr. Tim Tippets. I’m so excited to have you here, Tim, and I’m gonna miss you when you’re not here anymore, just saying.
Tim: That’s sweet.
Anne: It’s true, it’s true!
Tim: That’s very sweet.
Anne: Well, you know, our last episode, Tim, we talked about some topics, what I like to say, our, some of our top tips, at least for this year, what’s on our brains right now, things that can help out our BOSS listeners out there. And we had so many tips that we decided to do a part two, so…
Tim: Yes, we did.
Anne: This is gonna be our, this is gonna be the start of our part two tip, and I think you wanted to reiterate one of our last tips.
Tim: Oh yeah, yeah. Actually I wanted to qualify something —
Anne: Ok.
Tim: — that we were talking about, you know, about overburdening resources. So I have been getting so many emails lately that I’ve been asking, you know, coaches like yourself, if you refer someone to me to reach out to me via text, anyone that I’m working with in real time to reach out to me via text because I’m getting just absolutely murdered with emails. And so to make sure that I’m not, you know, missing those emails or anything like that, and plus stuff goes into junk mail for no reason.
Anne: Sure does.
Tim: All sorts of crazy stuff happens. So I just wanted to qualify that, that for anyone who I have specifically asked, to text me. Those statements were not for you. [laughs]
Anne: I think —
Tim: Just wanted to clear that up.
Anne: I think there is always that like path when we’re really, you know, when we are really there, want to be there for our students, and we say go ahead and text.
Tim: Yeah.
Anne: We would not say that without meaning that.
Tim: Right, exactly.
Anne: For sure, for sure.
Tim: So I think, I think when we were finishing up the last round, we were going to get into getting to know your tools very well.
Anne: Ah yes. [laughs]
Tim: I think that’s what was up next. And that includes, when we say tools, we’re not just talking about your microphone, your interface.
Anne: Right.
Tim: We’re also talking about software, we’re talking about integration of any sort of accounting program you might have.
Anne: Absolutely.
Tim: You know? And so on. Get to know those things very, very well, because if you don’t know them well, a couple of really bad things can happen. One is you are creating a ton of inefficiency, right?
Anne: Yup, absolutely.
Tim: You get back into it, and you’re like, “ok, where was that again?” Right? And you know, who needs that, right? And also in the middle of a session, we definitely don’t need to try to figure out how our mic stand works in order to get it in the right position or whatever.
Anne: Absolutely. Or which cable goes where. When you have to move fast and get yourself back up and running and change out that interface, oh my gosh. Where does the — ok, is this a USB connection? You know, how is — is this an XLR cable? What is it and where does it go? In the past, Tim, I used to take pictures. Because I wasn’t familiar. I’m not an audio engineer. When I got my first piece, my interface and my microphone, I, I literally took pictures so that I knew where cables went, and I labeled cables, and settings on my interface, that was so important, Tim. I had like — ok, I worked with an engineer, and they said this is where your gain, your input should be, and this is where this should be. And so I took a picture, and then saved that picture so that in case, you know, somebody ever moved a knob, or you know, the cat stepped on my audio interface, I knew where that went and where it, where I need to put it back.
Tim: That is super smart. There is an app that I recently got into maybe a couple, three months ago called Evernote.
Anne: Oh yes.
Tim: And you can access it online.
Anne: Yup.
Tim: You can access it through your tablet, through your phone, etc. What’s really cool about this program, if you buy the premium, which I think, I don’t know, they charge me like $7.99 a month or something like that, totally affordable. What’s great about this program is that if I do take a picture of something, and then I put a note underneath it, like let’s say where that cable goes or whatever.
Anne: Yup.
Tim: What’s great about Evernote if I put in one word, it’s going to bring up everything that I’ve ever written, every picture that I’ve ever taken that has to do with that keyword.
Anne: It’s super helpful, yes.
Tim: Oh, it absolutely is.
Anne: Yep, absolutely.
Tim: It’s no different than when I’m writing melodies for a song, you know, because I compose too. When I’m in the car, and I don’t have anything to record on, I will open my Voice Memos, and I will hum or sing the part or the drum beat or whatever, and that has been an unbelievable resource for me to be able to just go back and you know, “what was that again?” And that’s a super, super efficient way to, you know, keep on track and not have all of your bandwidth taken up. Because we live in an age of information overload, you know, as it is, between Facebook and