Audacity Forum

I would be glad to start a new topic on voice recording quality, but I can't figure out how. (Sorry I'm such a newbie). Attached is my audio file of part of an audition I turned in. The author said the voice was fine, but there was too much noise. I hadn't noticed the noise til he said that, so I listened to it again with the volume turned all the way up, and there it was. He suggested it might be an equipment problem. Any thoughts?

Maybe a longer one with many different words in it.
This is the quality test for audiobook reading. Read down the blue links. They're very short.

https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/Tes ... _Clip.html

Koz

Never mind. This is good.

You're too close to the microphone and/or you're not using a pop and blast filter. "Punching" has P Popping where the P sound splatters or explodes and is louder than it should be.

There may be other problems, but that one stood out. I don't hear any obvious echoes or reverb. Echoes are common in home readers.

That black tennis racket is a pop filter.



Are you listening to yourself in real time?

Everybody who does this for pay wears headphones. It's easy to pick out mistakes and voice problems when you're listening to them right then. It does take a bit to get used to.



You should be able to plug your wired headphones into the Solo and flip the Direct Monitor switch on. Watch your ears the first time you do that.

If you have a reasonable recording room, it should be possible to turn out good quality sound with a lot of different microphones.

Koz

Everybody wants to solve problems with a checkbook. I bet if you're a little messy with this microphone, you're going to be messy with a more expensive one.

Koz

How close are you? You're speaking into the side of the microphone just up from the company name, right? You don't speak into the round end.

You can help some of these problems by announcing a little off center. Like somewhere between A and B.



Do one of those ten second readings and post it. "Hudson Valley cows....."

Do you have a nice heavy towel or blanket on the table? That will take a little of the hardness out of the voice.



Forget everything else, but note that big heavy blanket I have on the table.

Koz

If you post that audiobook test we can give you a noise evaluation.

Koz

Jasupro wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:40 am

I would be glad to start a new topic on voice recording quality, but I can't figure out how.

For future reference, (it's very easy )
1. Start from the most relevant forum board - normally that will be the Windows board: viewforum.php?f=46
2. Click the "New Topic" button.

Jasupro wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 17, 2020 12:40 am

Attached is my audio file of part of an audition I turned in. The author said the voice was fine, but there was too much noise. I hadn't noticed the noise til he said that, so I listened to it again with the volume turned all the way up, and there it was. He suggested it might be an equipment problem. Any thoughts?

Firstly, the noise is not bad. It's only a shade higher than ACX / Audible specify for audio books. Using only a bass roll-off filter and Normalization it will "just" meet the ACX specifications. Of course it's better to aim for better than "just meet the specs", and Koz is the man that has gathered the spells, incantations and workflows to do so. One of the most important things in voice recording is consistency, so it is essential to develop a regular workflow that produces consistent results - you're starting from a good place, close to pole position