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I Need Some Audio Help

D

DavidDayVox

I'm hoping to get into the v/o business and voice the occasional spot here and there. By no means am I planning to quit my f/t job and rely on the voiceover business. Frankly, I'm probably not that good. I'm just hoping to add an extra $300 - $500 per month to my family budget.

Here's my problem. I bought a usb mic, the MXL USB.008 (http://www.mxl-usb.com/USB_008/USB_008.htm), and it seems to be working fine. However, I'm not satisified with the quality. Compared to the stuff I cut at the station, it seems muddy and lacking that full, bright sound.

I was hoping someone could listen to me and perhaps, using adobe audition, eq my voice so it sounds halfway decent. It would be great if I could get screenshots of the process, so I can duplicate it here. Nothing fancy, just a basic, good sound. I Just need to get it sounding good so I can send it to producers and they can do whatever they want with it.

Many thanks!

David
 
David, you're going to need to be able to get a clean sound from the start without resorting to EQ. Most "producers" prefer flat audio. Unfortunately, the cost of cheap mics and accessories has everyone "getting into the voiceover biz". They soon learn that there are a T O N of other folks doing it too, and they have professional set-ups. It really makes a big difference if you decide to invest in yourself and your business.
 
There are a lot of factors that need to be considered. No matter what mic you use, you need to see how it responds to your voice. Some mics sound great when you work them up close. Some get muddy. Some mics sound better if you back off and crank up the level - assuming that you have a very quiet room. Some mics sound better directly on-axis, some sound better off-axis.

On top of the proximity issues and effects, you also need to make sure that you're not overmodulating. USB mics are typically not controlled by your audio mixer software. If your mic has different sensitivity levels, you need to try varying the sensitivity until you get the sound you want.

Compression isn't really the answer. Proper mic technique, and a mic that responds to the sound of your voice is really the key. Everything else is bells and whistles.
 
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