Intial Recording Settings

[steveDenver]

Hi gang…I need some help,

To start, I’m using Windows 10 & Audacity 2.3.1
Its my first audiobook narration, and the author believes there is too much reverb or echo (his words).
I have reconfigured my sound booth (closet) to try and lower noise level.

Using the Audacity monitor, appears my room noise level is about -82db.
So I did a new recording, but honestly…I don’t really even know how to set the gain level for mic.
However, I ran it thru ACX Check, and got
Peak Level -18.7
RSM Level -44.5
Noise Floor -75.9

Now, I can use Noise Reduction, EQ Low Rolloff for Speech, RMS Normalization & Brickwall limiter…and get it to pass ACS check.
However, it sounds too much like th first one that the author rejected…and honestly, I can hear the reverb-y sound too.

I’m using Excelvan mic, and Behringer u-phoria umc202HD interface.

Questions -

1. How is room noise at -83bd?
2. What are correct settings for Behringer?
3. With the above ACX Check statistics, is this an adequate file to start with?
4. Are these even the right questions to be asking?

Honestly, I’m looking for any/all guidance.

Thanks,

[DVDdoug]

I have reconfigured my sound booth (closet) to try and lower noise level.

If you add sound absorption, good! Reverb is reflected sound like you get in a tiled bathroom or in a concert hall. You need to absorb the reflections, and possibly get closer to the mic for more-direct sound. Although if you get closer you may need a pop screen. I assume you’re using a directional mic? It also helps if you speak with a strong-confident voice. The higher the signal, the better the signal-to-noise ratio.

Using the Audacity monitor, appears my room noise level is about -82db.

Your ACX check results say -76dB, which would be good if your signal was higher. You need to amplify by about 24dB to get your RMS up to around -20dB. When you amplify (or attenuate) the peak, RMS, and noise levels all get the same dB change. That will bring your noise up to 52dB (fail), and it will push your peaks over 0dB into clipping (distortion). You can use limiting to bring down the peaks, but the noise still has to be dealt with. See [u]this page[/u].

I can use Noise Reduction, EQ Low Rolloff for Speech, RMS Normalization & Brickwall limiter…and get it to pass ACS check.

Your results pass noise but they fail peak & RMS levels.

1. How is room noise at -83bd?

That’s a meaningless number by itself. It depends on the actual acoustic noise (some positive dB SPL level) the gain of the preamp, the sensitivity of the microphone, etc. The preamp will also generate some noise, and if you’re using a condenser mic there is an internal head amp that also generates some noise.

2. What are correct settings for Behringer?

So I did a new recording, but honestly…I don’t really even know how to set the gain level for mic.

Unlike the old days of analog tape, digital recording levels are not too critical. You can record a little “hotter”, maybe hitting peaks around -6 to -12dB. The main thing is that you don’t want to “try” going over 0dB because you’ll get clipping (distortion). Pros often record at -12 to -18dB (at 24-bits with very good equipment), but most home recording is done at higher levels. Nothing bad happens when you get close to 0dB but you need to leave some headroom in case there are unexpected peaks.

I’m using Excelvan mic

It may be OK, but I’m always a little skeptical of “cheap microphones”. A good “studio condenser” microphone is typically at least $100 USD, and that’s before you add a mic stand and shock mount.

The main thing is, it needs to be directional so noise (and reverb) from behind and from the sides is reduced. The overall “sound character” (frequency response) can he adjusted with EQ if necessary.

Usually this type of mic is a “side address” mic, so you speak into the front side, not the end or back side. But, check the owners manual because you may have an end-address mic.

[kozikowski]

Excelvan makes different microphones. Which one do you have?

Koz

[steveDenver]

Hey thanks guys!
A lot to digest.
The mic I have is…Excelvan BM-800 Cardioid Condenser Sound Studio Recording Microphone Mic with Shock Mount for Studio Recording
I do have a pop filter.

