Editing Voiceover in Audacity

This video is Part 3 of my Audacity series. Part 1 covers the interface and recording levels while Part 2 covers recording and basic editing.
Watch Part 1 here: • An Introduction to Aud...
Watch Part 2 here: • Recording Voiceover in...
So I've walked you through the interface. I've shown you how to record your voiceover tracks. All that leaves is applying an effect or two to improve the quality of your track and then exporting it for delivery. What could be simpler?
Join me for a bit of audio troubleshooting and post-process tinkering! Just remember that a little goes a looooong way. Also, my apologies for the cursor thing... the capture method I've been using was flipping out when I recorded this.
MAKE SURE YOU GRAB THESE OPTIONAL PLUGINS
RMS Normalize: bit.ly/3LoLAIb
De-clicker and De-esser: bit.ly/3YSTIno
Drop these plugins in your Audacity/Plugins folder. Launch Audacity and go to Plugin Manager at the top of the Effects menu. Find the plugins in the list and select them, then hit Enable to turn them on. They should show up in the Effects drop-down list from there.
After I recorded this I learned they integrated RMS Normalize into the main program at some point! You can find it in the Effects list under Loudness Normalization.
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#voiceover #software #audacity #audacitytutorial #editing #voiceactor #voiceacting #like #subscribe #youtubechannel

[@Lyvvie]

For removing breaths I use Amplify and set it to -20.0. This works great for mid sentence small breaths that can't be deleted. We can almost hear it and it keeps the pace better without sounding like a robot that never breathes. If I want it completely gone, then I reapply with Ctrl+R and it'll disappear.

[@amine_dubs]

Isn't there a plugin that do that automatically? I think there is regenerate but not working with me

[@Thompson.ed.m]

Thanks for this series.. I'm just getting started with this and i ride the "struggle bus" with editing. I had some recommendations about Normalize from another KZbinr but there was not much detail.. I do appreciate explanation. It makes more sense than before. Also thanks for the recommendation for the De-esser.

[@territaylor]

Hi Devin! I have been pulling my hair out trying to find easy editing tutorials in Audacity…your tutorial is the BEST!!! Easy to follow instructions delivered in a friendly, conversational tone. You have solved all of my editing issues, thanks again!!

[@killervoicestudios3973]

That’s so kind of you to say! Thank you!! I’m glad you found it helpful :)

[@AM-cd9jz]

THANK YOU! I have been trying for WAY too long to find a tutorial that even mentions clicks in a word! The whole video is great, perfectly informative, and has been a big help! Much appreciated!!

[@erik.swartz]

Thank you for creating this simple yet clear tutorial. Easy to understand and implement...much appreciated!

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Thanks! I really appreciate you saying that!

[@abrahamosei7002]

Loved the good vibes. Thanks

[@JerylKoh2626]

Brilliant tutorial video! I've learned so much from your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Wow, thank you so much!

[@SayHelloToOblivion]

This helped a lot, thank you!

[@voiceof_REQ]

Very detailed and brief info here. Thank you!😊

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Thank you for saying so! I’m glad it helped.

[@ZimCrusher]

This is great info. My process has been: 1) amplify 5 db 2) get room tone sample, denoise 3) amplify -5bd (bring it back to normal. 4) Compressor 5) normalize Then I start my edit, picking best takes, and hit each unwanted breath with -10db. Never found a good way to remove lips smack or clicks though. This video goves me some new things to try out. Thanks a bunch.

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Thanks for sharing, that sounds like a solid process. I just released a follow-up to this video that goes into click removal, among other things. There’s some stuff in there that could prove useful.

[@ZimCrusher]

@@killervoicestudios3973 Have you used Crumplepop, or Supertone AI noise removal? I was wondering how good they are in audacity and also how to install them, since none of the other videos show this. They just say "I'm testing this plugin" without telling what software, and people like me, who have only used audacity, can not tell what they are using, or even if it's compatible with Audacity.

[@mickeystix]

Great and concise! Thanks!

[@lady_draguliana784]

thanks for the tips! ALMOST ready for my first DIY Demo! 🎉🎊

[@killervoicestudios3973]

You’re welcome! And that’s so awesome!!

[@Ikawa123]

So many ppl saying: "If u want to be serious about VO u should discard Audacity and use another softwares..." but honestly, in my experience i've tried to learn Reaper and at least for me at the moment is too complex, and I feel I'm slowing down my immersion to VO, so Im going to focus on Audacity again no matter what others say...

[@killervoicestudios3973]

You should definitely go with whatever software works best for you. People tend to have strong opinions in favor of whatever software they like but if it works? It works.

[@SierraMysteria]

Great video, thank you!

[@killervoicestudios3973]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful :)

[@WeaponsRemorse]

Holy shit someone is actually using audacity not there you know, premiere pro or whatever to do shit you’re using every day normal recording software that’s free as a Linux guy. I have tried to find stuff on voice, recording, and stuff that you was audacity nobody does and it irritates me so thank you. How did you get dark mode

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Wow, thanks! For Dark Mode go to Edit>Preferences>Interface and switch it from the default Light Theme.

[@WeaponsRemorse]

@@killervoicestudios3973 awesome got it and oh you’re welcome

[@celticfan331]

How did you overlay the room tone with the practice? My cursor is not indicating the same when I try to do so.

[@annahsu7039]

Hi there! This is a great tutorial - I was so overwhelmed by how many options there were in Audacity but you simplified it beautifully! One question I had is that when editing voice clips by deleting the parts I don't want, I always seem to notice a pop or crackle noise where the room tone meets the "later" room tone, if that makes sense. I've tried crossfading to no avail - sometimes the crackles even increase once I crossfade. I think it has something to do with what you said about needing the two sections to be at the 0.0 mark. Do you have tips for what I should do?

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Thanks, and great question! If there’s a continuous background noise-like a breath or a low hum-and you cut a part out of it, there’s the potential for a pop or click. The way I get around that is I try to preserve the “silences” and make my cuts right at the beginning of the word. Or, I copy/paste room tone from a separate file to fill the exact space I need. Basically, I try to avoid making a cut in the middle of a silence. If you’re editing within a spoken section, you definitely want to make sure the cut is at zero and at the same interval of repetition. My Audiobook Editing in Audacity video has a section where I do my best to explain the “rules” for doing that type of thing. It’s tricky. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5jSfaKhpL94mq8si=uFJ5I3b8gb9_lb9_

[@JeffreyGSmith]

Love your videos, Devin. What microphone do you use in your voiceover work? Thanks.

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Thanks Jeffrey! I use a Rode NT1-A condenser mic. If you want a rundown of my full setup I go over it here (check the video description for links): kzbin.info/www/bejne/emK9comYjrlrg9Usi=dxiAdl9TRjURM6yv

[@FittedMisfits1]

Any advice out there on editing the spaces or “transitions”in between phrases? your audio how to make audio crisp and clear between each pause before your next phrase ? Kind of hard to explain hope this makes sense .

[@killervoicestudios3973]

I think you’re talking about reducing background noise/breaths during silent portions of the recording? You can manually target the breaths and normalize them down to like -53 db. Don’t try to eliminate them entirely or your recording will sound weird (people breathe). For the background noise I would use noise removal… sparingly. Do this only if the background noise is particularly bad. Your best bet long-term is treating the recording space to make it quieter and practicing mic technique if breaths are an issue.

[@TommyFresh521]

Hi Devin. I am trying to find a way to do an "insert" edit of my vocal tracks in Audacity. Whenever I split and move a section of audio, the record line appears at the end of the track. Is there a way to place the record line between two split tracks and record a section in the middle? Thanks, Tom Finelli.

[@killervoicestudios3973]

To my knowledge, no. Your best option is to record the new audio in a separate track and either copy or drag the clip to fill the gap between your original clips. You could also leave the original clip intact, record the new clip, then copy it. Place the cursor where you want to add the new audio on your original clip and hit paste. It should insert it. I’m interested in finding the solution you’re asking about though! I’ll keep digging and if I find something I’ll let you know.

[@TommyFresh521]

@@killervoicestudios3973 Thanks for the info. I wasted a lot of time trying to find that. I edited on the AVID and D-Vision, and just assumed Audacity had a similar feature. I appreciate your feedback!

[@codeinplainenglish]

It sounds like for editing recordings; the best way is to start with a "clean" recording. As quiet a room as possible and pronounce as best as you can. The editing features... just don't RELY on them, it seems. I just tried the normalize feature...What a difference from noise reduction for editing breaths. Much more natural. Do you have a video on adding in effects at the right time (wine glasses clinking or engine roaring)?

[@killervoicestudios3973]

You’ve pretty much nailed it. Nothing beats recording your voiceover as cleanly as possible up front to save yourself time and possible headaches down the line. Minimal editing is best whenever at all possible. I don’t have a video that covers sound effects yet, but that’s an interesting request. I might do that at some point. The next video coming up is about streamlining the editing process for audiobooks… a sort of continuation of things I talked about in this one.

[@roseacresfarmily]

For some reason my c's are being ducked and i can't find out why. I'm using blue yeti. I've tried recording with and without my pop filter, but nothing helps. I can literally yell the sound "k" and it sounds like a very quiet "p".

[@killervoicestudios3973]

It could be an issue with your gain (volume). If the settings are low enough in either windows or Audacity (the slider in the upper right where you check recording levels) it might be filtering out certain frequencies. That type of mic also comes with its own Blue software I think, so check that in case noise canceling is enabled or something. It sounds like a filtering problem though.

[@roseacresfarmily]

@@killervoicestudios3973 Thank you so much!!

[@blakecamp5848]

Good info, but how about noise floor reduction for ACX ??????

[@killervoicestudios3973]

Great question! There are two ways to go about it, either by making changes to the acoustics of your recording space (preferred) or by running some effects on your track to reduce background noise. The effects I would look into are noise reduction and noise gate. I cover noise reduction in the editing video; it’ll sample room tone and attempt to remove background noise from the track. Noise gate sets a threshold for what frequencies remain in the recording. The issue with relying on these is that they’ll start stripping frequencies from your vocal performance as well. Your best bet is to try and isolate your microphone/recording space, add plenty of absorptive materials to trap reflected sound waves, and make the space as naturally quiet as possible.

[@blakecamp5848]

Thankyou for your reply. It is pretty much what I do now. I asked about noise floor because of ACX standards. Are you planning on doing an ACX plug in / Audacity video???

[@PottleWealth]

Is your work being rejected by ACX because of the noise floor? I am just starting to work on my samples. Thanks@@blakecamp5848

[@user-pg6zq2gj8d]

What Audacity is that? Mine doesnt look anything like that

[@killervoicestudios3973]

It’s Audacity ver 3.4.2 The interface does change periodically with updates so make sure you’ve got the latest version.

[@PremiumMotoTV]

WHat if you have like 16 min audio? Common, automation dude.

[@The.Barefoot.Homestead]

Wow thank you so much for your video! I found it very helpful, easy to follow and it looked and sounded great! I am excited to try and record my first KZbin video now with your tricks implemented. - You new subscriber: The.Barefoot.Homestead :)