Unbiased ears/opinions needed

Post by **mightyfelix** » June 5th, 2020, 12:35 pm

I'm setting up a new recording space, and I'm afraid it's not going well. I wanted to make use of a little unused alcove I have, and I just finished hanging acoustic foam all around. (Well, mostly around. I'm afraid I didn't buy enough foam to cover the bottom foot-and-a-half of the wall, and I didn't even think about the ceiling until afterward.)

Here is the result: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/echo_test_mtf.mp3

Is the echo as bad as I think it is? And if so, what else can I do to help it? I also have my mic housed in a padded box, about 2 feet away from me, and the gain fairly high.

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » June 5th, 2020, 12:43 pm

It's a bit off, I suppose, but who am I to say? I think the same thing about my recordings.

But one gets quickly used to this sound, D. It's nice.

Post by **knotyouraveragejo** » June 5th, 2020, 1:17 pm

Yes there is some echo. How high is the ceiling? Are you facing into or out of the alcove area. Do you have something sound-deadening behind you and the microphone? After I recently moved, the ceilings in the new house were 12' and there was a significant echo when I tried recording with the mic inside a closet. The inside of the space was set up to deaden the sound, but I was sitting just outside. Ultimately I moved completely into the closet and closed the doors and that solved the problem. Not recommended if you are claustrophobic, however.

Post by **mightyfelix** » June 5th, 2020, 1:43 pm

The ceiling can't be higher than 6 and a half feet, I'd say. I'm 5'1" and I can reach it without tip-toeing very much.

(That's just for the alcove, which I'm entirely inside. The rest of the room is very high, with a sloping roof, maybe 8-15 feet.) I have a bit of a curtain hung up between me and the rest of the room, but only a very light one. I'm hoping to find something heavier without spending much money, as I've already invested a bit more than I wanted to.

I'm facing into the alcove, and there's about 4 or 5 feet of empty space behind me to the next wall.

Post by **knotyouraveragejo** » June 5th, 2020, 2:17 pm

I typically use old comforters stapled to the walls and pillows and/or foam around and behind the mic. Just stuff that was already around the house. Maybe try getting in closer to the mic or changing the orientation of where you sit and the direction the microphone faces with respect to the acoustic tiles and the opening to the larger room?

k5hsj · Post by **k5hsj** » June 5th, 2020, 7:26 pm

Devorah,

Your two foot distance from the mic is more what you'd use if you were recording in a real sound studio. Under less ideal conditions, I think I'd work a bit closer, more like four inches to a foot--somewhere in there. Your sample recording is entirely usable, but if you want a deader sound try being closer to the mic and using less gain. My 2¢ worth.

Winston (old analog audio guy)

lurcherlover · Post by **lurcherlover** » June 6th, 2020, 1:42 am

Yes, agreed that you need to be closer to the mic. I am usually at about 6-9 inches away, depending on the mic. Use duvets/blankets to reduce reverb and you can reduce gain as well with closer miking which will also reduce room sound. You have a low ceiling so reduce the room sound as much as possible. (Usual studio recordings with voice (spoken word) are usually 3-12 inches from mic).

Post by **mightyfelix** » June 11th, 2020, 4:10 pm

Is this better?

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/echo_test2_mtf.mp3

I hung some more, and heavier, drapes and moved the mic a bit closer. I can't get it closer still without buying a stand, I think.

tovarisch · Post by **tovarisch** » June 11th, 2020, 5:06 pm

It's noticeably drier (to my ear) than the first. As you're closer to the mic, you'll be the source that contributes more than anything else (like the room), keep it so.

Post by **knotyouraveragejo** » June 11th, 2020, 5:18 pm

Much better!

lurcherlover · Post by **lurcherlover** » June 12th, 2020, 12:47 am

The voice quality is much better but the noise floor is surprisingly slightly higher than before. Overall though it's much less tiring to listen too, so a definite improvement. The increase in noise may be a limit of your equipment and other than getting a better mic/interface you may not improve it very much. But the recordings are much better to listen too, and that's the important thing.

Post by **mightyfelix** » June 12th, 2020, 5:56 am

Thanks everyone!

I may have been less aggressive with noise cleaning this time around. I'll continue to fiddle with that, but at least now I feel like I can finally get back to recording! Thanks everyone!