Metallica Sucks! Let's Learn a Loudness Lesson From ANOTHER of Their Mistakes!

So, it should be pretty obvious by now, that I don't like Metallica.
I'm sure they are very upset about this, LOL!

Off a story (featured on Gizmodo of all places), it's come to the attention of Metallica and/or Guitar Hero fans, that the mix of their new single "Death Magnetic" (blarf! - stupid track name) sounds much better on Guitar Hero than it does on the album.

The culprit?

Brick wall limiting and compression.

Ian Shephard has an incredible write up of the "Death Magnetic" situation over on his Mastering Media Blog (just added a video in fact), but long story short, the track on the album has been smashed and compressed to death, whereas the track on Guitar Hero has not been smashed.

Ian posted this pic of the two tracks side by side:

Guitar Hero is on top, album version on bottom.
See those Spikes on the GH version? That's dynamic range. Sound is supposed to get louder and quieter. It's NOT supposed to stay at a constant level all the time. That's why TV commercials are so obnoxious.
By squashing the audio into a tube like form (the bottom track in green) you've made the quiet parts as "loud" as the loud parts, and the loud parts will sound distorted, as they've pretty much been cut off.

So what can we learn from this?

Don't over compress your audio!

I get it!
Compression makes you sound loud and full, but it can also REALLY work against you.
See, in audition land, chances are you wont be listened to on studio grade equipment, and in a lot of cases a producer's first round might be on the crappy seakers built in to a laptop or LCD monitor. What sounds great on pro gear (which has a lot more tolerance), is going to sound muddy and distorted on consumer gear.

Every time I see a home recorded audition like this--->
It kinda makes my head hurt a little...

Don't be like Metallica!

More info on dynamic range and "the loudness war".

Noise Reduction shoot out - Sound Forge, iZotope, Audacity, Audition, Waves, and doin it by hand!

So, this is going to be a longer post...

We're going to compare 6 different methods of noise reduction.

I get a lot of questions about cleaning up audio after recording, hums, clicks, pops, line noise, neighbors, fridge, etc. A lot of people are still trying to gate or EQ this stuff out, and those methods don't work particularly well for voice over, especially dry auditions.

Gating will turn off the audio signal when you're not speaking, which gives you perfect silence, but when you start speaking again the noise is back too. This can be VERY unnatural depending on the noise.EQ can work, but usually to the detriment of the entire piece of audio, as you are carving out chunks of the frequency spectrum. Those chunks start carving into your voice as well. Sort of like destroying the town to save the town...

Ideally you'd just want to record clean in the first place, but sometimes you just can't help but knock something out and hope you can clean it up after the fact.Noise Reduction plugins to the rescue!To test, I set up my Solaris to records in "Figure 8" mode (so the front and back of the mic are recording equally), set one side up for me, and put the other side of the mic right up against my bathroom door with the fan running.

This is a worse case scenario for voice over, as fans tend to generate noise that slices right through the middle of the human voice's spectrum. That means that as you remove fan noise, you're likely carving out a chunk of the voice as well. A less extreme version of this would be a fridge kicking on or the AC running.

All of these plugins (and doing it by hand) work on the same general principal, point out what undesirable noise looks like, and try to get rid of only that noise. [Check out the Audacity Tutorial for Noise Reduction in practice - Ed.]

I attacked the samples pretty aggressively with each method. For the test, the main idea was to all but eliminate the background noise, even if it damaged the voice. Real world, you would probably want to leave a little more noise to prevent damaging the recording.


So first up, here's the unaltered file:



Sony Sound Forge NR plugin:



iZotope RX De-Noiser:



Audacity NR plugin:



Adobe Audition NR Plugin:



Doin it by hand with Phase Inverse:



Waves Restoration X-Noise:



Again, this is most certainly a worst case scenario when it comes to noise reduction, and hopefully you don't encounter this much noise on a regular basis. I find the results interesting listening back. There are two methods up here which are essentially free, and the most expensive plugin comes in a pack which runs about $1000.



So what do YOU think? Are there other plugins that I'm missing?

This is the song that never ends - Beatles Edition

Just like my post about Spacehog, when I get stuck on a song, I REALLY get stuck on it. Obsessive! I'm burning up my ipod on one track right now...

