Station Voiceovers

[Ivo]

Firstly, I apologise if such a thread has been before (which is likely!). But I do not wish to sift through 5 years' worth of material just to find out!

Anyway, the object here is to provide a station voiceover, akin to those provided by Phil Sayer et al. It is that simple. It can be genuine, partly-true or completely false, even ridiculous. Just to get it started, I have made a (slightly asphyxiated!) version of a voiceover for Southend Victoria, using the 0402 "stopper" to Liverpool Street. The transcript is thus:

"Platform 2 for the 0402 National Express service to London Liverpool Street. Calling at Prittlewell, Rochford, Hockley, Rayleigh, Wickford, Billericay, Shenfield, Brentwood, Harold Wood, Gidea Park, Romford, Chadwell Heath, Goodmayes, Seven Kings, Ilford, Stratford and London Liverpool Street. Platform 2 for the 0402 National Express service to London Liverpool Street."

(Please bear in mind that my laptop volume is set to 30% and it sounded fairly loud to me! )

Anyway, it didn't go without problems. I had to try quite a few times because I kept saying "Harold Park" (not Harold Wood), and also said "Gadea Park" at one point. In the end, it's not exactly perfect, but considering it was rather rushed (which becomes more obvious when I repeat the first sentence!) I don't think it was a bad effort. Also, this one will soon change because it will include "Southend Airport"...

Anyone else care to try, whether using a real example or otherwise? Perhaps Death would like to give his old sig a try?

 

[Mojo]

Yes they have been done before, about four and a half years ago

 

[Ivo]

Oh, sorry... Still, though, it does give the newer folk - like me (!) - a chance to try without needing to search for an apparently lost part of the forum. I just thought that it would be a fun thing to do.

 

[Mojo]

I was only joking in reference to your first paragraph

There's nothing wrong with it and would like to hear some more from other people.

 

[Ivo]

Thank you for the reassurance, Mojo. It did feel a little discouraging, but that's probably my (to be fair quite severe case of) AS showing through. I was going to do a Phil-style luggage warning, but then I thought that I had better not for fear of being sued! Instead, here is the Ivo version:

 

[Kareem]

Maybe someone could do one for Birmingham International to replace the terrible one they have It's just to fast!

 

[Lampshade]

I just tried doing one, it ended up as a cross between Phil Sayer and Lloyd Grossman hock:

 

[142094]

Got a couple from my phone but can't convert the file from an .amr.

 

[Mojo]

Got a couple from my phone but can't convert the file from an .amr.

My phone uses .amr too, I can recommend Mobile Media Convertor which is free.

http://www.miksoft.net/mobileMediaConverter.htm

 

[Ibex]

Haha nice idea. I would make one but theres a video with my announcing at work in the background on Youtube so perphaps that will do, rather than a whole new clip, even though I cringe at watching the video.

Not a bad clip Ivo, were you whispering a bit though?

 

[Ivo]

I must admit that I was whispering to a degree. They were recorded at something like 23:30 and I didn't want to disturb the girl in the room next to me. Still, I'm thinking about trying my hand at doing it properly, i.e. each separate item [station etc] is a separate sound clip, and then merging them all together. Whether I can do that with only 2MB, though, is another matter.

 

[Jordy]

It takes a lot of patience to record, extract and gap recordings so they can be pieced together to form a realistic sounding announcement! But it is possible

 

[Ivo]

Okay, here we go. It's not exactly perfect, and there are some "crackles" between each segment, but otherwise I don't think it's a bad effort. The train is fictional, but the route is perfectly reasonable. However, I almost forgot to add one station! See if you can tell which one. It shouldn't be difficult, just listen to the "interference".

"The next train to depart from..."

[In case you can't tell, it's done from Westbury.]

 

[thefab444]

It takes a lot of patience to record, extract and gap recordings so they can be pieced together to form a realistic sounding announcement!

Indeed it does...

I can't really be bothered doing that these days, but a year or two ago I recorded about 100 - 150 different samples. If anyone wants a laugh, click here. The echo effect was added to make it sound more realistic (i.e. less crap!).

At least I can pronounce Micheldever properly though!

 

[Kareem]

Indeed it does...

I can't really be bothered doing that these days, but a year or two ago I recorded about 100 - 150 different samples. If anyone wants a laugh, click here. The echo effect was added to make it sound more realistic (i.e. less crap!).

At least I can pronounce Micheldever properly though!

That was pretty impressive

 

[142094]

Thanks for the link Mojo! Here are a couple of my attempts, just normal announcements from Newcastle Central. Luckily there are no recorded announcements, so much easier to copy:

 

[142094]

And the second

View attachment 2295

 

[Ivo]

Not bad at all. And I must admit that the northern accent does come through, which I approve of (obviously I'd say something different if it was for here! )
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Does anyone remember the old Shenfield announcements? Where the (presumably Essex) lady said every place in a lethargic way, i.e. (to reverse my original example): "Billericay... Wickford... Rayleigh... Hockley... Rochford... Prittlewell..."

[and then sudden enthusiasm]

"...and Sarfend Victoria." Even the people I knew at high school disliked that one, and they couldn't give a damn about trains!

 

[142094]

Gets a bit annoying when there is someone without the accent on the announcements, and some of pronunciations are terrible. Just wondering, at East Coast stations, who does the announcements? Is it just someone working at the station or do they actually employ one person to do them?

