The pre-requisite of better-sounding audio

(This is part 1 of the Sound Better Series. In this series, I discuss the A-Z concepts of producing top-quality audio.)

Better-sounding audio is a must for any voice-related work. The amount of effort you have to put into audio production depends on the purpose.

For example, for audiobook narration or professional voice-over, you have to make sure everything is perfect.

You may not need such attention to detail for podcasts or content creation, but you have to make the best of what you have.

But whatever your purpose is, the basics of better-sounding audio are the same. It can be divided into 3 stages:

• Before Recording

• During Recording

• After Recording

The “Master Editor“ YouTube channel is about After Recoding or Post-processing.

Post-processing is the final step in achieving the best audio possible, but other parts must also be taken care of.

Otherwise, post-processing may not achieve the desired outcome. In this tutorial series, I will discuss all three stages of high-quality audio production.

Let’s explore a bit what the required conditions are before recording. Before recording, you have to focus on 3 things:

1. Recording Room

2. It’s surrounding

3. Recording Equipment

You will not get good-quality audio if any of the above things are set up incorrectly. Many beginners fail to realize what I just said.

I have even seen many radio and TV voice-over professionals fail to realize this. Usually, radio or TV professionals record in a studio, where an audio engineer processes the sound.

The voice actor mainly had to focus on the acting part. Oftentimes, they don’t have an idea of the whole picture.

Contrary to what you think, radio or TV professionals struggle more when they want to start their own voice-over business.

So, I hope you realize the importance of putting all the things together for a quality voice-over.

Let’s talk about some properties of the recording room, its surroundings, and recording equipment.

The recording room must be either acoustically treated or free from strong sound reflection. Acoustic treatment may not always be viable in a home studio.

In such a case, you must ensure that your recording is free from strong sound reflections. There are many cheap ways to prevent sound reflection.

The most popular method is to use moving or hanging blankets around your recording space. It works pretty well.

Sound reflection is the audio quality killer. Sound reflection makes the listening experience quite poor.

In the past couple of years, some AI software solutions have been developed to reduce reflection or reverb. These solutions work up to a certain limit or level.

Do not expect to get pro-quality audio from a bad recording using such software.

In short, take the necessary care to ensure that your recording is free from sound reflection or reverberation.

The next thing is the surroundings of the recording space. It has to be quiet and noise-free.

Loud noises, such as traffic noise, dog barking, or other people talking nearby, should never be included in the recording. If they are included, they should be selected and deleted.

If you find such an issue after recording, you will have to record those parts again.

You should choose a place free from those types of noises or record at a time when there are no such noises.

However, another type of noise is hissing or white background noise. You will see a particular requirement for this noise.

For example, the ACX audiobook requires a noise floor of no more than -60 dB. However, some platforms or production houses may request a lower noise floor.

Measuring the noise floor is technical, but it can help you understand if you have a noise issue.

If you can hear a noticeable hissing noise in your final processed audio, you have to do something about it.

Please note that the noise floor matters on the final processed audio. Recording in low gain does not mean you have a lower noise floor.

It depends on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is a bit technical, and I hope to make a YouTube video on it soon.

The action step for you would be to identify the cause of the hissing noise and try to minimize it.

For example, if the AC unit in your room is causing a hissing noise in the recording, you have two options.

Option 1 is to turn off the AC. However, in hot weather, this may not be practical for longer recording sessions.

Option 2 is to set the microphone to capture as little noise as possible. You may have heard about a microphone's polar pattern or pick-up pattern.

For professional purposes, we use a microphone with “Cardioid“ or “Super-Cardioid “pick-up patterns.

It basically means which side of the microphone is strong and which side is weak. If we can set the microphone so that the AC unit is on the weaker side, less noise will be captured.

I used the AC unit as an example, but the same principle applies to other noise sources, such as air vents, laptop fans, and refrigerators.

So, the microphone placement technique can play an important role regarding white background noise.

The last item on the “before recording” checklist is the recording equipment. Please remember that an expensive microphone does not guarantee better sound.

A microphone captures an analog signal, which is then converted to digital data and stored in a computer.

While we play back the recorded audio, the analog signal is recreated from the digital data.

So, while an expensive microphone is better at capturing analog signals, that does not necessarily mean better audio.

Better audio is balanced audio. We make that balance through audio processing.

It’s a bit technical, but the main point is that the recording equipment has to meet specific standards.

That’s why we need to use a dedicated microphone instead of recording with a laptop microphone.

We must ensure that the cables we are using are not faulty. Faulty cables can cause loud hissing or humming noises.

Computer ports also have to be 100% working. It is not common for a microphone to be connected to a faulty port, generating a strong noise.

These are the general guidelines before recording. I will discuss the recording guidelines in the next post.

For the next part of the Sound Better Series: »> Click This Link (Part 2)

If you are looking to produce quality Audio with Audacity, please check the Audacity Bundle (Beginner to Advanced): https://www.patreon.com/master_editor/shop/audacity-bundle-beginner-to-advanced-189564

If you are thinking of producing Voice Over, Audiobooks, or Podcasts in Adobe Audition, please check the Adobe Audition Bundle: https://www.patreon.com/master_editor/shop/adobe-audition-bundle-beginner-to-240352

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