My head is in a vice Uncle Fester

Nikki Saco · **Voice Talent** Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 465

Nice thread, George. See what you started? Here's my current routine:

*Record, a couple reads and pick the best one (for short stuff, I like to record my first cold read-through and compare it to the final -- learning tool);
*Apply noise reduction, after profiling "gap" since I still have a little fan noise (big design project has kept me from moving the works over to my whisper quiet Mac Pro. But the transition is finally happening over the next two weeks).
*Silence or reduce-amplify breaths (depends on the client; some don't like oxygen dependency; I agree you don't really want to just splice it out since it changes pacing)
*Sometimes I need a little gain, so I might boost by 2 or 3 db, but I do that through the hard limiter with a max amplitude of -2db or -3db. I don't set too low a ceiling since I don't like wave forms with buzz cuts.

I think Colin's right that getting your levels close to where you want them up front is better than having to boost your clip later; but I don't think a lot of upfront compression and EQing is essential. Like Todd, I get more clients who just want a dry recording, which is less work for me. Also, since most of us are working with Adobe Audition and other robust sound editing programs, it's really OK to opt for the less expensive alternative of letting your software process your voice after the recording (except for those levels).

If you think about it, peripheral compressors, EQ's, channel strips are all working with software algorithms, just like our computers. For voice work, it's just not that crucial to process your input before you save it to your hard drive. If you're recording guitars, drums, vocals, and producing music, the extra equipment might be a better option then.

Some voice actors are apparently using a lot of peripherals to process their voices as they record (during production), and then do more processing in post production just to get a "natural" sound. Is that usual? Or are you compensating for something your live processing didn't accomplish? And for those of you processing as you record, do you find you have to fiddle with your compression and EQ settings often (for every session)? Or is it that once you set it, you can forget it unless you have to record another voice or instrument? I would be put off by having to fiddle with a lot of equipment before I start recording.

Ronald T Robinson · **Voice Talent** Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 1008

Depending, Bobbin, on the approach - and the timing of the script/read, I will, simply, edit-out the breaths.... some of the natural ones and all of the ones that sound like gaping, sucking chest-wounds.

I mean, humans do breath when they speak naturally.

It's only the "hard-sell" Radio approaches that don't allow for breathing! Smile

Compressing "time" by editing out breaths and butting up phrases and sentences is just an optional technique.

Lance Blair · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007, 02:04 (GMT) Post subject:

Agree with the idea that breathing is okay as long as you don't notice it: I suppose it's like hearing the bowing in a violin. I used to be pre-occupied with fixing my breathing sounds but once I let it go natural that let me work on it and be more economical with my voice. Now I'm getting less of that giant sucking sound. I'll still knock down a breath 2 or 3 db if it's a bit much.