None of the judges turned their chairs
Hey folks,
I've been rejected ! (Cue dramatic music !)
Admin said issues were ...
1.) Compression- Your recording is heavily compressed and/or limited. It\'s affecting the dynamics and quality of the audio. Instead, please raise the volume via automation or normalization to -3dBFS peak.
2.) Hiss/White noise- There is a high level of white noise/hiss impacting your recording that is adversely affecting the quality of the deliverable.
So here's my situation (sorry, going to be long). I'm using Audacity and running it through my Boss Acoustic VE-8 Pre-Amp into an AKG-C214 condenser mic. I did the whole Audacity recommended Macro chain (limiter, filter curve, RMS Normalize) and ACX check thing and it passes with flying colors, but the problem is that when you apply the RMS Normalize thing it blows up the gain and then condenses it down with the limiter which I think is what they're dinging me for when they say it's "heavily compressed".
Then, of course, since the RMS Normalize thing is on it's boosting my gain and making my background noise come through making the hiss sound they mention. If I try to hit it with the Noise Reduction of the beast, as they call it in Audacity world, I then often fall out of the sweet spot of -23 to -18 RMS and get too quiet. It's kind of a damned if I do you damned if I don't type thing.
One part of me maybe thinks it's my pre amp just because I don't know anyone who uses the VE-8 as a pre amp and I've got it cranked to max on the volume, but it's like a $400 pre-amp so I'd hate to think it's not top notch enough. The mic is also $400 so then again maybe I'm thinking it's just my lack of audio engineering expertise.
I watched the recommended seminar on the hiss and made sure it wasn't anything external like appliances or cables or anything and it didn't seem to be that.
Anyways, I've got two tracks to share with you guys at the link on the bottom of the post here. The first, is the original track I sent to admin that got denied and the second is one that I hit with noise reduction and somehow got it to stay between -23 and -18 RMS but not hit the peak -3.5 range so I'm hoping the second take could be good enough for a re-submission. My concern is just that on many other samples I've recorded I don't get so lucky with simply hitting it with the noise reduction and fixing it (it gets too quiet overall and falls out of the -23 and -18 range and fails the ACX check); however, it still may not be fixed. I'll let you guys be the judge of that.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N1VIvTIR8KccbChc7A0qWuUUWloM4kwL?usp=sharing
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Hey, Kyle!
Thank you for joining this space, we appreciate the effort! Now, I gotta tell you, this is the first time I've heard of someone using that Boss box for VO purposes, I wouldn't want to speculate but it might not be the best fit for the gig. I've begun researching on documentation to get up to speed on some vital info about the preamps, but this is not an ordinary or common device used by our community, so I'll hold my judgement until after we can perform some tests.
First of all, disregard all of that ACX mumbo-jumbo; disregard Audacity and try to use something more suitable like Reaper (free 90-day trial due to COVID and a super affordable license) or even Protools First (also free), Audition would be another great choice. I wouldn't trust Audacity for anything other than normalization, honestly.
Please record a raw, unprocessed sample with a more natural tone (read the instructions for the auditioning project) and upload that file. Here's a simple guide to erase all of that useless advice you've been following from your mind:
A) Try to improve your acoustic treatment/mic location. Follow this link for advice on how to solve room acoustic issues: https://help.bunnystudio.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203461624-Tip-5-Basic-acoustic-treatment-is-not-rocket-science
B) Your mic is more than enough for the job! Set your Boss to a level that prints a signal of -9 to -6 dB maximum while recording. Make sure that no effects or modifiers are engaged in it. We need the thing to relay the cleanest level of audio to your DAW.
C) Normalize your best recording to -3 dBFS Peak Level. You should not hear any noise (like a balloon letting air out [hiss]), your echoes should be minimal, and there shouldn't be any presence of ambient noise. If hiss persists, this may be due to the mic pre in your device. Do not use RMS Normalization!
D) Scrub through the waveform and listen for mouth noises: clicks, salivation, cheek noise, and breaths. Mute those sounds carefully and use fades if necessary. If you need guidance this process, follow this link: https://help.bunnystudio.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360006728219-Why-should-I-use-fades-
E) Double-check: is your file the best version, with excellent quality? Go ahead and submit the revision, we're eager to hear what you can do! =)
Here's a run of the mill audio sample of what we're looking for quality-wise, so that you can have a reference.
Looking forward to your new sample, let's make this work!
- Héctor Adolfo Ituarte (Bunny Studio QC Agent)
Hi Kyle,
Another v/o actor here. Ditto what Hector said on all the tech - he da man.
Per your performance, I would suggest just letting them hear your natural voice rather than a character you might assume. Characters are fine - and you can upload them in one category of your samples, but for audition purposes, just do your natural voice in a sincere read of some straight copy.
Just my off the top suggestion.
Best,
Joe Brown
First off, thank you both, Hector and Joe, for your time and thoughtful feedback !
Here is a link to a download of the user manual for the pre-amp I'm using. This may serve as an aid in your research as to whether or not it's suited for the job.
https://www.boss.info/global/support/by_product/ve-8/owners_manuals/
I re-recorded the audition. You can check it out via the link at the bottom.
I used a more natural tone (the reason I read it like I did in the previous take was b/c the description said to make it sound, "epic").
I made sure when I was recording that the peak value I was hitting was around -7 dBFS. The only effect I added was normalization to -3 dBFS. My acoustic treatment of my booth, though very homemade, is very good. I removed all breath noises.
SO, let me know what you guys think !
Thanks again for your time. I'm really impressed with the attention that is given to "rejected" folks. I'd have expected you all to just move on to the next guy. I appreciate that you're helping me improve !
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rbRLIq6_v770rKhaCeZna6kRmV4pcivj?usp=sharing
Best,
Kyle Marler
Hi Kyle,
Just passing by, I couldn't hear your previous work, but I think this one is going very well!
I'm sure that you'll end up with a much better quality here, you're lucky to have Hector helping you, he's one of the best here!
As it is, I don't think you could get the same compression or hiss noise issues as before.
Let's wait for Hector's comments, but man, good job!
Also, out of curiosity, do you mind sharing pictures of your recording space with us? That could help us understand your environment and give you more accurate suggestions if needed.
Keep it up!
Hi, Gents!
Thank you all for the kind words and thanks to Kyle for that stellar improvement! What a difference in quality and reading style!
Alright, so here's my feedback on this new file:
1) Sibilance - Your deliverable presents sharp and loud -s, -sh and relative sounds (present in the 3 to 10 kHz frequency range). These also cover some hard consonant sounds as the formants of 't-' sounds and relative phonemes. Solving this issue may be a bit time-intensive, but totally doable.
2) White Noise - The audio presents the tiniest bit of hiss, this is an easy fix.
3) Levels - Your deliverable presents some peaks in open vowels (as in "stArt a revolution!"...) This is a common occurrence with pros entering the trade, as diaphragmatic control is not yet spot on. Another easy fix. Additionally, the file requires manual levelling and spot normalization. Another easy fix.
4) Sound Signature - I don't know if your mic has a low-cut filter on of it's the effect of the preamp in your Korg, but the low-end in your voice needs a bit of a lift, another super easy fix!
All in all, the great news is that the Korg seems sufficient for the time being, while you build a portfolio of clients and get bookings that can pay for an upgrade, so kudos on that! Now, I've prepared a little tutorial for you on how to fix all of the issues above. It's a short video in real-time, so. that you can use Adobe Audition to fine-tune your audio quality. These techniques should apply indefinitely, so long as you don't change the settings used to record the latest sample, so keep 'em that way!
Why do I recommend Adobe Audition for you? Well, because of spectral editing. I prefer to take care of sibilants, noises and such things this way, as it is a highly useful skill in our trade, not to mention that it is much more precise than de-essers in this particular case for example. De-essers can make it fast but can also deteriorate a broader range of frequencies while working, or even color the sound (a big no-no).
So, here's the video tutorial! Get your hands on this DAW and try the techniques shown. Use them to record any other script and give us a stellar final sample so that we can tell Johnny here to help you reapply, I'd love to hear you in the Bunny Ranks!
Thanks for the patience and congrats on your progress!
Thanks again for your time and effort Hector and thank you Johnatan for your input.
Before I start getting to work, was the video you sent supposed to just be video or have audio as well ? I couldn't hear any audio. (perhaps that was intentional - just wanted to make sure)
Also, can you listen to this newest sample really quick and let me know if I need to worry about adjusting for the sound signature. I learned that my mic does indeed have a low end filter and I had it activated. I switched it off for this new recording so I'm hoping I don't have to worry about your fourth point.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NNOHbW9JQpEh4s8ouKXIqrphYAYtsrs6/view?usp=sharing
Thanks,
Kyle
Hey, Kyle!
Thank you for being such a quick study, you're doing great!
Yes, the video was supposed to be silent, it's kind of a drag to listen to the same instructions over and over (at least for me) when using the video as a reference, therefore I always make these quick tutorials with no audio.
Good catch with that low-cut filter! I'm really loving your sound profile and the EQ to boost those frequencies mentioned in the fourth point is no longer needed. I do recommend that you apply a low-cut filter at around 70 Hz to roll-off some of the hardness in your pronunciation of hard consonants. All of us are prone to plosives at first, but this can be easily solved through smart mic placement and the proper mic-to-mouth distance when recording. Pop-filters help as well.
I notice that sibilance is still an issue to work on. As you progress in the trade you'll be able to mitigate these occurrences from the moment of the reading, but for the time being, be extra careful when cleaning your waveforms through the spectral edits as I showed you in the video.
Also, be aware that sometimes a noise gate can cutoff quiet sounds (like ending consonants and or quiet vowels), so fine-tuning may be needed according to your reading style. Then again, these details also become more apparent as one records more and more, raising a sense of self-awareness that prompts us to re-do a line on the spot while recording.
These are the issues I found with your audio (along with the lack of leveling/normalization) and your file after being treated with nothing but those two techniques: normalization and spectral editing of the problematic sounds. In the process of cleaning up the sibilants I also found some salivation noises (not too many) so try to spot them in your file and compare it to my edit to see if you. can find them and try your hand at eliminating them using the same process.
All in all, you're my fastest learner so far, so big kudos!
- Keep up the amazing work!
Hi Hector,
I just wanted to check back in and give you an update.
I received an email from Bunny Studios a couple of days ago asking me to audition again.
I was confused given that I thought I'd need to send over another sample for you to review before you gave them the go ahead to audition me again.
Nevertheless, I submitted another take and got approved this time (I'm hoping it wasn't a mistake!)
I tried to implement all of the techniques you showed me with the spot normalization, spectral editing and noise gate, as well as being more conscious about my delivery during the take, and apparently it paid off.
Thanks,
Kyle
Hi Kyle,
Great news! Congratulations on being approved, we're very excited to have you with us.
Certainly not a mistake.
We wish you all the best!