Don't try to sound like someone else. Sound like yourself!

On the other hand, a good announcer mic with a bit of proximity boominess will give you that radio announcer enhancement that some people like. An Electrovoice PL20 (or RE20) is good for that, but so are quite a few other mics.

Laurence is right. And JEJ's voice characteristics are unique, you may succeed in creating a sound-alike, but that is all it will be, a sound alike. You'll never be able to capture the rich resonance and unique timbre of his voice.

Obtain all of the recorded media you can of his voice and with Forge use snippets of the words you want to hear. Put them together (and hope the phrasing is correct) and then combine them on the timeline in Vegas until everything sounds ok. If one word is a bit too high in pitch lower it down in Forge. The recorded media you can use is right on the track you already have, just select the words you want then re-assemble them till you have what you want. Not a big deal but painstakingly slow. Hopefully the words you want are on the track you already have. I don't think he would like you messing with his voice.

JJK

and hopefully your project will use the words "Luke," Death," "Star," "Emperor," and "Obi-Won a lot"

Buster -
tears are running down my face...
thanx :>))

Try Sound Forge, it has an "Add Nasality" plugin.

John

I think i've got a clip of some mechanical sounding heavy asthmatic breathing that you can mix in with it too.

I would add in some of the original vocal pitched down a few steps, and compressed heavily.

This topic scared the crap outta me. I thout JEJ had passed away...whew.

Scared the crap outta you... How do you think I feel, I'm in line to be one of the coffin bearers :~)

I had the same thought. Glad the man's still around. Ever see "Matewan?" Jones deserved a supporting actor Oscar(tm) for that performance.

Back to the subject at hand: wouldn't it be easier to put up an ad somewhere for "rich baritone voice for narrator work?" Then audition folks and find the most Jones-like one.

Just a thought.

Matewan is one of my favorite, favorite movies. That movie came out just as I was getting serious about film.

I just thought to myself, I wish John Sayles's other movies were that rich visually, sometimes his stuff is flat and I looked up who shot the movie and it's Haskell Wexler who is one the greats so that explains it.

Actually, Wexler's worked with Sayles on a couple of things. Check out "Secret of Roan Inish."

Which is another one of Sayles very good looking films.

I didn't see Silver City which Wexler worked on. I may have to now.

Here's a thought....

Go to www.theforce.net

Look up the star wars fan films. Find one with a Darth Vader in there. Watch the movie, and if he's James E Jones enough for ya, email the director and see if he'll put you intouch with whoever did the big guys voice.

I've seen a couple with some pretty close voices.

If you liked Matewan, you should read Sayles' book about how he made that picture. It's called "Thinking in Pictures." A great, great, very inspirational read.

And speaking of James Earl Jones, Sayles tells a great story about how he got him to play the part. in the book. He sent the actor a long rambling letter about how the project was in trouble, Jones probably wouldn't make any money, but would he please read the script. Jones sent back a one-word letter, "Yes." As Sayles says, "sometimes you just get lucky."

My Creative Labs sound card installed something called "EAX Control Panel." If you have access to this, it has something called "female to male." It does an amazing job of making a girl sound like a guy, and a guy sound like, well, James Earl Jones.

As does mine. I'll give it a shot. Thanks John and all for your responses. John

You can get a Martin Sheen voice by smoking two packs of Marlborough a day -- maybe three or four good Honduran Robustos a day will, over time, deepen your voice and gice it more timbre...

On a serious note, the audio/video course "Vocal Power" by Roger Love and available through Nightingale Conant is the next best thing to going to Broadcast Announcer school. I took my Broadcast Announcer training 25 years ago and often wish I'd had Mr. Love's program on audio cassette, thereby saving myself close to 3,000$ in 1980/1981 dollars. The training program will teach you to make the best of what you have. Also, and I'm going to get flamed for suggesting this, get a Shure SM7B mic, same Howard Stern uses to make his voice more manly (deep1).

Peter