[Brad Bogus]

The Match EQ function is really cool, but way too involved for my file setups. I am trying to match an ADR track to an on set audio track, and they’re in different tracks, so the work around to match them is very tedious, but very effective, I think. I was adding the reverb to my ADR session first before EQing it, and I think doing it the other way around may have been more effective, but was still very tedious. I preferred just the old EQ approach.

I wasn’t sure if I could post directly to the forum. I can easily export something for you guys to hear it, but not for a few days at least. Still have a lot of meat to cut through. I will definitely do that though, since I’d like to get whatever professional opinions your ears can pick up over mine.

[Brad Bogus]

Wow, you guys are a wealth of knowledge. I’ve made amazing leaps and bounds today over my previous week’s work. There are some terms I didn’t quite understand completely, but I got everything beyond workable, so I consider it a major success. Just a basic understanding of what frequencies to play with took hours out of my workload, let alone the rest.

This is what I’ve been doing as a process, and let me know if this is good, can be improved, whatever advice:

I’m using Soundtrack Pro (their users didn’t offer any advice!) and adding a Space Designer Reverb (the plugin comes with the program). I’m using about 2-3 dB of wetness only, and turning the reflection down quite a bit, so as to not have much of an echoey effect. Just touches.

After that, I add a Channel EQ, roll of the most of the frequencies below 80Hz, take about 2-3 dB out of the under 200Hz range, and for the guys, I’m pulling just a dB or less out of the 750-2000 range. When the scene is outside, I am adding the +5kHz as much as 2dB. For the women, same out of the lows and mids, but adding as much as 3dB to the +5kHz and keeping it in that range up into the 10-15kHz range.

That seems to get them as close to the natural sound that my video-editing self can muster. I’ll give the pitch a little shift on some of the women. The quality of the ADR makes them almost sound like two completely different ages compared to the location sound. There’s still a touch or more of the spacial closeness I described, but not nearly as much as I had before.

If you want (and can tell me how) I can post some of the samples up for you to hear, but other than hearing them, does my process sound pretty right on? It’s at least better than before, that much I know!

Thanks for all of your priceless help!

[Brad Bogus]

Thanks John. Using Jordan’s suggestions and yours should definitely help me get the job done right. That muffling issue is something I’ve been having to deal with, and didn’t know what to do to accomplish it. The outdoor simulation is something I’m very good at actually. It’s the tweaking of sound that I’m not that great at doing. Thanks again.

[Brad Bogus]

Thanks for the reply Jordan. I’m new to this site so my responses are unfortunately moderated and taking waaaay too long to post. Anyways, I reviewed your clip, and my guess is the ADR sound is the two waitresses talking in the coffee shop near the beginning?

I’m willing to take time to get it, I just need to know a basic direction in which to go with that time. Right now I’m taking my time getting nowhere, so I’m just wasting away! Sometimes I have room tone or outside tone to use to make it match, and when I don’t I am replacing the background with samples provided in Soundtrack Pro of natural ambience.

Even after mixing in the ambient sounds, the ADR audio still sounds extremely close up and full, and there’s just no amount of mixing I’ve been able to do to remove that quality from the voice. Any suggestions? Even just letting me know which filters to use and what to do with them in a very basic way will get me miles farther than where I’m at.

Thanks!

Brad

[Brad Bogus]

Thanks Ty! I realize this is a difficult way to seek help. You guys can’t hear my source audio or my ADR audio, and therefore can’t just crapshoot on what will work the best. I am being hopeful more than anything!

My biggest problem is on outside scenes where reverb and room simulation aren’t a factor. The quality of audio taken outside, as you know, is vastly different than inside, where that simulation is a little easier for me. Regardless of the eq work I’ve done, I can’t make the audio not sound inside and close. If it helps I can post some of my audio I’m working with, but I may need a little instruction as to how I can do that =). I’m new to this as you know!

As far as amount of audio, it’s a lot. Some scenes are fully ADR’d, some are just partially. Even the fully ADR’d scenes (which are much easier on me) sound inside and a little fake after I’ve gotten them as good as I can get them. I can post one of those for you, but could use a little tutoring on how! The partially ADR’d scenes are nearly impossible for me, and in the end may just be impossible, I don’t know.

So, basically, on a hunch, is there any advice on how to match an inside recording on a studio condenser with pre amp to an outside recording on lavs? Even pointing me in the right direction in terms of which filters and effects will be the ones to work with gets me further than I am right now! Haha. Or I can post some of what I have so you guys can take a stab at it.

Thanks again Ty!