Question for Audio Pros - IndieTalk

Dreadylocks · 12-14-2011, 01:22 PM

I've been getting some feedback from folks watching my kickstarter video on laptops that they can barely hear the audio. Most folks don't seem to be having any problem but I want to make sure to include the lowest common denominator.

So I have one request and two questions.

Can someone out there who has a 'calibrated' audio setup or knows what they are doing as far as readouts go take a listen to it? And if so I'd really like to know if it's the case that my video is at a reasonable level and their speakers all just suck, or if it's riding the low end of things and I should increase the gain?

Here's a link: http://www.StockholmSanta.com/

I'm willing to just crank up the gain if need be, but I don't want to blow people speakers out either. So if I do have to increase it, what is a standard decibel level and how do I judge? Is it where I set the level slider or is it where the moving readout (the green/red bar thing) is on the master?

Thanks so much for your help! I'm so horrible with audio

IndieBudget · 12-14-2011, 01:43 PM

Sammi,

Im no audio pro first off.

The audio is low IMO. One ting I see is that when the Santa turns it sounds like the mic does not follow. Might want to try a Lav in those situations. I set my dialog peaking around -12 to -10 and only extremely loud noises getting close to -4 or so never higher than 0.

Basic Compression & Normalization of the levels would help too.

here is a Tutorial vid I saw online..basic but addresses your issue.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/643709...oundtrack_pro/

Hope that helps

.

PaulGriffith · 12-14-2011, 01:59 PM

What's the audio reading in the vu meters in your editor?

Alcove Audio · 12-14-2011, 02:12 PM

Yup, the audio is pretty bad. You should go back and re-mix.

First, you probably used the on-camera mic, or your boomed mic was much too far away, so the audio is quite "roomy." That reduces the intelligibility of the dialog.

Santas dialog varies greatly, especially when he faces away from the camera. Your dialog especially needs to come up as you were speaking softly; however, the intelligibility is better as you were closer to the mic. You can increase the audio levels of the clips by using the "normalize" or "gain" audio suite plug-in. If the audio clips themselves have sufficient gain you need to automate the volumes. If there's not too much track noise you could add a little - repeat, a little - compression.

Dreadylocks · 12-14-2011, 02:26 PM

Ok, so the moving bar on my VU meter (had to google that, lol) was definitely riding much lower than the -10 or so that you mentioned, indie.

@alcove, I was using the rode videomic and you're right, it was just off camera to the left on the wide shot. Only 2-3 feet away from sean-as-santa when he was closer. And it was about 1-2 feet from me. I'm just completely shocked at how not-sensitive the mic records (although it's still 100 times better than my on-camera mic, if not for volume than at least for 'noise'). I wired it to the line-in on my computer, set all the levels I could find at 100 percent and it's still not the loudest

Well what I've done is go back and upped the master all the way. Which is making most of my dialog between -10 and -6. And while I'm talking it's around -12 to -14 with everything turned up, track and master levels. Hopefully that will be enough since I doubt there is a way to make it any louder. I can live with the noisy room-tone since it's not an actual art piece, although it's still disappointing :/

I'm just converting and uploading now. I'll update the thread when it's done but for now if anyone has any more insight, I'm all ears (no pun intended)

IndieBudget · 12-14-2011, 03:18 PM

Might suggest playing with some audio editors and get up to speed. Much can be done, but always having a good mic within 18" of the speaker's mouth and always pointed directly at the mouth is job #1 is what I am learning. Signal to noise ratio ...GOOD LUCK !

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knightly · 12-14-2011, 07:10 PM

The mic should point across the chin and into the chest at all times to get a consistent sound and the body helps eliminate some of the background noise acting as a giant sound baffle. This is why it has to be boomed by a person who is as practiced and concerned with their craft as your camera op. The mic helps, but the person driving it is much more important than the tool.

Alcove Audio · 12-14-2011, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreadylocks

I'm just completely shocked at how not-sensitive the mic records..... I wired it to the line-in on my computer, set all the levels I could find at 100 percent and it's still not the loudest

That's not how that particular mic was meant to be used, it was specifically meant to be used with camcorders; plus the fact that the mic "in" on computers is total garbage. You're sticking square pegs into pentagonal holes; yeah, it kind of fits, but...

BTW, the bare walls, bare floors thing may look okay, but the way it sounds.... You should have filled the room with every piece of carpet and every pillow, blanket & quilt you could find.

IndieBudget · 12-14-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knightly

The mic should point across the chin and into the chest at all times to get a consistent sound and the body helps eliminate some of the background noise acting as a giant sound baffle. .

Thanxx Knightly 4 the correction, makes sense. It also would decrease somewhat plosives and the like

knightly · 12-14-2011, 09:41 PM

No worries... I've had to teach this technique too many times on sets... these 2 things will give much better dialog gathering... the other big one is to not move the boom when dialog is actually occuring, you spin it between lines. Neutral position on wider shots, but focus just on the person facing the lens in the singles.