Archives for July 2018

Interested in doing your own audio recording and mixing? If so, there are a ton of different areas that the budding producer needs to become proficient in. One of these is understanding the different signal levels that come together in order to feed the mix. These include the mix level, the professional line level, and the consumer line level – all of which run at different amplitudes, meaning that a producer will need to take this into account when mixing.

Key Takeaways:

• Are you interested in mixing and recording your own music? If so, there are a few basic things you'll need to know.
• One of the keys has to do with understanding the different standard levels of signal you'll see.
• Mic levels, professional line levels, and consumer line levels all come in at different amplitudes, which you'll need to take into account when mixing.

“Back in the days when we used tape machines and consoles, we aligned all the machines so that an input or output level of +4dBu translated to 0 on the VU meters.”

Read more: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/understanding-signal-levels-audio-gear/

Obviously podcast producers and online vlog journalists are not all that jazzed by voice recording as an artistic and mechanical entity. That particular view of the act of recording is generally reserved for audio engineers. The good news is that even audio engineers don’t have to obsess over voice recordings as long as they keep in mind a few voice compression tips.

The ratio is there to regulate how far the volume will be reduced by the compressor. Don’t overdo it. The threshold determines the point at which the compressor is activated, too high you get barely notable compression, too low and the voice sounds smooshed.
Getting the attack and release time coordinated is important, because these timings dictate when the compressor starts reducing audio and when it brings it back up. You want to work on achieving the most natural sound possible. 2ms for the attack and 12ms for the release is often a good place to start.

Key Takeaways:

• An 18th century philosopher, Pareto, discovered the principal that suggests that in numerous scenarios 80% of the output needed is often created by a mere. 20% of the workers, or input.
• When it comes to audio recording, a setting of 3:1 means the volume will be set three times softer.
• The attack time dictates how quickly the compressor starts reducing the volume, while the release time notes when the compressor disengaged to return the volume to where it was.

“Compression is one of those tools that most people like to set and forget.”

Read more: https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-master-guide-to-voice-compression-how-to–compress-voice-recordings–cms-25105

Contrary to what many believe, it is possible to produce great sound to accompany your video, even on a budget! It really comes down to getting a mic close to your mouth somehow. My article and video – Sound For Video: How To Get Good Audio On Your Videos takes you through a couple of good ways to do this.

Below is another take from Premium Beat on some ways to get great audio on your videos.
If you’re making a short film on a shoestring budget with only $100 to spend on audio, they recommend you go with the Audio-Technica ATR-6550 Shotgun Microphone for $68, or the Audio-Technica ATR-3350IS Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Mic with Smartphone Adapter for $30. The beauty of this lavalier mic is that it is wired so that you can connect it to your smart phone and/or camera when recording and producing interviews.
If you have more money to spend, look at the Zoom H4nSP 4-Channel Recorder for $159 and the Rode VideoMic Shotgun Condenser Microphone with Boom Pole and Adaptor for $159. You can’t go wrong with Rode equipment, a well-known player in the film-making industry.

Key Takeaways:

• If you think you can only have great quality sound by busting your audio budget, you are misinformed!
• You can achieve great quality sound with a budget of under $100, starting with Audio-Technica microphones and your smart phone.
• If you have more than $100 to spend, look at Rode equipment, since it’s a very well-respected name in the audio and video recording industry.

“I’ve seen countless films that were cinematically excellent, but bad sound completely kicked me out.”

Read more: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/getting-good-sound-every-budget/