When you say…record at near 0db, does that mean adjusting the gain on the Behringer to that my voice hits near zero?
Also, does the setting on the phones matter? FYI - I have a button that says…“Direct Monitor” pressed.

Thanks again!

[kozikowski]

You should be speaking into the grill on the side of the microphone just above the model number.

It’s crazy hard to get anyone to tell me how the microphone works or even reveal the instructions that come with it. That’s one downside to a modest cost microphone.

If you take a powerful flashlight to the grill, you may be able to see a disk in there about the size of a quarter. Speak at that disk.

Since you have a pop filter (small tennis racket?) you should be about a power fist away from it.

It doesn’t matter whether those microphones are right-side up or not.

The Behringer UMC202 should have the Power and Phantom Power (+48v) lights on.

Don’t need the headphones yet.

On the left, start talking at a comfortable volume and advance the GAIN knob until the green SIG light starts flashing. PAD should not be on. That’s to record a trumpet or small thermo-chemical explosion.

Never Blow into a Microphone!

As a test, see if you can crank it up so the red CLIP light comes on. You may have to speak louder. When it does come on, that’s too far. Correct volume is a firm Green with no red flashes, however you get there.

Now climb into your headphones, push the DIRECT MONITOR button and adjust PHONES until your voice is comfortable. Get the green light first, then adjust the headphones, not the other way to.

Now over on Audacity. Click the recording meter > Start Monitoring and see where your voice settles. I expect the meter to peak somewhere in the -10dB-ish range and the blue waves on the timeline to occasionally reach up to roughly half-way (0.5) when you record.

None of these are surgically important, but you do have to get in the ballpark.

Got all that so far? Make a short sound test according to these instructions. Go down the blue links to make sure you’re doing everything right. It’s dead simple, but everybody misses something.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/TestClip/Record_A_Clip.html

Koz

[steveDenver]

Attached is test clip, before any effects.

FYI - I applied the process listed in the Audio Mastering instructions - https://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audiobook_Mastering#Process
I got it to pass ACX Check, but can hear a fairly loud hiss.
I tried Noise Reduction, using room noise at beginning of the track as the profile
But using 6,6,6, and even 12,6,6 still left some hiss.

I am the attached test clip might give you some ideas on how to fix.

Thanks again…really appreciate the help!

[kozikowski]

The good news is I like your presentation and “interp”—shift between characters.

Was it possible for you to get the red light on the Behringer as a test?

Can you burn another test and this time increase the Behringer volume until the Audacity blue waves reach half up and down (0.5)?

Are you recording stereo (two tracks) with you on the left and the right channel dead? This interface likes stereo and forcing it to be mono on record can cause volume and noise problems. Turn the right channel volume all the way down.

might give you some ideas on how to fix.

Maybe we don’t. One of the constant complaints about this microphone is high background noise.

Koz

[steveDenver]

Attached is new sample file requested.
FYI - I set gain on the Behringer at max. I also had the mic setting on audacity at max.
I have attached two files. One got the blue waves to .5 along with some room noise.
The 2nd was forcing it all the way to clipping and a red light on the behringer.

Today’s room sample seemed to hit a higher level on the audacity monitor (around -60db) than previous sample (around -80db).
Not sure if that matters. Fear we may conclude that the mic is generating too much background noise.
In which case…any suggestions on a better mic for under say…$150?
And since this is for audiobook recording, is a condenser mic even the right type?

BTW - Glad you like my presentation. The author does as well…he’s just getting impatient waiting on my recording.

Thx Koz

[kozikowski]

Bingo.

There’s a setting wrong somewhere. When you overload the Behringer, Audacity is supposed to look like that.



Yours looks like that. Half what it’s supposed to.



I have to be in and out today.

How many countries observe the Fourth of July?

Probably all of them. The US observes Independence Day.

Baroomp - Tishshshsh.

Koz

[kozikowski]

There are other options.

Find yourself a recording studio. The thing you’re trying to become. That might be good anyway, to have a backup if your career takes off and your microphone goes into the dirt.

