Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 04:33 AM CDT

I'm using GarageBand to do some voice recordings, just speaking. I'm using Real Instrument, Basic Track, no effects, and am using an external usb microphone.

It's working quite well, except it picks up subtle sounds like my nasal breathing, my swallowing, etc. Is there an effect I can use to filter some of this out?

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 07:09 AM CDT

Are you using a pop shield?
It will help to filter out some of those sounds.
maybe you've got the input levels just a little bit too high.
Try lowering them a bit and see if that helps.
Learning to control your breathing spaces between singing is a sort of art in itself.
Try just singing the song and see if you can eliminate some of the sounds your mouth is making when you're not singing
cheers

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 01:35 PM CDT

Another thing to do is to split the track between phrases and trim out the intervening noise (throat clearing, breathing, swallowing, etc). That way you will only have things in the track lane that have singing or speaking and not the in between times.

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 02:52 PM CDT

You could also try using the "Gate" at some unobtrusive setting: if the extraneous noises are low enough in db relative to your "just voice" recording, and usually in-between phrases etc you could get rid of a fair bit that way too.. it beats editing for speed at least.

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 05:11 PM CDT

Try it with your mic just about reaching below chin level (you may also be speaking too closely to the mic). Also, if you are like me and tend to have a "wet mouth", try drinking a little apple juice before talking or singing; the pectin in the juice kind of dries things up in there for you (true!)

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, April 19 2010 @ 08:33 PM CDT

Yeah, I think the solution starts with mic placement... One way or another, back off the mic a bit...

Check your use of compression, which can bring up some of those faint sounds if overused. A gate can cut some of them. They're not 'noise', so I don't think something like SoundSoap will help...

Another thing that one sometimes has to do in those sorts of recordings is to go in afterwards and just cut out the noises. I used to know a guy who did voice work back in the reel to reel tape days, and he'd got back in after a session and cut 'em out with a razor blade... Doing it digitally is easier, and even though it can be a time consuming drag, it's sometimes the best way to get the track really clean...

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Tuesday, April 20 2010 @ 11:31 PM CDT

Try recording with no effects - you can insert them after you record your voice.

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Wednesday, April 21 2010 @ 12:15 AM CDT

Quote by: atmacjams I'm using GarageBand to do some voice recordings, just speaking. I'm using Real Instrument, Basic Track, no effects, and am using an external usb microphone. It's working quite well, except it picks up subtle sounds like my nasal breathing, my swallowing, etc. Is there an effect I can use to filter some of this out?

some good suggestions so far, pop screen, splitting/cutting/slicing the undesired pieces.

You can also use the volume automation and simply turn those spots down.

Personally, I don't get too picky about it. If you can't hear it in the mix, don't worry about it. I just edit out what I can hear through headphones in the final mix. Leave the rest alone.

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Wednesday, April 21 2010 @ 04:11 AM CDT

Wow an amazing offering of suggestions!! Thanks to everyone for your help. I'll try these and see what works best. This is a very friendly and generous community, a pleasure to take part

Re:Voice Recording, which effect to use?
Monday, March 14 2011 @ 10:19 PM CDT

Quote by: sschedra Another thing to do is to split the track between phrases and trim out the intervening noise (throat clearing, breathing, swallowing, etc). That way you will only have things in the track lane that have singing or speaking and not the in between times.

Hello, there. It's been a while, but I was wondering if I could follow up with you on this suggestion. Could you tell me what you mean by "split the track"? Do you mean simply to cut out the chunks of sound i don't want? Or is this something more, or less?

Is there a way to cut out the "inbetween phrases" sections, and replace them with a kind of background hiss? That way there would be continuity in the flow of sound. Does that make sense?