Re-recorded sections at different levels

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DanielleDW
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Joined: October 15th, 2020, 11:23 am

Post by DanielleDW »

I feel like I've gotten pretty handy with Audacity, but there's one issue I'm still having trouble with - when I listen over a recording, there are always a couple places where I hear a bit of background noise or I realize I've left out a word or some other reason I need to re-record.

I've been recording the new section in a new window and copying and pasting it over the original, which seems to work well. But even though all of my settings are the same and I'm in the same place, using the same microphone, the new audio is always at a different level - usually lower. I try adjusting just that section to match the rest, but I never quite get it right and the volume difference is always a bit audible.

Any advice?
knotyouraveragejo
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Post by knotyouraveragejo »

It could be that you are not at exactly the same distance from the microphone or it's a different time of day which can sometimes affect how your voice sounds. If the difference is slight, a listener who is immersed in the content will probably not notice, whereas you are focused on the patch so you do. In other words, don't stress too much over it. You will get better at it with more practice, but even still, sometimes it's hard to get it exactly the same.
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ChipDoc
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Post by ChipDoc »

One trick that works for me is to, if I miss a word or hear some noise while I'm recording, I just start again with the previous phrase while I'm doing the original recording and then cut out the bad parts in post.

Another trick I use is to read under a blanket. Not only does this help deaden outside noises, but it greatly diminishes the "echoing room effect".

It takes a while to get used to all of this. Stick with short pieces in group projects until you're comfortable with it. Glad to have you aboard
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ej400
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Post by ej400 »

DanielleDW wrote: October 26th, 2021, 5:57 pm I hear a bit of background noise or I realize I've left out a word or some other reason I need to re-record.
Welcome! It will come with experience but I'll volunteer myself as example here, I know my mic will pick up if a car passes by on the road. Every single time lol. So while recording, if I hear a car coming, I can one or two things: I can either keep going, and do a noise reduction (usually this get's it), but when those loud trucks roll through, I'll re-do that spot. And there's no shame in having to re-do a line or two.

But if you know what is causing the sound, sometimes it's air moving through the vents, or wind will even get picked up, experiment with it and learn how to edit it out :D

Thanks
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TriciaG
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Post by TriciaG »

Do you have a sample we could listen to, to hear what you mean? Maybe it's not so bad as you think - like someone else said. :)

Besides adjusting the volume on the patch as you mentioned, mostly all I have is repeating what others have said:

- Mic placement (angle and distance from your mouth)

- Imitate the vocal quality. Listen to what you're going to replace. Were you a little growly that day? Make the patch a little growly. Was your voice a little sharper or smoother? Make your voice in the patch a little sharper or smoother. Become a studied impressionist of yourself. :P

- Listen to the intonation, the ups-and-downs and word emphasis. Record longer than you need to patch, and imitate the intonation (or replace more of it so the new intonation fits in).

It does seem like when I record a patch, the first word especially blasts out a bit more than it should, so I record more than I need to and don't use the beginning of the patch, as mentioned above. And on projects I've listened to, sometimes the reader will slow down and emphasize the corrected word more than before, so it sticks out just by that new emphasis. Imitation of your old recording will maybe get you a better patch.
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