duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 11, 2017 14:44:33 GMT -8
Hi everyone!
Duffy here. I've been enjoying writing some beginner-level tech tutorials about gear, equipment, and basic sound technique and engineering.
I've been having SO much fun that I've run out of ideas. Well, that's not entirely true, I just don't know what I ought to write about NEXT. That's where you come in:
What do you guys want to know? Questions about mic technique? How to alter your voice (digitally or naturally?) Booth and area setups? Multitrack audio? You name it!
I'm asking because I would like to write something useful to everyone HERE. Not just something technically useful, but of little value to any members of the boards.
Cheers, and happy recording!
(P.S. even if you don't think it necessarily falls into the realm of "tech" I'd still like to hear what you'd like more info on. "Tech" may be short for "Technology," but I could easily take it to mean "technique" as well. ; )
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Post by Bean on Oct 11, 2017 22:49:50 GMT -8
I don't know if this qualifies, but I'd rather check than keep quiet.
I have an occasional problem when it comes to fixing a take that almost sounds right, but there's maybe a frame or two where you have some sound issue (mic click, a pop, etc.) that messes the thing up. I've fixed this in a past audition or two by copy/pasting from a weaker take where it at least sounds clean over my goof, but this isn't a foolproof solution. There has to be a smarter way of going about this because it has led to me rerecording the entire line in the past because of a tiny, but noticeable issue like that.
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 12, 2017 4:42:21 GMT -8
I don't know if this qualifies, but I'd rather check than keep quiet. I have an occasional problem when it comes to fixing a take that almost sounds right, but there's maybe a frame or two where you have some sound issue (mic click, a pop, etc.) that messes the thing up. I've fixed this in a past audition or two by copy/pasting from a weaker take where it at least sounds clean over my goof, but this isn't a foolproof solution. There has to be a smarter way of going about this because it has led to me rerecording the entire line in the past because of a tiny, but noticeable issue like that. I'm glad to hear this. I've actually been working on a tutorial about splicing audio! In the meantime, it sounds like you've rather got the gist of it. I hate to say it, but the primary solution is usually to try to re-do the take exactly how you did it before. (Though sometimes it's hard to just let "the perfect take" go, if you're spending an hour cleaning up one line, and don't HAVE to...) Re-recording isn't the end of the world, and is sometimes the easiest solution. Plus, it's good consistency practice. ; ) EDIT: On rare occasion, I WILL splice the good part from the retake into the rest of the "perfect" line if it's got that special something. But a good habit to get into is try not to get stuck on it (a bad habit of mine, in fact.) As you go on, you'll realize that there's not enough variance in the retake and the original to make it worth it to anyone but you. Unless you've got a perfectionist client.
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Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Oct 18, 2017 16:59:42 GMT -8
OK, so I'm not sure if this is -at all- what you have in mind or not, but I thought of it because I was PC window shopping again. What about talking about the computer-end hardware pros and cons and what's best specifically *for voice over*. Like, HDD vs. SSD, Desktop vs. Laptop, Mac vs. PC/Windows, etc, specifically relating to voice over itself. I keep hearing things that, frankly, go a bit over my head about needing such-and-such kind of processor, or sound card, unless you have an interface, or something... y'know? It seems like microphones, etc, are pretty obvious to talk about for voice over, because, MICROPHONES!!!, but I don't hear a lot of talk about the computers themselves and what's actually needed (or extra super special awesome) for what.
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Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Oct 19, 2017 13:47:01 GMT -8
Proper settings for De-Esser.ny plugin in Audacity? The default settings don't seem to help at all, but the 'options' are confusing.
I miss when Adobe Audition wasn't subscribeware because they had a de-esser with presets that made it simple.
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Post by Brittany Ann Phillips on Oct 21, 2017 9:21:36 GMT -8
This is sort a tech question/room acoustic question. What type of XLR microphone would you recommend when it comes to recording under a tent of blankets?
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 21, 2017 13:47:50 GMT -8
OK, so I'm not sure if this is -at all- what you have in mind or not, but I thought of it because I was PC window shopping again. What about talking about the computer-end hardware pros and cons and what's best specifically *for voice over*. Like, HDD vs. SSD, Desktop vs. Laptop, Mac vs. PC/Windows, etc, specifically relating to voice over itself. I keep hearing things that, frankly, go a bit over my head about needing such-and-such kind of processor, or sound card, unless you have an interface, or something... y'know? It seems like microphones, etc, are pretty obvious to talk about for voice over, because, MICROPHONES!!!, but I don't hear a lot of talk about the computers themselves and what's actually needed (or extra super special awesome) for what. Well, for this one I dunno if I can make a tutorial about it per sé, rather than just answer it as a question. The short answer is: it doesn't matter. Now, let me qualify that a bit: you'll probably be recording with a sample rate of either 44,100Hz or 48,000Hz. Both of which seem to have nowhere NEAR enough overhead to make writing them even to old-style IDE disks a problem. The trick is going to be figuring out WHAT ELSE is running on the computer. If there's a lot going on, simultaneously, while you're recording, you'll need a bit of a beefier processor and more RAM, but as far as disk access speed, RAM, CPU, as long as you're not dropping any packets when recording, you're fine. I've got an old Acer Aspire One with Windows XP, 1 GB of RAM and a tiny, mutant-style 128GB hard drive in, and I've had that little thing recording up to 4 channels of audio in 48,000Hz simultaneously. Anything on the shelf will probably let you record up to four microphones in high quality. That said, for WORKING WITH, and RENDERING the sound files, better CPU, more RAM, and MAYBE faster drive access speeds (to a much lesser degree - data read/write isn't the bottleneck here) will speed you up. (NOTE: SSDs may not actually be any faster than traditional SATA drive. Many SSDs run at the same speed as a normal SATA platter drive. It's the expensive ones that read/write faster. The same-speed ones are just immune to jarring.)
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 21, 2017 13:56:01 GMT -8
This is sort a tech question/room acoustic question. What type of XLR microphone would you recommend when it comes to recording under a tent of blankets? Heheh, any of them that suit your voice. ; ) That said, I'd recommend a side-address large diaphragm condenser microphone with a high SPL, low noise-floor, and a cardioid or hypercardioid polar pattern. Preferably one with a built-in attenuation (-dB) pad for screamy, shouty bits. The "blanket fort" isn't really a consideration in choosing your mic. You tweak the fort to suit the mic, not the mic to suit the fort. ; ) P.S. For your voice (which I've heard before) make sure to look at the mic's response pattern, and don't jump at one that starts to roll off at the 150Hz range or below. You have a higher voice, so you don't have a lot of presence in that range anyway, and rolling off the bass area of the mic will make you sound shrill, if you aren't careful. Having a flat response (where it doesn't drop lower, as it goes left below 100-150Hz) will keep some presence and warmer tones in your voice, even if there aren't a lot of them.
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 21, 2017 14:22:48 GMT -8
Proper settings for De-Esser.ny plugin in Audacity? The default settings don't seem to help at all, but the 'options' are confusing. I miss when Adobe Audition wasn't subscribeware because they had a de-esser with presets that made it simple. Much to my chagrin, I don't work a whole lot with de-essers, but if you're using this one: forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=79278&p=245549Then try: Threshold: -30 Step: 30 Freq. Between: 4980 and: 13000 Bands: 5 Widen: 5 It's worked for me pretty well on a couple occasions. However, I'm also lazy. I'd rather re-record 5 lines than tinker around trying to fix them. I find that standing back an extra 2 to 5 inches from the mic helps. I'm terrible about sibilants, sometimes. As a result, I adjust my mic technique habitually, and it isn't much of a problem anymore. My other problem is I will sometimes deliver a huge trailing S. [Villain] "I'll make you PAY FOR THIS! SSsssssss." For that, I'll use an adjustable down fade from 100% to 25% a couple times on the last 1/15th to 2/10ths of a second on it, making sure to get the selection past the end of the sound. You can't select TOO MUCH or it sounds like it fades out like an old radio show transition. It needs to be short, sharp, and staccato. I'll use a de-esser if there's a LARGE production, and it's so pervasive throughout that it wouldn't make sense to record it all over again. That said, try giving the mic a couple extra inches of distance, and aiming just above it, rather than directly into the diaphragm. The pop filter won't have any effect on sibilants, but I find if my mouth's too close to it, it can cause similar problems, as well as bad habits.
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 21, 2017 14:26:56 GMT -8
P.S. Lady Stardust ★Due to a small gap in my front teeth (a-la Madonna) if I'm not paying attention, then on very, very rare occasions I will actually WHISTLE on S-es. That's an automatic re-take right there.
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Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Oct 22, 2017 22:22:23 GMT -8
P.S. Lady Stardust ★Due to a small gap in my front teeth (a-la Madonna) if I'm not paying attention, then on very, very rare occasions I will actually WHISTLE on S-es. That's an automatic re-take right there. I do the same thing sometimes and it's horrible. I sound like this character half the time. I have like a weird... reverse lisp where I'm SUPER hissy all the time? Never noticed it growing up or anything like that; only when I started regularly working in voiceover did sound engineers point it out. I do often retake if the sibilance is really bad but when after 4-5 takes I still can't get rid of it, having that de-esser would be a good backup option. As of now I can't get very far back from the mic or else the room echo will get pretty bad, BUT that booth is coming soon, so I can have a chance to try it out then. Anyway, I plugged in those settings you gave and they actually did make a difference unlike the default ones - so thank you so much! I won't need to apply it over all of my recordings or anything, just the really bad sections where I can't get rid of the sibilance no matter how hard I try. I sound like a sssssssnake. ;___;
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 23, 2017 3:34:53 GMT -8
P.S. Lady Stardust ★ Due to a small gap in my front teeth (a-la Madonna) if I'm not paying attention, then on very, very rare occasions I will actually WHISTLE on S-es. That's an automatic re-take right there. I do the same thing sometimes and it's horrible. I sound like this character half the time. I have like a weird... reverse lisp where I'm SUPER hissy all the time? Never noticed it growing up or anything like that; only when I started regularly working in voiceover did sound engineers point it out. I do often retake if the sibilance is really bad but when after 4-5 takes I still can't get rid of it, having that de-esser would be a good backup option. As of now I can't get very far back from the mic or else the room echo will get pretty bad, BUT that booth is coming soon, so I can have a chance to try it out then. Anyway, I plugged in those settings you gave and they actually did make a difference unlike the default ones - so thank you so much! I won't need to apply it over all of my recordings or anything, just the really bad sections where I can't get rid of the sibilance no matter how hard I try. I sound like a sssssssnake. ;___; Glad it helped out some! I think it's an effect of being in voiceover for a while, and getting into the habit of clearly annunciating (almost OVERannunciating) everything. It's fine when it's B's or L's or T's. But when you get S'es involved... (And I do it with TH too, sometimes.) You get into a specific "speaking mode" in the booth, and it just kind of sticks. Sometimes even outside the booth, kind of like those radio guys that sound like they're doing a radio commercial even in casual conversation. ; )
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 23, 2017 3:40:28 GMT -8
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Post by cyberluka on Oct 24, 2017 6:29:06 GMT -8
I've got little experience voice acting but I have been in touch with microphones pretty much whole my life. I'll give a few tips.
- DO NOT put a high volume on your mic directly and don't stand to close. - Sometimes, swallow first if you feel like you cant make it a whole sentence. - Playing with your voice is basicly competing yourself, Always perform better than your ego. - The beauty of VA is that noone can see you or is able to know you, create your own reality! - Shoulders back, chest up, relax the throat and stand. Perceive yourself as anonymous first.
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Oct 27, 2017 4:35:27 GMT -8
I've got little experience voice acting but I have been in touch with microphones pretty much whole my life. I'll give a few tips. - DO NOT put a high volume on your mic directly and don't stand to close. - Sometimes, swallow first if you feel like you cant make it a whole sentence. - Playing with your voice is basicly competing yourself, Always perform better than your ego. - The beauty of VA is that noone can see you or is able to know you, create your own reality! - Shoulders back, chest up, relax the throat and stand. Perceive yourself as anonymous first. Well, and for USB mics, volume may be an issue, but for XLR mics going through an interface, as well as more upscale USB mics, the setting you're truly worried about is gain, which acts on the signal before it's processed. That'll distort the signal before it has a chance to even be amplified by the volume control, if it's too high, and yet if it's too LOW, you're not going to pick up enough of the more subtle sounds, or nuances in your voice. Calibrating your gain should keep both of these things in mind. Volume is a consideration, but as long as the signal isn't DISTORTED, you can pull the volume back to a normal level in the DAW. Swallowing is excellent if you're making too much mouth noise, and I find that you'll also want to refrain from eating, and if you DO drink (a good idea to stay hydrated) make sure it's nothing with sugar, which adds to the effect. Water or unsweetened tea works well, although I really like a salty mineral water called Ессентуки́ in small amounts, it's not good AT ALL for your blood pressure. It's like someone liquified one of those salt licks you see for deer in Winter. XD
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