The song du jour is 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away' from the Beatles movie 'HELP!', and I'm kind of loving it.
I think it's a musical high point of theirs, in terms of simplicity, and is easily, hands down, my favorite Beatles song.

I love that it's not as literal as "Yesterday'.
I love that it's disgustingly vulnerable.
I love that John Lennon pops his p's on "people".
I love that the recording is SUPER raw. It's hissy, and simple. Listen to the song on headphones with your eyes closed. It sounds like there's a guitar ten feet to your left, a tambourine ten feet to your right, John Lennon is about 5 feet in front of you, and at the end a ninja with a flute has snuck up behind you to finish the song off with a solo.

It's gorgeous.

It's kinda sad to think that a song as sweet as this could NEVER be made today...

Help!
someaudioguy some audio guy music beatles voice over help voice acting demo voice casting film

How to sound like Led Zeppelin, impress friends, profit

Just in from a reader.

Wired's Listening Post is linking out to a GuitarPlayer article about how Jimmy Page was able to create the band's iconic sound.

“I had been on sessions with other drummers,” he once explained, “who, while they played pretty well, sounded like they were just hitting a cardboard box. The whole reason for that was they were sitting in a little drum booth, which just sucked the sound out of the drums. So right from the first album, I insisted that the drums were going to breathe, and that we were going to get a proper tone on them. Of course, given that set of circumstances, you couldn’t get a better drummer than John Bonham. He knew how to tune his drums.”

Check it out, it's a great read.

Thanks J.!!!

Long Live Wilhelm

I dig the Wilhelm Scream.
It's pretty much awesome.

It is surprising how often it creeps up, but it seems to be a staple of movie making (or at least ADR), especially for how long this little sound effect has been around.
From Wiki:

The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the movie Distant Drums. Actor-singer Sheb Wooley is considered to be the most likely voice actor for the scream, having appeared on a memo as a voice extra for the movie.
The Wilhelm scream has been featured in many movies and television programs since. Alongside a certain recording of the cry of the Red-tailed Hawk, the "Universal telephone ring"[1], the Goofy holler and "Castle thunder," it is probably one of the best-known cinematic sound clichés.

Finding this Youtube clip was a joy. Funny just how many modern films/TV shows are still employing it today (though it gets kinda grating when you hear it back to back to back).

SO, check the clip out, and you'll never be able to see a film again without picking up on a scream that's been used for over 50 years!

HAHA!
***EDIT***

Just caught this on Digg from user 'bettereth'

Yeah I was totally about to say "no effing way", but imdb has a list of the movies it's in: http://www.imdb.com/keyword/wilhelm-scream/

Central Jersey Music Studios Trying to Avoid Sounds of Silence

Story out of the Courier News,

I'm sure this isn't just localized to NJ, but this is a pretty decent write up of the challenges facing media engineers. We've already witnessed the de-valuing of qualified computer technicians thanks to Geek Squad and the like. I fear the same thing could happen to recording engineers if they don't pay attention to whats going on around them. Media diversification and ease of equipment acquisition are going to make the "market place" extremely competitive.

"There are a lot of advantages of recording
in the home," said Lambertville-based singer-songwriter John Sonntag.
"I can do a lot of tracking here while keeping a budget in line. Trying
to make a living as a musician is tough, but in the digital world, it
becomes a possibility."Sonntag
also is one of a growing number of area home-studio owners who are
opening their basements, garages or closets to other musicians who want
to document their craft at minimal expense.
As
a result, professional studios now find themselves needing to turn up
the volume of their own advantages -- to avoid the risk of fading out.
Even
legendary New York studios such as The Hit Factory and Sony Music
Studios -- recording home of some of the biggest-selling albums and
artists of all time -- have closed within the past two years.
"It's
always been a challenge for (professional recording studios) to
survive, and this is just another thing added to the mix," said Matt
Ballister, owner and head engineer of MJB Recording in Union."I
get some bands in, and if I charge them $40 an hour, they ask me to do
it for $30 an hour. If I charge $30 an hour, they ask for $20 an hour.
And if I say I can't do it, they're like, 'I'll just go to my friend's
house and do it at his home studio.' "

"I just tell them, 'Go ahead.' "

Read the rest here.

One nice thing about the article is I stumbled upon a great blog. GarageSpin has more of a music focus, but is chock full of excellent info. You should check it out!

Powered by ScribeFire.

