VO Weekly Workflow – More Distortion

Last week I talked about three common ways in which your voiceover recordings can become distorted – excessive input gain settings, overwhelming the microphone capsule, and processing steps that get out of control. Of these three, input gain is probably the most common culprit. If things sound better after simply reducing the input gain, that’s a strong indicator.

Getting things correct at the source is a key step in good sound. In our home voiceover studios we attempt to capture a very dynamic instrument – the human voice. This is challenging. Recently, I’ve been encountering quite a few audiobook narrators and podcasters who are trying to hit delivery loudness specs when recording. There’s just no reason to do that. Recording with initial input gain levels set conservatively remains a best practice. Volume can always be increased later.

Once we have our input gain settings (and of course the recording space itself) under control, things should sound pretty good. However, encountering distortion at this point would indicate that something is going wrong further along our input chain. This is where we want to develop our “engineer’s ear” and listen more closely to any imperfections.

Other distortion sources

It may be that the “distortion” is actually a separate sound layering upon our voice. Crackling or buzzing may indicate that the analog signal is being impacted. Detaching and reinserting XLR cables at the microphone or interface may fix that. Checking the location of LED lights, power supplies, and multi-plug power strips can expose where electro-magnetic field (EMF) interference may be present. Silent gaps or “dropouts” in the recording typically point to the digital part of the signal – often the result of faulty or too-long USB cables.

Recording software can cause trouble as well. When using a complex multitrack recording environment like Studio One, Pro Tools, or Reaper, it’s easy to engage an effect that is set wrong. Certain audio interfaces like the UA Apollo actually have firmware plug-in effects in them that have been mistakenly turned on. If everything sounds good until you output the final file, it’s worth confirming that you are saving into the proper format. Low bit depth, incorrect sample rates, automatic dithering or other saving variables might be worth checking.

Is there a “Good” type of distortion?

All of the above would be the “bad” types of distortion. Would we ever want to purposefully distort our recordings? The answer is a definitive “maybe”. I touched on this subject in my resource on audio interfaces. There are certain types of distortion which we find pleasing. When a manufacturer talks about a circuit or effect adding “saturation”, “texture”, or “warmth”, that means they have introduced distortion into the original signal.

This is a controlled type of distortion which typically introduces even-numbered harmonics to the recorded audio. Even-numbered harmonics tend to create tones that sound smooth, warm, and rich. They are often perceived as more pleasing or musical because they fall into the same harmonic series as the basic tone. The 2nd harmonic, for example, is an octave above that fundamental frequency.

Many become obsessed with this type of signal enhancement and invest in separate microphone preamps designed to create a more signature sound. The “4K” button on SSL interfaces and the “Air” option on the Focusrite Scarlett series provide this additional flavoring to the microphone signal. The issue is that using this approach bakes the distortion into the recording. This type of enhancement can make the vocals too “present” and it cannot be separated from the clean audio signal.

What does your client want?

In most cases, clients will want a clean, neutral voice recording from you. That lets them add any sonic sweetening that complements their overall sound design. As with any audio processing, a little goes a long way. What sounds good in the comfort of our booth may not be appropriate for the client’s use. Always ask before supplying more processed audio. Adding this type of distortion – even if it’s harmonically pleasing – to your microphone’s input signal may create untold headaches for the person who has to deal with your recordings.

Have you tested your studio’s audio quality to make sure it meets professional standards? For a free review of your vocal recordings, please use the upload tool on my Audio Review page.

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