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tokyofan · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:57 am Post subject: extreme EQ?

I was at a studio today where I often do English educational narration and also record audio guides for a couple museums in Tokyo. The Japanese engineer mentioned that the museum client recently prefers more warmth and clarity in the reads....and he showed me the EQ settings he dials in for me:

200 Hz +4.9 dB Q1

11.2 KHz +9.8 dB Q7

2 questions:

Are these not extreme bumps?

Should I be insulted? Smile

thx.
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Ed Gambill · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:38 am Post subject:

Not to my ear. It was a nice inhancment; I don't think you are being treated unkind.

My Method;
I took a dry read that SaVoa has on file. I used Sound Forge and set the EQ points you mentioned. Next I set the monitors at my desk at 79-85 db out put using a Type II sound level meter. The monitors are JBL 2500 (intended for book case use, tilted back a few degrees to put the HiFreq in line with my ears. The Lows are from an Altec Sub). I then listened to some things I know well to insure good replication. Then I listened to your file with the EQ points set and did an A/B comparison. Ambient room noise 32db on C weighted scale, fast response.
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:14 am Post subject:

Don't take any extreme adjustment personally, you gave them what they wanted, and they simply adjusted to their needs. Happens all the time.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

It's a good question, since the implication is that your voice doesn't have warmth and clarity...and yet it does.

Probably they are aware of the limitations of the sound reproduction system (earbuds?) and the masking effects of the ambient noise of the museum environment.

200Hz and 10-12kHz are some prime real estate for enhancing the male voice. That didn't come out right, did it?
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:02 am Post subject:

You tell us Lance.

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crisden · Guest

I agree with everyone else here. After you record the work and they're happy with it, what post processing they do is upon their whim and in no way a reflection of you or your ability. Like Lance stated, those EQ bumps are most likely to accommodate the tech and environment that they deal with.

When I first read it though, the old school engineer in me did have a reaction. As a reference, I have a general gauge when I record musical performances be they instrumentation or vocals. When its time to mix and I have to add any EQ more than +/-6db, I generally accept the fact that I missed something in my recording methods. Usually, its just me being lazy. Of course, the sky's the limit in the world of VO.

Mark Szabo · Joined: 07 Dec 2009 Posts: 20

A lot of times, the EQ applied has nothing to do with the sound of the source, but the sound of the room and signal chain involved. I gently EQ Whitney's voice because we cut a lot of takes with a Shure SM7b, and a tiny bump at 4.5k can flatter that mic.

Likewise, she's doing takes in a largely untreated room with lots of bass buildup - for her singing takes, I put a highpass filter on her voice that effectively erases everything from about 200Hz on down. Extreme!

tokyofan · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject: re:

OK, manhood still intact. Thx. Smile

I'm playing around with similar EQ settings at home. May post some samples later. Stay tuned...

BTW, just joined Voice 123 for a year...will see what happens.
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Dayo · Cinquecento Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 544 Location: UK

I guess my two cents would be that when it comes to EQ use your ears not your eyes. A friend of mine is one of the best known New York voices and you should see a screen shot of the EQ he uses when clients ask for pre-sweetened tracks! Yours would not be extreme by comparison.

I also think that a lot has to do with the quality of the EQ unit. For instance, you can boost a well designed Pultec massively and the chances are it won't sound bad. Of course, so much depends on the booth, but that's another topic.