VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Adam Verner · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:18 pm Post subject: To high pass or not to high pass?

So I'm getting completely contradicting advice from two audio engineers on the question of using a High Pass Filter on my preamp (a grace m101).

There's a low-level "dreaded building hum" at times in the office building I'm in...mostly likely from the HVAC unit in the corner of the building. I have no control over it. Turning on the HPF on the preamp knocks it out completely. One audio engineer friend recommends recording with it on. Another says don't...it'll affect the sound of my voice too much.

In recording test tracks there is a slight difference between them, but it's pretty subtle.

From the Grace manual:

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I always record with a HPF at about 80Hz for my corporate clients. I've got a sweepable HPF so I lower it to 40Hz for my non-corporate work.

There is so little frequency of the male voice picked up under 80Hz. Just do it. Wink

_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

Ed Gambill · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

Yea do it.

I have several AKG’s both 414’s and 451EB’s that have role off switches that cut all below 75 Hz. On a regular basis I cut every thing below 40 – 75 in post. A lot of energy in the mix for no gain in performance.

So in the end you had one audio engineer that gave good advice and a person with an opinion.
_________________
Esse quam videri "To be rather than to seem"
www.SaVoa.org

No. 07000 Member AES

Adam Verner · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the thoughts, friends!

Here's two samples, one with the HPF on, one with it off. Pretty obvious which is which:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3192550/this-one.wav
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3192550/or-this-one.wav

This is for audiobooks/narration, so not being mixed with anything else it might be more noticeable.
_________________
Adam
************************************
Natural Voice
adamverner.com
adamverner.com/blog
twitter.com/adam_verner
************************************

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Now, I can understand the problem that arises if we as talents use a HPF and then the post engineers use a HPF again...but they should be able to hear if they need to use it or not.

For my tastes, 100Hz is too high, 80Hz is as high as I'd go...but my prefered way to do it is actually remove everything (not just roll off) below 60Hz with the graphic EQ in Audition but leave everything above 60Hz alone.
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

Mark Szabo · Joined: 07 Dec 2009 Posts: 20

For all of Whitney's work there's HPF engaged. There is no useful content in her voice below around 100Hz, and it cleans up the low end of a track. There's no use in having it in there for voiceover work.

Adam Verner · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject:

So is a High Pass Filter on a pre-amp the same thing as a "Gate"?

Or is it a type of gate? I've only heard the term gates used in filters from the software end.
_________________
Adam
************************************
Natural Voice
adamverner.com
adamverner.com/blog
twitter.com/adam_verner
************************************

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

A HPF is like an EQ setting, whereas the gate is clamping down on the overall volume.
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

Adam Verner · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks Lance!

You said in your earlier post: