Helpful hints for audio production
Here are some tips for capturing audio from Tim O’Brien, university videographer.
- Try to avoid or remove background noise. Isolating the speaker from background noise is often necessary when recording speech. Proper microphone selection and placement, and choice of recording location are typically the key factors in recording clean, intelligible voices.
- Use the appropriate microphone for the situation:
- Use music tastefully, and at the appropriate volume, do not overpower spoken content with loud music. Do not use copyrighted music under any circumstances unless permission has been granted by the rights-holder
- When necessary apply equalization to correct for problem/weak frequencies.
- Avoid plosives. Plosives are unnaturally loud sounds that occur when the speaker says a word with the letters T, P, B, V, etc. These sounds often cause the microphone capsule to move excessively, and therefore are unnaturally accentuated. A simple way to help avoid plosive sounds in a recording is to place the microphone 45 to 90 degree off-axis from the speaker. Pop filters (often “panty hose” covered rings) are also very helpful in reducing plosives.
- Avoid the proximity effect. When directional microphones are placed close to a sound source they may exhibit an increased bass response. To avoid this, it is helpful to place the microphone slightly further from the sound source. However, some sources may sound better if they are recorded with a slight proximity effect. Ultimately, it is a matter of taste, and the appropriate placement should be determined by careful listening during the recording process.
Omni-directional microphones have a spherical polar pattern; they are equally sensitive to sounds from all directions.
Cardioid microphones reject sound from the back and sides of the microphone, while capturing sounds that occur in front of the microphone capsule and are often used in situations where isolation of a sound source from background noise is desired.
Hyper-cardioid microphones, often referred to as shotgun microphones, are often used on a boom, which allows them to be aimed directly at the sound source while recording.