Hello All.

I've recently started doing some voice over work, and have been doing extensive experimentation with how to best EQ a single voice (male, my own) to have it sounding rich and clear.

I realise my mic. is a hugely significant factor, and suspect the EQing I'm doing might be the specific requirements of my mic. The mic.in question is a condersor, an AKG C9000 (not super high-end, but pretty decent I think).

Here's my findings - I started trying out which frequencies to boost, and found one boost around 100hz, and another around 8khz gave me the depth and low end resonance I wanted, as well as the crispness and clarity up top. But the more I listened (and boosted those frequencies) the muddier my voice seemed to be. So for a reason no better than instinct I began making a cut in the mids, and found that a pretty meaty cut around 500hz made a massive improvement to over all sound. Is this a normal Trick-Of-The-Trade? Or as I suggested, is this just compensating for the dynamic/frequency resonse of my mic.? Or have I been listening to my own voice through headphones for too long and am now starting to loose my mind?(and more importantly, my hearing.)

Does anyone have experience with EQing voice overs?

Cheers.

jim

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Too orangey for crows - it's just for me and my dog.

From what I've recorded of my voice (through a Rode NT1) I have no trouble sounding rich and clear. Just the proximity effect is all I needed for that. Are you speaking close to the mic?

Hi, As a rule of thumb I would look to remove unwanted frequencies rather than boost desired ones.by removing unwanted room frequency or other timbre related frequency you are more likely to find your sweet spot. dave

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My head hurts!

Hi Neil,

Proximity to the mic is something else I've been experimenting with, and which I've found has a profound difference on the relative dynamics accross the frequency spectrum. Too close to the mic produces a boominess, and too far you loose that rich resonance in the bass which is especially good for narration and advertising. Actually, I do tend to work rather close to the mic because with a reasonable/longer distance from the mic I need to turn the input gain up to the point where the mic picks up every little creak and crackle in my non-sound-proofed project studio/living room. Perhaps I've just answered my own question? If I was working in a sound-proofed enviroment and had the input gain high enough, maybe I wouldn't have to be buggering around with EQ afterwards...?

Any thoughts on this most welcome.

Cheers,

jim

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Too orangey for crows - it's just for me and my dog.

Yes, as soon as you get more distance from the mic I find the room acoustics come into play, especially if you raise your voice at all.
You need room treatment, or a different room. You can't really eq out room ambience.
I find that close mic'ing avoids bringing the room into play.

My NT1 doesn't strike me as boomy when I get close to it.

Duvet time maybe.
Have you read the body of SOS advice about vocal recording?

From one online review of the C 9000: "...if you like the C 1000, this is a road version that can double as a great project studio mic."

As no-one DOES like the C 1000, this is not very encouraging :-)

I think you should try some other microphones. Maybe book an hour in a studio with a good selection. The Electro-Voice RE20 is highly regarded by broadcasters for spoken voice work. But there are plenty of others, at all price levels.

A few other thoughts. Listen to some examples of good voice-over work, in your voice type. Record a section of the same script. Compare - what's different/better? And, no-one is a good judge of their own voice. Ask for opinions. Lastly, make sure you're judging on good monitor speakers.

Thanks Fellas.

I said non-sound proofed - but actually I have taken to hanging a duvet from the ceiling above me, creating a weird recording wigwam in my living room. Not very elegant, but it definately does help.

I will have a look at the recording vocals tips section, as I need all the help I can get, and it seems the path of the self recording voice over artist is a rather lonely one.

Cheers,

jim

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Too orangey for crows - it's just for me and my dog.

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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The Electro-Voice RE20 is highly regarded by broadcasters for spoken voice work.

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From the examples of that I've heard it does have a nice and flattering sound (the ugliest mic ever created though?). It is the sound of American broadcasting. Quite tempting.
But if you wanted to do any voice acting through it your character is going to sound like they are an American radio broadcaster or newsreader (I suppose you don't want any mic colouration for acting).

Proper mikes dont need eq

Perhaps your voice is faulty

Try a good compresser, this is the key to v/o with weak voices.

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I am the Walrus.

What kind of compressors you suggest!? I have waves plugins (Diamond Bundle) and use C1 Plugin ( speech compressor preset)?! Am I doing wrong?!?!

O yea...and record my voice with Rode NT-1a...

Edited by michich (24/08/10 01:59 PM)

above... you have a microphone which is worth £150 and you use plugins worth £1,500... hmmmm I suspect those are far from legit versions.

As for a good voice over I suppose you just want to make sure you have a nice warm eq/compressor. I would have a look at the psp vintage warmer or maybe even oldTimer might do a good job on it. As for EQ you would have to download a few as they all sound different as do compressors... but again PSP, IK Multimedia and Stillwell all do a nice selection of EQ/Comps that would do a good job

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There is nothing Grim about this Reaper
We Fell From The Sky

Henry

Happy B'Day dude.



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Samplecraze
Stretch That Note

Oh and thankyou for the birthday greetings!! and Zen too from another post. My day has been incredible... turning 28 truely has opened my eyes... and I'm exactly the same as I was at 27

But I'm going out for a curry tonight, so its not all bad

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There is nothing Grim about this Reaper
We Fell From The Sky

Quote Henry-S:

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Oh and thankyou for the birthday greetings!! and Zen too from another post. My day has been incredible... turning 28 truely has opened my eyes... and I'm exactly the same as I was at 27

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Wait until you're 30. You then fully realise that you know nothing.

Happy Birthday, mate.

Then wait until you are 40... THEN you realise that you knew nothing at 30 !!!

andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.