Need Feedback on a Sample
So, this project recording keeps getting stuck in QC department, and I am being told it is "over-processed" or "muddy" sounding. I do not use any plugins or compression, and I would rather avoid rerecording the entire 10 minute recording for the 3rd time, so if anyone can help me analyze what could be done or what might be wrong, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you in advance!
Link to Audio Sample:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4tivufqma8km42w/CORE%20Processes%20-%2010-22-2019-%20%28Sample%201%20for%20analysis%29.wav?dl=0
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Hi Geena, thanks for reaching out.
Can you please share with me the link to the project? That way I can see what's happening and talk to the QC Agent giving you that feedback.
Cheers
Hello Jonathan. Thank you so much. Yes here's the link.
https://voicebunny.com/reads/revision_submit/114206/
Hi, Geena!
Thanks for reaching out, we do appreciate the effort. Could you also aid us by listing your equipment and DAW settings? If possible share some pictures of your recording space as well. This will greatly improve the feedback quality we're able to provide and broaden the scope of solutions we can suggest to you.
Cheers!
- Héctor Adolfo Ituarte (VoiceBunny QC Agent)
Thank you, Hector. Gladly. I have:
I do not use any plugins. I record and then adjust peaks to get rid of hot spots (transients). Normalize to -3. Apply noise removal in Audacity in segments. That's about it. I'll take some pictures. Actually, I can't attach the pictures because the file size on them is too large. I will try to figure out what to do about that.
Ok, so I have the photos in dropbox now at this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r8sfrlzv453rbi5/AABZSip45CdRXgk3sTCXCEz6a?dl=0
Sorry if they are a little awkward. My recording space is very small, so it's a little tricky.
Alright, Geena!
The good news is that you have enough gear to give you a super sweet sound. The bad news is that we need to do some configuring first.
Before we begin, it's worth noting that you're able to take your preamp out of the equation completely. The interface you're using is capable of emulating tons of equipment with the right software and it's worthy of a try. Also, you might want to eliminate Audacity out of your editing chain and sticking to a single piece of software, whatever works best with your equipment is recommended, although UA gear is world-class, so you'd be pressed to find a DAW that didn't play nice with the Apollo. I can tell you that for the quality and type of equipment you're using, the quality of sound you're getting should not be the expected or desired outcome.
There are two possible configurations for you: one which uses your UA 710 and one which only relies on the Apollo. Both have their pros and cons. You could achieve a great sound from your 710 and shoot that straight to the Apollo to be converted into a digital signal that gets captured on the PC. Or simply use the Apollo alone and do exactly the same, trust me. The advantage of relying solely on the Apollo is that if you should travel or downsize, you only have to carry one piece of expensive and sensitive gear instead of two, apart from the ease of use once it's properly configured.
So, before I shoot out a super complete guide based on every element of your amazing equipment (including that marvelous mic) tell me, what would you prefer?
I'm all ears!
- Héctor.
Hey Héctor! Wow. I have to say you've rendered me speechless. I'm surprised to hear I have not had my stuff configured optimally all this time, and I am delighted and grateful that you are willing to help me out like this.
I think it sounds like you are suggesting that the superior option, would be to take the 710 out of the equation and just use the Apollo, but correct me if I'm wrong on that. Ultimately, my highest priority as a VO is getting the best quality sound, so any improvement in terms of convenience and portability is kind of secondary, but still... a noteworthy bonus.
Go ahead and tell me whatever you think you would do if you were me. I trust your judgment completely, and I can't thank you enough. Thank you a million times in advance!
Geena
Hi Geena,
Another vo talent here just to say you have a great voice and presentation. Also agree your equipment is first rate. Just work with Héctor and you should be getting great sound shortly.
Regards,
Joe B.
Thank you very much, Joe B.!
Hey Geena!
I had the chance to work on two of your projects: one was sent back during the weekend to be revised and a bunch of suggestions were included in that request. Today I had the chance of approving a short little audio file which sounded so much better already!
Please keep me in the loop on whatever progress, changes and/or improvements you're making. I'll be very glad to hear the pristine audio you're more than capable of producing.
Cheers!
- Héctor.
Yeah. Thank you Héctor. I was glad to see that phone system recording get approved. All I did was took out the 710 and routed the microphone to the Apollo instead. Let me know if there's something else I need to do configuration-wise to improve the signal further. Thanks for your help.
Cheers!
Geena