Popping [P] Sounds & Adobe

[JDThuner001]

I would like some advice from you guys. We use Symetrix 528E mic processors with RE27ND mics in the studios. Even with this I find that there is still lots of popping P sounds in the recordings and on air. Production is done using Adobe Audition. No matter how much I process dry voice using Adobe I cannot seem to get all the popping P sounds out. The mic is normally about 6 inches away and turned to the side so allow the breath sounds to pass over it. If you turn it head-on to your mouth it REALLY pops those P's then.

Using Adobe I always:
Center the wave
Run the click and pop eliminator
Full Mix
De-Esser Light
Graphic EQ 30 band punch & sparkle
Compander -- high cutoff 15,000--Gain Processor o, attack 20 release 40--Level Detector input 3 attack 20 release 40--RMS--look ahead 5 ms--compression 4.0, compression 2.0 -- expand below 40, 46, 52 db and compress below 58 db
Normalize to 95
Hard Limit 0
Group Waveform Normalize -15


Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[robgrayson]

In my experience, 99% of "P" popping problems come from mike placement and technique. If the "punch and sparkle" is goosing the sub-150 Hz range, it is enhancing the problem. Like so many things, the key is to avoid it on the front end, versus fixing it in the mix.

 

[amfmsw]

I had the same problem. This may sound stupid to some of you, but...

The popping is the fault of the speaker/announcer/talent, not the equipment you spoke of. Have the person(s) practice Speech 101. Sit in front of a candle in a still room, and pronounce "P" words/sounds until there is little or no disturbance of the flame.

This was taught to me when at WIBG Philadelphia by a professor of the English Department at Temple University. It DOES work. Also, try the obvious, a proper windscreen.

 

[Doctor_Technical]

JD, have you tried using one of the clip-on mesh screen filters?

Not only do the "popper-stoppers" knock down plosives, but they also enforce a certain minimum distance from your mic (your talent may be sneaking up closer to the mic than you think)

http://www.zzounds.com/cat--2830 is one of many sites, just be sure to spell 'popper' right

 

[DudeFan]

I agree. Popping is 100% the result of bad mic technique. I don't know what your folks using an RE2720 are doing, but for the plosives to be that bad on those mics, they are definitely doing something wrong.

 

[littlejohn]

I'd hang an identical mic and try it, on the off chance the one they;re using has had something come adrift inside. If the problem persists, then the call is 'sloppy technique' and you can begin the long process of correction and teaching. The reason for trying another is, that one time in a hundred when the dam' thing actually failed has to be considered before you correct the jock. TYou can then say "Checked everything and it's all working properly. Let's watch you for a moment and see if we can find the trouble." And have him do a read, and correct any problems.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I know that it's hard to believe that a jock would overdrive anything, but is it possible that somebody is jacking up the mic pot so high that they're just crashing into the bandwidth limit on the input into the computer?

 

[littlejohn]

Overdriving the input would generate distortion and nasties.... but I don't think it would generate pops on Ps. Besides which, as Good Engineering Practice, we already turned down the mic preamp output to preclude overdriving the next stage, since we know jocks are wont to run everything at ten. Remember, the air read is always 10dB hotter than the mic check.

 

[amfmsw]

littlej has a great idea there, especially if the mic was purchased used.

I once had a jock who removed the factory screen from the RE20, and then removed the thin fabric liner, and reassembled. One night while on air, I noticed a lot of mouth noises and wind. Looking closely at the mic, I could see the diaphram shining through the screen. He thought it would give his voice more bass!

 

[littlejohn]

The standard for 'more bass' used to be the MD221 Sennheiser. It has an incredible proximity effect - and it's fairly immune to popping. It will put stones on Dolly Parton if she'll work it close.