VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

danhughes · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Champaign, IL

Please listen to the file below (it's just 10 seconds) and let me know your thoughts.

The first three seconds are the end of the canned intro. The last six seconds are the beginning of a particular episode. The sound in this second part is bad, and I don't know why.

I'm using an MXL V57M microphone with pop filter and foam mic cover in a foam sound box, a Behringer 1204FX mixer, and an inexpensive HP desktop computer with the stock sound card. I record with Adobe Audition 1.5, and the levels looked good when I recorded.

Any thoughts on what's going on here?

http://danhughes.net/test1.mp3

Thanks!

---Dan

Deirdre · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:41 am Post subject:

Boy, my first impression was that it sounded like dirty contacts in the mic chain.

Are you using a dedicated hard drive specifically for audio?
Your audio should always be on a separate drive from your OS.
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David Swinehart · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:43 am Post subject: Re: Help with Audio Problem?

danhughes · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Champaign, IL

Forgot to say, the mixer uses a USB port, not the audio jack on the computer.

And the stock part of the file - the first three seconds - was recorded with the same setup but a different microphone, and that sounds fine.

My thought was that it was either a bad mic, or something technical that has gone bad lately (the stock beginning was recorded several months ago; the new file was recorded yesterday).

David Swinehart · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:08 am Post subject:

todd ellis · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:05 am Post subject:

is the problem intermittent? i have had a similar issue with AA 1.5 - same type of distortion - if i'm watching the wav generation while recording i see the file is being generated significantly BEHIND the cursor - every time this happens - i get the crappy sound. but if i stop - and start again - it goes away. it doesn't happen often - just sometimes. and stop/start always fixes it. never had the problem w/AA3 in the same set up.
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Donna · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:03 am Post subject:

danhughes · Joined: 07 Dec 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Champaign, IL

I solved my problem.

I unplugged and cleaned all the connectors, then re-recorded the program. It sounded fine.

Then I ran it through Levelator, and guess what - the fuzziness was back!

So the problem was with Levelator, not my equipment.

Guess I won't use Levelator any more.

ARG!

---Dan, http://danhughes.net

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:16 am Post subject:

Levelator is for amateurs/podcasters who don't know how to use compression. Skip the one-size-fits all tools. The filters within AA are far better if you figure out how to configure them for your voice and recording style.
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DaveChristi · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:34 pm Post subject:

Jeffrey has it right. I've got a "tweaked" version of Compander in AA that fits MY voice... however, if I used it on, say, F2's voice, it wouldn't sound right.

Play with your processing A LOT. However, also be aware that many studios don't want you to process it at all.
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Deirdre · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:02 pm Post subject:

@Donna—

The recording a Hobo Tounge

software should be on your OS drive, the audio files should be on the external/other drive.
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Frank F · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:13 pm Post subject:

Compander = "...a method of mitigating the detrimental effects of a channel with limited dynamic range. The name is a portmanteau of compressing and expanding."

Levelator = "Automatic Gain Control" ugggggh

Hypothetically; O.K., so Dave and I sound great - even flat. But we want DC louder to match the audio volume level more closely. What do you do?

Do you Compress the audio file from DC or do you Expand the audio? Or do you do both?

Now that we have "fixed" the audio volume level for Dave and I, we need to do something with Dierdre's voice for the project. Although she is terrific sounding, she sent a compressed audio file (this IS hypothetical, she would never do that unless requested to do so) and the sound is different from the guys. Now what do you do?

This is why you never mess with compression unless you A) Know what you are doing, and cool

Are requested to do so --- IF you know what you are doing.

I always tell folks to play to their hearts content with the "toys", but when you do something for hire - send it without any effects. Learning how to mess your audio up is a experience and an education.

Oh, and Thank You DC for thinking of me in your example.

Toodles

F2
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