“What the frog am I going to do? Oh, wait. Where’s that business card?”

There’s a line here about trying a stand-alone sound recorder if you struggle with the computer for longer than two or three weeks.

This is a Zoom H1n.

With which I shot this. This has no Noise Reduction; just straight Audiobook Mastering. That is the actual shooting script, but the location was my super quiet third bedroom instead of an artsy piece of plywood.

Koz

[kozikowski]

OK, so here’s the deal. I have a Behringer UM2 simple MONO interface and I just nipped into my quiet third bedroom and shot a sound test. I did it so the green SIG light was solid on and the volume control all the way up. No red lights.

It makes Mastering and ACX Check with no noise reduction…and it even sounds like me.

Piece of cake, right?

That wasn’t a home microphone. That was an Electreo-Voice RE-15.

I gotta drop for a while.

Koz

[DVDdoug]

FYI - I set gain on the Behringer at max. I also had the mic setting on audacity at max.
I have attached two files. One got the blue waves to .5 along with some room noise.

Clipping at 0.5 (-6dB) is a “feature” of the Widnows drivers when you record in mono from a stereo interface…

It’s recording from both channels/inputs (including the unused input) combining them into one mono file. It’s cutting each digital signal in half, “leaving room” for the other channel. That way, if someone starts talking/singing into a 2nd mic both inputs can be just below clipping and the mono-mix can go to nearly 1.0 (0dB) without clipping. If it didn’t work that way, the combined-mono file could clip without triggering the clipping indicators on the interface.

If you record in stereo that won’t happen but you’ll get one silent channel and you’ll have to deal with that.

In which case…any suggestions on a better mic for under say…$150?
And since this is for audiobook recording, is a condenser mic even the right type?

The mic probably isn’t the problem and maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it. You can try recording from the back side or other “angles” to check it’s directionality. Directional mics aren’t perfectly directional, but the sound should be muffled or reduced from the “wrong” direction. It won’t make a huge difference in noise, but noise (and reverb) does come from all-around and a directional mic should reduce it by a few dB.

The most common type of mic found in studios is a directional (cardioid pattern) [u]Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone[/u] and they are used for almost everything. There are a couple of very popular dynamic* microphones used in broadcasting but they are above your price range and they generally have lower output than a condenser (so you may need a lower-noise preamp).

Another option is a [u]“Studio Style” USB microphone[/u] (AKA “podcast mic”). These can be super-handy. You basically get the USB interface free and sometimes you get extra features like a headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring. But, some don’t have a recording-level control, some are sensitive to noise coming-in through the USB power (that can happen with USB-powered interfaces too), you are limited to one mic at a time, and you can’t use it as a live PA microphone.

I don’t have a specific recommendation. Some brands I trust for good quality and good value are AKG, Audio Technica, Rode, and Shure. (They all sell more expensive mics too.)

\

• Dynamic microphones are made like a speaker in reverse with a moving-coil & magnet. They aren’t necessarily expensive, but the popular “broadcast microphones” are expensive. The most popular microphone of all time (mostly for live/stage use) is the (dynamic) Shure SM57/58 and it’s only $100. Studios like to use these for snare drums and electric guitar (loud sound so you’re not getting “low output”) and the rumor is that Bono (U2) uses one for recording vocals.

Dynamic mics don’t require power and there is are no active electronics inside. Condenser microphones require power (supplied by the interface, preamp, or mixer). Studio condensers run from 48V phantom power (supplied by the interface, preamp, or mixer). Electret condenser computer mics get 5V power from the soundcard. There are some electret stage mics that have a battery inside. (Your Excelvan is probably an electret condenser but it’s designed to be powered by the 48V phantom power from your interface.)

[kozikowski]

You didn’t have any side trips down the computer Valley of Death that some people did. "My microphone sounds funny every time I use Skype. Or “How come I sound like I’m talking into a wine glass?” or the ever-popular Yeti Curse Whine Noise.

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/clips/USBMicrophoneWhineClip.mp3

You got lucky.

