Matt Heck

Over ten years of experience as a software engineer, combined with time spent as an amateur stand-up comic, lets me present even the most maddeningly technical material clearly and confidently, while keeping my audience engaged and comfortable. VOICE EXPERIENCE: My initial voice work was for the WaveQuest, Inc., title "Terra Victus". (NOTE: The demo of this title shipped, but the full version was pulled.) I was chosen to voice the primary bad guy, "Dr. Maximillian von Harmer, mad dictator of Neo-Earth". I have also done various voice prompts for embedded systems, such as the Meda Systems, Inc., "Bravo" home media server. For about two years, I did stand-up comedy on a weekly basis with the Central Coast Players in San Luis Obispo, CA, generally presenting new material every week, cold, to various audiences. No serious injuries. I occasionally provide vocals for The Braindead Monkeys, a "post-moderate no-wave band" somewhat similar to a Negativland/Devo traffic accident. I had an intermittent audio blog, "Run-Time Errors on the Road", which is currently looking for another hosting solution, but which allowed me to refine techniques for initial delivery and post-production of audio recorded via cellular phone, but released as MP3. I have a pet project to record an audiobook of Sun-Tzu's "The Art of War". Finally, as a matter of vocal practice and public service, I help voice audio versions of various pages at Wikipedia. BUSINESS/KNOWLEDGE AREA EXPERIENCE: The following details about my background may give you some idea of the areas I am particularly comfortable speaking about. Military science and artificial intelligence with the CAD Research Center, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, for the United States Marine Corps. and the Department of the Navy. Video game voice work and graphics programming for WaveQuest, Inc. Audio and video digital recording, compression, and network delivery with Xing Technology and Surveyor Corporation. Test and measurement automation for Crystal Engineering Corporation. Embedded multimedia development (Linux) for Universal Electronics, Inc. Initial voice recording training while employed at WaveQuest, Inc., under music director John Bartelt. Member of the San Luis Obispo-based Central Coast Players under the direction of Bill Moneymaker and Myk Powell. Training included stand-up voice coaching, reader's theater, and limited traditional drama. Audio recording training at Sierra College, Rocklin, CA, with an emphasis on digital home studio techniques, under Robert Johnson. Substantial additional technical experience due to spending most of the last ten years writing multimedia software, with a strong emphasis in audio over the last five years. Lead software engineer on the Meda Systems "Bravo" home music server, which took multiple awards at CEDIA. Very substantial and relevant experience with audio compression and DSP technologies. I also regularly attend experimental audio sessions at the Stanford Center for Computer Research into Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), which have given me particular insight into multi-channel/surround-sound technologies. I have solid experience writing, reviewing, and clarifying technical information, and would be happy to help you smooth out the rough edges on material you need to present. I have a good feel for what tends to get across to people, and what doesn't. That said, if you like it the way it is, obviously I'll respect that. If you need something delivered in some off-the-wall format, or you want to try something strange and interactive, run it by me. Most bizarre technical problems haven't scared me for years.