PODCAST EDITING

[wheeler8807]

Just curious is there an efficient method for editing my show? There are three of us and I don't have any acoustic treatments but I key frame all three vocal tracks, it seems to take far to long to push out the episode in time every week. Due to the fact that my room isnt super large all of the mics pick up the others talking in the room. I want to try and cut the amount of editing I have to do and being that the majority of the time all I add effect wise is dessers and a hard limiter. I need a more efficient method is there anyone who knows how to clean the tracks up and save time with out using noise reduction or any other effect that won't degrade the original file? everytime I use any noise reduction effects it sounds echoy or it messes up the way the file sounds.

[ryclark]

The only way that you can automate some of this is to use sidechain ducking to reduce the other tracks when one is speaking. However this becomes very difficult once you have more than two speakers. The other thing to experiment with is 'noise gating' or expansion that, if set up carefully will automatically reduce the contribution of the non speaking mics. There are some presets in the Dynamics Processing effect. But you will have to make adjustments to suit the levels of your tracks. Noise Gating is rather like an on/off switch, so can be a bit abrupt. However expansion can be used to auto fade down when the dialogue levels are below a certain threshold.

[wheeler8807]

well it would be nice if I knew what I was doing. lol

I just don't want it to take a week to edit the show so I've been try to resolve my issues. This may sound weird, but anyway I could talk on the phone/skype to understand a little more?

[ryclark]

What microphones are you using for your podcasts and how far away from the participants? Where you don't have a very good acoustic you need highly directional mics and need to work them pretty close to the mouth, probably within 6 inches if not closer.

Here are some tutorials on Noise Gates and Expanders. The first is generic but the second shows how to set it up in Audition.

https://medium.com/@jowie/a-podcaster-s-guide-to-noise-reduction-e8cad9fc21f4#.ensuzmhql

Setting A Noise Gate With Laser Accuracy - Adobe Audition CC - YouTube

[wheeler8807]

we use cheeper condinser mics, but after hours of editing they sound pretty decent, and we are about 4 ft. apart. we normally keep them pretty close to our mouths as well. thanks for the links.

[Bob Howes]

First off, if they're condenser mics, there's a fairly good chance they are a cardioid pattern which means they pick up strongly in from of their grill but far less behind them.  If you can work out a way to sit around a table so each of you is "behind" the other two mics, that can help.  Although you say you have no acoustic treatment, getting something soft behind at least some of you (preferably all) will help a lot--if you have thick curtains on a window, work in front of that or maybe hang thick quilts or similar while you're recording.

Second, if you really want to cut editing time you may wish to consider buying a small mixer--Behringer make some cheap ones for example--and recording everything on one track then just editing/processing that.

[wheeler8807]

thanks for the tip, I'm actually considering buying the shure sm7b or something like that. It's the Joe Rogan uses on his show. I'm curious though I don't have a great pc to edit on, so if I buy a mixer how would that work. Like I said, we use an H6, how would that work?

[ryclark]

You can actually use the H6 as a multichannel USB audio interface and record directly into Audition.

[wheeler8807]

I don't actually know, if my laptop will run it the way I need it to. I have an Hp from 2016 but it's nothing special.

[Bob Howes]

The SM7B is a good mic for voice and is very good at rejecting off axis sound.  The one thing to watch is that it doesn't give your voice a noticeably different tone than the two still using cheap condensers.

The only reason I mentioned a mixer was that, as a time saver it might help to have all three voices on the same track while you edit.  If you had the mixer, you would plug your three mics into the mixer, balance the levels, pan everything to one side or the other, then plug the line out from the mixer into the H6 and via USB to your computer.  Working this way will cut the editing time but it WILL also cut your flexibility. 

[wheeler8807]

I really appreciate all of the help, I am just trying to get as much absorbed as possible.

[wheeler8807]

ok so I got the noise gate working, we have to stay super close but it's already saved me hours. Now I'm curious how to avoid the stuff that gets cut out when it doesn't need to be. If I drag it upward what will happen when I do it just as mike russel does. what does the up and down/ left right do? if that makes any sense. lol