Emmett Andrews
Forum Replies Created
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You should have absolutely no problems. M-Audio stuff plays very nicely with Audition. AA 3.0 is coming soon, so you might wait until that comes out to do your testing. I can assure that your “pro audio tech” is misinformed about Audition’s abilities. Audition is limited only by PC specs. If you’re running a solid system with plenty of RAM, Audition is ideal. I’ve been working with pro audio for many years, and I can work with virtually any system on the market. Audition is my clear winner. I’m sure your audio tech would suggest Pro Tools LE or M-Powered, neither of which will perform to Audition’s standards. Pro Tools is only worth a damn if it’s a $10,000+ HD TDM system.
Emmett
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You aren’t, by chance, trying to play as you edit, are you? You cannot edit while playback occurs.
Emmett
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The SM58 is actually a dynamic mic, not a condenser. I can see how it would be useful for a variety of applications, but it isn’t one I would ever choose for studio work…At least not spoken narration. For that, you’ll amost always want a condenser (though some choose Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7 or EV RE-20 or RE27). The most popular mics for voiceover work are the Neumann U87, Neumann TLM103 and Sennheiser MKH-416 P48 Shotgun. Don LaFontaine (the king of movie trailers) uses a Manley Gold Reference into an Avalon preamp. Many people I know use the Sennheiser MKH-416, which is what you would most likely use in a Hollywood studio. Nearly every LA studio has a 416 in their cabinet. I prefer the 416 for heavier promo work, but I prefer the Neumann TLM103 for character or narration work. It has a more natural sound. I’m not a big fan of the Neumann U87 for most voices. The Sennheiser 416 is nice because it has a very tight super cardioid pattern and performs very nicely when mic’d close.
Don’t forget about the preamp. It’s every bit as important as the mic. Many talents use Avalon, Presonus, Symetrix or Universal Audio. I prefer Focusrite, Neve, API or John Hardy.
My primary setup is an Audio-Technica AT4040 paired with a Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster Pro. It suits most of my needs well. I use a Sennheiser MKH-416 with a Focusrite VM Pro for heavy promo work and I sometimes use a Neumann TLM103 paired with a Symetrix 528E for narration.
Where you place the mic is important too!
Emmett
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Recommended inexpensive PCI interfaces:
E-mu 0404
Echo MiaMIDI
M-Audio Audiophile 2496
M-Audio Audiophile 192 -
That’s just the way those guys sound…Really. I have set up mic chains for guys who do trailers and there is very little processing. Rarely, if ever, is there a boost in the low end. It’s almost always flat or slighly cut. The last guy I set up needed a cut of about 1dB near 200Hz. Then it was flat all the way up to 10kHz, where there was a 1-2dB boost. We also used a low-cut filter below 40Hz at 18dB/octave. For compression, it was a simply a 2:1 ratio with a fast attack (I normally prefer a slower attack, but with this particular talent, faster was essential) and med-fast release. Nothing else. 85% of the sound comes from the voice, 10% comes from mic, preamp, mic technique and placement and the other 5% comes from processing.
Emmett
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A lot of people would disagree with using outboard gear for processing. These days, that’s becoming an unpopular practice. If you record without processing, then you have much more control later. That being said, I also use outboard mic processing for voiceovers. I use a Focusrite Voicemaster Pro into a DBX 266XL. The DBX is barely in the chain. It is there as a peak limiter, to control only the most offensive peaks that might exceed 0dBFS…Otherwise, it is inaudible. The bulk of my processing comes from the Focusrite.
Anyhow, I would advise against using the multiband compressor unless you are EXTREMELY familiar with the functions of a single-band compressor. 95% of the time, you can get better results with a single-band compressor. And much of the time, a multiband compressor will make it sound worse long before it sounds better. There should never be a reason to use a multiband compressor on a voice file, unless you are creating a special effect. It creates many more problems than it solves.
I would also advise against use of the hard limiter as much as possible. Every tool has its place, but the hard limiter is an extremely abrasive tool. It is probably the most abused tool on the market. It’s something that you might want to use on a final mix, to raise the RMS level a little, but it will be at the expense of your dynamic range. You’ll gain loudness, but lose dynamic range and resolution.
If you want to even everything out nicely, you do have some options. The first option is to track down a VST leveler plug-in. They’re out there and I’m sure there are free ones. The other option is to use Audition’s dynamics processor. Use slow settings to keep a natural result, while evening out the track.
As for EQ, do it after you compress. Compression messes with EQ, but the reverse is not true, in terms of audibility. Cut to correct, boost to create a specific result. The parametric EQ will often yeild the best results. I don’t much care for Audition’s paramentric. There are better freebies out there, but if you’re happy with it, use what you have.
Emmett
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This sounds more like a soundcard issue. What are you using? Your card might not be able to tolerate 0dbFS. Try normalizing to -1dB. If the problem goes away, it’s a soundcard problem.
Emmett
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Not very well…Start with the acapella preset of the center channel extractor.
Emmett
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Contact Adobe support. They can usually help with these types of things.
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Right you are…Can’t be done. Not with any real degree of success anyway, regardless of the program or algorithm. You can SOMETIMES, however, get somewhat acceptable results by using the Center Channel Extractor. The acapella preset is about as good as it can ever get.
Emmett