CHENNAI: The COVID-19 pandemic, during its outbreak, had flipped several verticals of cinema and other media-related industries including those associated with traditional dubbing and voice-overs. While some artistes managed to record their content by setting up make-shift home studios and tapping on the phone applications, for most creatives and film directors, the lockdown of recording studios meant limited access to not just voice artistes but also quality content.
Yet, Voiccee Store, a Mandaveli-based sound solution company headed by sound engineer Vijay Anand, had been lending a safe helping hand — taking their services to the homes and offices of creatives in need of well-experienced technicians, engineers and equipment. Soon, this translated into a futuristic idea. “I wanted to take the updated and upgraded facilities available in a brick-and-mortar unit to those who need them at a time and place of their convenience. The idea of a mobile studio was born,” shares Vijay. Earlier this month, he turned this dream into a reality by launching India’s first recording and mixing studio on wheels, Roadio. The compact yet fully-loaded unit was inaugurated by actor-politician Kamal Haasan.
“There was a time when caravans for artistes used to be a niche concept. However, over the decades, it has become a necessity. Similarly, while the concept of a mobile voice recording/dubbing studio might seem new now, it was born out of a necessity to save time while providing high-quality output. So, it will certainly see a demand,” says the entrepreneur feeling optimistic.
With over two decades of experience in the field, Vijay enthusiastically recalls Kamal’s words from the inauguration. “He told me how he had a similar idea about 30 years ago. He said he was happy to see the idea shape into something tangible. It was encouraging. I have worked in more than 13,000 television and radio advertisements and I know the pulse of the creatives. I understand what they need and it was that cognisance that pushed me to embark on this journey. While the idea has been simmering in my mind for about two years, I was able to execute it only now. I had to park it for a while due to the lockdown,” he details.
All the studios at Voiccee Store, Vijay says, give the users a platform to focus on intricate audio details with superior sound quality. He hopes to offer the same with his travelling studio. “From state-of-the-art facilities, a sound-proofed chamber for noise reduction and complete silence, a sound engineer, an assistant sound engineer to a design conducive for working comfortably for long hours optimised to record voices with neutral and uncoloured texture, we offer it all. The main idea is to save time and make the process convenient for all. The price for each slot will differ based on the duration, requirement and will be inclusive of the cost that will be required to remunerate the technicians, driver and the cost of fuel,” he explains.
Bookings can be made two to three days in advance. “We have received a few bookings for March. Since we have only one unit now, we want to streamline the requests and make the process seamless for those who want to use our services. Going forward, we hope to expand Roadio into more wheels not just in terms of quantity but quality too. Our goal is to forge a new future for the recording industry while providing quality with comfort,” he says.
For details and bookings of Roadio, call: 9841828658
Instagram page @voicceestore