Ok everyone, need some help on this. I've tried a lot of "fixes" but can't seem to find one that's viable. I'm not a sound expert by any means...so help!
Here's the set-up: My wife and I host a couple of podcasts. We record in our home office, which is your basic 4 wall square, semi-gloss paint room. We each have a Blue Microphones Yeti USB microphone (awesome by the way), and record in the same room. We really need to be in the same room to "feed" off each other and see reactions, etc.
Here's the issue: My voice is, well, much more powerful and booming than hers, so when we record, my voice picks up on her mic, not full on, but enough to hear, so when I play the audio (two voice tracks - mine and hers) in GarageBand, it sounds like I'm recording in the bathroom - echo-y and not "flat" or "clean" enough for my liking. There's no issue with her voice picking up on my track.
I've tried turning around and facing the other way, no help. I've tried putting up a small cork-board in front of my mic, no help. I've even tried putting carpet on the wall behind Joyce (about three feet behind her) to help absorb my voice (radio studio trick) but again, no help.
Joyce says she hardly hears it, and most people think I'm nuts, but believe me, the echo is there and it does bug me. Short of having two rooms set up with a live video chat for us to interact on, any ideas? Is there something I can adjust on her mic (if I turn the gain down, won't that lower her voice track volume?), or perhaps in the recording program? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!! Al
Has this always been a problem for all your podcasts? Because if it is, I do not even notice the difference between you and Joyce, at least on Tales and Just Because.
my 2 cents though :)
King
Hey Tim, yeah, it's been there since we got the Yeti's. I know, most people don't notice it. I'm wondering about gain and all that. I'm not too versed in that stuff, but I just wonder if I drop the gain on her mic, it'll not pick up everything, then boost the volume in GarageBand on her track?
I would try reducing the gain on her mic and if you can, reduce the sensitivity in the lower frequencies where your voice is stronger. It might help. You will have to be careful not to drop the lower freqs too far down or Joyce may sound too tinny.
The only other option I can think of is to get her a directional mic instead of the Blue because I believe it is an omni-directional mic. A directional mic won't pick up the ambient sound and just focus on the sound coming from its narrower angle of sensitivity.
I will be curious to know what your final solution is as this is not an unusual problem to have. I wonder if Rick Moyer has some good insights he can offer you, given his background.
I was also thinking of finding a way to make the mic more directional. I imagine a new mic isn't the preferred solution :) Mr. Moyer would definitely be a help, especially since he and Amy also do THWY together in the same room.
The Yeti's actually have 4 settings to them: Stereo; Cardioid; Omnidirectional and Bidirectional. I set both ours to Cardioid...
Quote from: QuadShot on April 20, 2011, 11:01:37 AM
The Yeti's actually have 4 settings to them: Stereo; Cardioid; Omnidirectional and Bidirectional. I set both ours to Cardioid...
which is very heart healthy. ;)
Al and I have talked about this. I think soundproofing the room might help a bit. You may do an experiement and hang blankets on the walls to test it out. That will help deaden the room. Then if it does help, buy some of that foam accoustic tile stuff..
(http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/220/344/DV019_Jpg_Regular_422602_web_comp.jpg)
here is another idea
like the cone of silence! I would actually like one of these
(http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/391/155/DV019_Jpg_Regular_430579_in_studio.jpg)
http://backstage.musiciansfriend.com/Accessories/Studio-Classroom-Furniture/Acoustic-Wall-Treatments/VoxGuard-Microphone-Isolation-Panel.site1sku430579000000000.sku (http://backstage.musiciansfriend.com/Accessories/Studio-Classroom-Furniture/Acoustic-Wall-Treatments/VoxGuard-Microphone-Isolation-Panel.site1sku430579000000000.sku)
Quote from: moyer777 on April 20, 2011, 12:00:21 PM
here is another idea
like the cone of silence! I would actually like one of these
(http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/391/155/DV019_Jpg_Regular_430579_in_studio.jpg)
http://backstage.musiciansfriend.com/Accessories/Studio-Classroom-Furniture/Acoustic-Wall-Treatments/VoxGuard-Microphone-Isolation-Panel.site1sku430579000000000.sku (http://backstage.musiciansfriend.com/Accessories/Studio-Classroom-Furniture/Acoustic-Wall-Treatments/VoxGuard-Microphone-Isolation-Panel.site1sku430579000000000.sku)
I can't believe I didn't think of this before, I've seen other people use it.
King
I've actually tried something like those isolation boards, built my own out of one of those wavy egg crate matress pads. But didn't work. I think the problem is coming from all around Joyce actually. I think my (dang) voice is bouncing off all the walls and just happens to get picked up by her mic. Rick, do you think a combination of like, the blankets (for now to test) and dropping the gain on her mic might work?
I know that I'm being very picky and possibly a bit to "perfectionist" but I want to produce the best possible product. :) Thanks guys
Yes, surely that sort of contraption stops back reflections of your own voice from bouncing off the walls and re-entering your own mic. It may not do a lot to protect others from you (or your mic from them).
