How do you make it sound like a radio?
- Thread starter jasmine_v
- Start date
What kind of radio? A tiny tinny transistor radio? A clock radio? A boom box? A car radio?
You can use the parametric EQ. Use the high-pass filter and start slowly working your way up. Add some hi-band and fool around with mids until you like it.
You can also "worldize", which is playing whatever you want to sound like a radio through, well, a radio or other speaker. I do this once in a while.
I also use AltiVerb (awesome!) and want to buy SpeakerPhone which has "All the walkie-talkies, distant transistor radios, upstairs TV sets, bullhorns, cell phones and guitar cabinets you will ever need. Speakerphone (Mac , Windows, iLok or challenge response) will add dial tones, operator, static, and you can select from a wealth of ambiences on either the caller or receiver's end. 400 speaker impulse responses, 23 microphones, 106 'Covers' (from blankets to car trunks), 53 Altiverb rooms and outdoor spaces, 5 gigabyte of ambiences and sound FX, and 12 DSP modules from Leslie to GSM compression, conveniently presented to you in well over 500 presets."
You can use the parametric EQ. Use the high-pass filter and start slowly working your way up. Add some hi-band and fool around with mids until you like it.
You can also "worldize", which is playing whatever you want to sound like a radio through, well, a radio or other speaker. I do this once in a while.
I also use AltiVerb (awesome!) and want to buy SpeakerPhone which has "All the walkie-talkies, distant transistor radios, upstairs TV sets, bullhorns, cell phones and guitar cabinets you will ever need. Speakerphone (Mac , Windows, iLok or challenge response) will add dial tones, operator, static, and you can select from a wealth of ambiences on either the caller or receiver's end. 400 speaker impulse responses, 23 microphones, 106 'Covers' (from blankets to car trunks), 53 Altiverb rooms and outdoor spaces, 5 gigabyte of ambiences and sound FX, and 12 DSP modules from Leslie to GSM compression, conveniently presented to you in well over 500 presets."
Actually, I was going to ask the same question. I need audio to sound like it is coming from a number of sources:
1. Car stereo (factory stereo in a station wagon)
2. TV (normal regular-sized TV)
3. Small boom-box
4. Mid-sized home stereo
My base plan has been to just record the audio coming through the actual sources, but if there is a better way to do this, I'd appreciate the advice. Thanks.
1. Car stereo (factory stereo in a station wagon)
2. TV (normal regular-sized TV)
3. Small boom-box
4. Mid-sized home stereo
My base plan has been to just record the audio coming through the actual sources, but if there is a better way to do this, I'd appreciate the advice. Thanks.
As I mentioned in my other post you could "worldize" -
Even if you worldize, you first must replicate what the broadcaster does to the audio before you worldize to help sell it.
For radio you must use "steamroller" compression; that is eliminating almost all dynamic content. Set the compressor to about a 10:1 ratio (or more) and a very short attack & decay, perhaps 6ms down to 2ms. This is applied to all "program" material. For the DJ voice you need to use a med or large diaphragm mic and record the voice very close to obtain the proximity effect, that overemphasized low end that cannot be gotten by just adding low-end EQ. The voice goes through a mild compressor and a hard ceiling limiter and, depending upon the voice, may need an EQ boost centered around 4kHz for "cut", especially when speaking over music. A short reverb that is barely audible when the compressor is disengaged will pop out when the compressor is engaged. You have to be careful here, too much 'verb can sound really corny - unless that's what you want a la 60's AM radio.
For TV you need about a 4:1 compression ratio and a decay of about 5ms to 12ms. TV news voices will be very dry and recorded with a lav; if you use a lav roll-off a little low end and add a little high end EQ. Program material is mixed and processed with - well, too much to go into; you wouldn't be asking the questions you're asking.
Car stereos will be a little compressed, have an exaggerated stereo spread, and the EQ is "crisp" and "boomy" with an upper mids EQ boost. You need a very tight close reverb to simulate the car interior.
