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Chuck Davis · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:34 am Post subject: Audiobook Editing

I'm in the process of recording some demo material for an audiobook project. Since this is my first dip into that end of the pond I'm wondering about editing.

Do you completely de-breath the read...or just take out the more prominent breaths. I'm using just a touch of compression, for warmth mostly, and working the mic off-axis at about 6-inchs.

Any recommendations?
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:46 am Post subject:

I listen to audio book voraciously and I hear breaths, but they are subtle.

From what I can hear, they edit out the big gusts at the beginning of sentences, but leave in the shorter ones in the middle of sentences. You don't want to eliminate them altogether, as that would sound unnatural.

Again, my perspective is that of a critical ear consumer, not an expert in editing them.
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brianforrester · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:49 am Post subject:

I lean in the same directions as Jeff... keep it simple and sounding clean, but not sterile.

Besides, editing every breath would take for frickin' ever!
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bobsouer · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:53 am Post subject:

Chuck,

What Jeff has noted is exactly the way I edit my own audiobook work. It has to sound like a living human being talking (and thus breathing) or it becomes very uncomfortable while listening. Also, when I deliver my voice tracks for audiobooks I use no compression or other audio processing at all.
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:34 am Post subject:

As a matter of course, I reduce my breaths by 20dB. One can still hear the essence of breath, just not the gasp that happens live and in person. Another trick I learned early on, but use only occasionally, is to take out the middle of a large breath, to shorten it. As you know cadence is key in most reads (save car spots, as you certainly do know, Chuck!)
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

How do you reduce the volume of breath sounds? Manually?? That must be a huge undertaking.
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:03 am Post subject:

Oh! Not for voluminous things like audio books. I don't do audio books.
But long narration projects, yes. I just take the time, use my keyboard shortcut, and settle in.
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Chuck Davis · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:04 am Post subject:

I guess in PT you could just highlight the breath and use the audiosuite "gain" tool...I'd worry about zero crossings though.
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Mandy Nelson · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

When all breath has to be removed I use a batch command in audition. I'll have to check and see what it is but I'll gladly share it.
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Frank F · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:07 am Post subject:

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:26 am Post subject:

I'd love to know that batch command, Mandy. I did some super fast furniture spots that had no time for breaths.
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Mandy Nelson · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

Jeff, I'm looking and can't find it. It couldn't have been my imagination...I'm going to check with my husband who is the one who wrote it for me. I think it was just changing the parameters to silence everything below a certain db. Oh, and it was in Sound Forge, not Audition. Sorry about that...I use both and sometimes flip flop them in my head. I do all batch commands in Sound Forge.
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todd ellis · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject:

if you're not TOO worried about a little processing - play with the compander in AA - you can make it do a lot ... without making it sound like it.
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Mandy Nelson · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject:

OK, so I'm not delusional. We did have a command and we did use it but it was too difficult so we ditched it. Basically he had created a command that gated everything below a certain db and then we used it for a week. It required that I pace my reading and breathing so there was a definitive space around each breath and the breath had to be very quiet. If I took a big breath it obviously didn't work. I used it for just over a week for many projects but then caved and went back to the old way b/c it was really hard to read that way. It just wasn't natural. I feel like a dolt saying we had one then completely forgetting why I don't use it.

When I was explaining it to him, Dan pointed out that if we had come up with something great we'd be rich right now. Sigh, guess what? I'm still scrubbing my own toilets. He did say he'd replicate it, though, if you want to give it a try.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

The compander in AA rules...I've used it on non-commercial work and no one has noticed in that it unobtrusively makes everything squeaky clean. It's sweet.

There's also always the dynamic mic route...and condenser mic selection can be a big help too.
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