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Mike_Regan
Participating Frequently
October 16, 2018
Answered

Buzz when I record

  • October 16, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1720 views

Dropbox - Mike Regan - Buzz Sample.pkf

I'm 6 months in my Voice Over Career. Self taught. That's what I recorded. It only seems to happen when I drop my voice and that slower vibration causes something else to join in on the vibrating fun. I have a job on Wednesday and I need to drop the buzz.

What should I check? What might be causing that? cable? microphone - brand new.

I am using Neumann TLM 103, Apollo Twin USB and obviously a PC

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike Regan

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer SteveG_AudioMasters_

Running your file past the AA 2019 Amplitude Statistics window shows that AA believes the extract contains 7 "possibly clipped samples".  I wonder if these are what you are perceiving as the buzzing?  Certainly, the specific syllables are slightly unpleasant to listen to, along with the rather too obvious "room tone/noise" on the whole recording.

So the first thing I did was to remove that noise, by using the gap in the speech to create a noise print in iZotope RX7 Advanced (yes, not AA but, IMO, by far the best tool for this work) and then processing the whole file with that noise print.  I then used another module from RX7, the De-Clip (with a threshold of - 1.0 dB) to remove (what I hope is) your "buzzing".  You can download the processed file from https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZO6k97ZMmT3a6El0J8eoYFuO3XKQHJHLwNk

HTH, but perhaps it may not since it was "created" using software you may not have nor be able to purchase because, although it is excellent at what it is designed for, it is not cheap​!


Having sort-of got the internet back at last, I've listened to it, and I'm not convinced it's an equipment issue at all. Sounds to me remarkably like a good mic is actually showing you how your voice projects forward - which isn't necessarily how you will perceive it. Actual buzzes tend to get louder when excited more, and you're saying that this one happens when you get quieter - that's a big clue.

Get the mic a bit off-axis and possibly slightly above mouth level, make sure you've only drunk clear fluids and have another go. Chances are you'll find a position where this isn't so apparent, and that's far more likely to be when you aren't facing the mic directly. Post-production fixes are expensive, and if you can get rid of the need for anything like this at recording time, that's definitely the way to go. Also, unless you are deliberately going for a bass-heavy sound, get slightly further away from the mic. TLM103's are excellent spoken-voice mics, but they can be depressingly revealing!

1 reply

Legend
October 16, 2018

Unfortunately, the file you have posted to Dropbox is the pkf file, the file which "draws" the waveform on the AA screen, but contains no actual audio.  You need to post the .wav file if you want other users to be able to listen to it.

ryclark
Participating Frequently
October 16, 2018

Is the PC a desktop or a laptop? If a laptop is it running from mains power or battery when these buzzes occur?

As emmrecs says we can't really give much more help until we can hear your .wav file and possibly diagnose where the buzz is coming from. Certainly your mic and interface should be more than up to the job.