Jammin’ with Jeff Berlin
Jeff started by patching cassette machines into each other and recording fake interviews with his teachers at school. Today he serves as a full time radio imaging voice for over 100 amazing stations, where he continues to wreak havoc. Every day.
What radio VO work have you done in the past (stations/markets)? WPLJ NYC, 92.3 the Beat in LA, CFNY The Edge Toronto, KissFM Dallas, Hot 105.7 SF, WRQX DC, WWDC DC, Q102 Philly, Q100 Atlanta, Kiss108 Boston, WDVD Detroit, Y100 Miami, KSTP Minneapolis, Channel 933 San Diego… this is just going down the list of the highest ranked markets, have a much longer list of great stations where I’m proud to serve as their voice.
What are you up to presently (freelance/on-staff at a station)? Recently took up production/voice duties for Greater Media Boston. I work from there as well my two home studios.
How did you get started as a VO actor? What was your first gig? First “station voice” gig was WQBK Albany, which I voiced and produced to help out a friend. Then WLIR Long Island, which also serendipitously came about after helping out a friend who needed a produced WLIR mock up, didn’t expect it to actually land me a gig, was just trying to help him get a gig.
Have you ever had a voice coach? Would you recommend it? Maurice Tobias. Yes, coaching is good. No matter how seasoned you are, it’s always good to get another perspective.
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Which production system do you use and why? Pro Tools. I know it very well. Everyone should use the system they know best.
What gear do you use (microphone, pre-amp, booth, etc)? Soundeluxe U99 is my favorite mic. Sennheiser 416 is indispensable. And Metric Halo ULN2’s in my opinion are the best boxes for combined mic pre, A/D conversion, signal processing and routing. (ULN2 is Mac only for now, but soon will work on PC’s, also works as a standalone box but right now needs a Mac for configuration.
What is the best voice processing trick or voice-over technique everyone should know? Cut the lows.
Can you offer 3 helpful tips for newbies trying to make it in the voice-over industry? 1.) Don’t try too hard, it should all be natural, fun and transcendental. 2.) Work like a dog to hone and refine your skill sets. Learn to produce. 3.) Don’t go after any of my stations.
Ok, now for the really important questions… Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Trek – the original version. Best sci fi writers of the day contributed.
Elvis or The Beatles? Beatles.
Dogs or Cats? Shrink down to the size of a mouse, your beloved cat will torture then kill you.
Favorite TV show of all time? The Simpsons.
Biggest Pet Peeve? When drivers don’t use turn signals.
Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? Who?
Well played, Jeff. Well played.
Contact Info
Benztown: https://www.benztown.com/brigade/jeff-berlin
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