Voice Tone & Equipment Advice
Hi,
I recently applied to voicebunny and was rejected due to echo/ reverb and hiss in my audio (which I completely understand). I have a feeling the reason I'm having these issues is twofold. Some reverb may be due to my recording space, a 3'x5' closet only partially treated with foam paneling. I'm thinking it would help to begin by covering the remaining smooth wall surfaces with burlap fabric and adding bass traps to the tri-agonal corners of the room. I also plan on creating a DIY microphone isolator. I came across this idea and was going to use this foam ball to create one.
Regardless, I believe the primary cause of my issues may be my equipment. My current setup is a Blue Yeti-Pro (hooked up in XLR) to an M-Audio Fast Track Pro. I've already read about issues with both causing hiss and generally not reaching the standard of “professional equipment”, so I’m researching replacements.
I was considering getting the Shure SM7B and a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but I’ve read that the SM7B, being a dynamic mic, requires more from the pre-amp than a condenser mic would. Is that true? Would the 2i2 even work then? Is there a more appropriate option?
Finally, based on my voice do you think this microphone is a good choice for me or am I completely off base? Below is a link to a sample of my voice. I’m open to critiques of course.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArbRWPMui83RjNFFWBd-VNVKO3K5aA?e=eoUxh1
My experience in voice acting is limited and from the audiobook world where standards aren't quite so high. Don't get me wrong, better audio is well… better and I'm happy to be raising the quality of it. I only mention it to explain the amateur nature of my questions. Thank you so much for any help you can give.
Respectfully,
Robert
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Hey Rob, fellow VB voice here, so my opinion is just that.
Let's start with the good. Your voice and technique is on point. No ugly or unnecessary noises. Just a good clean delivery.
It is indeed the technical side holding you back. You are recording in a closet, and it sounds like it, but that doesn't mean your space isn't workable. You need to kill all the reflections in your space with acoustic materials, floor to ceiling.
The hiss is noticeable, especially in the silences which could be tamed with a soft noise-gate. That however doesn't solve the same issue which places itself atop your voice.
I honestly don't think the mic sounds bad at all, but you should definitely consider buying something like the AT2035, pretty cheap used on reverb I believe. I'd mainly change the mic first before the preamp. But most importantly is controlling the reverb/reflections. Thin, cheap foam pads will not cut it. Think thick and sound deadening if pro materials are too expensive whilst at the same time maintaining some space for the mic to breathe.
You're not far from passing QA at all. Good luck!
All the best.
James,
Thanks so much for your advice! What you said makes a lot of sense. Do you have an opinion on most cost effective place to source high quality acoustic foam? How thick of pads should I be looking for? I'll do some looking at the AT2035 too. Thanks again!
Respectfully,
Before you spend a penny see what you have at home, cushions, pillows, clothes, winter jackets. Anything thick and absorbant to catch the reflections. Let your craft pay for itself before paying out of pocket.
In terms of foam thickness specifically I'd look at 5cm+. But initially can you strategically place clothes? It can and does work. Your environment already sounds quiet as is.
Hello, Gents!
Thanks for trusting us, our fellow Pros and this space to find a solution to your audio quandaries, Robert!
You indeed have issues with an elevated noise floor, that hiss is definitely not Kosher, my friend. The room echoes/reflections will also be drastically improved through the selection of the mic with which you choose to upgrade your current rig, so keep reading.
As James points out, the AT 2035 can be found at very affordable prices on Reverb. I don't really like buying used mics or preamps/interfaces, because like used cars, the seller can tell a story but one can never be sure how hard they have been really driven. It is a low-cost alternative, however, especially for budding talent.
If you can afford the purchase, I'd recommend that mic new as it's not that expensive anyway. Lewitt also makes killer microphones in the price range too, so you might gain a lot from taking a trip to a gear shop and test driving until you find the perfect match for your pipes. Be very considerate of their sensitivity lobes and specs, as that will determine how you position the mic, the acoustic treatment, and your position while recording.
James' suggestion on using sound-absorbing materials laying around the house: like old clothes, pillows, cushions, blankets, and even mattresses is very prudent! Sometimes, the investment in expensive prefab foams is just not worth it, as they are more sound diffusing than dampening in nature, especially at low thicknesses. One great material I've found is memory foam: it's super inexpensive compared with acoustic foams, it's very malleable and does a great job at absorbing reflections when placed correctly! You also get a blank canvas to cut out your own shapes and sizes out of a single memory foam mattress cover, for instance. If you need to move you can compress the hell out of it and store it in inexpensive vacuum bags and you can always purchase more as the price is just right 90% of the time.
As for your preamp/interface: try to get the best (a little) money can buy. I vouch for the Behringer U-Phoria 404HD as the pres in it are super clean, very powerful (even capable of dealing with some power-hungry dynamic mics) and it's a steal for the usual price it sells at. The new Motu M4 is another amazing piece of gear, very well reviewed and packed with power, awesome features and clean pres that won't make a noisy mess out of your recordings. If you have the chance and budget, try to splurge for an Audient or Universal Audio piece, though. Think of them in photography terms: they are the amazing lens you can always put to use with any camera (or mic in this analogy), regardless of price or level of refinement; they do not depreciate it much so resell value stays amazing and the high-end stuff from these brands can even help in offloading processing from your computer onto their dedicated audio processing units. And as brilliant lenses do with less than stellar cameras: they make 'em shine! You can get tons of richness and tone balance from a good interface even with budget microphones. Oh, they can be found for the right price on Reverb, too, should you choose to go down the second-hand road.
Finally: I do have some performance pointers for you. The sample you submitted sounds quite 'choppy'. Even if we edit out the silences and piece out the performance, some phrases just don't click and remain disconnected from the rest of the reading. Try to work on your breath control, as the vowels in your speech sound a bit uncontrolled, but other parts of your speech dip a bit lower and this aids in creating a feeling of disconnection across the entire reading. Research exercises on diaphragmatic breathing used by singers, practice and record yourself and try to be as critical of your test takes as you possibly can. Try recording with no headphones and listen to yourself while speaking. If you have a smartphone or tablet, annotate the script figuring out the phrasing, what to emphasize and so on. This will help you figure out how much air you'll need for a certain sentence and the unwritten pauses: those that will make your personal 'feel' come through in any deliverable. Also, don't commit to the first reading. Record every test run and select not just the best take, but be adventurous and even select different portions of different takes to make a master one! Being creative is imperative in this gig.
Sorry for the long response! I hope some or all of this rings a bell with you and helps you out in deciding the best route to upgrade your studio. Please, don't hesitate and come back to show us your recordings. We're always glad to lend a helping hand =)
Cheers!
Héctor Adolfo Ituarte (BunnyStudio QC Agent)
Evening Gents,
Thank you both for your great advice! No worries on the long post Hector. Always better to be long than to leave things unsaid. I've been working on things a lot over the last few weeks and I'd like to get your input on the improvement.
I've borrowed and tested out a few mics and done a lot of work to the space and the difference is drastic. I can't believe I hobbled along on that hiss-machine Yeti-pro so long. I think I've settled on the Synco Mic-D2 Short Shotgun mic and I'm real happy with it so far because of the rejection of household noise (3-year-old and a baby) but it still has that full condenser sound. I'd like to know your opinion. I've also switched over to using Reaper as a DAW and I've got to say, I'm a convert. Non-destructive editing all the way.
Here's one of my recent auditions for audio book work. If you could give it a listen share your thoughts that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all your help so far.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArbRWPMui83RjNJv10AXI4uLpTKDng?e=jcdFFJ <- Synco Mic-D2
I did also borrowed a Shure SM7B to give it a shot. I really like it but I think it just has too broadcast-like of a sound. But what are your thoughts?
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArbRWPMui83RjNJwpdmLyykldWaoSQ?e=MgAjeo <- SM7B
Respectfully,
Robert
Hi, Robert!
Thank you so much for getting back to us, especially with those stellar samples! I'm really glad you like working with Reaper, because as you mention, the ability of having non-destructive edits is super useful while dialing in the sound.
I really like both of your samples, but your acoustic space right now is not suiting the sensitivity lobes of the Synco shotgun. I work with an MKH416 and have the same problems, as their pickup patterns are very similar: the lobar pattern they exhibit at some distances/frequency response curves makes them sensitive to room echoes/reverberations like this:
That's the reason why most audio engineers working dialogue indoors will opt for a small diaphragm hyper cardioid condenser, as they handle room acoustics much better than the sensitive-yet-directional shotguns, without losing much of the quality or resolution. You can test that Synco outdoors, far from walls or reflective surfaces and hear it shine! Unfortunately, recording outdoors is not an option for us VO peeps as we need the controlled environment offered by a quiet and non-reflective booth.
The good news is that once you have this info, trying to soundproof your space for such a microphone is not so hard. I've gotten away with padding the top and bottom of a closet and positioning the mic between clothes at both sides, using memory foam from a discarded mattress top as insulation and even old blankets to better suit the padding needs of the mic. Be careful though, as placing the insulation too close to the mic may cause boomy/muddy effects and even a weird plosive like effect from sound bouncing into the back lobe of the mic, off from the padding materials. Like I said, these mics shine in open, wide and very well insulated/treated rooms that mimic the anechoic nature of the outdoors.
Onto the SM7b... man I like how it sounds on your voice! It is more broadcast-like in sound signature, but that quality can be easily managed through simple and discrete EQ. If you upload the raw WAV files of each mic, I can come back to you with an FX Chain that you can just import into Reaper and get the same results as I do when engineering it.
Oh, by the way! I've been trying this plugin from Lewitt that was specifically designed to work with their multi-pattern microphones, but I've found it does have an influence on my mics (especially those that are non-cardioid) like the Sennheiser 416, allowing me to reign in some of the sensitivity by altering the pattern after the fact. I honestly didn't expect it to work, but it was a very welcome surprise. Give it a whirl on that Synco and share the results!
If you are interested, the Audio-Technica AT4053b might be a good option considering your acoustic conditions and need for high-directionality/noise rejection. Other options around the same price range would be to try an inline preamp + high-end dynamic combo, like an Electrovoice RE20 or Sennheiser MD421.
Hope to hear more from you soon! I'm eager to hear what you will produce next!
Cheers!
Thanks so much, Hector!
Well, this sort of works out. I just finished moving into a new acoustic space. Hopefully, it gives the mics a little more room to breathe and it moves me away from the center of the house where the noise was more of an issue. It's not quite as small (7 x 9) and hopefully gives the mics a little more room to breath. All four walls and the ceiling are covered in thick blankets. The floor is carpet with a rug on top of that. But the last space was too. But in that tiny closet, I was working off of a shelf and was forced to be really close to the wall so I don't know if that was a factor.
You’d really be willing to send me your interpretation of an FX chain? That would be great. Thanks for all the help you’ve been. For the sake of simplicity, I created a new Reaper file you could look at if you’re still willing too. Here is a link to a .rar of it (if that doesn't work for you just let me know).
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArbRWPMui83RjNMeuhWfOFJ2xtv5rw?e=M0FPOD
There are no FX applied and I haven't done anything to the audio except normalizing the tracks to -3.0. Track 1 is the Sycno Mic D-2 and Track 2 is the Shure SM7B. I just grabbed a random book on my shelf and picked a random sentence to read. Nothing special. I'm certainly interested to see what an audio guru does with it.
I’ll look into small diaphragm condensors like you suggested as well. Thanks again for your help!
Robert
Hey, Robert!
First and foremost, SUPER KUDOS! Great job sharing the Reaper project and for demonstrating not only a great disposition to learn but also for going the extra mile in improving every aspect dealt with during our exchange. You're a master in the making!
So, great news: your acoustics issues are no longer present with either mic and they both sound great! It's clear now that your interface may be a little noisy and underpowered to drive de SM7b, and it still introduces some white noise with the Synco, which is no big deal once the FX Chain is applied. The noise gate takes care of that too with the SM7b (but can't nor it won't remove it in the spoken parts and is still audible as a little rattle). Should you settle for the Shure or other high-end dynamic, a Dynamite Stick would do the trick in driving those mics properly and as noiseless as possible. I don't remember precisely, but I seem to remember you were working with the 2i2. Upgrading to a low-cost option like the Behringer U-Phoria 404HD, the Motu M4 or the SSL 2+ in a certain price range. Whenever you can splurge for a Universal Audio piece, they're the best one can have in a home or pro studio.
However, I'll be recommending our Bunny Managers to reconsider your re-application project. All you need to do is maintain the quality you've reached to this date and use the project you've created. Here you'll be able to download my update to that project, saved with the FX Chains for each mic (and the FX Chains themselves).
Once again, congratulations! Great work and amazing progress!
Cheers!
Thanks Hector,
If you could put in a good word for me that would be great! Again, I really appreciate all the help you've been. I will humbly do my best to continue to improve both my setup and my skills. I see this as a great opportunity to grow and learn quickly so it's been really great. Currently I do have a Focusrite 2i2. I'll do some reading about interfaces and their specs and look into the models you suggested. The other mics I was using were loaned to me by a gracious friend so I finally picked up a CAD e100s. I was a little nervous about some of the reviews saying their were quality issues but so far I really like it. Handles the room a lot better than either the Synco or the SM7B. I'll keep you posted as things develop.
Respectfully,
Robert