Audacity Forum

Hello Audacity / podcast / sound editing experts,

I have finished recording some audio spoken podcast (no music).

A. Here are the specs:
* Format: MP3. * Program Used: Audacity. * Bit Rate: 320kbps. * Audio Sample Rate: 44KHz.

B. I will use Audacity 1.3.13 and apply the following effects on the MP3s:
1. Compressor.
2. Normalize with 'Levelator'.
3. Noise Removal.

I kindly need your help in guide me, to ensure that the sound quality is really good & to utilize all available tools/features.

So please tell me:
A. Are the mentioned specs good enough? Should I improve anything?
B. Did I miss any effect that makes the difference? (Please tell me the name of the effect, I will learn the how to later).
C. Other suggestions are truly appreciated.

I know it can never be studio quality, but I’m sure with your help, it can be above excellent quality & the listeners will enjoy the quality.

Thank you very much in advance.

* Format: MP3.

That's strike one right there. Never do production in MP3. MP3 is not the "Universal Format" that everybody thinks it is. It's a Delivery Format and isn't intended to go any further than your ears. MP3 creates damage every time you use it and it can't be stopped. Do all the capture and post production in WAV or AIFF and save MP3 for the final step.

1. Compressor. 2. Normalize with 'Levelator'.

I would try Effect > Amplify and then Effect > Compress Dynamics. That should give you the best, most natural sound in the face of "live" variations in volume and expression. If you don't have Chris's Compressor, you can get it from here.

http://theaudacitytopodcast.com/chriss- ... -audacity/

3. Noise Removal.

If you're planning on Noise Removal before you even get the first show, you're doing it wrong. Nothing you do in Noise Removal -- even in the latest version which is pretty good, will hold a candle to not needing it in the first place.

Do a recording and post some of it here (or somewhere) and we will rip it apart.

This short test recording was done on top of my bed in Audacity.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/LRMonoPhaset4.wav

I'm no Johnny Olson, but if I was, this would be a top quality track.

I know it can never be studio quality

Why not?

Koz

Hi, This post caught my attention because i'm pretty much in the same boat as the original poster and I would absolutely love any help in improving the quality of my podcast. I am an amateur in the severest sense when comes to audio editing so any help at all is very much appreciated.

Let me apologize first off for the sound of the mics being gripped. It has become obvious why mic stands are so important and they are on my list of things to attain. Also on that list is foam covers to remove the breathing sounds.

One of the biggest distortions i'm hearing is the hissing, which is my understanding that its my computer causing it. This is why I've made use of the noise removal but I've noticed that when i use it i get a whispiness, for lack of a better word, when vocals do come in.

Again any advice is greatly appreciated.

Jesus... After listening to you sample, I notice several things. You need a pop screen. Your plosives are terribly distracting. It also appears that your levels are very high. It sounds like you have your mic jacked to the bleeding edge, picking up every movement, hum and breath in the room. Bring it down a bit, and trust your mic to pick up your voice, not your digestive tract. Can I ask how close you place your mouth to the mic? I'm guessing somewhere around 3 inches. Back up a bit. The pinkie to thumb (Hang Loose) distance is a good starting place.
Take a listen to the file I uploaded. The only post editing I performed was removal of re-takes, etc and a normalization to -6db. I find that "noise reduction" just kills the liveliness of the voice. It puts the sound in a fog.
Did I mention the pop filter? Simple and very effective.

JesusJFunk wrote:Let me apologize first off for the sound of the mics being gripped. It has become obvious why mic stands are so important and they are on my list of things to attain. Also on that list is foam covers to remove the breathing sounds.

A pop filter and some sort of stand will immediately make a big improvement.
The "fabric on a frame" type pop filter work much better than the foam ones and do not muffle the sound as much.



If you're on a tight budget it is a simple job to make this type of pop filter using a pair of ladies tights/stockings/nylons and a wire coat hanger. Cut a piece off the leg of the stocking so that you have a fabric tube. Bend the wire coat hanger into a diamond shape and pull the fabric over the coat hanger to make a screen. Position this between your face and the microphone.

A makeshift microphone stand can be made with a broom pole, a chair, a sponge and some large elastic bands. Attach the broom to the chair so that it is upright. Place the sponge between the pole and the microphone (to acoustically isolate the microphone from the pole) and use a large elastic band to hold it in place.

JesusJFunk wrote:One of the biggest distortions i'm hearing is the hissing, which is my understanding that its my computer causing it.

Spending money is probably unavoidable for this bit. The microphone inputs built into most off-the-shelf computers are poor quality. They're designed for Skype and similar applications where little better than telephone quality is required. Noise removal can help a bit, but without a reasonable sound card or a USB microphone it will not be possible to make a good recording. Fortunately it need not cost a lot to get something that is considerably better than the average laptop microphone input. Even a $15 Logitech USB Desktop microphone is likely to make a significant improvement if used with a pop shield.

Thank you for the advice guys! All tips are extremely valuable to me!

TheBori wrote:It also appears that your levels are very high. It sounds like you have your mic jacked to the bleeding edge, picking up every movement, hum and breath in the room. Bring it down a bit, and trust your mic to pick up your voice, not your digestive tract.

This is a good point. At the time that i recorded those i did have the mix levels really high cuz they weren't coming in very loud on audacity. Then after the fact i realized that the input volume on audacity was really low, but this does bring up a question i have. There are several ways to change the volume, the mic level, the master mix level and audacity's input level. I'm thinking keeping the master mix level low is the way to go but whats the best combination of these adjustments?

TheBori wrote:Can I ask how close you place your mouth to the mic? I'm guessing somewhere around 3 inches. Back up a bit. The pinkie to thumb (Hang Loose) distance is a good starting place.

Well you're right, i had it maybe two inches away from my mouth but i will be pulling it back.

steve wrote: A pop filter and some sort of stand will immediately make a big improvement.
The "fabric on a frame" type pop filter work much better than the foam ones and do not muffle the sound as much.

thank you for that hint. I was actually going to ask if there's a big difference between pop filters and foam covers. And thats a great idea on how to make one. Definitely going to try that.

steve wrote: Noise removal can help a bit, but without a reasonable sound card or a USB microphone it will not be possible to make a good recording.

I'm actually sending the master mix to my computer with a usb audio interface but im still getting that hiss so im thinking the only solution is going to be to get a better soundcard right?

Again, thanks for your time guys!

JesusJFunk wrote:I'm actually sending the master mix to my computer with a usb audio interface

What sort? Model number?

My usb interface is a Behringer U-control uca200 which as i undertand isnt the greatest one.

JesusJFunk wrote:My usb interface is a Behringer U-control uca200 which as i undertand isnt the greatest one.

They're rather basic, but the sound quality should be quite good.
What sort of microphone and how is it connected to the UCA 200?

i'm using a behringer xm1800s amongs other microphones and it goes to my mixer with an xlr cable. I've done some tests where i just record the analog audio in, just the sound coming off my computer, like songs and stuff, and i get the same hissing. That's really the only thing that's bugging me at the moment hopefully i can find a way to eliminate that.