need some basics

[pikeman666]

I've been using the program for a few years now; just installed 2.04. I'm a Win7 user.
Recently I made some voice recordings in a acoustically bright room and although there wasn't echo, it had that quality of "almost echo". I had no idea how to remedy it with the tools in Audacity.
I'd like to learn what the features of the program relate to. I know about the "how-to" information but I need the basics.
Are there any resources out there I can learn from?
Thanks!

[DVDdoug]

it had that quality of "almost echo". I had no idea how to remedy it with the tools in Audacity.

Short, indistinct, echo/reflections is reverb (reverberation). If the reverb is short-duration, you may not hear it as reverb, but it can still affect the "character" of the sound. Unfortunately, it cannot be removed (even with high-end pro software).

Mot pro recording is done in a "dead" room. For music, artificial reverb may be added later during mixing. Or, they sometimes record in a "good sounding" room (or concert hall) to take advantage of the natural reverb.

In future, getting close to the microphone will help a bit (depending on how close you were previously). I assume you have a directional mic (most mics are directional). That will help. And you can try to deaden the room by adding a rug, hanging rugs (or something sound-absorbing) on the walls, etc.

[kozikowski]

Try this.

Isolate a minute or so sample of the show with the echo or full sound prominent. Select the whole thing and use that for the Noise Reduction Profile > OK.

Then open the tool again and apply it to the same sound clip.

Under certain conditions, you can get a reduction in "hollow room" sounds by doing this. You need to mess with the controls. I don't remember how I did it the last time, but it was startling when It worked.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Here's a sample. I pretty much can't tell you how I got here other than poking at buttons. I know there's a magic ingredient.

More when I get a minute.

Koz

[pikeman666]

Here's a sample. I pretty much can't tell you how I got here other than poking at buttons. I know there's a magic ingredient.

More when I get a minute.

Thanks Koz, but at the worst, my narration is way less echo-y than your second sample. That second sample would not be usable for the narration I did.
I was unable to use my usual resording space, which is pretty dead.
Pete