Even though it’s been in beta since somewhere back at the end of the last decade, SoundStreak is enjoying a resurgence. Mentions of voice artists testing the product are showing up on plenty of online forums. I blogged about SoundStreak on Feb 13th, excited about the possibilities, only to find it’s strictly made for Macs.
Nonetheless, I’ve just rec’d the go-ahead to do a recorded interview with the CEO, Dan Caligor…which we’re trying to schedule.
In the meantime, up pops ConnectionOpen.com! I picked it up in a post from voice talent Randy Morrison in the VAU Facebook group, and it promptly garnered 60+ responses that were all over the map…including issues with browser versions, JAVA installs, and bandwidth minimums (minimum 3 Mbps down/512 Kbps up). It is apparently compatible with Mac and Windows, though…and Randy appears to be involved with the company ([email protected]).
The site claims that with ConnectionOpen you “…experience virtually lagless/lossless communication for a fraction of the cost of ISDN. Create a “studio environment” wherever you are 24/7 using your computer and broadband. Easy to set up, easy to use. A few clicks… and you’re already there…”
I’m all for these alternatives to ISDN, which I see as dying a slow death despite the protestations of established studios and voice actors. They’re mostly on the East and West Coasts, and in THOSE locations, ISDN is strong. But everywhere else, installation, costs, and connections are issues. The major Telcos are dropping infrastructure and support. Source-Connect is there, but it’s never seemed to have caught on.
So give ConnectionOpen a look…just be ready to have to tinker with it, and maybe use tech support to make it fly. While Randy Morrison and Co., seem to be very responsive to dealing with the glitches…it may not be a turnkey solution…yet.
CourVO