 

[almark]

In my work experience at Wakefield Westgate it was anyone working there,about 5 different people did it at some point or other,just seems to be whoever wants to,can,it was great fun,having my own voice echo round the station

 

[oldrailman]

Hi, sorry if this is slightly off-thread but thought I'd share it. I worked at Birmingham New Street for 12 years til 2001 and did an announcing stint for a few weeks. Quite enjoyed it, apart from some of the Welsh station names which only really come with practice! Cheers, Mal.

 

[Aictos]

That was pretty impressive

Agreed, actually liked it.

 

[Broken Viking]

I just had a go at doing a couple and they went fairly well...But I made the mistake of recording them on my 'phone at first, which - Being a Sony Ericsson job - Means that they were also stuck in that accursed *.AMR format.

I managed to find and dig out an old microphone though, and re-recorded both of the two I'd done on my 'phone plus another couple that had come to mind in the meantime...Including my own localised version of "Toilets", of all things! hock:
Annoyingly enough, I'd done them in MP3 format which the board just wrongly identified as "Invalid" when I tried to pipe it up. :roll:

• Firstly: What's wrong with the MPEG layer III format anyway?
• Secondly: Why was it that even after producing new versions in WAV PCM format, the board still wouldn't accept them? Have VBulletin "effed" up the upload component or something? Wouldn't surprise me to be honest...

Anyhow...To be able to get these up, I've had to *.ZIP each file seperateley. Apologies for the download/extract approach this'll involve...But I've had more than enough being messed about by a buggy upload component to last me a lifetime! hock:

Let me know what ye make of 'em!
Mind ye though...Hearing those recordings played back does make me cringe. As cruel irony would have it, I've got one of the weakest and most un-Metal voices around... :roll::mad:

 

[thefab444]

I could see Necropolis coming, but as to Byfleet & New Haw...

I won't comment on your pronounciation of HST. :x

 

[Ivo]

Quite like the Toilets one. The "No Smoking" reference was very amusing, especially given it had nothing to do with anything else. As for a 153 up the ECML, well...

Anyone would think that 91107 isn't the only one on here who doesn't like Stagecoach. But, having said that, they do have a near monopoly (bus* and train) in your area...

*I am jealous of your route 1 though!

 

[Jordy]

Here is the original version of toilets

I like the penalty fare addition though

 

[Ivo]

An FGW service to places no-one likes... and from an odd Platform too.

 

[Broken Viking]

I could see Necropolis coming, but as to Byfleet & New Haw...

I apologise...But I simply couldn't resist that! I've been wanting a station announcer to call it as that for years!

I won't comment on your pronounciation of HST. :x

I'd always thought "H...S...T" was the usual way to do it, but I suppose it's the same kind of thing as the old "Lowburra/Luffbra" (Loughborough) problem.
To satisfy my curiosity, would ye be able to re-do my HST announcement in thy own natural voice? I'd be interested to see how ye pronounce it!

Quite like the Toilets one. The "No Smoking" reference was very amusing, especially given it had nothing to do with anything else. As for a 153 up the ECML, well...

Here is the original version of toilets

Ooops...I should've pointed out that the original "Toilets" announcement wasn't my idea. My apologies to the creator.
And whilst I'm at it, I ought to point out that I Uploaded it to YouTube as well...Hope nobody minds.

Anyone would think that 91107 isn't the only one on here who doesn't like Stagecoach. But, having said that, they do have a near monopoly (bus* and train) in your area...
*I am jealous of your route 1 though!

I've got photos of myself sat in the driver's seat on one of those buses knocking around somewhere... hock:

Stagecoach's monopoly isn't complete just yet fortunateley, as the North Downs line is still First GWR's territory. To be honest, I don't mind Stagecoach having what they've got...But what does tick me off is that - Despite Stagecoach having had a majority share in Virgin WC for years - I havn't seen a single friggin' Pendolino down here yet! ad::roll:
After all...Some of the lines SWT have are pretty twisty and would be well worth running Pendos on. What I'd like to experience the most though is going through Clapham Jct on the Waterloo Up Fast at something over the pitiful Dessie standard of 15mph!

I like the penalty fare addition though

If ever I get the time and the opportunity to record the samples, I'll have to have a go at doing it the same way the original was cooked up...But with SWT samples!

--- Old warble above / Even more warble below: ---

Anyways...What I originally came here to say was that I'd cooked up another couple of announcements... hock:

1. The first is a look into the near future; When DB will have completed their buyout of Arriva XC, and changes (Like 221s in Verkehrsrot) will start becoming more noticable to the public... :razz:
2. The second is what we'd probabally hear at Brunellian stations like Reading if FGW had a policy of employing HST Veg as station staff!

For some reason though, I keep reading out my announcements in an "automated" fashion. I'm not a robot, but I do appear to have the rather strange habit of imitating them...

 

[thefab444]

I'd always thought "H...S...T" was the usual way to do it, but I suppose it's the same kind of thing as the old "Lowburra/Luffbra" (Loughborough) problem.

It's more to do with the way you pronounce H with an extra H at the start.

 

[Jordy]

Ooops...I should've pointed out that the original "Toilets" announcement wasn't my idea. My apologies to the creator.
And whilst I'm at it, I ought to point out that I Uploaded it to YouTube as well...Hope nobody minds.

Thats fine, its already on there somewhere! If you could credit me that'd be great