PROTOOLS (VOCAL EFFECTS)

[DRD32]

Hello,

To any protools gurus....
We are running Protools Software w/ the Digi 002R and a Blue Baby Bottle Microphone, but we were wondering if what we have can accomplish the below effects-



-Voice Effect that sounds like talking from a Phone.
-Industry standard reverb effect.

Please help w/ any information...
Thank you.

[SimpleNatureSpirit]

You can easily accomplish the first with EQ and if you want it grittier, add a little white or pink noise.

The second, well, you have D-Verb. Industry standard, hardly.

Three options:
1. outboard effects (Lexicon is my choice here LXP1 (cheap on eBay or MPX1 or MPX550)
2. A general reverb plugin, many available (mostly found in plugin bundles as the best value)
3. An Impulse Reverb which is mostly used to simulate actual spaces (spendy)

Today you have the hardware and the basic plugins. If you want a 'industry standard', or 'commercial' sound, you will have to consider spending some money on a real plugin bundle with high end compressors, EQ's, delays, reverbs, and limiters. Digi's Factory bundle is a start, but I'd save the $400- and consider some of the others first.

[DRD32]

RIGHTON,

FIRST OFF, THANKS FOR THE RAPID REPLY!


VOICE PHONE EFFECTS:
As far as using the EQ to accomplish this:
Is there any settings that you have worked w/ that can get us in the ballpark, or is it just something that needs to be done to one's own ear?~!

I feelya on the rever, was just checkn if there was any shortcuts or tricks...But of course,spending a little more money would always help! thank you.

we appreciate it.

[RobMacki]

I would begin with a high pass/low pass bell from about 900 to 6k. Just off the top of my head.
Adjust to taste.
HTH

[SimpleNatureSpirit]

Right, Rob, telephone companies companies preserve bandwidth by reducing the frequency range. I don't have the exact specs, but you can easily find out. Download Inspector by Elemental Audio here. Now create a session with white noise and play it through a phone (send a friend a wav file and have them play it back to you over the phone)... Now record the phone call and watch Inspector's response. The curve of Inspector's meter will show you the Hi and Lo Pass settings needed. You can use T-Racks EQ for this so you can see the curve you are creating. Now compare the same noise file when you send it through your EQ.

[DRD32]

thank you both for your input, we will try all options...


if anyone else wants to add, please do,



thanks for your time.

[dBgogogo]

Depends on what you want the phone line to sound like.

Present day, or early 1900's? Clean line, or trashed and glitchy with connection problems? How far away is the caller? Yada yada.

EQ will get you part way there (depending on how severe the Q is). But you may want to give that phone line a bit more character.

You could start with a HiPass filter at 700Hz. The Digi 1 Band EQ will work. Or a Focusrite d2.

Then try adding a guitar processing plug-in like Amp Farm or SansAmp. (Your system may have come with Amplitude, which I haven't used.)

If you have SansAmp, select the Tele Simulator preset and adjust to taste. That may get you close to what you're looking for quickly.

Izotope's Vinyl plug-in could add line noise and buzz if needed.

dB

[Eric L]

EQ (as previously stated), heavy compression, lo-fi plugin. This workflow is good for emulating anything from portable radios, telephones, walkie talkies, muzak speakers etc etc. Go easy on the lo-fi. It doesn't take much.

[scotsman]

Thanks for the tip and the link to the Elemental audio site for the RTAS plug-in.

Very very nice for a free program (though why are these guys giving this one away?), although it only seems to work on a stereo audio channel when you are recording. So it has a few restrictions.
Do you know any way around this ?

regards Scotsman