Category: Radio Production

I have been creating sites selling downloadable audio products for a number of years now – going right back to the days of software called Actinic back in the 1990s.
I have recently been playing around with WooCommerce and using an excellent plugin for creating one of those really nice searchable list views of all your audio files. The plugin is called WooCommerce Product Table from Barn2.

I have recently created the explainer video showing you how to use the plugin to create your own Audio Store, which you can see below.

So…if you need an easy way to sell audio products online, with downloadable products and embedded music players – check out the Barn2 Product Table Plugin here.

Are you looking for easy to watch, professional explainer videos for your products and services? Just contact Jonathan on jono@soundsvisual.com or call the studio on 07738 47011.

Sounds Visual has produced the radio adverts for the Funky Pigeon Christmas 2020 campaign, voiced by Jono Slatter.

To check out the great offers mentioned in the ad, like 40% off when you buy 4 or more cards just head to funkypigeon.com
The adverts will be running on Heart NW, Heart Yorkshire, Gem and Hallam FM radio stations during November.

To discuss a radio commercial or jingle to advertise your business email jono@soundsvisual.com or use the contact form here. 

After a long wait in the wind and persistent rain, Greta Thunberg addressed the massive crowd packed into every corner of College Green and right up Park Street.

With a place right at the front we were able to get a really good recording off the stage PA as well as some nice footage of her recorded on a Canon C300 Mk II.

The audio was recorded on a AT BP4025 stereo mic straight onto a Sound Devices MixPre-3 recorder using the the Rode Blimp II to protect the mics from the elements.

Greta’s words:

Wow thank you so much for coming.
There are just people everywhere… I can’t see an end to it – thank you so much every single one of you for being here! And I’m so happy to be here in Bristol with all of you.

 

There will be a time when we will look back and ask ourselves what we did right now. How do we want to be remembered…

 

This is an emergency, people are already suffering and dying from the consequences of the climate and environmental emergency. But it will get worse… And still this emergency is completely ignored by the politicians, the media and those in power. Basically nothing is being done to halt this crisis, despite all the beautiful words and promises from our elected officials.

 

So what did we do during this crucial time? What will we do right now?

 

Well I will not stand aside and watch. I will not be silent while the world is on fire. Will you? World leaders are behaving like children so it falls on us to be the adults in the room. It should not be this way, we should not be the ones who will have to lead on this, and tell the uncomfortable truth. Once again they sweep their mess under the rug for us young people – for their children to clean up for them. But we must continue and we have to patient, and remember that the changes required will not happen overnight. Since the politics and the solutions needed are still far from sight. But if enough people are pushing for change then change will come, and we are those people. And every single person counts.

 

Just look at Bristol as an example. The other week the plans to expand Bristol Airport were cancelled, a lot thanks to climate activists. And of course this is far from enough but it shows that it does actually make a difference. Activism works, so I am telling you to act!

 

If you look throughout history all the great changes have come from the people. We are being betrayed by those in power and they are failing us but we will no back down. And if you feel threatened by that, then I have some very bad news for you. We will not be silenced because we are the change and change is coming whether you like it or not. Thank you and let’s march!

Greta Thunberg. Feb 28th 2020, Bristol.

During the Rugby World Cup 2019, three episodes of the excellent rugby podcast ‘After The Whistle’ were recorded in the Sounds Visual podcast studio in Bath.
The three guests were Lion and Welsh International Jamie Roberts, Lion and England International hooker Mark Regan and England International and Bath centre Dan Hipkiss.

Hosted for these three episodes by Lewis Moody, while is presenting partner Leon Lloyd was in Japan for the RWC, the style is very laid-back and refreshingly honest, with a look back at playing careers, as well as an insight into how the players adapt once their playing days are over.

Click here to listen to the After The Whistle Podcast

To hire the podcast studio in Bath, please call Sounds Visual on 01225 470011.

Creating your own podcast can be an extremely fun and rewarding experience. If you ever dreamt of being a podcaster but were not sure where to begin, this course by Jonathan Slatter will show you how to get started the right way!Creating your own podcast can be an extremely fun and rewarding experience. If you ever dreamt of being a podcaster but were not sure where to begin, this course by Jonathan Slatter will show you how to get started the right way!
Podcasting Beginners Course

Podcasting is bigger than ever, and it doesn’t look like its popularity is going to slow down anytime soon. It is one of the most accessible platforms for home-based reporters, musicians, business owners, etc. to reach and build an audience. In this course, you will learn everything you need to start recording your own podcasts, from connecting your gear, to recording and editing your voice using the free software Audacity.

This course starts by looking at all the essential gear you will need to start recording your podcast. You learn how to choose, handle and connect your microphone, and how to record your voice with the free software Audacity. Jonathan then explains how to edit your recordings, how to import music and adjust everything to get a well-balanced mix. You also learn to correct mistakes with punch-ins, how to record interviews with multiple microphones, and export your final podcast. Jonathan closes the course by sharing some invaluable tips to make your podcast even better.

So join Jonathan Slatter in this Beginners Guide course, and start podcasting!

It’s easy to imagine that the visuals are the most important part of your promotional film, but when it comes to making the right impression, audio is equally as important if not more so. When shooting a video, a lot of time is spent thinking about and planning things like focus, angles, lighting and such, but sometimes less time is focused on making sure the audio is captured and produced properly.

It’s worth remembering that we tend to be more forgiving of poor quality video than we are of poor quality sound. We’ll happily watch something ‘interesting’ whether it’s in SD or 4K, there might indeed be an artistic or abstract element to a grainy low-resolution picture, whereas sound recording issues such as distortion, excessive background noise, poor voiceovers, hard to comprehend dialogue and wind rumble are distracting and irritating to our sensitive ears. In fact, a less than perfect film sequence can be saved by an excellent soundtrack, conversely, a superbly shot picture can be ruined by poor quality sound. Don’t expect a round of applause for professional quality audio, but do expect a wholly negative response if the sound quality is distracting for the wrong reasons.

When it comes to adding a voiceover to your film, using a suitable professional to do the job gives you the opportunity to add a shiny layer of polish to your film.

As good as digital audio restoration tools are these days, and they are very good, nothing can beat getting the audio recorded properly in the first instance. If you think you can just stick a portable audio recorder near the camera, press record and somehow fix the audio later in post, think again. There are almost always artefacts. A bit of tweaking is possible and definite improvements can be made, but it’s much better to get the audio recorded properly in the first place. Get dialogue recorded up close and personal to make sure it’s crisp and clearly intelligible. There’s nothing more annoying than muffled hard to comprehend speech in a film. Use decent fit for purpose microphones and furry windshields to avoid wind rumble, and monitor the audio carefully on headphones.

When it comes to adding a voiceover to your film, using a suitable professional to do the job gives you the opportunity to add a shiny layer of polish to your film. If you are producing your own films it can be tempting to voice them yourself – after all, how difficult can it be to record yourself reading aloud? Well as it turns out, it’s quite an art and definitely worth investing in a professional. However, make sure your script is well written, edited and finessed so that it reads fluently and easily.

At Sounds Visual we specialise in post-production mixing, sound design and voiceovers. To discuss a project why not give us a call for a friendly chat on 01225 470011 or email jono@soundsvisual.com