trouble with compression

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Spiffycat
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Joined: December 21st, 2018, 5:56 pm

Post by Spiffycat »

Newbie here. I've set my settings on compression to Phil Chenevert's suggested numbers because when I say anything with the letter p in it, it clips. But when I compress, the whole word sounds depressed in volume. It's quite noticeable. Any suggestions? Thanks for any help you can offer. Spiffycat

EDIT: Thank you all for your suggestions! I shall attempt to address my p's :) elsewhere, and I did not amplify so that might help as well.
Last edited by Spiffycat on January 13th, 2019, 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
mightyfelix
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Post by mightyfelix »

If it's only happening with P's, I'm thinking you might be recording a little too close to the mic. Move a couple of inches further back from it. I've also heard it's best not to speak directly into the mic, but just slightly to the side of it. If you have a headset mic, then be sure the mouthpiece is not positioned directly in front of your mouth, but either down by your chin or up near your nose.

EDIT: Alternately, you can fiddle with the settings on the compressor a bit, but I haven't had much success with mine as of late. :?
annise
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Post by annise »

Early on I was advised to hold my finger in front of my mouth and say PPPPP so I could feel the breath then move my finger sideways or up and down slowly to where I could no longer feel it - and put my microphone there. Then the breath will go past the microphone, not into it,

Anne
TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

Agreed with what they say about the P sounds.

Regarding compressor - yes, it makes everything quieter, because it squishes the loud parts down. After it compresses, though, there's more room to amplify because you don't have the spikes preventing it.
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tovarisch
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Location: New Hampshire, USA

Post by tovarisch »

I found that the following steps (in addition to whatever else you do) give better results:
1. Normalize to 0.
2. Compress
3. De-amplify to meet our volume requirements.

It's more laborious than it's worth, IMHO, so I actually don't do it on any of my recordings. I simply noise-reduce, render, measure with Checker, and then amplify to get ~89, then re-render and upload.
tovarisch
  • reality prompts me to scale down my reading, sorry to say
    to PLers: do correct my pronunciation please
Spiffycat
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Joined: December 21st, 2018, 5:56 pm

Post by Spiffycat »

tovarisch wrote: January 13th, 2019, 7:17 am I found that the following steps (in addition to whatever else you do) give better results:
1. Normalize to 0.
2. Compress
3. De-amplify to meet our volume requirements.

It's more laborious than it's worth, IMHO, so I actually don't do it on any of my recordings. I simply noise-reduce, render, measure with Checker, and then amplify to get ~89, then re-render and upload.

Stravsvuitcha! (or however you spell it in English).
tovarisch
Posts: 2936
Joined: February 24th, 2013, 7:14 am
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Post by tovarisch »

Spiffycat wrote: January 13th, 2019, 11:47 am
I suppose you refer to "Zdrastvuite!" (which is a greeting, and literally means "may you be healthy"), a "spasibo" is a bit more appropriate expression of gratitude (if that's what you intended). :)
tovarisch
  • reality prompts me to scale down my reading, sorry to say
    to PLers: do correct my pronunciation please
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