An Introduction to Linux Audio

I have to say, I've been personally happy using Windows the last couple years to record and edit, but I can't say I haven't been curious. Being OS Agnostic, I totally wouldn't mind getting into a little hawt Linux action from time to time.

"Linux has come a long way in the last 10 years. At that time, if you were looking through the main audio and music applications on other operating systems, you would have struggled to find comparable, fully developed, apps on Linux. Nowadays, while no one would say the job was done, they could point to an assortment of high-quality applications..."

Now if someone could also develop a distro that would run off of a pen drive like these portable apps, I would be in hawg-heaven. Imagine being able to go to any computer with an open USB port, punching in a drive, and BAM(!) instant audio workstation!

read more | digg story

AUDACITY Tutorials GALORE!

So for newbies trying to record I try to set up the simplest recording environment I can. I tend not to like USB mics, but lately it's been hard to deny how much less intimidating the simplicity of ONE cable to the computer is.
However, once that is out of the way what to do with the audio entering the computer?

I really like Audacity for beginners. It's not very pretty, but it's pretty easy to learn, and well ... you know ... the price is, uh, pretty good. I charge quite a bit for setup and instruction, but often I find that the client really just needed a little advice, not a full blown instructional session.

So not to undercut my own business, but if you're one of those just needing a little push, I found this great little tutorial on Youtube.



Also, if you want more advanced Audacity goodness, you can go here.

Enjoy!

Eminem Sues Apple for Music Rights

"Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated, Eminem’s music publisher and copyright manager, has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company violated copyrights by allowing downloads of Eminem’s songs onto iPods."

read more | digg story

Help! Normalizing MP3's during playback?

What can I say? I'm a Luddite.

I still use WinAmp for all my mp3 playing goodness. Though lately I have to say I've been getting really tired of constantly adjusting volume. I tried looking up normalizing plugins, but they all kinda suck. I did find this article from Ars Technica in 2002 (where the pic is from), and I'm trying out it's recommendation of Audiostocker (which apparently got rolled up into Octimax or something), but I'd rather just have the capability natively.

Anyone with a little insight? Am I going to DJ software? Will I finally have to give in to iTunes?
Any help?

Doctor Who Dies First?

What would happen if the Daleks and the Cybermen tried to join forces?

Doctor Who Dies First!




*** EDIT ***

Now that I've listened to this on crappy LCD speakers, you might want to use headphones...

[Sigh]

My mixing is rusty...

Why New Music Doesn't Sound As Good As Older Music

Winning the loudness war! With state of the art compression, we think nothing of boosting the "Loudness" of our tunes now. Unfortunately that can really hurt what we're trying to help...

I've actually had this argument with a couple clients. A few in particular love using tons of compression. It makes their voices sound full and rich and loud. Problem is that unless the audition is played on pro monitors with a lot of tolerance, instead played, on say, crappy speakers built into an LCD, then the audition is going to sound garbage. It'll sound muddy or distorted, and more than likely the person listening will reach for the volume knob.

If they're already reaching for the volume, why not reach for a skip track button?

Click READ MORE to check out the story on Yahoo news.

read more | digg story
someaudioguy some audio guy audio recording voice over demo production voice acting auditions adr dubbing foley
And here's a practical example from the linked article showing what kind of damage can occur by making things "loud".

Mobile Music Software NOW FREE!

For Symbian and Windows Mobile Users!

I've been using Syntrax for years. Back when it was $30, it was an impressive little audio suite, but now that it's free, well free is just ... better.

Works with MIDI, and can manipulate .WAV files (even the PCM ones you can record from the PPC). When you're finished just sync up with a computer, and you can transfer you're work over too. Neat Stuff!

For audio "Doodling" on the go, you really can't beat it, and while I haven't NEEDED it very often, it has saved my @$$ a couple times.

See also:
PhoenixStudio (sorry for the Handango Link) and Golden Crater Pocket Mixer (Baby Sound Forge!),

Nothing Compares 2 U

No really.
Nothing.

I actually really like this song. I think it's one of the most vulnerable and powerful pieces of modern music ever recorded.
Here's a great article on the song's technical creation.

