So I’ve done two different samples: one of which went through a lot of noise reduction and normalizing, and the other of which went through even more noise reduction and normalizing. What you’re about to hear won’t sound like how it would be presented in a video, as I edited both of these clips in Premiere Pro to be quieter.
As a preface, my mic is a Blue Yeti X. It’s pointed towards me at roughly a 45 degree angle. I sit slightly far away from my mic, and I bend down at a roughly 70 degree angle as I speak into the mic. Amplify and Noise Reduction were applied after Normalize.
Noise Profile is the beginning of the track (which has been deleted after the noise reduction process).
Noise Reduction: 43 dB
Sensitivity: 20.00
Frequency smoothing: 10 bands
Amplify:
Amplification: 0.8 dB
New Peak Amplitude: -6.6822 dB
The third clip is definitely the clearest, but all suffer from an excess amount of hum, and when I try to play these tracks with music in the background, the hum is very distracting even when both are optimally balanced. Whether through Audacity or Adobe Premiere Pro (CC 2017), do you have any advice for solving this issue?
Alternatively, do you think my audio is perfectly fine and it doesn’t need major changes?
As a final note, here’s a clip of my voice (the second sample was used) with background music played over it (both tracks have gone through a lot of audio balancing in Premiere Pro): https://voca.ro/1h2n6t6Assjg
It’s possible to create such distortion using high compression ratio,
and/or the signal from the microphone was too loud (too hot) before any processing was applied.
Unfortunately post-production in Audacity or other software cannot reverse this distortion.
It should be known that I recorded this initially through QuickTime Player and then opened the mp3 file in Audacity. The effects I applied still worked, so it seems safe to say that I could still edit distortion and compression.
Nonetheless, I’ve found a different setup that doesn’t cause anywhere near as much distortion, and now I’m about to edit it.
**[u]clippin[/u]**g (overload distortion) is a kind of dynamic compression (a bad kind, unless you’re using it intentionally as an “effect”).
I didn’t listen because I’m at work…
It’s pointed towards me at roughly a 45 degree angle. I sit slightly far away from my mic, and I bend down at a roughly 70 degree angle as I speak into the mic.
I don’t know how all of those angles add-up but you should be speaking directly into the front of the mic and you should be fairly close. If you are getting “plosives” (breath pops) it’s OK if the mic is slightly-off to one side or you can speak slightly-over the top of the mic but it should be pointed at your mouth. And the mic should be set to cardioid (directional).
If you have to bend-over it might be better to position the mic differently or position yourself differently to make yourself comfortable. (You might need a different/regular mic stand).
So I’ve done two different samples: one of which went through a lot of noise reduction and normalizing, and the other of which went through even more noise reduction and normalizing.
Now post a sample that didn’t go through anything.
This time, I recorded with my mic only slightly tilted (at an estimated 78 degree angle) and with me not bending myself towards the mic. I’ve applied noise reduction and compression effects, and it sounds much clearer.
With this clip, music is played in the background, and the most recent audio track is mixed with it. Only thing that’s changed with the original audio track is the decreased volume courtesy of Premiere Pro’s level feature.
How are you listening? Top quality, wired headphones? Good quality office music system?
Is your hearing OK? Distortion tends to gather in the wispy, high-pitched, hiss, fuzz ranges. That’s the first thing to go when you’re turning into a codger or codgerette.
The upper-case “P” Producer (you) gets to decide this stuff, not us. If you’re happy with the work and the viewers/listeners are good with it, then you’re done. We can almost always find something wrong.
It’s the Producer’s job (between writing checks) to pull the plug and get the job out the door.
Yours is almost bullhorn-level of distortion. It’s understandable but harsh on the ear.
Here are 10 examples of increasing compression/distortion …
IMO you’re a ~7/10, should be <4
Turning down the gain on a distorted track won’t remove the distortion.
Compression modifies the shape of the waves, not just their level.
After hammering a square-peg through a round-hole it is no longer square.
Sorry it’s taken me so long, but I’m ready to respond.
Let’s say you’re a viewer. Would you be too offput by the sound of my voice as is portrayed in this recording? Would you be invested in simply hearing my voice if this is what I went with? I’ve received positive reactions from other people, but I’m conflicted as to whether I should keep the recordings the way they are. You’d probably say I’d be wallowing in mediocrity if I stayed the same, which is another reason I’m conflicted.
If you intend it to sound like a WW1 Tannoy system / field radio, then it works, but I wouldn’t like to listen to a lot of speech that sounds like that - OK if you’re just giving short introductions to music tracks, but I’d find even that a bit tiresome after a while.
I’m now about to test recording with a lower gain level (the median gain rather than the max). Once I’m done editing it in Audacity, I’m going to show that sample. Be prepared for that.
There’s a volume meter on the front of a Yeti-X. The microphone light should be on and you should speak or adjust the volume until you just occasionally get a yellow light.
The Yeti-X is a side-address microphone. You speak into the side grill just up from the company name.
I sit straight up and am moderately close to my mic.
There was a finger snap in the recording, but after applying the soon-to-be-mentioned noise reduction parameters multiple times, it’s no longer audible.
Noise Reduction parameters
Noise Reduction: 8 dB
Sensitivity: 12.50
Frequency smoothing: 2 bands
I’ve faced far less distortion with this setup, so hopefully that should solve that issue.
Sorry for the lack of posts. Should I dedicate a new thread to getting feedback on fixed sound recording issues?
(You might need a different/regular mic stand).
