Too much white noise
OK, I'm a little confused. Apparently, white noise can be anything from outside traffic to a bad connection with the mic. How do I figure out what the problem is? (and where do I upload samples so you guys can help?)
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Hey Shavon, Glad to meet you. If Tara doesn't mind my popping in.....
I've been a voice actor with the Bunny for a while and always trying to make my audio better.I'll give it a go.
I downloaded and listened to the samples and did some analysis.
Part of the challenge is your "noise floor". That's the sound your DAW records with everything running but you are absolutely silent. On both samples, the noise floor is up around -45db. That is actually quite loud for voice over work. It would be a whole lot better if you an get it down to -55db or lower. It sounds like you may have a fan or your computer in the recording space.
Quick question, do you have a pair of good closed back, headphones to listen through? They are wonderful for hearing all sorts of things like the level of noise, mouth clicks and, during the first sample, the sound of something going tick-tick at about 2.8 seconds into the file.
The second file changed the character of the sound but not the level. It just made it sound more hollow. Earbuds and speakers just don't let you hear all the small stuff.
Your sound levels are good, so if you can get the background levels down, it can be some great audio.
If your computer is in the same area, moving it would help. Shutting off any fans or other equipment nearby is a must. Closing windows and doors are a huge help.
It also sounds like you might be in a larger area and need to do some sound damping. There are lots of instructionals on how to build a PVC pipe structure and clamp moving blankets to build a makeshift VO booth. NOT soundproof (almost nothing is) but it will kill room reflections and help reduce the noise floor too.
Look up youtube videos by Dan Lenard and George Whittam for lots more info.
Hope it helps a bit!
Hi Shavon,
We use the term "white noise" to refer to a static sound or hum created by your recording equipment. If we hear traffic or a fan running or something along those lines, we call that "background noise." You can upload your audio to the service of your choice and post the link here for more feedback -- Google Drive, Dropbox, Cloud App, etc. Thank you!
Here we go. The first track is what I normally would upload, complete with VB requirements. The second track is the same, except I tried using some white noise canceling techniques. I can't really tell the difference, but I'm hoping someone with sharper ears can, and can give me additional advice. Thanks in advance--and a special thank you to Tara for responding so quickly!
Track 1: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21276432/testing%20testing.wav
Track 2: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21276432/testing%20testing%20II.wav
Thanks so much for your help. Mark. Interestingly enough, when I (finally figured out how to) measured my noise floor, I got about 48dB. So it looks like we were in the same ballpark. And you're right--my liquid cooled computer, which is supposed to be quieter than the regular kind, has a fan in it. When I used Audacity's Compressor plugin, I could hear it. I've heard that moving it from my desktop to the floor might help; I may try it and see if there's a difference.
I also downloaded a Noise Gate plugin for Audacity, but I guess it won't really do me much good until I figure out how to lower my noise floor. As far as the second sample, the bright side is that now I know my technique won't work, which saves me a lot of drama. I'll take a look at the videos you suggested and see if I can get some ideas. Thanks again!
Cool, glad to help.
Noise gates used properly, and as you noticed with a very low noise floor, can help get rid of some noises. But it sounds really weird when the noise floor is high. You can hear the noise during quieter parts of the spoken words then it drops to infinity when the gate closes. Just sounds weird. If you ever hear a pilot doing traffic reports, it sounds like that. They use noise gates so you don't always hear the really loud sounds of the plane/helicopter.
And moving the computer box to under the desk should help quite a bit. I use a a walk in closet and have the main box outside, lots of moving blankets and clothes to suck up the reflections.
Good luck out there! Break a lip!
Thanks so much for the great answer Mark! I could not have answered the question any better.
Another tip: I know the VoiceBunny instructions ask you to "normalize" the audio files. This can actually raise the noise floor even more. I suggest recording at an amplitude around -5db without normailzing.
Hope this helps!
Wait...don't normalize? I'd been told that before by one of the QA folks, but I thought that would get my audition rejected even faster. I'll start doing it and change my amplitude. Brilliant!