🎙️ The #3 Key to Clean, Professional Audio: Why You Should Take Outside Noise Seriously When Recording

Let’s talk about something many beginners overlook—outside background noise. For experienced audio editors, it’s obvious: your recordings should be as clean as possible, with no unwanted sound from outside your room.

But if you're just starting out, it’s easy to assume that any background noise can be removed later using software.

That’s not true. And here’s why.

What Counts as Outside Noise?

Outside noise is any sound that makes its way into your recording from outside your immediate recording space. This includes things like:

• Traffic from a busy road

• Airplanes flying overhead

• Your neighbor is mowing the lawn

• Dogs barking

• Children playing outside your room

• A cat meowing in the background

All of these sounds can sneak into your microphone, even if your room feels quiet.

Why You Can’t "Fix It in Post"

A common mistake is thinking that software can magically clean up any noisy recording. While noise reduction tools exist, they’re limited—especially when the unwanted sound overlaps with your voice.

Here’s the deal:

Audio is made up of frequencies. Your voice, a barking dog, and a passing car all share similar frequency ranges. When noise reduction software tries to remove the unwanted sounds, it often takes parts of your voice along with it.

The result? A recording that sounds choppy, thin, or distorted.

So the bottom line is: don’t fight the noise in post-production. Accept that irregular, unpredictable background noise is a big no. If it’s captured in your recording, there’s no clean way to get rid of it without harming the audio quality.

So What Can You Do?

Here are a few practical ways to deal with background noise the right way:

• Be aware of your environment: Pause your recording if a loud car passes or someone nearby starts making noise.

• Record during quieter moments: Choose a time when your surroundings are naturally more peaceful.

• Re-record noisy parts immediately: If you notice a sound while recording, stop and redo that section right away.

• Re-check during playback: When reviewing your recording, listen for any noise you may have missed. If something slipped in, re-record just that part.

• Don't rely on software: No tool can clean up unpredictable noise without affecting the quality of your voice.

By staying alert both during and after recording, you can catch unwanted sounds early and fix them the right way, without sacrificing quality.

Final Thoughts

There’s a big difference between consistent background hum (like a fan or AC) and sudden, irregular noises (like street traffic or people talking). The first can often be minimized. The second? Best to avoid altogether.

Many beginners don’t realize how much trouble background noise can cause—and waste time trying to fix something that should’ve been avoided in the first place. So remember: don’t try to fight noise after it’s recorded—prevent it from happening at all.

If you're unsure whether your recording is clean enough or want help polishing your audio, I offer custom EQ and Preset/Macro services.

You can also book a one-on-one call with me to review your setup and improve your workflow.

Thanks for reading—see you next time!

If you missed part 1: The Key #1 for professional Clear Audio

If you missed part 2: The Key #2 for Professional and Clean Audio