Total Audacity noob here

[James H]

Sample track #3 in this post. This is with my speaking at about 2/3 of max volume. I can have an extremely loud and penetrating voice that, were I to cut loose, would likely enrage my neighbors. I know it enrages people when I'm cheering at sports events. I can literally be heard quite clearly on the other side of stadia.

[Trebor]

ATTACHMENTS
Audacity Forum Sample JH 003.wav

You've fixed the sibilance, and the mains hum isn't too bad.
But there is still the sizzle from 6Hz-10kHz which is noise generated by the electronics.

The headset-microphone is adequate for the purpose it was designed : live Voice Over Internet communication.
It can't be converted into a studio microphone via post-production, not even if I throw all my paid-for software at it ...

''Audacity Forum Sample JH 003'' - After paid-for noise-removal plugins applied (via Audacity) #2.flac

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[kozikowski]

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Audacity Forum Sample JH 003Mastered.wav

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I used Mastering Suite 4 and added Noise Reduction 6, 6, 9.

This is highly not recommended because you applied corrections and then I applied corrections and Trebor has advanced different corrections yet.

This is the kind of thing that happens when the microphone and recording system isn't up to scratch. The microphone has high volume frying noises and hum. It's peaking the SS sounds in your words and may be uneven in it's positive and negative waves.

The only up side is the volume (in the clip you posted) which is just about right.

If you're using the built-in soundcard in your computer, I think I'm pretty safe in recommending you stop doing that. We can probably force this to work, but you will get a laundry list of different effects and corrections and you will need to be careful to apply them all to each and every chapter forever.

If you're reading for audiobooks, ACX recommends strongly that all your chapters match, so there is no upgrading in the middle of a book or publication.

Koz

[James H]

Ok.

Trebor & Koz, let me make sure I have this aright: My voice and delivery are mostly adequate, and possibly trainable to become better. In other words, if I were doing this in a professional studio, it would be all good, or mostly so. I thank both of you for your work in helping analyze my situation; I/we couldn't have come to these conclusions without your assistance.

But here at home, my hardware and "studio" environments aren't what it would take to do this easily. Come January, I'll be starting a new job, and this PC is going to be replaced at some point; it's getting old and time only flows in the one direction: forward and mercilessly so.

So, what should I be looking forward to, if I want to do this? (And I think I do. Why waste talent, if talent I have?)

A good mic, certainly. A PC with quieter or less fans? A dedicated sound card (i.e. a Creative Labs SoundBlaster) instead of the chip-on-board that I currently have? Would a laptop fit the bill?

A better/quieter recording environment: As in some kind of purpose-built studio of some size or type? I can't at this time, afford a dedicated studio room, so some sort of compromise would have to be made.

I have personal backstory that should be mentioned, if only briefly. I'd sent you a PM the other day, Koz, but your box is apparently full. So I'll be brief, here, and please understand that I'm not fishing for sympathy or looking for ANY kind of charity.

I was in a bad accident back in summer of 2015 that left me with a TBI, among a couple of other minor physical injuries. It's been a long row to hoe, and, cognitively speaking, I'd say I'm operating at 90%-95% of where I was pre-accident.

So I'm ready to get back into the workplace, full-time. Before, I've been a fairly successful salesman and technical writer for all my professional life. That is the direction I will probably be gravitating back towards.

As far as the voice work goes, again, any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I want to make my voice work for me, even if only in a supplementary capacity.

Thanks much, again, for your hard work in helping me out!

Best Regards,
-JH

[kozikowski]

How about stop using the computer?

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That is a centuries-old Zoom H4 sitting on a roll of paper towels (available at any Piggly Wiggley). The whole thing is perched on a furniture moving pad to avoid desk surface distortion.

You can get a nice Zoom H1n $120 usd which compares favorably in price to a Yeti USB microphone $150 usd. You'll be missing the "Yeti Curse" and all the other computer and USB problems (skipping and stuttering) and the recorder will fit in your pocket.

Connect the recorder to your computer with a USB cable, transfer the sound files and master in Audacity.

If you do go the USB microphone route, remember you can never get more than 6 feet (2M) away from the computer.

Set up your paper towel and recorder and launch the script of your choice: Tablet (completely silent), Smartphone (completely silent) or (gasp) Paper.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Josh Turner did the whole first third of his musical career on a Zoom H2. That's it on the rock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcVec_RPwuc

It could be said that the H2 was the high point of Zoom development The Legacy H2 is still going on eBay for new unit prices. The new H2n reflects the sales team involvement (Now!! With 37 microphones!!).

They have to eat, too.

Zoom isn't the only company making stand-alone recorders. Tascam comes to mind. Olympus works, too, but in their case you have to avoid the phrase "Voice Recorder." That's their code for note-taking and nothing else.

Koz

[Trebor]

+1 on the dedicated-recorder idea.

They're designed for professional-quality sound-recording.
Can run on batteries, so no mains-hum. No USB electrical-noise. No fan noise.

You can then transfer the recording to the computer for editing in Audacity, (e.g. de-essing).

A closet full of clothes can be an effective sound-booth.
Heavy curtain / thick blanket, (thrift store ?), will reduce reverberation from the room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Se381sERrY

[James H]

Wow! This might be just the ticket for my needs, at this point.
I've seen digital audio recorders in various stores before now, but I didn't know their capabilities until I did a little research this afternoon.
Seems to me that for my price-point, the Zooms are the best of the bunch.
I saw some Tascam, Olympus, and Sony product out there, but they didn't seem to be of the same quality.

So it seems there's a LOT of upside to this...
...is there any downside?

[kozikowski]

Although they will plug into the wall for power (at least mine will), that's not recommended because that connects you do all the problems wall power can have. If you stick with batteries, somebody has to buy them and I have no idea what the life term is. I understand there was one Zoom model that went through batteries like a wildfire. I wouldn't be shocked if it was taken off the market.

I didn't check the H1n. Typically, they use two AA or AAA batteries. You can get rechargeable units and continually cycle between two or three sets.

I can't see my sound meters while I'm performing. I could record at different spacing and volume, inspect the results and get close that way. I got lucky first time out.

I transferred my performance to the big Mac, shot it through AudioBook Mastering 4 and applied very gentle noise reduction of the beast (6, 6, 6). That's what you're listening to. I really sound like that. The obsessives will immediately correct the word timing just a bit and take out my congenital tongue smacks. I would not remove the breath sounds. I don't know of ACX ever bouncing anybody for natural breathing sounds.

Do you know the product review trick? Ignore the reviews that say the unit will bake bread and cure cancer. Look at the negative reviews with a bad spelling or two. Those are probably real, especially if there are two or more that say about the same thing. Obviously ignore the reviews that hate the paint color.

I think the age of my recorder is showing in the voice quality. It's mellow and pleasant to listen to. It does not have the modern "Professional Microphone" sharp, overly-crisp, harsh, annoying quality. Trebor notwithstanding, it probably doesn't need DeEssing. Newer units may not be so lucky. I don't know.

If you're considering the H1n, I'll pull down the manual and see if there are any obvious gotchas.

Koz

[Trebor]

Do you know the product review trick? Ignore the reviews that say the unit will bake bread and cure cancer.
Look at the negative reviews with a bad spelling or two. Those are probably real ...

There's websites which rate the legitimacy of Amazon reviews, e.g. https://www.fakespot.com/

[ Someone is trying real hard to shift those whining Yetis ]