| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
jsgilbert
Backstage Pass
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Posts: 468
Location: left coast of u.s.
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:12 am Post subject: Question - Setting sound levels in e-learning. |
 |
|
I have an issue with a client at the moment regarding recording levels.
Having recorded e-learning for 12 or more years, I've been working off of published guide sheets for some of the bigger companies I used to do e-learning for.
In general the settings are very light compression (2:1 maxmum) or on some occasions, no compression. And overall levels of -9db average to -6 db average, with peaking to no more than -3db. and with an overall noise floor of less than -58db (Some requesting a full gate be used at -32db or so)
Does this seem about right? Am I missing anything? Are there specs that vary widely from this that are being used in professional e-learning situations?
Thanks in advance
_________________
j.s. gilbert
js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com
"today is the first day of the rest of the week" |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Jeffrey Kafer
Assistant Zookeeper
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Location, Location!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
One can nit-pick a dB here and there (which is a pointless exercise and more to do with work-flow than the final quality)... but all that seems pretty much right-on (man).
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mandy Nelson
MMD
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 2914
Location: Wicked Mainah
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
Wow, what is it they think they want? You know that's spot on. Some clients ask for the strangest things.
_________________
006 member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Mic. Bonded by sound.
Manfillappsoc: The Mandy and Philip mutual appreciation Society. Who's in your network?
Have you seen my mic closet? ~ me to my future husband |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jsgilbert
Backstage Pass
Joined: 27 Jun 2008
Posts: 468
Location: left coast of u.s.
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's become like a "more cow bell" thing. Louder, louder, louder. It would appear that what they want is somewhere around 12:1 compression and an average -3db or so, which I guess wouldn't peak beyond -2.2 or so, owing to the high compression. Apparently they have some folks who are doing this and must be going in and pulling out every little "thing" by hand.
I think it sounds terrible, with every "k" sound approaching the slap of a slateboard, my sibelence makes me sound like Sylvester the cat and even gated requires way too much fiddidling to make it sound good.
On the other hand, the files I originally sent them even cranked up mightily to an 11 on my ampleefyer, sound pretty good.
<sigh> Thanks. I was hoping there was something I might have missed, but apparently not.
_________________
j.s. gilbert
js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com
"today is the first day of the rest of the week" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mandy Nelson
MMD
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 2914
Location: Wicked Mainah
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
Tell them to turn up their speakers. 
_________________
006 member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Mic. Bonded by sound.
Manfillappsoc: The Mandy and Philip mutual appreciation Society. Who's in your network?
Have you seen my mic closet? ~ me to my future husband |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
heyguido
MMD
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2507
Location: RDU, the Geek Capitol of the South
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's been my experience that many of these guys haven't "learned" a thing about audio production. Have they not heard of listener fatigue?
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
todd ellis
A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10529
Location: little egypt
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
i have an elearning client that likes files at -3db ... but nowhere NEAR that compression.
maybe the software they are using to put their courses together is configured to normalize the audio to "X" and they don't even know it.
_________________
"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lance Blair
M&M
Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2281
Location: Atlanta
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 2:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
JS that all sounds correct. I even switch down to a lower impedance setting on my preamp to avoid 'listening fatigue'...AND THEN CRANK IT TO 6.7 KOHMS FOR THE HARD SELL!!! 
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mandy Nelson
MMD
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 2914
Location: Wicked Mainah
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 8:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I just giggled way too hard. Thanks, Lance, for the nose clearing.
_________________
006 member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Mic. Bonded by sound.
Manfillappsoc: The Mandy and Philip mutual appreciation Society. Who's in your network?
Have you seen my mic closet? ~ me to my future husband |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mike Harrison
M&M
Joined: 03 Nov 2007
Posts: 2029
Location: Equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, along the NJ Shore
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 10:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
| heyguido wrote: | | Have they not heard of listener fatigue? |
Indeed. My guess is that some eLearning producers are in that business simply because they own the hardware and software necessary to provide eLearning content. So I'm convinced that those "hey, look what I can do" types may not know or even care all that much about instructing and learning.
We can't judge the efficacy of eLearning by how much is thrown at the learner; it's how much of the content is retained by the learner that's important. A person first has to have a motivation to learn (desire or mandate). But if the audio they're made to listen to is less than engaging or, worse, annoying and even difficult to listen to, they're not going to remember anything about the lesson except that having to listen to it sucked big-time.
Local radio stations make the same mistake with their usually horrendously written and produced commercials. If we don't give the listener any reason to want to listen, they just won't.
_________________
Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Unfortunately, most are produced by people who don't have the first idea about this stuff. Some, quite literally, become painful experiences, especially when listening on headphones.
My first experience with audio learning was back in '78 when I worked for IBM. I was sent on a four-month training course where I was trained on various bits of hardware. The vast majority of the course was presented on an IBM Dictaphone machine (the one that used the old 3" bands). The audio quality was terrible and the presentation was an over-enunciated American voice (didactic and messianic). Thirty-four years later... I am still haunted by the phrase... "We will first look at the specific nomenclature used in this sub-section."
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
heyguido
MMD
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2507
Location: RDU, the Geek Capitol of the South
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Dude.... I do not want to see your nomenclature. Put that thing away. 
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Monk
King's Row
Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 1152
Location: Nestled in the Taconic Hills
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
and of course there's the difference between: GNOME-men-clay-tur and no-MEN-clah-tur
_________________
Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me...
www.monksvoice.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
heyguido
MMD
Joined: 31 Aug 2011
Posts: 2507
Location: RDU, the Geek Capitol of the South
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
And for God's sake, cover your subsection.
_________________
Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
