Questions + Answers
Here is a list of the questions we often get asked at Babble-On Recording Studios. If for some reason you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
We'd be more than happy to talk with you.
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Services
Well, if it's audio and sound design related, chances are we can do it. At Babble-On Recording Studios, we primarily record, edit, and mix voices, sound effects, and music for radio, television, video, podcasts and other non-traditional media. Recording via DigiPatch with other audio facilities around the world is a significant part of what we do on a daily basis. We also do searches for music and sound effects. (And, if you send us your script ahead of time, we’ll estimate the cost of your project.) Duplication services are part of the mix here as well (CD, DVD, and if you really must - cassette and DAT are available). We also handle distribution and traffic advertising to radio stations both electronically and traditionally.
Check out the Services section of our web site. Or, for more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
Se habla Español. With the ever-growing need for Spanish language versions in advertising, we're proud to provide bilingual services to help during the production process. John Lukas, one of our production engineers, is fluent in Spanish and can facilitate communication during your session to help lessen language barriers and ensure accuracy in the finished product.
We're happy to make voice talent recommendations based on what you're looking for in your script. Contact us if you would like any input from our engineers. We can take a look at your script and discuss your project needs and suggest voice actors to match. Remember you can always upload your scripts to our FTP file transfer site once we’ve set up a folder for you. We also recommend giving our recommended Minneapolis talent agencies a call. They'll be very helpful in the voiceover talent casting process.
All of Babble-On Recording Studios' mixing and editing is done using Digidesign's Pro Tools.
For more information, check out the Equipment section of our web site. Feel free to e-mail us or call Babble-On with any questions at 612.375.0533.
Babble-On is very competitively priced with other audio production facilities in Minneapolis (Twin Cities) and the upper Midwest. For a quick view, please see our rate sheet online or download our rate sheet (PDF).
If you prefer, we're more than happy to e-mail you our current rate sheet as a Word document or as a PDF file.
If a hard copy is more to your liking, we can either mail or fax one to you.
E-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533. We'll be happy to talk to you about your project.
Yes. In fact, we've done some wonderful, award-winning PSA and pro bono work for a number of clients. We understand the creative opportunities that these types of projects provide. But, as a caveat, we ask for a wide berth in scheduling PSA or pro bono work so that we may fit them in around projects that are fully "on the clock." We'll be happy to work out a rate and schedule that will meet everyone's needs.
Check out our rate sheet. Or, for more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
We've included the details on booking (and planning) a session at Babble-On Recording Studios in our session planner.
You are welcome to call Babble-On at 612.375.0533, and we'll walk you through everything.
Typically, Babble-On's business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CST). However, we have been known to work outside of those hours on request.
Babble-On Recording Studios is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota (CSA, central standard time zone).
For more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
Well, as you might hear at a restaurant, here at Babble-On Recording Studios, "everything on the menu is excellent" but, in all fairness, radio commercial production is our passionate focus and emphasis. In fact, sound design for radio is something for which we are known and often considered. That said, we've also won awards for TV sound design, and we've done quite a bit of work for interactive clients as well. Additionally, due to our extensive music libraries, we're often sought out for our skills in music searches and remixing needle-drop music for advertising and other projects.
Check out the Production page in the Services section of our web site. Or, for more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
The answer is a resounding yes!
At Babble-On Recording Studios, we carry an extensive number of sound effects and music libraries that, we feel, rival even some of the better studios on the coasts. In fact, both our music and sound effects libraries are constantly expanding. Additionally, given the relationships that we have with our music and SFX partners, we're able to quickly get on demand unique and obscure sounds and music.
In addition, Babble-On has made a significant investment in on-location recording equipment. If you absolutely must have a specific sound from a specific location, we have the means to get it. For example, we once needed the sound of tap dancers practicing in a canoe. So, we got a canoe, a dance line, and recorded the sound at a local Minneapolis lake. We've also been to several European locales to do interviews with "the local folk" as they enjoyed Summit beer. Recording on-location, especially in English pubs and German Biergartens, is what we love to do at Babble-On. Hey, sometimes you've got to suffer to get those authentic sounds.
Listen to some of our spots recorded on-location on our Production page.
For more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On Recording Studios at 612.375.0533.
Babble-On Recording Studios has close relationships with companies that specialize in custom music scoring for TV, radio, video and film. For more information, or recommendations for composers of original music, feel free to e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
Babble-On’s rule of thumb for a music search is to budget at least 1.5 - 2 hours per genre of music. For example, if you intend to produce three radio spots, and you need country music in one, techno music in another, and salsa music in the third (well, we'd be extremely interested in knowing what kind of campaign you're working on!) but that aside, we'd recommend budgeting for up to 4.5 to 6 hours of search time.
Accurate music search budgets allow our engineers to really comb through our extensive music libraries to find numerous, good options for each style of music that you need.
For more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
While we don’t have an actual Foley stage at our studios, we do pride ourselves in getting the most authentic sounds for knock out, dead-on radio and television ads. If our sound effects libraries have something that's close, but not exactly what you're looking for, we're more than happy to take our portable digital recorders to the streets and get the real thing for you. We've been asked to do this a lot. In fact, we have our own custom sound effects library that includes the sounds of tap dancers in a canoe; the sound of an actual Vespa revving its engine; and pub sounds from Mother England.
Some might call it Foley; others might call it sound effects gathering, while others would classify it as on-location or natural sound. We call it - “the Babble-On way.” Sometimes, the only thing that sounds like things dropping out of a woman’s purse as she walks down a sidewalk is . . . well . . . things dropping out of a woman’s purse as she walks down a sidewalk. And we’ll get you that sound, whatever it takes.
Check out specific samples of on-location spots on the Production page in the Services section of our web site.
E-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375-0533 for estimate requests, or to answer any questions you may have about Foley, custom sound effects gathering, and on-location recording projects.
Our stock sound effects cost $30/ea. If we need to create sound effects, the cost is billed at our studio rate ($200/hr) for the time it takes to create, or to go on-location to record your sound effects. If you have a project that requires heavy sound design, it may be wise to budget for an hour or two of sound effects searching in addition to your budgeted studio time for recording, editing and mixing. And, if you require location sound, natural sound, or custom creation of effects, you will definitely need to budget that time separately from the session time for recording the voice-over, editing and mixing.
Probably the most important thing to know about sound effects for radio and television commercials is that they don't necessarily already exist. At Babble-On Recording Studios, we have extensive sound effects libraries that we are continually updating and expanding. Yet, the sound that you need and desire may require going out on-location, or custom creation to get it exactly right. With that in mind, the best thing to do is to send our engineers your script ahead of time. That way, we can assist you in accurately planning and budgeting for your sound effect needs.
See our Session Planner for more information and helpful tips that will make your sound effects searches at Babble-On go smoothly.
Or, for more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
Primarily, we use the APT/3D2 Worldnet Prolink ISDN system. It's considered by most in the industry to be the best box out there for this type of recording method. And, for added flexibility, we also have a Telos XStream system as well as Source Connect capabilities. These units provide us with complete coverage of digipatch options, so no matter where your voiceover talent may be, we can connect with your voice actors easily.
For costs associated with DigiPatch, check out our rates, e-mail us, or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
If you need to record two voice-over actors simultaneously, it's important to decide whether you need to book a stereo or mono patch.
The advantage of having a stereo patch is that each voice talent's microphone can come down it's own line and be recorded to it's own discrete track. This greatly increases the options you have when it comes time to editing. For instance, if you had a mono patch booked, both voice-over talents would have to be recorded on the same track here at Babble-On Recording Studios.
If voice talent one jumps on (or throws in some aside during) voice actor two's line, there is seldom any way to get that offending sound out of the (probably perfect) line you just got from voice-over talent two. At that moment, you will slap your forehead, and think: "I could've had a stereo patch!" If you had booked a stereo patch, we could just mute talent one's track at that point and the perfect take you got from voice actor two would be clean and quite useable (angels sing).
A stereo patch is also a very good idea (if not a downright necessity) if only one voice talent needs to be "on the phone" or needs any other type of special audio effect that differentiates him or her from the other voice actor. Of course, you can always direct your voiceover talent to never step on each other's lines (facilitating separating the lines of each talent in editing) but, inevitably, the perfect line or word that you desperately need will have the other voice actor jumping the gun, clearing his or her throat, or making offensive bodily noises.
For more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On Recording Studios at 612.375.0533.
Babble-On Recording Studios has the duplication capability to get you multiple copies of your radio spots or project audio on CD, DVD, DAT, and cassette.
For more information, check out Duplication found in the Services section of our web site. You can also e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
A phone patch (using plain old telephone lines) is a great way to direct and listen to voice-over talent or give feedback on voice-over selects, if one of your agency folks can't make it to Babble-On for the recording session. We use also Source-Live at Babble-On. Because of the 4 to 5 second latency from transmission to reception, though, we use Source-Live mostly for mix approval. It's a huge improvement over approving mixes over a phone patch – especially if you have headphones or good speakers connected to your computer.
Yes, we can e-mail MP3s, or upload Mp3s to our file transfer site (FTP). Many people use this option to get approval from someone who was unable to attend the session.
We can also take care of the traffic for you so that you don’t have to worry about that step. Babble-On Recording Studios routinely uses electronic distribution systems for same-day or next-day electronic distribution of radio ads to radio stations across the country. You supply us with the traffic instructions, station list(s), and the spot (if it’s something that we did not produce at our facility) and we’ll do the rest.
Yes. Babble-On Recording Studios routinely uses trafficking and distribution systems for same-day or next-day electronic distribution of traffic instructions to radio stations across the country. You supply us with the traffic instructions and station list(s), and we will distribute the traffic instructions electronically for you. If you prefer to distribute hard copies of the traffic instructions along with CDs, DVDs, DATs or cassettes, we can easily accommodate your request to copy and insert traffic instructions for shipping overnight with the dubs of your radio commercials.
Because Babble-On Recording Studios wants to make your session go as smoothly as possible, we've assembled some useful tools and helpful information all in one section of our web site. Check out our detailed session planner, where you’ll find information on booking a session, scripts, music, sound effects, voice talent, Digi-Patch, session materials, directions & parking, rates, and most important of all – lunch.
We do our best to make you and your clients feel as comfortable as possible while at our studios. We have two very well equipped client workstation areas, as well as ample seating in various areas of the studio, if you just want to hang out. Using our Apple laptops for clients, you can casually surf away, or just keep in touch with folks back at the office (even if you’d rather not). You can use either your own Web-based e-mail account, if you have one, or one of our studio e-mail accounts. And, because of our wireless network, you can do this from anywhere in Babble-On Recording Studios.
Read all about our amenities and creature comforts in the Client Services section of our web site. If you have any additional comments or requests, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
About Us
Babble-On Recording Studios is an audio production house in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. We do voice-over recording, ISDN and Source-Connect digital patches, audio post and sound design for radio ads, TV commercials, film, corporate video, podcasts, CD-ROMS and other media. We're especially known for helping advertising agencies create and produce award-winning radio and TV spots.
Babble-On Recording Studios
12 South Sixth Street, Suite 1221
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Tel.: 612.375.0533
Fax: 612.375.0536
E-mail Us
Engineers:
- André Bergeron
- Greg Geitzenauer
- John Lukas
Studio Manager:
Studio Coordinator:
For more information, check out our About Us page.
Yes, Babble-On is pronounced just like Babylon, the ancient city. Just for the record, our recording studio's name does not mean that we, like the Babylonians, are devoted to materialism and sensual pleasure. (Well, at least, that's not what we put on our business cards). But, we do hope that you find our studios to be an enjoyable place to hang out, chill, and produce great audio, whether it’s for radio, TV, the Web, podcasts, or audio for corporate video presentations and other media.
At Babble-On, our philosophy is that a creative environment, attention to detail, and exemplary customer service ultimately helps you walk out of our studios with the best possible advertising. That's the nutshell version. If you're interested in the details, listen to our creative work, take a studio tour, peruse our services, check out our session planner, or learn more about us.
Our main engineers are André Bergeron, Greg Geitzenauer and John Lukas. Learn more about André, Greg and John on our About Us page or listen to samples of their creative work on the Engineers page. In the event that our core staff is unavailable, with enough notice, we may be able to line up a freelance recording engineer or sound designer for your project.
For more information, e-mail or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
We've included the details on booking (and planning) a session at Babble-On Recording Studios in our session planner. You’re welcome to call our studio coordinator, Amelia Ruth at 612.375.0533, and she'll walk you through everything you need to know to book your session at Babble-On Recording Studios.
Babble-On would not exist if it weren't for the hard work and dedication of our valuable partners. Please visit our Affiliates page to learn more about our studio support team, web site designers, freelance engineers, studio designer, and industry affiliates.
Yes, we can recommend studios in other cities for your ISDN digital patch. Please see recording studios on our Affiliates page. You can also e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533. We'll be happy to talk to you about your project.
We're happy to make talent recommendations based on what you're looking for in your script. Contact us if you would like any input from our engineers. We'd be happy to take a look at your script and discuss your project needs. Remember you can always upload your scripts to our file transfer site (FTP) once we’ve set up a folder for you. We also recommend giving our Minneapolis talent agencies a call. They'll be very helpful in the voiceover talent casting process.
Creative Work
As a matter of fact, yes. In addition to numerous awards from local shows, Babble-On's engineers have a couple of Radio Mercury Awards and a Silver Microphone under their belts (ouch)! For the details, check out our “shameless self-promotion” Awards page.
To hear some of the creative work of our talented engineers, editors, and sound designers, listen to the radio and TV spots on our Samples page.
If you require additional information, e-mail us or call Babble-On Recording Studios at 612.375.0533.
Absolutely! We consider projects requiring “off-the-beaten-path” sound design to be some of our favorite stuff to work on. Check out just a few of the sound design solutions we were asked to come up with in the Creative section of our web site.
Studios
Babble-On Recording Studios has three audio production suites with voice-over booths, a funky lobby, comfy client workstations with Apple laptops connected to a wireless network, neat original artwork, and more snacks and libations than a mall food court. But, see it all for yourself by taking our studio tour.
For more information, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
Let's face it. Many studios feel like sensory deprivation chambers. There's enough light to grow mushrooms, and that's about it.
At Babble-On Recording Studios, we wanted a different experience. So, we asked one of the best recording studio designers in the country, Dave Ahl, to create three recording suites with near perfect acoustics and audio isolation, yet still have a lot of natural light and ambience. Tall order. Humbly, we think it's turned out pretty cool.
Please see the results for yourself by taking a studio tour.
Check out our Equipment page for a complete listing of our gear, including digital audio workstations, A/D converters, Digi-Patch Codecs, microphones, mic pres, consoles, audio & video monitors, digital recorders, location recorders, video tape recorders, non-linear video, CD/DVD duplicators, and yes, cassette decks.
Yes. We can capture picture from almost any source for use in a session. At the end of your session, we can provide you with the audio mix in any format you require.
Specs for sending audio and video to Babble-On Recording Studios for use in our sessions:
Video files:
Babble-On can use pretty much any type of QuickTime movie. If you're creating the movie just for a session at our studios, however, it would be nice for you to make a less compressed version than the size of movie files that are often emailed or posted for client approval as it will look better on our TVs (larger file size, ideally 720x480 pixels and in DV format or 853x480 pixels for 16:9 aspect ratio). Video DVDs are also acceptable but obviously require more time to load. All movies should have a visible 2-pop at the head and have an audible 2-pop and reference audio in the audio track.
Audio files:
Pro Tools can import an AAF or OMF 2.0 (also called “OMFII”) sequence with linked or embedded audio, but not embedded video. Video should be provided as separate QuickTime movies as stated above. Pro Tools can import, play back, and export an AAF or OMF sequence that either links to media files or has audio embedded within it. It may be most foolproof to use the “Consolidate and Embed” option when creating an AAF or OMF files in Avid, as this creates one file with both sequence information and imbedded media. The other option, “Consolidate and Link to Consolidated Media” will also work without creating such a huge file. For occasions when an embedded OMF file will exceed the 2GB file size limit, the solution would be to create an embedded AAF file (no file size limit) or create an AAF or OMF with linked media. It’s up to the editor. An AAF sequence may refer to (via linked media) or include (via embedded media) MXF media files (audio only), but OMF sequences cannot refer to or include MXF files.
For any questions your editor may have, our engineers can be reached at 612.375.0533, or e-mail us.
Yes, her are the specs for sending audio and video to Babble-On Recording Studios for use in our sessions:
Video files:
Babble-On can use pretty much any type of QuickTime movie. If you're creating the movie just for a session at our studios, however, it would be nice for you to make a less compressed version than the size of movie files that are often emailed or posted for client approval as it will look better on our TVs (larger file size, ideally 720x480 pixels and in DV format or 853x480 pixels for 16:9 aspect ratio). Video DVDs are also acceptable but obviously require more time to load. All movies should have a visible 2-pop at the head and have an audible 2-pop and reference audio in the audio track.
Audio files:
Pro Tools can import an AAF or OMF 2.0 (also called “OMFII”) sequence with linked or embedded audio, but not embedded video. Video should be provided as separate QuickTime movies as stated above. Pro Tools can import, play back, and export an AAF or OMF sequence that either links to media files or has audio embedded within it. It may be most foolproof to use the “Consolidate and Embed” option when creating an AAF or OMF files in Avid, as this creates one file with both sequence information and imbedded media. The other option, “Consolidate and Link to Consolidated Media” will also work without creating such a huge file. For occasions when an embedded OMF file will exceed the 2GB file size limit, the solution would be to create an embedded AAF file (no file size limit) or create an AAF or OMF with linked media. It’s up to the editor. An AAF sequence may refer to (via linked media) or include (via embedded media) MXF media files (audio only), but OMF sequences cannot refer to or include MXF files.
For any questions your editor may have, our engineers can be reached at 612.375.0533, or e-mail us.
Yes. Babble-On Recording Studios is fully equipped in Studio C to do surround sound mixing up to full 5.1.
If you have questions about our surround mixing capabilities, just give Babble-On a call at 612.375.0533 or e-mail us.
Yes. We’ve worked on ADR for television shows, pilots, movie trailers and films, accommodating the likes of:
- Bruckheimer Films
- Buena Vista Pictures
- Paramount Classics
- Sony Pictures
- Universal Studios
- Walt Disney Studios
- Warner Bros.
- Wolf Pictures
If you have questions about an ADR project you’re working on, feel free to send e-mail us or call Babble-On Recording Studios at 612.375.0533.
Babble-On’s entire in-house recording, mixing and editing is done digitally using the most current version of Digidesign's Pro Tools at 44.1/48kHz 24bit (unless our clients request other specs).
Babble-On Recording Studios can do a mono or stereo digital patch with any ISDN or Source Connect equipped studio in the world. For more complete technical information, see our Tech Capabilities page.
Feel free to e-mail us any questions about your digital patch needs or call Babble-On at 612-375-0533.
Blog
We’re so glad you asked. You can check our blog to catch up on who’s doing what in our studios. The Babble-Blog (as we like to call it) is also a place where writers, producers and voice talent can contribute to entries. If you’ve worked with us at Babble-On and you would like to do some shameless self-promotional horn tooting, let us know and we’ll post an entry about your radio, TV, film or advertising project on our blog. The Babble-Blog also allows our gentle readers to comment on anything posted. Check it out.
If you have ideas for Babble-Blog entries, feel free to e-mail us, or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
FTP Log-In
Yes. Our file transfer site is a very popular feature of our web site. Our FTP site is used to upload or download files that you might need before, during or after your session.
Our FTP site also gets heavy use by studios working with us on a project.
For example:
1) Babble-On records a voice-over for a TV spot and then uploads the audio for an editor at another facility
2) The other facility’s editor downloads the audio so that picture can be edited to the voice-over and then the editor uploads the movie file and OMF for Babble-On
3) Babble-On downloads the movie file and OMF to do the final mix for the agency/client
We also use our FTP site extensively for the agency and client approval process when certain folks are unable to attend a session. We'd like you to think of our FTP site as your virtual desktop at Babble-On Recording Studios.
For a user name and password, e-mail us or call Babble-On at 612.375.0533.
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