I'm not sure how to fix this hum issue. Despite the large amount of noise reduction I apply, there's still a lot of hum.

[5k33t3r]

So I've done two different samples: one of which went through a lot of noise reduction and normalizing, and the other of which went through even more noise reduction and normalizing. What you're about to hear won't sound like how it would be presented in a video, as I edited both of these clips in Premiere Pro to be quieter.

As a preface, my mic is a Blue Yeti X. It's pointed towards me at roughly a 45 degree angle. I sit slightly far away from my mic, and I bend down at a roughly 70 degree angle as I speak into the mic. Amplify and Noise Reduction were applied after Normalize.

Here's the first sample: https://voca.ro/18maqK9myGJt

The parameters are the following:

Normalize:

• Remove DC offset is turned on.

• Set Peak Amplification to: -5.0 dB

Noise Reduction:

• Noise Profile is the beginning of the track (which has been deleted after the noise reduction process).

• Noise Reduction: 16 dB

• Sensitivity: 14.00

• Frequency smoothing: 11 bands

Amplify:

• Amplification: 0.6 dB

• New Peak Amplitude: -3.3148 dB

Here's the second sample: https://voca.ro/14xu3MBWEVRm

The parameters are the following:

Normalize:

• Remove DC offset is turned on.

• Set Peak Amplification to: -8.0 dB

Noise Reduction:

• Noise Profile is the beginning of the track (which has been deleted after the noise reduction process).

• Noise Reduction: 43 dB

• Sensitivity: 20.00

• Frequency smoothing: 10 bands

Amplify:

• Amplification: 0.8 dB

• New Peak Amplitude: -6.6822 dB

Here's the third sample: https://voca.ro/1c2itgs1SPz9

The parameters are the following:

Normalize:

• Remove DC offset is turned on.

• Set Peak Amplification to: -9.0 dB

Noise Reduction:

• Noise Profile is the beginning of the track (which has been deleted after the noise reduction process).

• Noise Reduction: 43 dB

• Sensitivity: 20.00

• Frequency smoothing: 10 bands

Amplify:

• Amplification: 0.8 dB

• New Peak Amplitude: -6.6822 dB

The third clip is definitely the clearest, but all suffer from an excess amount of hum, and when I try to play these tracks with music in the background, the hum is very distracting even when both are optimally balanced. Whether through Audacity or Adobe Premiere Pro (CC 2017), do you have any advice for solving this issue?

Alternatively, do you think my audio is perfectly fine and it doesn't need major changes?

As a final note, here's a clip of my voice (the second sample was used) with background music played over it (both tracks have gone through a lot of audio balancing in Premiere Pro): https://voca.ro/1h2n6t6Assjg

[Trebor]

... Here's the first sample: https://voca.ro/18maqK9myGJt

I can't hear any hum on that,
the outstanding problem is distortion* possibly caused by too much dynamic-range-compression.

You haven't mentioned applying compression, so possibly that's occurring before the sound gets to Audacity.

[ * not curable in post-production, need a do-over, not too loud: leave ~6dB of headroom]

[5k33t3r]

That's it? My issue is compression?

[Trebor]

That's it? My issue is compression?

IMO the issue is distortion, not hum.

It's possible to create such distortion using high compression ratio,
and/or the signal from the microphone was too loud (too hot) before any processing was applied.

Unfortunately post-production in Audacity or other software cannot reverse this distortion.

[5k33t3r]

It should be known that I recorded this initially through QuickTime Player and then opened the mp3 file in Audacity. The effects I applied still worked, so it seems safe to say that I could still edit distortion and compression.

Nonetheless, I've found a different setup that doesn't cause anywhere near as much distortion, and now I'm about to edit it.

[DVDdoug]

clipping (overload distortion) is a kind of dynamic compression (a bad kind, unless you're using it intentionally as an "effect").

I didn't listen because I'm at work....

It's pointed towards me at roughly a 45 degree angle. I sit slightly far away from my mic, and I bend down at a roughly 70 degree angle as I speak into the mic.

I don't know how all of those angles add-up but you should be speaking directly into the front of the mic and you should be fairly close. If you are getting "plosives" (breath pops) it's OK if the mic is slightly-off to one side or you can speak slightly-over the top of the mic but it should be pointed at your mouth. And the mic should be set to cardioid (directional).

If you have to bend-over it might be better to position the mic differently or position yourself differently to make yourself comfortable. (You might need a different/regular mic stand).

[kozikowski]

So I've done two different samples: one of which went through a lot of noise reduction and normalizing, and the other of which went through even more noise reduction and normalizing.

Now post a sample that didn't go through anything.

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

Read down the blue links. They're short.

You're using a Yeti-X? Did you figure out the convenient multi-function control knob? I couldn't either.

Yeti's are side-fire microphones. You should be speaking into the side grill just up from the company name. Not the round top.

Screen Shot 2020-11-25 at 10.23.54 AM.png (44.25 KiB) Viewed 394 times

Koz

[kozikowski]

This is a good target for unprocessed voice recording.



It's possible you can't get there. If not, we need to address that first before you throw lists of processes at it.

Koz

[5k33t3r]

Okay, how does this sound?

This time, I recorded with my mic only slightly tilted (at an estimated 78 degree angle) and with me not bending myself towards the mic. I've applied noise reduction and compression effects, and it sounds much clearer.

https://voca.ro/1dQ8NucaJrDa

If you think this is satisfactory enough, I'll then be editing it in Premiere Pro. Thanks for the assistance!

[kozikowski]

If you think this is satisfactory enough

If you're happy, we're happy. You're the Producer.

Koz