Radio/TV/Commercial Production

[ProdGod2B]

Thank you for reading this posting..

I have the Pro Tools LE 002 Factory unit in my project studio..I do freelance voiceovers for radio & TV and small production companies..I am not a musician, but recording is recording; just a different application..I deal with pre-recorded CD music and sound effects, so I can't change the dynamics of each individual instrument like musicians do..Subsequently, my mixes are flat, AM Radio sounding, no thickness, separation, it's two dimensional instead of three dimensional..Pro Tools is one of the standards in the broadcasting industry..I know the unit I have can perform what I need, because I listen to FM Stations that have this unit..I realize that sound recording is subjective, but I've tried using all of the plug-ins to put some liveliness and depth into my work, and it hasn't delivered the sound that I know I can get..

Is there's a radio production guy (or gal) out there somewhere who can recommend some EQ's, Delays/Reverb, compression/limiter settings, etc to me that can give me better separation in the stereo field...Using pre-recorded music/sfx definitely limits...This call also goes out to you musicians who have struggled with the same problem, but have now found the answer...

I do have quality mics, CDs, and monitor equipment..(plus a good set of ears) Do I start with compression.? EQ..? I need some mentoring here...

Thanks again,
George

[LSW]

I've done some work in the past overdubbing vocals to pre-mixed soundtracks, so it can be a challenge to get it to sound as a "real" mix.

What is the destination medium? Mono or stereo radio/TV? It may be a little easier in stereo, beucase you can maybe use an expander on the backgrouind tracks, widen them, and place the voice in the middle. This will give you some seperation, but you'll need to to place the voice in the mix better.

To do this, I'd actually try to send the audio to an aux track, and place and EQ on it. Experiment and roll out lows and maybe some other ranges, and place the sound more toward the center. This will help to fill it in.

Process the voice to taste - then finally, bus all the tracks to a single reverb to place everything in the same room. Not too big, just enough to bring it together.

These are just some suggestions off the top of my head - it may get you in the ballpark, but you'll probably still need some mastering processing.

[ProdGod2B]

Thank you LSW for your tip..I'll give it a try..Your idea about an expander is a great idea..And so is your idea about an aux channel with reverb..Most everything I send out is in stereo..So fixing the voice in the middle is fairly simple..It's the layering of the other parts, with FX, etc, along with the pre-recorded music that gets testing..

Digi sent me out a separate bundle of plug-ins when I bought this unit..Unfortunately, some of this (outside digi) software had some issues(that I won't go into)..My IT person recommended that I not install it right now, until Digi and these other software companies get their act together..That expander you spoke about was on one of those pieces of software..Why Digi sent me out this bundle when they knew there was some issues; is beyond me..But, Digi did mention (to their credit) in their disclaimer that there were some problems, and they were working on it..Maybe they will be kind enough to send out a good disc when they get it..

Your recording insight is very much appreciated..Have a good Holiday, and I'll stay in touch..

Thank you..

[Brian in Charlotte]

Boy, I would LOVE to know more about this...Expander, final mix for radio commercials/imaging. I don't understand the whole "send" thing though...here is what I do: Voiceover on a track or two and then a music bed and some sfx, then I create a MASTER FADER where I will run it through MAXIM but I too feel my stuff is "Single Dimensional" whereas others seemed to be 3-D.

Any further guidence you could provide or places I can learn/read would be so appreciated.

Brian in Charlotte
www.VoiceOverforyou.com
Blog: www.VoicePro.blogspot.com

PowerMac G5 Dual
1.5 Gigs RAM
Digi 002 Factory
Pro-Tools LE 7.1

[dialsystem]

Hello,
I work at a radio production house, and deal with these same issues. One thing I have found useful to remember is that the prerecorded music and SFX has usually) already been mastered - and in the process sent through a bunch of compression and limiting. So, sending it all through Maxim or the L1 or L2 or something similar can sometimes completely take the remaining life out of some tracks. If the prerecorded music tracks themselves sound rich and have depth to begin with, then I am halfway to a good final mix.
We have experimented with running the VO through a peak limiter/maximizer, but sending any prerecorded music tracks straight out the output, without any additional limiting.

Just some thoughts

Take it easy and have a great holiday!

Graham

[Brian in Charlotte]

Good point Graham, thank you. I guess I get my head messed up when I listen to promo spots from my friend at NBC...the mix-minus VO elements always sound so 3-D compared to anything I can do. He is a creative director there w/focus on video and is going to check with the audio guys regarding my request as well.

Thanks for taking time to toss your hat in.

Brian in Charlotte
www.VoiceOverforyou.com
Blog: www.VoicePro.blogspot.com