Need feedback please
Please help me understand what "Array Hi" means. I get the hiss rejection, but think I may have solved that.
And finally: Distortion/clipping due to overloud audio, you can hear it clearly throughout your application.
I don't understand how this happened. I cannot find the instruction, but I remember being told not to edit or over-process, so I think the only plug in applied with RMS Normalize, and maybe Limiter. No Noise reduction, (leaving the hiss). I need to know what I can and cannot do to prep the audition for submission.
Don't want to submit another until I can understand and correct the problems. I cannot figure out how to insert the original WAV/
Thanks
Nila B Hagood
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I assumed on my feedback that 'Array Hi' is the name of the person giving the reason for the rejection, although I could be wrong.
Hi Nila! Thanks for sharing.
I believe this 'Array' could be caused by an error in the system. It should say your name there. Let me go ahead and report this to our team! Sorry for the inconvenience.
Now about the issues with the file, I'd like to listen to it so I can give you better comments. Would you mind sharing the recordings?
Thanks for also pointing it out, Sean!
I cannot figure out how to attach the recording? Help, please, and sorry.
Nila
AHA!!!!! https://soundcloud.com/nila-b-hagood/voice-bunny-audition-nila-b-hagood
This is original WAV file I sent in. So when you get a moment?
Thank you.
Nila, Thank you for sharing!
Let me go ahead and give you my thoughts here. I find several problems with the file.
1. There's a critical level of hiss noise. This sounds as if it was generated by the equipment but it could also be coming from the space.
2. Room echo. There's a lot of room echo. This comes 100% from your space which means it's not appropriately treated.
3. Harsh and unnatural editing. The cuts you're making sound too harsh and stiff. The takes sound very unnatural and the cuts are done on areas that make the flow of the voicer over to be stiff and computer generated. The edits are also not faded which creates clips and mistakes that damage the recording a lot.
4. Mid-range excess. The recording sound with a lot of mid-range frequencies and a lack of dynamic range. This could be caused by the microphone you're using as it could not be the best one for your type of voice.
Would you mind letting us know which equipment you're using? Microphone, interface, etc.
I understand and think I have conquered the hiss. The room echo is something my experience wasn't keyed in to listening for, but I am trying to hear it.
As for the rest, out of my league. I need to know where I can learn without bugging you daily.
I have tried two microphones, a Scarlett CM25 MkII condenser; a SennheiserM600 Shotgun. I have been given several conflicting "expert" opinions on the distance to be away from the mike, which ranges from almost lips on to 6 inches or even a foot.
I still have to edit out plosives. (Yes, I have a pop filter). My recorder/processor is the Focusright Scarlett Solo second gen, but I have never used another so I don't know if it is performing correctly, and I have my doubts. I get static in my earphones, when plugs jiggle, and occasionally lose the sound altogether.
Second issue, I am using Audacity (many love it, some don't, price was right)...but I cannot get a recording any louder than peaks of less than 1 and valleys less than -1.
Third issue is the Bunny instructions say clean, unedited submissions...so I thought that meant NO editing, but apparently THAT doesn't work (and didn't make sense to me), so if some editing is allowed, how much is considered too much? Noise reduction, compression, Eq, Normalization, Limiter, High Pass filter? All of the above?
Harsh editing. Does everyone but me do their auditon in a single take without mistakes or mouth noises and breathing? I had no idea edits were to be faded in and out, so if I cut a really obnoxious inhale, what do I do then? (back to where do I go to LEARN this stuff?!! Puleeze)
"Mid-range excess and no dynamic range". See recording issues. I know they sound off (I have my professional demos to compare them to, and they simply do not compare), or am I off base in in wonderng if it is the microphones or the Focusrite?
Point me in the right direction and I will hop off to the nearest carrot patch, naught to return until me-thinks you will fall all over yourselves to welcome me to the Bunny club!
NilaB
P.S. The Audacity Manual is so far over my head it hurts, but I do read, re-read, re-read, and then do it some more.
Spent several hours trying to learn, changed back from Sennheiser to Scarlett Condenser, applied some editing, feedback please?
https://soundcloud.com/nila-b-hagood/voice-bunny-audition-2
Nila B.
Hi Nila! Thanks for sharing.
Let me go over the points you mentioned one by one to avoid confusion!
1. In regards to the mic you use, it's nice to try different options. I personally have 2 microphones and switch them depending on what I need on my voice over. From the ones you shared, I really like the Sennheiser because I feel it's the most versatile of the 2.
About the distance, I'm an advocate of healthy middles. I usually try not to record very near because that will 100% cause boominess, plosives and pop filters in whatever microphone or too far away which will in return boost room echo or make my voice sound distant. I'd say you should locate yourself as you fell your recording sounds the best and is plosive and mouth noise free! My trick to adjust the distance is to modify my pop filter with the boom. It helps a lot when your pop filter is at a fixed distance as you will always know you won't go over it.
2. On the plosives, this is 100% an issues with proximity and your pop filter. You should definitely try to adjust the distance of how you're recording and even consider recording a bit off-axis. Plosives happen when there are strong currents of air hitting the mic's capsule so it's a matter of having a good pop filter positioning + distance.
Taking into consideration that the interface is giving you this trouble, it's highly likely that it's acting up. However, before you change it, I'd try different setups first. First of all, try the other input of the interface. The problem could be just the one you're using now and not the equipment overall. Also, try a different cable. The problem could be caused by the cable being tore inside and not a matter of the preamp being damaged. Same with the microphone: you could review if the contact from the mic is failing (that happened to me once) and that is creating the electrical noise. I'd definitely say that if this is happening, it's because something is not working fine.
3. We do require takes to be clean. However, we don't recommend the use of any processing like compressors, EQ, and definitely not noise reduction of any sort. The takes should be edited and cleaned up solely with the use of cutting and fading. This is because these are manual processes that you can try to get rid of breath noises, mouth noises and even external noises that could've been picked up by mistake at certain editable areas. For this reason, pleas refrain from using any type of post processing.
4. In regards to the excess of mid range, I believe this was fixed in your last recording using the Sennheiser mic but I wasn't able to compare as the original recording is no longer available. Would you mind checking that?
Now, in regards to where you can learn how to get better at recording, there are many options. We created an article no the topic you can find here: https://help.bunnyinc.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115000468024-3-Ways-to-Learn-More-About-Voice-Acting
On top of those suggestions, you can also take some courses on recording and editing. There are some really good basic ones in Coursera and Udemy you could review and see if they match your expectations.
Hope this helped :)