The Shure SM58 or the “fake” version, GLS ES-58 are not dreadful microphones. Those are the rock band microphones you see people screaming into on stage. I am just now finding out that “Rock Band Microphone®” is apparently a registered trademark. Somebody was paying attention.

Know anybody in a band? Can you borrow something and try it out?

If all you’re doing is reading for audiobooks, it’s not the worst idea to pop for one of the Zoom recorders. They’re not the only company making these. One poster was busy arranging for an H5. That’s the one with an XLR connection on the bottom, so you can use its microphones or one of your own.

I don’t think you ever answered the question of whether or not you record in stereo. Does your raw recording look something like this?

Koz

[steveDenver]

I am definitely recording in mono…only a single track is recorded in Audacity.
Yes, Koz…the raw does look like that…except more room noise or static at the beginning.

Doug, I will try recording in stereo and then…I guess just delete the black track when I am ready to export to mp3???

Koz & Doug, A few other items…

1. Ummm…well, I just noticed the PAD button on the Behringer was pressed.
   Doug, does this change your thoughts about the mic and recording in stereo?

2. Hey, Koz…I have a musician friend who is going to bring his mic & cable over tomorrow! Hopefully that will answer some questions.

3. After un-pressing the PAD button (bad Steve) … I recorded 3 samples, with the gain on the Behringer set at zero (approx 7:00), then 9:00 and then 12:00. Even set at zero, the Audacity monitor still registered at about -80db.
   And all 3 versions had static that had to be removed via noise removal. I got all 3 to pass ACX Check with 2 passes of noise removal, but all had a bit of a reverb-y sound to the final version.

4. Lastly, just in case it matters…I am using two computers. I have a laptop to record on, just outside the sound room (closet), using win 7. And the editing is done on a desktop (in another room) using win 10.

Kos, Damn…sounds like that vintage Electro-Voice RE15 makes mastering life easy! FYI, I saw that Guitar Center has Electro-Voice RE16 for $340

I will let you know results from using musician friend’s mic & cable. Let me know if you have any other suggestions around that effort.

In the meantime…Happy 4th everyone!

[DVDdoug]

1. Ummm…well, I just noticed the PAD button on the Behringer was pressed.
   Doug, does this change your thoughts about the mic and recording in stereo?

The pad should be disabled. It’s for “loud” sources like if you stick the mic in front of a loud guitar amp or in front of a kick-drum (and then, some mics have their own pad switch because the electronics in a condenser mic can be overloaded too).

That doesn’t change the mono-stereo issue. It’s up to you how you want to handle it. You’ll either be limited to 50%, or you can record in stereo and get to (or near) 100% in one channel and you’ll have to deleted the silent channel and convert to mono.

Kos, Damn…sounds like that vintage Electro-Voice RE15 makes mastering life easy!

The microphone is “one link in the chain” and it’s probably not the weakest link.

[kozikowski]

Quit messing with the volume control on the Behringer. Just turn it all the way up and leave it there. Don’t select the pad.

Turn the unused connection all the way down.

Speak so you get a good bright green SIG light but no red.

I am definitely recording in mono.

Then stop. Set Audacity up for recording stereo. You should get your voice on the left (top) (assuming you’re plugged into the left connection) and a blank track on the right (bottom) similar to my illustration. Using the drop-down menu on the left of the timeline, Split Stereo to Mono.

delete the dead track.

Using all those tricks, your blue waves should be a lot fatter than they have been. Each one of those errors makes the noise worse.

Record another test.

Now go through mastering steps only and see how you do.

Koz

[kozikowski]

A note on mastering. You need to use all three mastering steps. The first one, equalization is not just to help with rumble and low pitched (thunder/earthquake) sounds. It also strips off super low pitched sounds that many home microphones have because of data errors or cheap construction.

I have microphone systems which have trouble passing ACX because of those inaudible errors.

Koz

[vapemalt]

Try to place a screen and be closer to the microfon.