Getting Good Audio

Story is…. King?

In the last newsletter, I talked through how to use camera movement and composition to tell your story. Getting good cinematography that aligns with and supports your story can do wonders to engage your audience. However, learning to take good shots and tell a good story is completely useless if your audio sucks. In fact, it is considered the number one reason people click away.

Sound Matters:

Picture this: You’re at the summit of a breathtaking peak, sharing your awe-inspiring adventure with the world. But if your audience can’t hear the wind rustling through the leaves or the crunch of snow beneath your boots, they’re missing out on the immersive experience. Even worse, if you’re talking to the camera, they’ll have no idea what you’re saying! Great audio isn’t just about clarity; it’s about bringing your viewers right into the heart of your adventure.

Recommended Audio Equipment

In order to capture good sound, you need good equipment. But with so much information out there, it can be confusing as to what you need. So let me make it simple for you.

Directional versus Omnidirectional Microphones

Microphones fit into two overarching categories. Directional microphones focus on a specific sound source, reducing interference from surrounding noise. These are best for noisy environments or capturing a single speaker. Omnidirectional microphones capture sound from all directions, providing a more inclusive audio recording. These are commonly used in situations where capturing ambient or surrounding sounds is important. The choice between the two depends on the recording scenario and the desired outcome for the audio.

1. Shotgun Microphones: Ideal for capturing directional sound, cutting out background noise, and focusing on your narration or the sounds of nature. The Rode VideoMicro is a good starter.
2. Lavalier Microphones: Perfect for hands-free recording, especially in dynamic environments. I use mine when I am walking around a lot and recording with my iPhone. A good wireless one will allow you to record a subject that is far away and still capture clear sound.
3. Windshields /deadcats /Blimps / and Fuzzy Windjammers: Nature can be noisy, but these accessories ensure your audio remains crystal clear, even in the midst of gusty winds or rushing water. Here is one for the Rode Mic and the lav mic comes with a windshield already.
4. Audio Recorders/USB Mic: Consider investing in a dedicated audio recorder or USB Microphone for voiceovers. Don’t use a 3.5mm jack microphone as it cannot take in the same quality as a USB microphone. The Blue Yeti is the most popular microphone out there for voiceovers and podcasters, but this audio recorder may be a better option if you are on the move frequently.

By the way, just a heads up that I get a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy these products through the provided links. Thanks for the support!

Tips to get it right.

If you’re like me when I started, audio was a foreign land, and one that was quite overwhelming. Below are some tips to help you avoid common beginner mistakes with your audio.

1. Choose the Right Mic for the Job: Select your microphone based on the environment you’ll be in. Shotgun mics excel in open spaces and lavaliers are great for on-the-move recording.
2. Monitor Your Audio: You can invest in headphones to monitor your audio while recording, or do what I do, and go back and listen to your clips immediately after recording so you can make adjustments in real-time.
3. Mind the Background: Be mindful of your surroundings. Remember how I’m always saying PAUSE before you record…. well, here is your friendly reminder to PAUSE BEFORE YOU RECORD! Tune in and see what is noisy around you.
4. Mind the Wind: When dealing with wind, position yourself so that the microphone is facing away from the wind. Better yet if you can conceal your microphone and block the wind with your body. You might be able to hear over the wind in real life, but in the recording, you won’t be able to!
5. Maintain the Right Distance: To strike the perfect balance between being close enough for clear audio and far enough for a good shot, aim to be about 2-3 feet from your microphone, 6 feet maximum. And be mindful that if you are walking towards or away from a subject while they are speaking, that will impact the consistency in audio levels.
6. Steady as You Turn: Turning your head or your subject changing locations while recording can impact audio consistency. Try to keep your movements steady to maintain a consistent audio experience.
7. Lav Mic Etiquette: Avoid rubbing or brushing against your lavalier microphone, especially if it’s attached to your shirt. This can cause unwanted noise and disruptions in your audio recording.
8. Turn Off The Music: You want to be sure you to turn off any music that is playing before recording dialogue. Otherwise you’ll get a copyright claim on your video!

Post-Production / Editing

Most of your work to get good audio should happen when you are filming, but sometimes, we need to do a bit of work in post-production.

1. Voice vs. Music/Sound Effects

Before finalizing your video, listen to the audio on different devices (with headphones, TV, phone, etc.). Check that the audio sounds consistent and that the music, sound effects and background noise aren’t drowning out any dialogue or voiceovers. I am amazed at what I can’t hear on a television that is crisp and clear on my phone!

2. Use Compression Wisely:

Most advanced editing software allow you to add “compression” to even out the dynamic range of your audio. What this does is reduces the volume of the loud sections and boosts the volume of the softer sections. This helps maintain a consistent volume. I organise all my voiceovers on one track, all my recorded dialogue on another, all my sound effects on another, and so on. By keeping my audio organised by type, I can easily add compression and other settings to an entire audio track rather than each individual clip, saving me heaps of time. I also color-code each track, so I don’t mix them up.

3. Equalize music for dialogue.

All editing software has what’s called an “Equalizer” or “EQ”. It’s a tool that lets you control different parts of the sound. The numbers are “frequencies”. Think of frequencies as the highs and lows in sound.

• Low frequencies are like the deep booms in thunder or the rumble of a big truck.
• High frequencies are the tinkling of wind chimes or the sizzle of frying.

The human voice spans a range of frequencies, but the most crucial frequencies for speech intelligibility are typically between 250 Hz and 4,000 Hz (or 4 kHz). When you add music, you want to make sure that the frequencies of the music don’t drown out the human voice.

You can do two things:

1. For the vocal tracks, increase the levels in the frequency range where speech is most prominent (around 2 kHz to 4 kHz). This enhances the dialogue without affecting the entire audio spectrum. Some software (Davinci Resolve, for example) has presets for this which can be a really good way to learn more.
2. For the music tracks, decrease the levels in the frequency range where speech is most prominent (around 2 kHz to 4 kHz).

There are several other things you can do to improve your audio quality, such as multiband compressors, background sound removers, high-pass filters, but this is a good start. I highly recommend saving all your audio settings as “Track Presets” to save time. It took me 20 minutes to google how to do this in Davinci Resolve, and it saves me about 30 minutes every time I make a video.

4. Home Voiceovers:

When recording voiceovers, choose a quiet space to eliminate background noise. Invest in a pop filter (the Blue Yeti Linked above comes with one) to reduce plosive sounds and maintain a consistent distance (~6-8 inches) from the microphone. I also close all doors, cover my head and microphone in a thick blanket, and only record in rooms with lots of furniture and pillows in order to prevent echo.

7. Master Cutting Audio:

Smooth transitions are key. Use crossfades between different audio clips to avoid abrupt cuts or volume changes. Use J or L cuts in dialogue so the audience doesn’t notice you moving from clip to clip. You can even use the audio of one clip for the background sound of the entire segment to ensure there are no jolts in audio. You want your edit to be as seamless as possible.

Final Tips:

There are a few more tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the last three years as a vlogger that are good to keep in mind.

• The viewer should always be able to hear the sounds of your environment, even with music and voiceovers. This keeps them in the moment.
• When recording musical performances, don’t hit the stop/start button as you get different shots, otherwise you won’t get the seamless audio. Also be mindful of not changing your position too much or too fast so the audio stays a consistent volume.
• Be considerate of echos and external noises, including air conditioning and fans.
• Computer fans and other noises can affect the quality of your voiceovers.

Action

Before running off and buying a bunch of audio equipment, ask yourself these questions:

• Will you be filming outside?
• Will you be filming on the move?
• Do you have enough storage space on your phone if you use a Lav mic?
• Will you be recording voiceovers?
• Will you be recording interviews?
• Will you be filming subjects who are far from the camera?
• Will you have time to set up microphones?

Use these answers to decide which piece of equipment is worth investing in first. And believe in yourself by investing in good quality equipment the first time!