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Solved Tinny Camcorder sound - how to improve ?

Tinny Camcorder sound - how to improve ? was created by Steve Barry

Posted 30 Jan 2015 09:02 #1
Hi. The problem with camcorders, even good ones are that as soon as there's some distance from the source, the voices become tinny and echoey. Does anyone know if there is a setting or a profile that I can apply to this sound or a suggested effect I can apply. I'm new to the forum and fairly new to SMSP Suite 12 too. Thanks, Steve
Last Edit:31 Jan 2015 00:45 by Steve Barry
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Replied by DoctorZen on topic Tinny Camcorder sound - how to improve ?

Posted 30 Jan 2015 18:46 #2
Hi Steve

There are many solutions to this problem and I will show you what is available in Movie Studio Platinum 12 Suite, but first I want to talk about better solutions for recording the audio.

Best Practice
The best way to fix bad audio from a camcorder is to not use it's microphones in the first place.
In an interview situation, lapel mics or shotgun mics work best.
Rode Microphones makes some very good microphones that work perfect in this environment.
www.rode.com/microphones/video
The Video Mic www.rode.com/microphones/videomic and Video Mic Pro www.rode.com/microphones/videomicpro are my two favourites. If your camcorder has a 3.5mm mic input jack, you can mount of these mics on top of the video camera and record the audio directly into the camera.
If you own an Apple iPhone or Android based phone or device, you can use a Rode Smart Lav www.rode.com/microphones/smartlav-plus - these are inexpensive lavalier style mics. You would record the audio directly into the phone and then sync the audio to the main video inside of Movie Studio.

Solution
I used the same video from the link you sent me here www.thefirewalkingcenter.com , to find some solutions in Movie Studio to your audio problems.
By default, all Audio Tracks on the timeline come pre-loaded with three Audio FX plugins. They are not turned ON until you select a Preset from the drop down box inside of them.

Press Track FX button to get started.



Track Noise Gate - noise gate can be set to remove low background sounds, however you have to be careful because it can make main audio sound worse.
Track Compressor - beefs up the sound and makes it sound fuller.
Track EQ - equalizes different frequency bands

For your example I only used Track EQ from the above 3 options, but also added in ExpressFX Graphic EQ & Graphics Dynamics - this creates a chain of Audio FX.

Press green button to add more FX.


Open Sony folder and then find each plugin you want to use - press Add and OK - repeat if you need more in the chain.


You can drag the FX window out to see controls and chain more clearly. You can also grab hold of any plugin in the top chain and change where it sits in the order. The order can make a difference in the overall result. The first adjustment I made was to the 3rd plugin Track EQ - I was attempting to reduce the hiss sound in background of your sample video. It is important to wear headphones when doing this type of work, so you can hear less subtle noises.


The 4th plugin is ExpressFX Graphic EQ. I raised the Bass frequencies to give the voice more presence and also reduced the Higher frequencies to try and remove more of the background noise.


The 5th plugin in the chain is Graphic Dynamics, which works like a compressor. From the drop down presets I selected 2:1 compression. This increases the overall volume of presence of the voice.



There is no right or wrong way in working with audio. You can spend hours yourself experimenting with all the different Audio FX available. There are also much better tools for improving audio quality, when you invest in better programs like Sound Forge Pro and/or Vegas Pro Suite (which includes Sound Forge Pro). I will be making new tutorials about these programs soon and will show what I use for making audio sound better.

Regards
Derek.
ℹī¸ Remember to turn everything off at least once a week, including your brain, then sit somewhere quiet and just chill out.
Unplugging is the best way to find solutions to your problems. If you would like to share some love, post a customer testimonial or make a donation.
Last Edit:31 Jan 2015 19:26 by DoctorZen

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