Just finished editing the interview with Kim Crow (the original Bitching Betty) for an upcoming Airspeed episode. I've edited interviews with scientists, fighter pilots, astronauts, and presidents of large companies, but I don't think I've ever been as mindful of the editing process as I was with this episode.
With the other interviews, I was just editing words. The voices were ancillary.
This one is different. Kim is certainly much more than her voice, but her voice is a familiar and important part of history. A national treasure. And there it is on my screen in waveforms under my cursor. Who the heck am I to excise an "um" or an "ah?" Or even mix levels? Holy crap! Don't goof this up, man!
But, at the end of the day, Kim is as disarming as she is professional. I like the way the interview sounds. It's paced well. By the 30-minute mark, I had a sense that I couldn't goof it up if I tried. It is (and she is) that good. You're really going to like it.
Bottom line: It's a privilege to talk to people who are so good and/or so notable that you get the willies editing the audio. I'm really fortunate to be able to do what I do. Click below to listen to the podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/kim-crow-voice-overs/airspeed-kim-crow-the-original-bitching-betty-2
With the other interviews, I was just editing words. The voices were ancillary.
This one is different. Kim is certainly much more than her voice, but her voice is a familiar and important part of history. A national treasure. And there it is on my screen in waveforms under my cursor. Who the heck am I to excise an "um" or an "ah?" Or even mix levels? Holy crap! Don't goof this up, man!
But, at the end of the day, Kim is as disarming as she is professional. I like the way the interview sounds. It's paced well. By the 30-minute mark, I had a sense that I couldn't goof it up if I tried. It is (and she is) that good. You're really going to like it.
Bottom line: It's a privilege to talk to people who are so good and/or so notable that you get the willies editing the audio. I'm really fortunate to be able to do what I do. Click below to listen to the podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/kim-crow-voice-overs/airspeed-kim-crow-the-original-bitching-betty-2
KIM CROW, THE ORIGINAL BITCHING BETTY – AUDIO EPISODE SHOW NOTES
From Steven Force of Airspeedonline.com:
Listen to the podcast
In the early days of the Fighter Mafia and the first generation of new E-M fighter development, systems designers realized that lights, bells, and whistles simply weren’t immediate enough to give pilots urgent information that they needed while aloft in the battlespace. Engineers realized that spoken annunciations were necessary, especially for urgent or dangerous conditions like terrain proximity.
The very first voice digitized for use in fighter cockpits was that of actress Kim Crow and the voice soon became known, loved, and hated as “Bitching Betty.”
Kim spent an hour talking with Airspeed about being Betty, from the very first Betty sessions in a conference room and later in a studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Betty evolved with different platforms and conflicts and Kim was there at the mic and breathed life into this icon of aviation throughout Betty’s early history. Betty has been a constant companion to pilots in many airframes in many conflicts and has even likely been the last voice that some pilots have ever heard.
There have since been other Bitching Bettys and Betty has even been joined by Nagging Norah (UK), Hank the Yank (Australia), and others. But, for many pilots, Kim will always be the one and only Bitching Betty.
This is a very special episode and we still can’t quite believe that we get to bring it to you."
From Steven Force of Airspeedonline.com:
Listen to the podcast
In the early days of the Fighter Mafia and the first generation of new E-M fighter development, systems designers realized that lights, bells, and whistles simply weren’t immediate enough to give pilots urgent information that they needed while aloft in the battlespace. Engineers realized that spoken annunciations were necessary, especially for urgent or dangerous conditions like terrain proximity.
The very first voice digitized for use in fighter cockpits was that of actress Kim Crow and the voice soon became known, loved, and hated as “Bitching Betty.”
Kim spent an hour talking with Airspeed about being Betty, from the very first Betty sessions in a conference room and later in a studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Betty evolved with different platforms and conflicts and Kim was there at the mic and breathed life into this icon of aviation throughout Betty’s early history. Betty has been a constant companion to pilots in many airframes in many conflicts and has even likely been the last voice that some pilots have ever heard.
There have since been other Bitching Bettys and Betty has even been joined by Nagging Norah (UK), Hank the Yank (Australia), and others. But, for many pilots, Kim will always be the one and only Bitching Betty.
This is a very special episode and we still can’t quite believe that we get to bring it to you."
CombatAce Interview 'Bitchin' Betty' with Kim Crow
Welcome to this CombatACE presentation featuring Anastasia Lee and our guest Kim Crow. As you know we did an interview recently with Leslie Shook, the current Bitchin' Betty for the F/A-18 Super Hornets. If you recall, during the full interview, Leslie mentioned another woman, a professionally trained voice actress whose tapes she listened to in order to help her become Bitchin' Betty. It turns out the woman mentioned, Kim Crow, is the first woman to have her voice digitized. In other words she's the first Bitchin' Betty for various aircraft.
CombatACE is pleased to present the story of Kim Crow. For those of you short on time, we have a three part series that basically breaks the main, 31 minute, video into smaller segments that can be viewed in 10-12 minute intervals. Or, if you're absolutely short on time, there is a video that provides a wonderful summary of events and do not include all of the events mentioned in the full story.
There is also a couple of bonus features. A deleted segment that is still wonderful to hear and a custom made Kim Crow ringtone. Yes you read that right. Kim Crow the Original Bitchin Betty, the Emmy Nominated voice actress as kindly created a one of kind ringtone for CombatACE.
For those short on time, there is a Summary video and at the bottom links to the individual segments including an alternate segment. The Alternate segment is simply the full presentation without video or background music. Whether you have time for the full presentation or just enough time to squeeze in the summary or a single segment, we thank you taking the time to watch or listen.
Enjoy,
CombatACE News Team
* Many thanks to Andre Ford and Anastasia Lee and the entire CombatAce team for the pleasure of this interview. KC
CombatACE is pleased to present the story of Kim Crow. For those of you short on time, we have a three part series that basically breaks the main, 31 minute, video into smaller segments that can be viewed in 10-12 minute intervals. Or, if you're absolutely short on time, there is a video that provides a wonderful summary of events and do not include all of the events mentioned in the full story.
There is also a couple of bonus features. A deleted segment that is still wonderful to hear and a custom made Kim Crow ringtone. Yes you read that right. Kim Crow the Original Bitchin Betty, the Emmy Nominated voice actress as kindly created a one of kind ringtone for CombatACE.
For those short on time, there is a Summary video and at the bottom links to the individual segments including an alternate segment. The Alternate segment is simply the full presentation without video or background music. Whether you have time for the full presentation or just enough time to squeeze in the summary or a single segment, we thank you taking the time to watch or listen.
Enjoy,
CombatACE News Team
* Many thanks to Andre Ford and Anastasia Lee and the entire CombatAce team for the pleasure of this interview. KC
