VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

HeatherMasters

I just had a client remark on how clean my raw files are, and it made me realize I do use processing...I guess I just don't consider it processing. I have a stack from Izotope RX with a declick/hi pass/lo pass/and super light dialogue denoise which makes my "Raw" audio a dream. But my question is: Is it dishonest to call it "Raw?" I consider processed audio to be things which affect the voice-compression, EQ etc.

Because I had told the client in a previous conversation that the files were raw, I wrote him back to apologize for forgetting the light amount of processing which I do. He said he loves it and don't change it, so that's good. But I'm wondering if it would ever be a problem for any future client who may ask for Raw audio...

What do you consider "processed" audio?
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Heather

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Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:43 am Post subject:

It means coffee without cream or sugar. I still make the coffee, a nice clean cup, and leave it to the producer, sound guy to add everything else according to taste.

Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

If it sounds good it probably is. (Didn't George say that?)
Raw technically means no processing. Just straight unadulterated signal.

Bruce · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:29 am Post subject:

Engineers who really know their stuff might be able to tell, so I'd only worry about it if you're sending to them. They can and may do everything you're doing already without a care. Now, 99.99% of regular end users can't tell and don't care if you use such minimal processing.

In fact I have a few clients who I know will take my audio and put it straight into their video, and if it's unprocessed it sounds flat and lifeless. So with them I always give the audio a bit of compression, say 3:1 or a bit higher and it sounds much better in the end product.

B
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:45 am Post subject:

What Phillip said. I call my audio raw but it is not 100% as it was straight off the mic.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:20 pm Post subject:

In keeping with Philip's analogy, I consider EQ and compression to be the cream and sugar. However, when I make coffee, I use a filter to keep the grounds from getting into the cup. The liquid that remains is black coffee. Therefore, audio that has been imperceptibly filtered to remove mouth clicks or room noise is still, in my estimation, "raw."
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samowry · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:13 pm Post subject:

Nice one Lee.

Yonie · CM Joined: 31 Aug 2011 Posts: 906

Lee, I reckon that's what a clean cup is. Wink

HeatherMasters · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:37 pm Post subject:

Awesome. That's what I was hoping. I'm just a bit too OCD to be comfortable sending completely raw audio to a client. Mouth clicks and room noise drive me crazy, and I can't imagine any client really hankering to do that kind of thing on their end.

Thanks Fellas Smile

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Heather

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Kristin Lennox · Flight Attendant Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 858

I also have a little "sweetening" that I do to most of my outgoing audio, to warm it up a little... but I also have to make sure my completely raw audio is just as good, for Source-Connect and ISDN sessions, when they're taking my audio straight out of my microphone. Smile

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Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 12:17 am Post subject: