How is this problem called and how to fix it?

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1

Hi,

I’m a novice and I’m facing an issue with my audio that I can’t even name, so don’t know where to start finding a solution.

It can be clearly heard in the beginning and also towards the end.

I thought is was clipping (or peaking, not sure which is the correct term), but I have checked multiple times and the db never reaches -0dB or above, it’s normally below -6db in recording. Also in post production, the gain does not get above the threshold. I tried recording with a limiter, and lowering the gain. But I get these bits either way.

What is this? How could I prevent it?

I really appreciate your help.

2

As for me, I don’t hear anything wrong with the audio.
There’s a little click-out at the end, but I guess you can just fade that out.

3

I can hear it, e.g. a buzz on “Q” of question …

It sounds like you are too loud/too close to the microphone.

Now the bad news: if you move further away from the mic the reverberation from the room will become relatively louder.

A possible solution is a less-sensitive microphone,
e.g. the dynamic type rather than the condenser type.

4

Would “buzz” be the term to look into? I hear a very bad quality audio, like distorted, but can’t put a name to it.

Also, what did you do for the “after” in the audio? It’s definitely better.

I’ll try to speak further from the mic, changing it is not in my plans. It’s a RODE VideoMic NTG, should be good enough to produce a not terrible audio, I believe.

5

All mics have a maximum volume they can tolerate before they distort.

That shotgun mic is designed to have the person speaking at about arm’s length away from it. Hand’s width is too close.

If you don’t have the foam windshield attached, try adding it: that will lower the sensitivity a tad.

If you’re not using a shock-mount, try adding one. The person’s voice could be vibrating the tripod/stand the mic is attached to when they’re speaking loudly.

6

Ah, awesome. I’m definitely using it a bit close.

In case it happens, what settings could apply to lessen the damage? Just a limiter or lowering the gain? Or are there any other postproduction tacticts I can use?

7

The buzz is a mechanical sound in the microphone, rather than an electrical noise like clipping, so lowering the gain will not lower the odds it will occur.

I used Audacity’s spectral editing tools to remove the buzz from the “Q” of “question”, but it’s a time-consuming process.

8

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