I loved seeing that they did the recording on an AKG414, which has become one of my favorite mics of late.
AKG C 414 B-XL II Condenser Microphone
someaudioguy some audio guy music recording microphones sinead oconnor engineering

Brice Carrington Releases HAWT SFX

Super hawt yo!
Since my early days doing sound for college theater, I've never been a huge fan of canned SFX. I've trolled through CD after CD of crappy SFX compilations, that most (9 for 10) times I give up, and record my own.

That being said, every now and then you find a gem. This collection looks like it could be one of those gems.

"Carrington has always wanted to make professional sound effects you hear at the movies available to consumers and independent filmmakers, at an affordable price. This is not a new concept, but our approach to it is. It may not be popular to some, but recreating the sounds heard in movies and making them available to consumers makes sense. To show consumers how to make their own sound effects with the click of a mouse is a natural progression in amateur movie making and could be a great asset to the independent film maker."

Check out the full article here!

Bout Time You Got SCHOOLED: Fundamentals Edition

These are great blogs with TONNES of useful info.
Fundamentals Of Digital Audio Podcast by Geoff Hankerson is a fantastic blog to read if you need a brush up on technique, equipment, and where to get that equipment (though I still disagree that the SnowBall is a good mic).


Add to that being a part of the 'Home Recording Network', and you've stumbled your way into a veritable plethora of information and experience.

A plethora?

Si si SI! A PLE-thora!

I'll be adding links to my sidebar for future reference!

Computer based studios and providing "Value"

Bob LeVitus at www.ecommercetimes.com, has a good article up about a SXSW panel discussion on home recording and the value of "real" studios.

• Do recording studios and their proprietors still offer value to their customers?
• Can a studio and its proprietor enhance an artist's strengths?
• Is a "real" studio always the best choice?
• It also claimed that audience questions would be answered with practical advice.

A very brief write with some really good common sense advice. I especially like the part where he tells artists to leave the engineers alone while they are working!

Read the rest here.
someaudioguy some audio guy recording voice over computer music voice acting studios booth engineer mixing mastering

Foley Artists do it FOR you ... (cuz your SFX suck)....

Stumbled on this live journal of 'ActionJack' talking about being a foley artist, and I was kinda thrown back to banging pots and pans in a closet. I had a lot of fun doing that.

I decided I would get this sound by swinging a microphone downward (with a heavy-duty windscreen) multiple times and then combining them all.

Heh-heh, My favorite trick was to throw an old crappy mic into a glass jar, tape it shut, and chuck it out the window or hit it with a hammer...
someaudioguy some audio guy youtube voice over foley sound design sound effects mixing recording funny voice acting mockumentary

Just for good measure I'm making you watch this YouTube mockumentary if only for the coconuts around the 50 second mark.

Watch it!


voice over, foley, mixing, recording, sound design, mockumentary, youtube, funny

Recording: Cheap(!) and Easy(?)

Idolator.com has a great article on LCD Soundsystem's new album 'Sound of Sliver', and how it was recorded in an unusual locale. With audio gear coming down in price, a lot of pro studios are having a harder time justifying their prices, and a lot of bands are moving to unconventional recording areas.

We've been facing the same thing in VO-land. Because it's easy to punch a USB mic into the front of your iMac, and paste some music behind your voice, doesn't mean that you can cut a demo that shows off your vocal skill. Even some of our more recognizable talent have fallen for the "my friend's an Audio Engineer" ruse, and have paid good money for demos that have been put together poorly, are way to long, or just sound awful.

Sending auditions in remotely can be trying as well. We rep people all over the country, but currently only a handful have really taken the time to understand the technology, and what will make their voice sound the best. Oddly enough those that have worked it out also seem to work more often than those that just dump an mp3 from the mic built into their laptop....Hmmmm... Odd...

I agree with a lot of the comments on the Idolator post, that owning mics and Pro-Tools doesn't mean you know how to use them, but with how often I see people jamming their white ear buds (which are REALLY bad for you btw, but thats another post) to tunes that are probably at best 192Kbps mp3, I think most of the current audience doesn't really care what their music sounds like.

It's exciting that recording is decentralizing, but it makes me nervous as I do care what my audio sounds like... and it's what I do for a living...

LCD Soundsystem is playing to A Mouse, A Mouse (idolator.com)
www.LCDSoundsystem.com
some audio guy someaudioguy voice over recording engineering voice acting mixing

Famous Breakbeat

I'm not really into dance music, but I thought this was a fascinating and extremely well put together exploration into the history of sampling. Check it out!