VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

cjringwall · Joined: 14 May 2018 Posts: 7

I've downloaded many .mp3's of the top VO's as reference, and I'm noticing that some of the waveforms have a different appearance. Most of the waveforms I've looked at have the peaks 'above' 0 appear a bit higher than those below. However with some of the talents, the effect is reversed.

I have never seen or heard anyone talk about this - I'm guessing it's something to do with phase, but don't know if it the result of some type of processing. Or maybe it's just not important, but I was curious if anyone could chime in.

Bish · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:53 am Post subject:

I shall be lazy here and post a quote. It's actually something that I researched some time ago. The big take-away is that it's NOT a "DC bias" (for that would be evident on a silent passage).

This asymmetry is due mainly to two things, the first being the relative phase relationships between the fundamental and different harmonic components in a harmonically complex signal. In combining different frequency signals with differing phase relationships, the result is often a distinctly asymmetrical waveform, and that waveform asymmetry often changes and evolves over time, too. That's just what happens when complex related signals are superimposed.

The other element involved in this is that many acoustic sources inherently have a 'positive air pressure bias' because of the way the sound is generated. To talk or sing, we have to breathe out, and to play a trumpet, we have to blow air through the tubing. So, in these examples, there is inherently more energy available for the compression side of the sound wave than there is for the rarefaction side, and that can also contribute to an asymmetrical waveform.

The full article can be found here:
https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-why-do-waveforms-sometimes-look-lop-sided
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Bruce · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 2:07 pm Post subject:

When you talk about wacky wav forms I think about examples like this recent scratch audio a client sent. It was somewhat thin sounding but I'm thinking it's because of the cheap mic he used. Does that cause weird looking wavs? Heck if I know. Just part of life I guess.

B
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dwpthe3rd · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 6:33 pm Post subject:

My experience has been the more bass cut or hi freq boost applied to the audio, the more the wav form migrates above the "center" line.
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:27 am Post subject:

It's a happy little waveform.

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cjringwall · Joined: 14 May 2018 Posts: 7

Thanks for the replies! I loved Bob Ross...still watch his reruns on Hulu, great therapy.

Karyn OBryant · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:38 pm Post subject:

Oh Bob Ross. We miss him so.
He's just one of my happy little obsessions.
Thanks for the giggle, Lee!
Laugh

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