TVs will have limited low end (hi-pass roll off around 100Hz to 120 Hz), high end will roll off at about 10kHz or 12kHz, exaggerated mids at about 6kHz and a very narrow stereo spread, almost mono (and most program material is mono anyway). Pick an appropriate room 'verb.
The average boom box lacks low end and has exaggerated low-mids and high end. Pick an appropriate reverb.
Home stereos are too varied, so not much EQ is needed, and it's mostly the type of room reverb you use that will sell it anyway.
It is a three stage process.
1. The broadcast material must be processed to sound like it came from that source - radio or TV.
2. You need to duplicate the playback medium - car/home stereo, boom-box, radio.
3. you need to duplicate the playback space - car, bedroom, kitchen, living room, out doors, etc.
When you worldize steps 2 & 3 are combined.
Have some fun and experiment, however; even if you don't keep the results you'll have learned something.
Even if you worldize, you first must replicate what the broadcaster does to the audio before you worldize to help sell it.
For radio you must use "steamroller" compression; that is eliminating almost all dynamic content. Set the compressor to about a 10:1 ratio (or more) and a very short attack & decay, perhaps 6ms down to 2ms. This is applied to all "program" material. For the DJ voice you need to use a med or large diaphragm mic and record the voice very close to obtain the proximity effect, that overemphasized low end that cannot be gotten by just adding low-end EQ. The voice goes through a mild compressor and a hard ceiling limiter and, depending upon the voice, may need an EQ boost centered around 4kHz for "cut", especially when speaking over music. A short reverb that is barely audible when the compressor is disengaged will pop out when the compressor is engaged. You have to be careful here, too much 'verb can sound really corny - unless that's what you want a la 60's AM radio.
For TV you need about a 4:1 compression ratio and a decay of about 5ms to 12ms. TV news voices will be very dry and recorded with a lav; if you use a lav roll-off a little low end and add a little high end EQ. Program material is mixed and processed with - well, too much to go into; you wouldn't be asking the questions you're asking.
Car stereos will be a little compressed, have an exaggerated stereo spread, and the EQ is "crisp" and "boomy" with an upper mids EQ boost. You need a very tight close reverb to simulate the car interior.
TVs will have limited low end (hi-pass roll off around 100Hz to 120 Hz), high end will roll off at about 10kHz or 12kHz, exaggerated mids at about 6kHz and a very narrow stereo spread, almost mono (and most program material is mono anyway). Pick an appropriate room 'verb.
The average boom box lacks low end and has exaggerated low-mids and high end. Pick an appropriate reverb.
Home stereos are too varied, so not much EQ is needed, and it's mostly the type of room reverb you use that will sell it anyway.
It is a three stage process.
1. The broadcast material must be processed to sound like it came from that source - radio or TV.
2. You need to duplicate the playback medium - car/home stereo, boom-box, radio.
3. you need to duplicate the playback space - car, bedroom, kitchen, living room, out doors, etc.
When you worldize steps 2 & 3 are combined.
Have some fun and experiment, however; even if you don't keep the results you'll have learned something.
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Thanks for that. I didn't know that's what the method is called -- worldizing. I never would have thought to process the audio before worldizing -- I would've thought worldizing alone would sell it, but I totally see how what your saying needs to be done. Thanks!
Walter Murch talks about one of the finest examples of worldizing, "American Graffiti". Almost the entire soundtrack is worldized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_py6jVyOqUY
You can read about it here:
http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/worldizing.htm
More about worldizing:
http://www.editorsguild.com/v2/magazine/Newsletter/MarApr04/marapr04_worldizing.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_py6jVyOqUY
You can read about it here:
http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/worldizing.htm
More about worldizing:
http://www.editorsguild.com/v2/magazine/Newsletter/MarApr04/marapr04_worldizing.html
The only way I've ever known (and it's not brillian) is with Audacity. But it is free and easy.
This is the tutorial I learnt by:
http://www.brickfilms.com/index.php...e=Radio Transmission Sound Effect in Audacity
I can't work out a way to make it sound like it's coming from different sources (car radio, TV, tannoy...etc.) yet.
