Voice artist, Caroline Ashby relies on her two Audient audio interfaces, iD22 and iD4 to help produce recordings for international clients like Costa, Microsoft, Clairol and Twitter in her home studio.
Along with the fully equipped studio, she also “…has the technical nous required to produce quality, clean studio recordings in a flash,” says her website, and has been the voice behind numerous TV commercials, game characters, radio promos, corporate training and children’s toys.
“I use my iD22 hooked up to the main computer in my studio. That’s my workhorse and sits on the desk next to me. I have another monitor in my recording booth and use the iD22 mixer software (it’s fab!) to control any levels or outputs I want to from within the booth,” she says, explaining her setup.
As for the advantages, she continues, “The -10dB pad is really useful and I use it quite a lot. Saves me from having to mess around with my levels too much when I go from say, narrating a corporate e-learning script to singing a jingle. I just flick a switch, get in the booth and start singing, safe in the knowledge that I won’t be clipping. Then I flick the switch again and can usually go back to a regular speaking level without messing with the gain again.
“I also love that there are two inputs, so I can have different mics hooked up at the same time. I use a Neumann and a Sennheiser, both great mics that I use for different reads. They’re both plugged in and ready to go.”
So, what was the impetus to add iD4 into the mix? “I use a laptop for recording when I’m away from my studio and that’s where my iD4 comes into play. Incidentally, when I first tried the iD4, I set it up with my main machine to try it out. I enjoyed the simplicity of it so much, I continued to use it as my main audio interface for about four weeks before I plugged my iD22 back in. It’s a lovely little piece of kit.”
Clients themselves can benefit directly from the Audient audio interfaces, as she clarifies: “Using the mixer software for the iD22 I’ve been able to set up a mix-minus so clients can listen in to session if they like and direct live. They get to hear exactly what the Audient hears, but the computer doesn’t record their voice, only mine. So useful.”
Starting out working in IT, Caroline was always the go-to greeting voice when setting up the office phone systems, whilst moonlighting as a vocalist. “It’s almost a decade since I decided to take the plunge and do what I love as a career – talking and singing into a microphone and, well…here I am.”
