Overall Quality - Progress Before Applying
Hello,
I've been working towards creating a home studio. Not investing heavily in equipment yet. Researching how to edit my own audio.
I've been working in a corporate setting for many years. Creating internal training videos for people who want (need as per the boss) to consume my product. So basically I have a lot of experience with "Pod Cast" quality recordings.
Wondering if somebody can review my linked mp3 and let me know if I'm remotely close to quality.
I understand that my diction in this sample is raw. I need to work on technic - 110% understood.
Roast me on the editing and use of Noise Reduction / Normalization.
Any input is greatly accepted.
Thanks
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eojd4ltzuoqntrs/sample.mp3?dl=0
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Hello Pswaine!
(sorry to use that handle but is the only info I have at the moment)
Thank you so much for using this space to get some feedback!
I was checking your file and first and foremost let me tell you that you have a very cool voice, that deep pitch and the "raspiness" is something that is not easy to find, so I think that you already have a lot going on for you with your uniqueness!
Regarding quality, there are a couple of improvements that could definitely help you, let me try and address them separately to keep it organized:
Room echo: there are some sections of the read (not all the time) where the acoustics of the room can be heard, for example at 0:15 or 0:20. Room echo is one of our main causes of rejections on application tests, so we strongly recommend trying to control it as best as you can with the materials and space that you have at your disposal! Here is a great article about it:
https://help.bunnystudio.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203461624-Tip-5-Basic-acoustic-treatment-is-not-rocket-science
Editing: It is not bad at all! The only minor thing I noticed is that at 0:29 the cut is a bit strong and feels unnatural, so you can always use longer fades that can help mitigate issues like that one. I also recommend editing silent regions, although sometimes they look empty, noises can sneak there when recording, so cleaning up those parts is good practice.
Mouth clicks: I found only one, so it is a VERY minor issue, at 0:24, but I think you can control them very well since they do not appear during the rest of the read, but I wanted to mention that single one just to let you know.
Those are the main things I could find :) maybe someone else could chip in, but I think that if you address the room echo situation, you would be ready to apply and pass! The volume is pretty good and aligned with our standards, and if you used noise reduction, it is not too strong or evident (sometimes it can cause artifacts) so that is great as well.
Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Kind regards,
Daniel
Well, that was better than I thought! Thanks. My name is Paul. Great to meet you!
If you are OK, I would like to fix your noted issues, and provide another sample.
As soon as I get a good proof of concept, I will ditch the USB mic and invest in some proper padding. I've added a linked picture for my "booth".
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nics2hv486kipdf/the_booth%3F.jpeg?dl=0
I have a line on a few second hand mics .... AT2020 / SM57 / Rode NT1
Would you consider one over the other as a general "fits all" set?
Also, what would you suggest for an interface to a Apple Mac?
Thanks
Hi Paul!
Nice to meet you too :)
Of course! Feel free to make any changes and send any new/updated files whenever you want! I might take a bit to reply since we do our best to reply to all new posts at first, but I will certainly help you out.
Regarding the booth, it is not bad at all! I love how cases like this can show people interested in this business that you do not need a vocal booth that costs thousands to get a good sound! What I would do, is cover the head and back when recording with some thick blanket in order to "close" that box, so no room echo is heard :)
And regarding the mics, if you want to focus on voice, I would go for either the Audio Technica or the Rode (maybe the Rode if I had to choose only one), but if you are interested in music production and maybe recording other instruments/sources, the SM57 could be a great option! Voice is not as nice as it is on a condenser mic, but it definitely can do the job with a nice amp and some careful touch-ups with processing (trying to not overprocess, of course).
And for the interface, you can never go wrong with Focusrite's interfaces, the Scarlett line is very good and have really nice entry options, I've also heard great things about the SSL and Audient interfaces, and Universal Audio released not long ago a line called "Volt", I haven't read reviews yet but they look amazing and great value too, so those could be a really nice option, especially the '76 models that include an emulation of their amazing compressors.
Let me know if I can help with anything else, or if you have any new files that you would like me to check!
Kind regards,
Daniel
Daniel,
How can I get my audition reset? I would like to request a chance to re-apply.
I did get a rejection for missing the audition project.
Thanks