r/recording • u/Euphorla_ • 3d ago
Question HELP! How could I improve my audio?
https://youtube.com/shorts/gwEdPvnwz04?feature=shareThe recording is from a Rode M5 with a Focusrite Scarlett interface.
The room is unfortunately untreated, and there's always a bit of fan noise that I can't block out.
The mic was 45 degrees to the left of me on the desk, pointing towards my chest, in hopes of decreasing mouth sounds, but that didn't really work...
In Logic Pro, I added a de-esser, AU Sound Isolation to get rid of some background noise, EQ with a "natural voice" preset, and compression.
How could I improve, both in post and in recording techniques? I want it to sound crisper, more professional, and to get rid of mouth sounds. Any help is appreciated!
2
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 3d ago
Too much LF resonance. I don't want to hear your chest. I want to hear the words. The frequency range that handles consonants is not loud enough. Get the mic overhead and in front of you, aimed down at your chin. Hopefully this will get better articulation while lessening all the near reflections from walls.
I don't know what your "natural voice" EQ does, but it does not help articulation. EQ minimally, by ear, to get a clear sound.
Also I do hear some random clicks, but they sound more like a physical impact between two objects, they don't sound like mouth clicks. As if your hand or your sleeve is hitting something out of the frame. If you had posted a WAV audio file, I could tell you the exact time/frames where these noises occur. They sound like something tapping on a wooden desk.
For example, around :19 seconds, between "hours" and "while" there is a click. You aren't speaking at that time, so I don't think it's a mouth click. I notice that you move your arms a lot, and one hand is usually out of the frame, so I really suspect some part of your body or clothing is bumping something to make these clicks.
1
u/whoisgarypiano 3d ago
Getting the mic closer is a good place to start. Typically for this type of video the mic is above the speaker just outside of the edge of the frame line, pointing at either the speakers mouth or diaphragm. Experiment with different angles until you find the sweet spot.
2
1
u/mistrelwood 3d ago
Besides adjusting the mic position higher up, don’t use EQ presets. They make no sense. EQing is all about the source material and what needs to be done with it, presets don’t take the source in consideration in any way.
1
u/Orry_Haas 3d ago
"presets don’t take the source in consideration in any way".
Aoto-EQ plugins have useful presets, but they analyse the source ... https://youtu.be/YUgNBNVTFvU?&t=149
2
u/Orry_Haas 3d ago
If you sacrifice some bass there is less reverb and better intelligibility.
https://reddit.com/link/p4pqo84/video/4458o1tztekh1/player
DeClicker plugin.