This is the tutorial I learnt by:
http://www.brickfilms.com/index.php...e=Radio Transmission Sound Effect in Audacity
I can't work out a way to make it sound like it's coming from different sources (car radio, TV, tannoy...etc.) yet.
Here are a few listening "exercises" that will help you.
Use the best audio playback system available to you.
In a new session - without any picture - import a piece of music that you know really, really well. Insert a parametric EQ on the channel; I think STP calls it Channel EQ.
There are three parameters - Q, frequency and gain (not to be confused with the input and output gain of the plug-in). Q is the bandwidth, or how wide the frequency band is. The higher the Q, the narrower the bandwidth. The frequency is the number of audio waves per second, known as Hertz or Hz. Most EQs will have a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz or 20 kHz (kHz [kiloHertz] is often shortened to k when audio folks speak to each other). The gain is how much the frequency level is increased or decreased.
Make sure that your playback volume is down, this exercise can get loud if you are not careful.
Put the gain up all the way, make the Q very narrow (highest number) and put the frequency at 20 kHz. Start the music - you may want to loop it. Now slowly lower and raise the frequency. Do this for a while. Now turn the gain all the way down and slowly lower and raise the frequency. Now increase the Q (lower number) and repeat the exercise. Then pick one frequency – say 4k or 6k (oops, I meant 4kHz or 6kHz) – and increase and decrease the Q. Now try various combinations of gain, freq and Q.
Many parametric EQs will allow multiple frequencies to be effected at the same time, so you can reduce a hum at 440Hz, and give the dialog a bump at 4kHz and 8kHz.
Next, remove the parametric EQ insert plug-in, and insert the High-Pass Filter. A High-Pass Filter only allows frequencies above a specified frequency level to pass through the filter. You can only increase or decrease the frequency. Play your music again, raise and lower the frequency and listen to the results. A High-Pass Filter is very useful for cleaning up dialog; 60 cycle hum is very prevalent in modern society and wind against the mic is mostly low frequencies. You can use a High-Pass Filter set at about 80Hz to 120Hz to eliminate many hums and wind noise.
Now remove the High-Pass Filter insert plug-in, and insert the Low-Pass Filter. A Low-Pass Filter only allows frequencies below a specified frequency level to pass through the filter. You can only increase or decrease the frequency. Play your music again, raise and lower the frequency and listen to the results. It’s very useful for removing hiss on dialog tracks, usually about 14kHz, sometimes as low as 12 kHz or even 10kHz.
All right class, when you have completed your assignment and passed the quiz on Wednesday we'll move on to Dynamics Processing.
All right class, when you have completed your assignment and passed the quiz on Wednesday we'll move on to Dynamics Processing.
<arty>Oh noez, Alcove! You must keep your recordings pure! All the real artistes have already thrown their compressors and limiters out of the window!</farty>
Seriously though, that was a great read. Thank you.
I don't know if it has been said in the thread, but if you record from the real source (worldizing, nice word), you might want to record the real reverb of the room too, like add a micro at 5-10 feet from the source. It may become very handy, most of all if you make a surround mix, and will be better than a synthetic reverb.
If you don't have access to the source, you can mimic it with a highpass and low pass in your equalizer, sorry again if it has been said before.
Post: Sorry, I took time to read... very interesting Alcove! I like the dynamic kill trick for the radio simulation. Can I add this short piece of philosophy to the thread: if you start equalizing audio tracks, for any purpose, you should always consider cutting frequencies instead of boosting... Your soundspace will be more clean and you will not cause unwanted distortions. Cheers!
If you don't have access to the source, you can mimic it with a highpass and low pass in your equalizer, sorry again if it has been said before.
Post: Sorry, I took time to read... very interesting Alcove! I like the dynamic kill trick for the radio simulation. Can I add this short piece of philosophy to the thread: if you start equalizing audio tracks, for any purpose, you should always consider cutting frequencies instead of boosting... Your soundspace will be more clean and you will not cause unwanted distortions. Cheers!
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