Enhancing Audio
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A couple of tips on how to enhance your audio…
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30 Responses to “Enhancing Audio”
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Thanks, Terry. Just another one of your many helpful tips and ideas from an established Pro who wants to share his wealth of experience with others wanting to improve their auditions. Your sound enhancement techniques do indeed work.
Thanks, again.
John Sipple
Sorry Terry I could not open ” Enhancing Audio” video.
Please Help.
Hey, Terry, I’ve been watching and listening to your insights for a few months now and have found them useful. Many engineers have told me not to touch up audition pieces, but the truth is, it’s hard to deny the superior quality gained after tweaking by using your audio enhancement tip. Thanks!
Thanks, Terry. I’ve started just normalizing my auditions and I definitely agree that it enriches the sound. If you get the job then you can ask whether they want just a dry read.
Good stuff Terry! No hate mail from me.
Using Adobe Audition, the only time I submit “dry” audio is when specifically requested by the client. In that particular session, I used no compression for an audiobook publisher that has their own engineers so they can fiddle with it. As for auditioning, I use very light compression. Some more than others. I have a specific preset for narrations, another preset for imaging, a different preset for radio spots, and a different preset for television spots, etc. Different presets for different applications works for me.
Thanks for sharing this Terry!
Roy
Terry, Thank You once again for passing on these tid bits of very authentic and valuable information! I have been looking for information on “Enhancing Audio”.I’ll play with this for a while to pefect the formula,then submit an audition with it.You are truly the epitome of what mentorship and professionalism is really all about. Mike Jones(VoicebyMike)
Hi Terry
Sorry I could not recieve “Enhancing Audio”
Is there any other means of recieving this video.
From the other subscribers it sounds like a very helpful video.
I hope you can help.
Rick
Thanks Terry,
It is a delight to hear such useful info in real (non-technical terms). Thanks so much for giving back to your vo community.
Great tips, thanks! I did find your comments about Jing interesting too. I have been trying to get BB Flashback 2 to work while Audition is running to no avail!
Great info thanks!!! I also found your comments interesting on Jing, I have tried to use BB Fashback with Audtion running to no avail!
Thanks Terry for your insights. I already use some enhancements (per your previous suggestions) but will play with these new ideas as well. Again, thanks for sharing!
Hi! Terry,
Thanks for the video tip regarding audio enhancing technique. Can you show me the steps for enhancing my voice through audacity software. Please instruct me step by step on the settings.
Hey Terry, thank you for being the selfless sharing person you are. You are a great example for the voice-over community. I have been experimenting by trial and error with similar effects on ProTools. Do you ever insert a watermark tone for your auditions and demos? I’ve been experimenting with using the signal generator in ProTools Audio Suite to generate a tone approx. every 5 seconds that is 1000Hz frequency, 5dB, and 50ms in length. Have not submitted an audition or demo with it.
Gee, I don’t think I have a multiband compressor bleh-BLUH.
There is a definite improvement between the before and after. Thanks for sharing this informative video in VHS!
I could stand to learn some tips for Audacity too.
Hi! Terry. I’m a ‘new’ voice talent from Australia and have been following your instructional videos with great interest. Voice over professionals must be among the most giving and self less people in any business and you are no exception to impart so much of your knowledge which you have acquired through years of experience, hard work and persistence. Thank you.
Nicely done, Terry. I am working on videos like these myself…
I use Screentoaster.com to do some of my screen casting, not too different from Jing.
I hear as many say “don’t process your auditions” as those who say “do it ’cause the next person will”. I’ve shifted my opinion more than once, but I am starting to get used to the fact that people need any advantage they can get in an audition scenario and that when processed properly the listener will have no idea why it sounds great, just that it does…
Processing should be completely un-noticed to the average listener and take nothing away from your voice quality.
Very cool Terry!!! Can’t wait to get into the studio to try your suggestions! Thanks!
This is exactly what I have been searching for in my quest for some basic voice editing best practices! Thank you very much, Terry. My expertise is in video, but at work I have been tasked for creating some internet radio ads, which I recorded through Adobe Soundbooth CS4 (a female coworker was doing the speaking). The raw audio was very “dry”, so I was searching for ways to make it sound like an actual radio ad (since it technically is one). I almost gave up on my Google searches until I stumbled across this.
Are there any particular tips for recording a female voice or do these best practices you provide carry over to both men and women?
