Audio sounds....strange with a blue yeti and ASUS sound card

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have been doing to voice acting work to buff my portfolio up, but it seems even after noise removal, the audio still sounds weird. I use a Blue Yeti with ASUS Xonar Essence STX.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/q6hsd8

Can anyone tell me what is wrong with it? I want it to sound crisp.

2

I can’t figure out how to listen to the clip. SendSpace keeps trying to install software.
Koz

3

Anyway, did you turn off Windows Enhanced Services?

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_recording_troubleshooting.html#enhancements

Koz

4

Oh sorry, here is another download link! - https://www.mediafire.com/?4pbf3ktp99903cv

And no, but I will give it a shot.

5

Well that didn’t work, I didn’t even have that option and I searched everywhere.
Any other thoughts/suggestions?

6

Could you post a sample of a “raw” (unprocessed) recording.
Please include about 6 seconds of “silence” (noise only) and about 6 seconds of “normal” speech.
Export either in WAV or Flac format, directly from the original recording (no amplifying, no noise reduction, no processing at all). You can use “File > Export Selection…” to export part of a track.

7

I can’t listen to your sample 'cause I’m at work, so I’m just guessing…

Is the mic set to cardioid (directional)? Are you speaking into the front side of the mic? (Don’t speak into the top of the mic. :wink: )


…and ASUS sound card.

FYI - When you use a USB microphone, your soundcard is not involved in recording, only playback.

8

Ok, thank you.

Here is the speech link: https://www.mediafire.com/?4hweam7fls6em4b

Here is the silence link: https://www.mediafire.com/?4hweam7fls6em4b
(The pulsating noise is my fan because it is freaking hot today)


And I am speaking to the front side of the mic. It isn’t right in front of me, I keep it about a foot and a half away from me with a pop filter in the front. I believe I have it set to cataroid.

9

They’re the same link and it points to the silence test. We need the link to the voice test. Can you not see the links when you post them?

Koz

10

It’s “cardioid” or heart-shaped pattern. In Europe it’s sometimes the “kidney” shape. Lots of sound in the front, somewhat less on the sides and very little from the rear.
Koz
Screen Shot 2014-09-02 at 8.46.18 PM.png

11

Yep, that’s the setting I have always kept it on.

And I apologize for sending the wrong link…must have been really tired.

Here you go! http://www.mediafire.com/download/h8vjbx3w7yyary4/Speech_test.wav

12

Thanks for the links - they work now :wink:

As I suspected, the problem is that the original recording has far too much noise. Noise Removal cannot work miracles - ask too much from it and it will damage the sound that you want to keep. That “damage” is responsible for the “strange” sound that you hear in your first sample.

The Blue Yeti has a “gain” control. Ensure that is turned well up. You will probably then need to turn down the recording level in the Windows Sound Control Panel to prevent the level being too loud and distorting in Audacity. That should give you a much cleaner signal, so noise reduction should be barely needed.

13

Okay, I will test it to see how it works out.

14

Make sure the Gain control does something. Turn it down and see if it goes down.
Koz

15

I think it does sound much clearer, I turned down the fans in my room, and also put my mic on a soft surface, and with noise removal it sounds great!