How to create the sound of film?

P

pietdeyaert

Member
Go to http://www.arri.com/entry/camera.htm and then scroll to the bottom and click: The Power of 16 video clip Wait until the voice comes! It just feels cinematic to me (Ok, I'm not a pro) However, I want to create the same sound of film for my next project. With images you can buy a 35mm adapter, magic bullet, etc. to create a great look of film, but isn't there something (like a plug-in?) that can make my audio sound like that?? (Sorry if my question sounds stupid!) thx, Piet Deyaert
 
this is the link i found it rofl that is pretty cool effect. I guess I would just record the actual projector sound. And start from there.
 
Loads of compression. The dynamic range of the track is very limited.
The Voice over is very dry and it sounds close miked large diaphram. It sounds like a Neuman U87 or some old Telefunken.

You could write Arri and they might tell you the technical details.

There are tons of audio plug ins that can give you the control needed to get that kind of sound.
 
pietdeyaert said:
Go to http://www.arri.com/entry/camera.htm and then scroll to the bottom and click: The Power of 16 video clip Wait until the voice comes! It just feels cinematic to me (Ok, I'm not a pro) However, I want to create the same sound of film for my next project. With images you can buy a 35mm adapter, magic bullet, etc. to create a great look of film, but isn't there something (like a plug-in?) that can make my audio sound like that?? (Sorry if my question sounds stupid!) thx, Piet Deyaert
Click to expand...

I tpp could stand a lesson in getting quality audio done like the pros. From the field to post; how do they do it ?
 
For me the only thing that stood out about the audio was the speaker had an excellent voice and clearly had voice training.

If that is what you are looking for, cast a professional voice trained actor.

Can't offer up any more advice without knowing specifically what you are looking to achieve. :undecided
 
Thanks for your reply's!!

I have a Sennheiser ME66 and my dialogues sounds to harsh for me. I'm also using audition 2.0 (recently), I always used Premiere for my audio but it never gave me that feeling of the '416 arri voice'.

I also liked the 'sound effects' in the beginning when the clip fades from black to the symbols, etc. could anybody tell me where I could find these ('swoosh'??) effects?
 
The swoosh effect can be found at sound fx libraries. Someone else could probably point you to a direct link but I don't have one.

The ME66 is a harsh mic to begin with. Also it is not a one size fits all mic. Read up on the stickie threads at the top of this forum. Good sound is a long journey. Each link in the chain must be handled properly to get a good final product.

Cheers
 
That's not a "shotgun" mic. Someone mentioned earlier (and I agree) that's is probably a Neuman U87. It also sounds like a decent mic pre and that could be where the compression is being added (not from a plug-in).
It's a given that the talents voice is perfect for this (and that's 60% of it). But the choice of Mic, Mic Pre and Compressor absolutly adds to this sound.

My ears hear the sound of a nice warm tube.
 
it is mostly the voice.

i have a friend who is a professional performer and i had him do a voiceover for a short that he and i did together and his voice had that quality to it.

also we shot it in a VERY quiet room in my home that had a lot of soft sound absorbing qualities, a large overstuffed leather couch, lots of nice carpeting etc.

i used a sennheiser md-46 microphone.

a LOT of effort went into making sure the room was quiet.

little tiny stuff can really change the sound.

their was a transformer for a cordless phone that was putting out the slightest high frequency hum, we unplugged that.

something in the next room was making a small noise we unplugged that etc.

matthew
 
I have said this before but maybe one more time will help...
The "Hollywood" sound is not a FX of some CD, it is lots of sounds some off CD's but many recorded specifically for the film. It's also Foley and a lot of hours by a bunch of experienced people. There is no "plugin" that will make your not so great production sound and make it sound like it was done by a professional crew with a big budget.
You can do it if you know how and take enough time to do it. I had an interesting conversation with Randy Thom about audio post and how long it takes. I had noticed that on low budget films and shorts it seemed to take about 10 - 15 man-hours per screen minute (not counting the premix and final mix). This seemed to be about right for mid budgeted films as well (20-30 mil) and he said it also held with the higher budgets. Some go a little under and they can go way over but on average it's about right. So that's 900 - 1350 hours for a 90 min feature just for sound editorial. Or one person working 10 hour days five days a week 27 weeks. And then you start your mix.

That's how we get "that sound".


pietdeyaert said:
Thanks for your reply's!!

I have a Sennheiser ME66 and my dialogues sounds to harsh for me. I'm also using audition 2.0 (recently), I always used Premiere for my audio but it never gave me that feeling of the '416 arri voice'.

I also liked the 'sound effects' in the beginning when the clip fades from black to the symbols, etc. could anybody tell me where I could find these ('swoosh'??) effects?
Click to expand...
 
Ah... ADR... A great LD mic, pop filter, dry room, EQ, de-esser, compression, and a great voice... Must be nice... LOL!
 
The standard mic for cinematic voiceover is the Sennheiser MKH-416. It is a shotgun mic and when used close-up it pulls everything out to create that chest rattling trailer sound. You can ussually find one on Ebay for about $800.

For a quick example listen to this demo: www.dannachtrab.com/trailer.mp3
 
Then why does almost every radio show I see use a large diaphram neumann, AKG, or equivalent?
 
as ckalan1 said, if its the "fullness" of sound you are looking for, it's the compression that gives that effect. it's a standard process for all the tv spots, radio spots and movie trailers ive produced and edited.
 
cygnet74 said:
as ckalan1 said, if its the "fullness" of sound you are looking for, it's the compression that gives that effect. it's a standard process for all the tv spots, radio spots and movie trailers ive produced and edited.
Click to expand...
I agree to a point. However, as the old saying goes "Sh*t in...Sh*t out." You cannot correct bad audio. So, it all starts with the quality of the mic.


Then why does almost every radio show I see use a large diaphram neumann, AKG, or equivalent?
Click to expand...
As for the radio mic question? The standard mics in radio are the EV RE-20, Sennheiser MD421 II and the Shure SM7B. They are work horses and can take a lot of abuse from minimum wage jocks. The examples you listed are mainly used by top talent (i.e. Stern). Stern uses a Neumann TLM 103, but everyone else on the show uses the RE-20. Why? To make him sound better than the rest. The 103 is a good mic for basic VO, but cannot cut it for high quality audio (digital/HD). A lot of the elite VO talent (Don LaFontaine, Randy Thomas, Beau Weaver) still use the 416, but are switching to a Manley Reference Cardiod mic. For the budget conscious, at almost $3000, this is not an option. (But, I have used it and man does it sound good. It was probably the clearest and true audio I have ever heard.)

Let the debate rage on!

Take care.
 
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