Would love feedback on revised take?
My application was rejected due to "reverberation" and "white noise," even though they specified no noise reduction (usually I apply this). I'm a bit puzzled by the "reverb" as I not only use a mic shield and have sound absorption panels around my desk. So now, I have applied noise reduction to my original audition and would love to know whether this now passes muster? Please take a listen and thanks in advance!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vdfeoh5lj2zttsb/VBproject2_KathleenLi.wav?dl=0
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Hi there, Kathleen. I just happened upon your post and was compelled to help out.
I cannot speak for the Voicebunny team as to whether your revised file meets their quality standards. That said, I can hear some room reflection in your file. If you don't mind, feel free to share your rejected file for comparison.
Without seeing and hearing your room in person, it's difficult to say for sure but I imagine the reflection could be coming from your floor or ceiling... Or perhaps behind you, if that space is not treated?
I can certainly tell you've done some work to reduce room reflection. You might consider another panel or two in order to clean it up a bit more. It's a matter of getting the right number of panels, and correct placement that's appropriate to the size and shape of the space you need to treat.
Best!
Hi Guy!
Thank you for your feedback and suggestions. I tried putting more panels around my desk, but it didn't seem to make much difference (but room reflection is definitely the issue, as you pointed out). Thinking I needed to add absorption closer to my mic, I added foam under my mic as well as facing me and on top of the mic. I recorded another sample in this setup and it seems to have less reverb. I'm attaching it here...do you agree and do you think it's good enough?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c6p210ginll7a65/VBsample3_KathleenLi.wav?dl=0
By contrast, here's the original that I submitted: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zk9nk694eow5gps/VBproject_KathleenLi.wav?dl=0
Kathy
There's a noticeable improvement between the two. Nice work! I hesitate to make predictions as to whether or not the QC team will accept the files. I'm sure one of the VB team members will chime in with more insight for you.
I believe there is room to improve.
Are you working in a very large space? I'm asking because it sounds like your reflections might be coming from an untreated (or under-treated) surface. If you are using a large diaphragm condenser mic, it'll capture those imperfections in your space, for sure. If you are dealing with large, flat surfaces in your room, acoustic blankets can make a nice companion to panels. They are great are removing mid-range reflections from large surfaces. If budget is a challenge, you can try moving blankets. (If you go that route, I recommend doubling them up.)
Otherwise, your option is 'closing in' around your mic, like you stated in your last response. Just be aware that the more you enclose your mic, the more you'll need to address low frequencies that tend to show up in small, enclosed spaces. But those can usually be addressed with a high-pass filter in post.
If it were me, I'd focus on finding where the reflections are coming from and treat the surface. Post processing can be a life-saver, in certain situations, but I have always found that addressing the cause of the issue is always best for a long-term solution.
Cheers!
Yes, I agree that treating the causes would be best. My room is relatively small (10x10) and contains a baby grand piano, which I've covered with a moving blanket, and a wood floor, which I'm thinking of putting a rug on, at least under my desk area. I was hoping that surrounding my desk area with sound panels would suffice instead of putting them on the walls, but maybe I'll experiment with moving them out to the walls.
Thanks again, Guy! I now look forward to hearing from the QC team on my revised audition: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c6p210ginll7a65/VBsample3_KathleenLi.wav?dl=0
I found that treating my immediate work area was the best place to treat first - From there, I addressed the troubesome areas in the larger, surrounding space. Good luck!
Hello, Kathleen and Brad.
Thank you for your valuable feedback, sir. We truly appreciate it.
Actually, Kathleen, I agree with Brad's comments about your work. I can still hear reverberation in your recording, which is the most important problem to focus on. Sometimes it tends to be very difficult to find what's causing the issue at first sight, but definitely, that amount of wood in the room must be adding to the problem.
Have you considered getting a Kaotica Eyeball? I do not personally own one, but I've heard impressive results when using it... Might be a relatively easy solution to try out.
There's also a sound (is it your breath?) that you can edit at the very beginning, but that's a minor detail that can be easily fixed.
Best,
Hi Oscar and Brad,
Thank you both for your feedback! I rearranged my sound panels, added a moving blanket to the floor in my desk area and constructed a Kaotica Eyeball-like structure around my mic. This resulted in what seems to be much reduced reverb. I'm attaching a file below to see what you think? Will this pass QC now, Oscar? (fingers crossed!)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/udn6ric2scv49vt/VB4_KLi.wav?dl=0
Kathy
Hi, Kathleen.
I'm still able to hear reverberation in the recording; it has some reflections that are quite vivid. Would you mind sharing with us some pictures of your setup and the equipment you're using?