Quote from: Feathers on April 20, 2011, 12:16:40 PM
Yes, surely that sort of contraption stops back reflections of your own voice from bouncing off the walls and re-entering your own mic. It may not do a lot to protect others from you (or your mic from them).
Well it would if the other person was sitting behind it.
Only the direct sound. As Al says, in a small room it's possibly the echoes and indirect sound that's more of a problem. (I guess the guard gives some protection from that too in the sense that it deadens the sound across a whole arc but it does more to kill the sound from your own mouth than from the Walls around you)
I think we need to put Al in the Cone of Silence. LOL
Yeah, I know.... Not helpful.... :wallbash:
Al do you have the room to sit facing each other? if so try using forward facing mikes with mike covers on them (like you see on radio stations when they interview people). It means shelling out. In the meantime try facing each other, put a foam barrier around each mike. The most likely thing is your room, id its too small its the rebound problem and the only way to stop that is to foam coat or egg carton coat the walls.
To be fair I have not heard any echo at all on your podcasts and i listen to them using headphones with ear defenders over them and trust me i can hear all background noise.
You know guys, we're all going about this the wrong way. Where the echo effect is really coming from is inside Al's head. I mean cmon, it must be if he's hearing an echo effect that we aren't. ;)
King
Oh I am so going to pay for that comment. :P
Al - do you have a link to those microphones you use? I'd like to check out the specs. Some mics tend to pick up cross over noise more than others. But the ideas on sound proofing might help. Is there a way for you to do a recording in another room as a test?
Hi Rico, thanks, here it is: http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/ (http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/)
You mean have Joyce in one room and me in another? We probably could do that do a small degree, like one of us in the hall just outside the office.
Quote from: RickPeete on April 20, 2011, 02:05:38 PM
I think we need to put Al in the Cone of Silence. LOL
Yeah, I know.... Not helpful.... :wallbash:
Nope, not helpful...but FUNNY!! :)
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on April 20, 2011, 02:16:00 PM
Al do you have the room to sit facing each other? if so try using forward facing mikes with mike covers on them (like you see on radio stations when they interview people). It means shelling out. In the meantime try facing each other, put a foam barrier around each mike. The most likely thing is your room, id its too small its the rebound problem and the only way to stop that is to foam coat or egg carton coat the walls.
To be fair I have not heard any echo at all on your podcasts and i listen to them using headphones with ear defenders over them and trust me i can hear all background noise.
Hi Meds, yep, we've tried that as well. My voice is TOO dang powerful :) I know, not many people can hear it. I think Kenny said he could. Are you talking about the foam rubber spit guards, sort of like the wind filters on Lav mics?
Quote from: Rico on April 20, 2011, 03:11:01 PM
Al - do you have a link to those microphones you use? I'd like to check out the specs. Some mics tend to pick up cross over noise more than others. But the ideas on sound proofing might help. Is there a way for you to do a recording in another room as a test?
King....uh huh. You're going to pay. You won't know when...or how, but you will pay :ohbaby
Yeah thats the ones. We use them on danger signs to stop wind interference and it stops echo as well.
I wonder if they sell them big enough (no jokes please!).
Al - what pattern do you have the mics set for? It looks like cardioid is the way to go for your setup.
http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/#/settings/ (http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/#/settings/)
Yep, that's what I use when we use separate mic's. When we do a Skype interview, we have to use just one, so I switch to bidirectional.
Well, must be the acoustics then - mainly. Or try to put more space between the two mics.
I have a suggestion that might work. Talk with less volume. Sure I know it's hard to get out of natural habits, but sometimes the most simple solution is the best one. You'll just need to work on and develop a podcasting "voice" that will allow you to pull off what you want without having to reinvent the wheel.
Or switch to a single mic and have it closer to her than you to compensate for the extra volume you produce.
X, I know. I've spent my entire life "speaking up" and always had people tell me I intimidate them because of the volume of my voice. I need to learn that by recording my voice, people can actually hear me. I don't need to speak loud enough for everyone in the world to hear me with out the podcast! :) Thanks buddy!!
Kidding of course...
Voice Immodulation Syndrome (http://vimeo.com/1913104)
:)
Quote from: QuadShot on April 21, 2011, 07:49:53 AM
X, I know. I've spent my entire life "speaking up" and always had people tell me I intimidate them because of the volume of my voice. I need to learn that by recording my voice, people can actually hear me. I don't need to speak loud enough for everyone in the world to hear me with out the podcast! :) Thanks buddy!!
It's the same thing that a lot of singers that haven't sung in a mic for most of their singing have to do. My voice tends to project as well, but I think that watching the audio graph might help you get into a sweet zone fast. That's what those little green bars are for right?
A quick way to get in the zone might be to talk like you are reading a bedtime story to a young child. You can get excited but for some reason most people's voice scales in those situation to were shouting comes out at a level just above normal conversation.
Billybob,
Oh my GOSH! THANK YOU SO MUCH! NOW I can put a name on my problem. For years I've felt all alone, like my problem was the only one in the world. I felt so ashamed because of my voice, but NOW! You'be helped me see that I am NOT alone!! I have kindred souls who share my affliction! :)