SUNRISE INTERNATIONAL Information

In our second Pick Up Corner, we listen in on a sound recording studio! To see where it all happens, we went to Studio T and T, which does the dubbing on Onmyo Taisenki, and talked to recording engineer Kohei Oishi.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the history of Studio T and T?

A. We started out in Higashi Nakano (East Nakano) in 1991, and then about 7 years back we moved to Nishi Shinjuku (West Shinjuku). The Shinjuku building was torn down, and in June of this year we moved into the space we’re in now (in Nishi Shinjuku again). It’s spacious and new, easy to commute to, and we’ve really privileged in terms of the environment. The number of drinking spots in the area is another one of its charms! (laughs)

Q. What are the names of all the rooms in the studio?

A. The room where the voice actors perform is known as the “studio” or “booth.”

Q. How are the booth and control room arranged?

A. There are 3 TV monitors and 4 mikes set up in the booth of Studio A where the dubbing for Onmyo Taisenki takes place. There’s a sofa up against the wall for the voice actors to use while they’re waiting for their turn to perform or when they’re taking a break.

When we get to a scene where a character they’re playing appears, they come up to the mike, and speak their lines in time with the video. There are 3 mikes, but in a scene where they are lots of people and the dialogue is almost continuous, the actors just naturally decide where to stand--there is no discussion about who stands where or how they should change places. At first, new actors tend to be off with their timing, but they eventually get used to it.

Afterwards, fine adjustments are made to the recorded sound in the control room. We take out any static and shorten any gaps between segments. And we try not to miss any tiny noises like footsteps or page turning as well. The work of mixing in any additional voices, sound effects, and music also takes place in the control room. Normally, the mixing work takes place about 1 or 2 weeks after the dubbing is finished.

Q. About how many dubbings for anime is Studio T and T working on right now? And do you do any dubbing for things other than anime?

A. As of July 2005, we’re regularly working on about 4 or 5 anime dubbings at a time. Other than anime, we also do recording for live action foreign films, music (songs), and the like.