Vincent Caruso Audio Production Services
Hi! I'm Vincent and I'm a voice actor and audio producer with 20+ years professional experience. My motto is "measure twice, cut once". I know:
a) how critically important it is to thoroughly prepare an audiobook project so that the narrator has all the information needed up front and not interrupt or delay the project once it has begun
b) how special it is to be asked and trusted to take the best care possible of an author's manuscript
My audio production experience is extensive and this is what I offer to you as my client and project partner:
- audiobook narrator and producer (audiobook research/prep, proofing, editing, mastering to industry and ACX QA standards)
- voiceover actor recording, editing and mastering eLearning, explainer & digital marketing videos, commercials, character animation, film dubbing)
- Satellite, national and FM radio DJ/writer/producer (classical music, film score and video game music); creating professional broadcast quality audio on a regular basis in the NYC market
- corporate financial services technology risk & resilience project manager, client delivery manager, consultant, trainer: I have successfully managed happy teams, delivered work on time and within budget, and work diligently to manage every client's expectations with consistent communication
Audiobook Preparation ($30 PFH): I read/review the entire manuscript, cover-to-cover, establish a communication with the author/right's holder in order to get answers quickly. I have created custom audiobook templates for my clients to:
- identify pronunciations, formatting consistencies for performance, typos, sections to record, etc., to send to and then obtain the author's agreement
- capture detailed character summaries to help the narrator prepare and support the best artistic performance
- confirm all deliverables and timeframe for delivery
Note: I can also host a working session phone call/video chat: $50/meeting hour. This is for authors who prefer to go through the above prep pronunciation and character summary templates via a phone call or video call with me. I would capture all notes/author decisions and send that to the author and/or narrator when completed.
Editing: ($75 PFH): I work with the raw recorded audio files and review them with a 'finely tuned magnifying glass'. This is where I remove all sorts of extraneous sounds that are not desired (mouth clicks, nose whistles, odd noises, hums, pops, and reduce/eliminate over-the-top breath sounds. Note: audiobooks need breathing! So I will not remove all breaths! I will also seamlessly paste in pick-ups and corrections made following the proofing process. Finally, audiobook narration is artistic performance and I believe it is its own type of musical phrasing. I will listen to the ebb and flow of the narrator, and consider dramatic pauses and timings, and make adjustments so that nothing sounds too tight or too expansively quiet.
Proofing: ($30 PFH): I take the manuscript and compare it with the recorded audio, identifying any mispronunciations, misreads, words that may have been partially or fully cut our or garbled, other unwanted noises that editing could not fix, and flag them in the manuscript as well list them in a comprehensive log to be used by the narrator for pickups and revisions.
Mastering: ($30 PFH): I take all the finalized audio files and then make any last minor adjustments to preserve the natural sound of the raw audio. Adjustments usually include assessing loudness, peak amplitude, total RMS amplitude, room tone levels at the beginning (head) and end (tail) of each audio file, and other technical specifications that are industry standards: sample rate of 44100 Hz, 16 bit depth, mono channel, constant Bit 192 kbps and conversion to .mp3 format. Finally, I use 3 separate QA tests to insure that the files will pass ACX's QA requirements. These QA tests are perfect for other audiobook platforms as well.
Custom Retail Audio File ($50): ACX/Audible requires that the retail audio file be 1-5 minutes in length. This audio excerpt lets listeners hear a little bit of the audiobook. Usually, this file is created by taking an excerpt from one of the mastered audio files (e.g., prologue, introduction, first chapter). Fiction can sometimes present a challenge because of the timing and placement of key story elements and characters. A custom retail audio file pulls in a few different scenes and characters to create a simulated and minimal story arc (think movie trailer). I work with the author and narrator to suggest a few elements to create this file, which would then be edited and mastered to pass all QA requirements.
Portfolio
Publishers worked for:
Number of Audiobooks Produced:
Language/s Spoken: