Entry rejected despite the same equipment being used
Hello,
Today I had a notification for a contest, and I submitted my sample using the same equipment, room and software/settings I have used for recent submissions that were accepted.
Link for this submission: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERSzBnzLuRUxvt7IKjm8vydjADrEX3Ba/view?usp=sharing
I then received another notification concerning my submission, saying that it was heavily processed. This was despite using the same settings on my recording software (NCH Wavepad).
So, I used the default settings and submitted a new version of my sample.
Link for this submission: https://drive.google.com/file/d/178Bk7Ta4Lv2lNoNBGfOTPfE6NzXqPptD/view?usp=sharing
Then I received an email saying that my recording was still heavily processed (despite not using any processing at all) and that there's an audible background hiss (which is true).
Any suggestions for solutions to this issue?
Thank you.
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Hi Mohamed,
Thank you for reaching out.
Let's try and see if we can manage to achieve better results with your audios, is there a chance you can send us a raw recording? with no processing at all, that will let us know our starting point and see what we have to work with.
Also, do you think you can send us pictures of your recording space, equipment and let us know your workflow? We'd like to give you specific feedback to your particular setting
Hi Johnatan,
This is a raw recording (which was the second submission btw :) ) https://drive.google.com/file/d/178Bk7Ta4Lv2lNoNBGfOTPfE6NzXqPptD/view?usp=sharing
I think it would be a bit challenging to take pictures of my recording space without including the messy surroundings :D
I'll try though to describe it as best as I can. And if there are details that are still needed, I'll try my best to take pictures.
My recording space is fairly spartan. I've lined the inside of my closet (60cm x 120cm x 120cm) in thick blankets and a carpet. I have my mic in it (Sennheiser e845s) and it's connected to an audio interface (Alesis io2 express) with the XLR cable, which is in turn connected to my fanless laptop 3-4 meters away.
The audio interface is at least 2 meters away from any electrical source, and the mic is even farther.
When I start recording, I make sure first that there are no fans on, doors and windows are closed, and I click on record.
Then I go to the closet, close its doors and start recording. After I'm done, I get out and stop the recording, save the audio file, and start trimming out coughs and clicks (without using any processing options), and then send the file.
When I first started working with Voice Bunny, I used a rough type of noise reduction that made the recording sound heavily processed. Then I did some research and found an option (Spectral Subtraction) that removed most of the noise and hiss without affecting the quality of the recording. Since then, all of my submissions recorded this way was accepted here on the site.
Feel free to let me know if you need to hear the recordings that I've submitted before which were accepted.
Thanks for your time.
Hi Mohamed,
Thank you for that detailed explanation.
There are a few things that we should address such as hiss noise, acoustics, and the eq on the recording.
Out of curiosity, what are the chances you might be able to get a condenser mic? It seems like the mic you're using is underperforming for this type of work. It would be a huge improvement to have a condenser instead of a dynamic.
Chances are, if we switch to a condenser mic, your deliverable will significantly improve.
Let me know your thoughts
It is true that my equipment needs upgrading. Once I can afford it, I'll get a condenser mic and a new audio interface (and a new pc while I'm at it).
Till I can do that, I'm trying to get the best of what I've got right now. I started this discussion because I'm still not sure why the first submission today was rejected.
Is this recording considered "heavily" processed? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERSzBnzLuRUxvt7IKjm8vydjADrEX3Ba/view?usp=sharing
I would appreciate your take on this
We think that would be the best option here, as the mic is not working properly for you here.
Unfortunately, yes, it does sound overprocessed, you can feel it on the background noises right at the beginning, also on the gaps between the phrases, and how the voice sounds in general. It is especially clear on the background noise, you could perceive as if a plugin was treating the audio.
Does that make sense to you?
What you're saying makes sense, but I can't hear what you're describing. The only artifact I can detect is the one at the very beginning, which is the noise of my breath that I didn't cut out (and how it was affected). I can't hear a difference between the voice in this recording and the voice in previously accepted recordings.
This is my most recent submission that was accepted: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERSzBnzLuRUxvt7IKjm8vydjADrEX3Ba/view?usp=sharing
Does it have the same issue of the recording we're discussing?
I'm trying to figure out the issue here, which could very well be that my headphones aren't of the same quality as the ones you're using.
Do you think you can pay special attention to 0:16, at the end of that phrase, you could be able to hear the artifacts altering your audio.
Let me know if you can catch that
Yes, I can hear it. I think it's more of a noise that wasn't properly removed, rather than a processing-induced artifact. (Still, either way, it shouldn't be there)
I want to apologize though that I've linked the wrong recording in place of the one that was actually accepted.
Here is the correct one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rb6BZWNEUmaSGqpCEux3ZK_gfYmb9USU/view?usp=sharing
You'll notice that it has a repeating word.
Really appreciate your time and help
Thank you for being so understanding.
Do you think that noise is the same one I'm picking up at the end of each repetition of the word you just sent?
Whatever it is I'm hearing, I still hear it in the raw recording. I can hear the lower frequency voice at the end of some repetitions that might be mistaken as artificial. Yet, as I said, it's in both the final and raw recordings. And also, this, along with other submissions recorded the same way, were accepted by the quality team.
Would you like to hear the raw recording?
It's still gonna have the hiss, of course.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YeBGevsbJASghZ1KVLwBunYRcMK0nX89/view?usp=sharing
Would you recommend, if the setup I have can't produce acceptable recordings, to put my account on the vacation setting till I can do the necessary upgrades?
It seems like the issue has to do with the plugin you might be using to cancel the hiss, even though you didn't mention it on your process before.
Are you using something to work on that hiss noise?
I think we could try to tackle the hiss, see if there's something we can do before setting your account on vacation.
How about you give this a read and try to apply some of the suggestions here: https://help.bunnystudio.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203418064-Recording-Problems-Hiss-Noise
This has helped many of our Pros and we think it might help you as well.
Thank you! I'll definitely read the suggestions you've linked, and if there are any further inquiries, if you don't mind, I'll get back to you with them.
About the plugin I use, I might've been unclear due to my incomplete knowledge about the terminology. But what I use to reduce the noise/hiss is: Spectral Subtraction based on noise sample.
I don't know if it's an NCH Wavepad specific plugin or a widely used one.
Sure thing, Mohamed, we'll be waiting for you.
For now, seems like we shouldn't use it as it is very likely that it is causing the "over-processed" sound.