compressor settings for speech

Discussion in 'Computer Audiophile: Software, Configs, Tools' started by David Smolinski, Mar 21, 2022.

  1. David Smolinski

    David Smolinski New

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    What are the best settings? I don't know if speed is relevant. My Chrome extensions allow 0.1x to 16x on videos, and I've found both extremes useful. I don't like when sound effects are added during the speech. I sometimes have to listen to that.
     
  2. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Is this still for those tutorial videos you mentioned a couple months ago?

    Some references starting here:
    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/no-more-russian-tubes.12093/#post-377363
    Crane Song Trakker
    Daking FET Compressor

    I have no clue if you're talking plugins, but keep in mind that virtually anything you use will be altering sound which probably isn't great when you're zipping along at x16 speed.

    Have you experimented with anything other than Chrome? I don't know how the engine in Chrome handles different speeds, and that may be affecting audio playback as well.

    I'm assuming that your speed plugin alters tempo but brings pitch back to "normal" levels, in which case it's already mangling the audio data. My gut feeling is that trying to layer additional compression or any other effects is going to make it worse before it makes it better.
     
  3. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    You should ignore what Armaegis said about expensive gear. By that I mena pretend he never said it to not get gear lust! But what he said about compression not helping you is true. Compressors turn stuff down with filters. then they make up the gain and will bring up the artifacts!

    You have no use for that expensive hardware or any hardware watching YouTube videos and compressors won’t remove sound fx or bad background reverb from speech. And no program will in real time.

    the professional standard are audio editors like Izotope RX for that then Acon Acoustica and then a host of broadcast plugins that cost as much as the audio editing software. Then if you have multiple tracks, to mix your edited audio down, you’ll want digital audio workstation software like Pro Tools, Logic, or Reaper.

    Audacity is a free audio editor but it sucks and most of the automated functions don’t work despite open source this and that linux pee pee poo poo macs and izotope subscriptions and waves update plan are bad. it works less well for manual pop removal than whats in your standard commercial digital audio workstation.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2022
  4. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    And for leveling? Do you think podcast producers know how to set a VCA or digital compressor where the numbers mean something or where the sweet spot of FET or Optical compressor is because they must be gainstaged into to exploit the feedback and release curves respectively to get them to do what they are known for. The answer is "Hell no have you heard podcasts?"

    They use Waves Vocal Rider bro. No thought. Boom boom. Leveled. Done. Pumps up something? Who cares/ NObody is gonna listen to this twice lol
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2022
  5. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I have yet to understand if the OP has a problem with playback or recording? Although I can't see why he would be compressing the sound on playback.

    Leaving aside FOSS, I have not been able to find a free-to-low cost, decent, intuitive to the likes of me, audio recording program, ever.

    What was the one that Adobe bought up, and made big, complex and expensive. It was so easy, yet I'm sure it probably did as much as Audacity does. I even bought the book. It could even, until the day it wouldn't, be coaxed to run on Linux.

    Audacity is a pain in the neck. Glad I seldom have the need these days.
     
  6. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Hey man, this is going to come out of left field (and isn't likely appropriate for this thread, but eh) but I thought I'd throw it out there. I know I've thrown some semi-shade your direction in the past, and for that I'd like to apologize. I'm sorry. At some point I'll take you off my ignore list.;)

    So here's the thing, I'm pretty sure I'm in the majority here in that I know very little about the the process of recording music, so if there's any chance you'd be inclined to open a thread on the work you do to describe the general process I'd be quite interested.

    Anyhow, sorry to the OP for the minor derail, but I'm suggesting this from a position of pure curiosity and recognition that you have a specific set of skills, and I'm less interested in the differentiation between different types of gear than the actual function of gear within the recording chain and the process to use said gear.

    Please don't hesitate to tell me to f**k off.
     
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  7. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Is this all through youtube videos? because most of those are all compressed and mangled already.

    As I mentioned earlier too, the additional mangling to maintain pitch when things are sped up/slowed down is awful. Even on youtube, listening at 0.25x is practically impossible with those artifacts. Going up to x2 isn't as bad but there's edges and squeaks where you know something got hard cut/removed/whatever as part of maintaining pitch.

    I almost wonder if you can do something like tempo up x4 but only alter pitch x2, so basically everything is bumped up one octave to reduce the amount of pitch shifting/editing/voodoo/gremlins.
     

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