SONIC DESIGN ✦ Project 2 ：Audio Storytelling✦

18.11.2024 -9.12.2024 (Week9-Week12)

liuziyu/0367533/Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media

SONIC DESIGN

Task: PROJECT 2 

INSTRUCTIONS

Week 9 Lecture: 

Mastering Microphones and Noise Reduction

Introduction to Microphones

This week, we explored different types of microphones and their polar patterns, along with key techniques for recording high-quality audio.

Microphone Types:

Dynamic Microphones: Durable, ideal for live sound.

Condenser Microphones: Sensitive, great for studio recording.

Shotgun Microphones: Directional, perfect for capturing distant sounds.

Polar Patterns:

Omnidirectional: Picks up sound equally from all directions.

Cardioid: Captures sound primarily from the front, reduces side noise.

Supercardioid/Hypercardioid: More directional, with slight rear pickup.

Figure-8 (Bidirectional): Picks up sound from front and rear, not sides.

Proximity Effect

Definition: As the sound source moves closer to a directional microphone, low-frequency response increases.

Application: Creates a richer, bass-heavy sound (e.g., Barry White effect).

Considerations:

Smaller rooms reduce background noise naturally.

Always record 2–3 seconds of room tone before starting to capture noise for reduction.

Noise Reduction Techniques

Goal: Reduce noise without affecting the clarity of voice.

Steps:

Record room tone (2–3 seconds).

Identify a stable noise segment.

Apply noise reduction:

Select noise sample: Effect > Noise Reduction > Capture Noise Profile.

Apply to full track: Effect > Noise Reduction (Process).

Reduce dB levels for cleaner audio.

Dynamic Processing

Gate:

Threshold: Set at -30 dB to block sounds below this level.

Tip: If noise reduction works well, gating might not be necessary.

Compressor:

Purpose: Smoothens audio dynamics for consistency.

Settings:

Threshold: -18 dB.

Ratio: 3.2:1.

Makeup Gain: 6 dB.

Frequency Analysis and Equalization

Use an Equalizer (EQ) to remove excessive bass or unwanted frequencies for a balanced sound.

Finalizing the Project

Synchronization:

Add video tracks for synchronization.

Export:

Perform a multitrack mixdown.

Export the audio track to Adobe Premiere Pro.

Align with the video and export the final project.

Conclusion

Mastering microphone techniques and noise reduction is essential for professional-quality audio. By understanding microphone types, applying noise reduction, and using dynamic processors effectively, you can create clean and balanced recordings. Synchronizing with video ensures a polished final product.

Project 2: 

Audio Storytelling

For Project 2, we were to choose a popular fairy tale and create an audiobook.

Visuals and Scripts

The project I chose was The Three Little Pigs, which I found online for the story of the three little pigs.

Since my English is not very good, I asked my friend to help with the narration part, and I found some sounds related to my story for further dubbing

Sounds：

The sound of grass rubbing, wood colliding, brick colliding, blowing, walking, screaming.

Background music：

I used three different music, the first one was the pleasant sound of the opening introduction of the three little pigs building a house, the second one was the evil sound of the big bad wolf coming on stage and blowing the house, and the third one was the warm sound of the three little pigs driving away the big bad wolf and then living together.

I imported these sounds into Adobe Audition. Then I adjusted these sounds.

Final Project 2: Audio Storytelling

https://youtu.be/FKaQhWnLfHw

Audio Storytelling (Google Drive)

Feed back

The teacher said that the ambient noise of my narration recording was too loud and asked me to use noise reduction to reduce the ambient sound.

Reflection

This week’s lesson provided an insightful dive into the foundational knowledge and technical skills for professional audio recording. Learning about different types of microphones and their polar patterns expanded my understanding of how to choose the right microphone for specific recording scenarios. For example, understanding that a shotgun microphone works best for directional sound helped me think about its use in environments like interviews or outdoor recordings.

The concept of proximity effect was particularly interesting. It’s fascinating how something as simple as the distance from the microphone can drastically alter the tone of a recording, especially in terms of low-frequency enhancement. I see how this can be used creatively to emphasize certain voice qualities or create specific audio effects.

Noise reduction was another valuable skill. The step-by-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying it across the audio was enlightening. It reinforced the importance of pre-recording room tone and how critical it is for post-production clarity.

Finally, integrating audio processing tools like compressors and EQ showed me how much control we can have over the final output. These techniques will undoubtedly be useful as I start working on the second project. Overall, this week’s content made me more confident in managing audio recordings and achieving professional sound quality.