Thank you, Terry!
-Noah
great post as usual!
Generally good advice. I am using different software (PC) but have generally the same settings. I have a compressor, limiter, gate, EQ preamp/vocal processor, so I don’t have a need for compression software. I don’t get the “hard limiting”, but as you say it works for you.
Here is my question, once you get a clean signal/recording down, why don’t you increase the volume to have the best and loudest recording to start with and then Normalize?
–Jay
Hey Terry.
I am not a teacher (as I perceive the incredible roll they play in the world) but when I understand something I can explain it in terms that I hear others speaking.
Essentially the LIMITER allows the audio to keep all of its characteristics as it was recorded. Let me explain-
Have you ever yelled into a microphone and it cut out on you? It just cut out, as in no audio until you started speaking in a normal voice level?
That’s called clipping.
The LIMITER allows you to hear most everything you are saying by limiting the gain (sort of like turning the nozzle down on a fireman’s hose so you can get a drink from it without blasting off your lips. Down the water pressure and now you can drink) Same idea. Down the gain and it records WHAT you are saying and not the volume of noise.
As you know when you scream into the mic, almost everything you say will not be usable as it will be distorted. Limiting attempts to prevent that. The compressor makes the smooth transition from loud to normal alost5 seamless. They work together.
Here is the Layman’s explanation to what I just said:
Limiters are used as a safeguard against signal peaking (clipping). They prevent occasional signal peaks which would be too loud or distorted. Limiters are often used in conjunction with a compressor — the compressor provides a smooth roll-off of higher levels and the limiter provides a final safety net against very strong peaks.
Hope that helps my friend.
Your screen-casts are pretty cool. Thanks my friend!!!
Mark “The Shark”
Terry,
I am not what I perceive a Teacher to be, but when I understand something it is super easy for me to put it into easier words.
The LIMITER in your audio editor is what attempts to turn down the volume so you can better hear what is being said.
Have you ever heard someone yell into a microphone and how it is almost completely unintelligible because it is distorted? Well if the dummy yelling into the mic had a LIMITER/COMPRESSOR inline between the mic and the speaker you might have been able to understand him.
In post production the LIMITER attempts to turn down the volume.
It is like the nozzle adjustment on a Fireman’s hose. When it’s on full blast it’s hard to get a drink. Turn it down and presto!
As for the COMPRESSOR, it works with the LIMITER to transition from loud to soft almost seamlessly and squeezes the audio down into the area where you can hear it without damaging the audio.
Here is the Layman’s explanation to what I just said:
Limiters are used as a safeguard against signal peaking (clipping). They prevent occasional signal peaks which would be too loud or distorted. Limiters are often used in conjunction with a compressor — the compressor provides a smooth roll-off of higher levels and the limiter provides a final safety net against very strong peaks.
Hope that helps. By the way, your screen-casts are pretty cool and sorta’ like taking the Audio 101 class in college in life. (SMILE) Thanks, Terry.
Regards,
Mark “The Shark”
Hi i have a digital recorder,and i am trying to hear a conversation which is very low compared to the to the noise from another room.What is the best program to use and which filters or effects would you suggest?I just downloaded adobe sound but i have been using goldwave which was a free download.Im new at this and have been experementing with diffren effects and filters with very little success.Thank You Paul
I stumbled across exactly what you spoke about Terry. I have been do that trick for about a month now. It’s very cool!
Thanks Terry for taking the time to share helpful tips. I would like to have been able to see what you do, the screen could not be enhanced and it was difficult to follow, although the ideas are clear. I do not use your application but rather twisted wave so nothing was familiar.
Hi Terry,
Just wondering what you then do about the sibilance caused by the compression – most noticeable in the second half of your example?
Best
Tony Reeves
Terry,
I noticed a LOT of sibilance (hissing) in your voiceover for this vid. Also saw a De-Esser pre-set in your compressor, and wondered why you’re not using it?
Hi Rusty,
The audio gets compressed when the video is converted for web viewing. This is why the quality isn’t quite as strong as the original recording. Also, I am already using a De-Esser preset on my preamp.
Terry,
I use Audition CS5.5, with EQ, the 4-band compressor, hard limiter, etc. Can you PLEASE share YOUR settings…I’m in EXTREME play-around mode, and would like to try your settings as well. I do NOT have a combo strip during record as you do…
Thanks,
Phil
That enhances large….thanks for the tip….very usefull