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philsvoice · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:42 pm Post subject: Editing in Audacity

For those of you who record in Audacity, what is your preferred technique for removing unwanted mouth and breath noises? Do you reduce the volume using the Amplify tool, or do you prefer to replace the unwanted noise with snippets of background noise?

Thanks.

Phil

imaginator · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:29 pm Post subject:

in any program, i delete any stray clicks. depending on the loudness of the breath, and the mood of the piece, i'll either replace with silence or reduce in volume 10 or 20 db. if you have to replace it with background noise (like a video shoot's roomtone), you need a quieter place to record.
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cyclometh · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:12 pm Post subject:

The best way to eliminate mouth and breath noises is with proper mic technique (something I'm still working on!); most post-processing stuff you can do will be detectable as such and it's hard to get rid of it easily.

If it's small things like a breath between passages or unwanted sounds in a gap, you can just take the volume down or replace it with silence.
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Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

Breath by opening the soft palate and the breaths will not be as noticable in the recording. Audio book technique.

Mike Sommer · Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:41 am Post subject:

Lay your tongue on top of your teeth.

Also learn not to take big gasping breaths. Relax, and only take enough breath to to get you though the copy to your next "beat" break or pause. When you mark your copy for pauses or beats, these should also be for your natural breath points.

I should never say never, but you should not eliminate breaths, just lower the volume.
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imaginator · Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:02 pm Post subject:

you should never say never. some producers ask for it that way.
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whalewtchr · Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:45 pm Post subject:

Not sure about Audacity. I do lower volume on breath as needed post production; never eliminate. As far as mouth noises go, I've been coached to narrate with mouth always slightly open and to make sure I am well hydrated. If it gets a little dry I have an atomizer filled with water that I will spray on the front of my teeth after each page as this is where most of the mouth noises originate. Also one can use a green apple to reduce mouth clicks and noises. Dan Lenard turned me on to a cool way to edit artifacts but I would be the wrong person to tell you how.
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject:

When I do audiobooks, I replace with room tone. I usually keep a half second room tone in my clipboard and simply paste over the offending whatever. Don't ever mute. No matter how quiet your recording environment, dropping to -100 db (or whatever muting is, infinity?) is a noticeable plunge.
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Bruce · Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:07 am Post subject:

Also agreed that not creating loud breath noises is the best policy and a part of breath control is to never let your lungs get totally empty of air during a read. These numbers are totally made up but hopefully they can give you some guidance, if you fill your lungs to 3/4 capacity at the beginning of a sentence and then find a good place to take a breath by the time they're down to 1/4 full then you'll never have to gasp. Also keeping the back of your mouth or beginning of your throat as open as possible will cut way down on the breathing noises. Fuller lungs also create a richer sound to your voice.

There are times when you can or must cut breaths out as in a hard driving commercial with way too much copy. But in those cases it's expected (ugh) and there's usually music underneath. I've been doing a lot energetic sports narration lately that in post production has driving music put under it so cutting out bigger breaths and ignoring smaller ones doesn't matter. But if you're doing something that's going to be heard totally dry (without music) such as audiobooks or technical narration, good breath control is critical.

Oh, and the lowest volume is −459.7 db, the same as absolute zero in Fahrenheit.

Well, at least that sounds like a brainy answer.

B
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Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

I might as well pipe in here with a pet peeve of mine. If you're inclined to de-breath, please don't do what I hear far too often. That is, to just cut out the breath and butt the audio together. Usually it's a station-produced spot with way too much copy. And it sounds like shite.

• If you really want to totally remove the breath, make sure to replace it with about 1/2 to 2/3 as much room tone or silence. In context, and especially when mixed with other elements, it will sound fairly natural.

• I sometimes just isolate the breath and drop the level by 7-10db.

• Another easy way to cheat if you have to lose a little time is to cut out the middle part of the breath. Then you can still lower the level if you want. If you do it well, since you still have the beginning and end, it doesn't sound like you cut anything out. And over the course of a :60, you could lose a good second or more.

philsvoice · Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:11 pm Post subject: Thanks!

Thanks everyone for your input. I'll be uploading two examples of edited recordings to the "Critique" Section soon so you can listen to the results.

Phil

georgethetech · Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:50 pm Post subject:

I am dabbling in selling tutorials, my first are for Twisted Wave and Audacity.
If you'd like to check out the Audacity Tut, it's 18 mins and costs $4.99. Covers the basics and is specifically for voice-over. You might just learn something.
If you don't, I'll refund your bux.
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georgethetech · Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:50 pm Post subject:

I am dabbling in selling tutorials, my first are for Twisted Wave and Audacity.
If you'd like to check out the Audacity Tut, it's 18 mins and costs $4.99. Covers the basics and is specifically for voice-over. You might just learn something.
If you don't, I'll refund your bux.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

KaseyKruz · Club 300 Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 336 Location: Michigan

georgethetech · Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:12 am Post subject:

Screenium and iMovie. Looking for a good screen capture a Hobo Tounge

for Windows to do the Windows a Hobo Tounge

tuts, if anyone has a suggestion. Must capture a mic and the system wave sound together.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder