Audio Clean Up Help at DVinfo.net

James Strange · November 3rd, 2009, 02:10 PM

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Hi guys, hoping for a bit of help here.

I have a short audio clip (attached) where a man a woman are leaving a message to camera for the bride and groom at a wedding.

There is a band playing in the background so its quite difficult to make out what they are saying.

I have Adobe CS3 so have soundbooth, but I'm by no means an audio expert.

Can anyone advise on what to do to clean up the audio so that you hear lass of the band behind the camer and more of the people talking in front of the camera?

Thanks

James

ps - message to mods - I wasnt sure whether to post this in the audio section or the wedding video section, so apologies in advance.
Attached Files Audio2.wav (6.29 MB, 0 views)

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...n-up-help.html
(the .wav file is in the post in the audio section)

Chris Davis · November 3rd, 2009, 02:36 PM

I typically just "play" with the settings until I find something that works, so I can't tell you specifically what to do, except... What I've done when I absolutely can't get clean audio is just to let the audio play as-is and place subtitles in the lower third.

James Strange · November 3rd, 2009, 02:48 PM

Yeah I'm thinking subtutles will be a last resort, just hoping someone has a magic fix :)

Cheers

James

Bill Vincent · November 3rd, 2009, 07:39 PM

Unfortunately there is no magic fix when it comes to audio, but there are some things you can try. Use a multi-band EQ to try to isolate and bring out the dialog while cutting any frequencies out of the range of human voice (anything below 500hz and anything above about 2000 - 2500khz. That might help some. Once you've isolated the voices you can try adding EQ to the voices to be more clear. Be sure to cut unwanted freq's first before trying to add.

Good luck!

Added note: My frequency specs off the top of my head were a little off - here's a frequency chart that might be helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_frequency

James Workman · November 3rd, 2009, 08:35 PM

Also, the "multiband compressor" in the Audio Effects menu in Premiere pro CS3 can be very helpful....play with until you get what you want.

Philip Howells · November 3rd, 2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Vincent

Unfortunately there is no magic fix when it comes to audio, but there are some things you can try. Use a multi-band EQ to try to isolate and bring out the dialog while cutting any frequencies out of the range of human voice (anything below 500hz and anything above about 2000 - 2500khz. That might help some. Once you've isolated the voices you can try adding EQ to the voices to be more clear. Be sure to cut unwanted freq's first before trying to add.

Good luck!

Added note: My frequency specs off the top of my head were a little off - here's a frequency chart that might be helpful:
Voice frequency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unfortunately whilst the range of frequencies music "uses" to convey all its subtleties is very wide, the main range of notes rather than harmonics corresponds quite closely with the human voice eg standard tuning A is 330Hz.

Bill's initial statement was precise and correct - there is no magic fix. Sadly for the Op it's a good example of why people in our business should learn their craft properly, record it right and accept that "fix it in post" isn't always possible. My guess is that James wasn't wearing headphones. Sorry it's not much help now but next time...

James Strange · November 9th, 2009, 01:01 PM

Hi guys, thanks for the advice, the multiband compressor has helped a little.

The incident occurred due to trying to be in 2 places at once (the B&G only opted for the 'Diary Room' the morning of the wedding, usually I have an extra pair of hands) so the 'diary room' was a camera left running on its own.

No excuses though, I agree "people in our business should learn their craft properly, record it right and accept that "fix it in post" isn't always possible"

That being said, mistakes do happen, and nobodys perfect.

So lesson learned, unless the diary room has been booked in advance, don't offer it, no matter how much the B&G beg you the morning of the wedding.

ps. I was being ironic when i said I'm hoping for a magic fix :)
pps. I always wear cans.

Thanks again for the advice

Jeff Kellam · November 9th, 2009, 02:39 PM

You are going to have to lip sync that and hope no one notices.

James Strange · November 9th, 2009, 03:45 PM

"You are going to have to lip sync that and hope no one notices. "

lol, nice

Jeff Kellam · November 10th, 2009, 04:34 PM

Thought you would like that!

Sean Johnson · December 7th, 2009, 10:27 PM

When I first started filming weddings I ran into a huge problem during an outdoor shoot. I was using a simple sony wireless mic. Reception on the mic was going in and out but I couldn't tell because there was so much wind (in San Francisco - on a hill). If I unplugged the mic there is no way I'd hear anything from where I was. I tested the mics before the ceremony started and everything was okay. As soon as people started taking photos with their digital cameras the audio began cutting out. One guy stood right next to me and I could here the audio go nuts. I wasn't a great experience. The couple was understanding though a good portion of the audio was bad out there. Now I use a mic hooked up to an iRiver player.

Jeff Kellam · December 8th, 2009, 04:17 PM

Sean:

I used to have that problem with my old wireless system, the string kept going loose. I had to upgrade too.

Don Bloom · December 8th, 2009, 04:26 PM

heh, I used to have a setup just like that too. As long as you kept that string tight the sound wasn't too bad. A bit TINNY though.

O|O
\__/

Denny Lajeunesse · December 9th, 2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Kellam

Sean:

I used to have that problem with my old wireless system, the string kept going loose. I had to upgrade too.

Isn't that still a wired system? I think you are mixing it up with these old systems:

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/museu...ear/fail1a.jpg

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/museu...201921%20a.jpg

Chris Harding · December 10th, 2009, 12:15 AM

Hi James

I know this is future advice but I always do 'vox pops' for the couple when the guests are having pre-dinner drinks. Never mind the band..just the sheer volume of ambient chatter can kill the "mini interview" What I do is get there early and wait for the first batch to arrive and then pounce on them for bridal comments! Since there are only a few in the room, your ambient level is low. Once the room fills up I already have enough footage and don't have to fight the high noise level anymore

Chris

November 3rd, 2009, 02:10 PM	#1
James Strange Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Posts: 309	Audio Clean Up Help -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi guys, hoping for a bit of help here. I have a short audio clip (attached) where a man a woman are leaving a message to camera for the bride and groom at a wedding. There is a band playing in the background so its quite difficult to make out what they are saying. I have Adobe CS3 so have soundbooth, but I'm by no means an audio expert. Can anyone advise on what to do to clean up the audio so that you hear lass of the band behind the camer and more of the people talking in front of the camera? Thanks James ps - message to mods - I wasnt sure whether to post this in the audio section or the wedding video section, so apologies in advance. Attached Files Audio2.wav (6.29 MB, 0 views) http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...n-up-help.html (the .wav file is in the post in the audio section) Last edited by James Strange; November 3rd, 2009 at 02:18 PM. Reason: Link to attachment

November 9th, 2009, 02:39 PM	#8
Jeff Kellam Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 656	You are going to have to lip sync that and hope no one notices. __________________ Panasonic HMC150/Canon A1/JVC HD1/Sony Vegas 8.0c

November 10th, 2009, 04:34 PM	#10
Jeff Kellam Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 656	Thought you would like that! __________________ Panasonic HMC150/Canon A1/JVC HD1/Sony Vegas 8.0c

December 8th, 2009, 04:17 PM	#12
Jeff Kellam Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 656	Sean: I used to have that problem with my old wireless system, the string kept going loose. I had to upgrade too. Attached Images __________________ Panasonic HMC150/Canon A1/JVC HD1/Sony Vegas 8.0c

December 8th, 2009, 04:26 PM	#13
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	heh, I used to have a setup just like that too. As long as you kept that string tight the sound wasn't too bad. A bit TINNY though. O\|O \__/ __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

November 3rd, 2009, 02:36 PM	#2
Chris Davis Trustee Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Willmar, MN Posts: 1,400	I typically just "play" with the settings until I find something that works, so I can't tell you specifically what to do, except... What I've done when I absolutely can't get clean audio is just to let the audio play as-is and place subtitles in the lower third.

November 3rd, 2009, 02:48 PM	#3
James Strange Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Posts: 309	Yeah I'm thinking subtutles will be a last resort, just hoping someone has a magic fix :) Cheers James

November 3rd, 2009, 07:39 PM	#4
Bill Vincent Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 253	Unfortunately there is no magic fix when it comes to audio, but there are some things you can try. Use a multi-band EQ to try to isolate and bring out the dialog while cutting any frequencies out of the range of human voice (anything below 500hz and anything above about 2000 - 2500khz. That might help some. Once you've isolated the voices you can try adding EQ to the voices to be more clear. Be sure to cut unwanted freq's first before trying to add. Good luck! Added note: My frequency specs off the top of my head were a little off - here's a frequency chart that might be helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_frequency

November 3rd, 2009, 08:35 PM	#5
James Workman Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 43	Also, the "multiband compressor" in the Audio Effects menu in Premiere pro CS3 can be very helpful....play with until you get what you want.

November 9th, 2009, 01:01 PM	#7
James Strange Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Posts: 309	Hi guys, thanks for the advice, the multiband compressor has helped a little. The incident occurred due to trying to be in 2 places at once (the B&G only opted for the 'Diary Room' the morning of the wedding, usually I have an extra pair of hands) so the 'diary room' was a camera left running on its own. No excuses though, I agree "people in our business should learn their craft properly, record it right and accept that "fix it in post" isn't always possible" That being said, mistakes do happen, and nobodys perfect. So lesson learned, unless the diary room has been booked in advance, don't offer it, no matter how much the B&G beg you the morning of the wedding. ps. I was being ironic when i said I'm hoping for a magic fix :) pps. I always wear cans. Thanks again for the advice

November 9th, 2009, 03:45 PM	#9
James Strange Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Posts: 309	"You are going to have to lip sync that and hope no one notices. " lol, nice

December 7th, 2009, 10:27 PM	#11
Sean Johnson Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 94	When I first started filming weddings I ran into a huge problem during an outdoor shoot. I was using a simple sony wireless mic. Reception on the mic was going in and out but I couldn't tell because there was so much wind (in San Francisco - on a hill). If I unplugged the mic there is no way I'd hear anything from where I was. I tested the mics before the ceremony started and everything was okay. As soon as people started taking photos with their digital cameras the audio began cutting out. One guy stood right next to me and I could here the audio go nuts. I wasn't a great experience. The couple was understanding though a good portion of the audio was bad out there. Now I use a mic hooked up to an iRiver player.

December 10th, 2009, 12:15 AM	#15
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hi James I know this is future advice but I always do 'vox pops' for the couple when the guests are having pre-dinner drinks. Never mind the band..just the sheer volume of ambient chatter can kill the "mini interview" What I do is get there early and wait for the first batch to arrive and then pounce on them for bridal comments! Since there are only a few in the room, your ambient level is low. Once the room fills up I already have enough footage and don't have to fight the high noise level anymore Chris