Best Way To Make Music Sound Like Car Radio?

Steven Bogda

Steven Bogda

Well-known member
I can't seem to get the right sound I want. I am editing in Vegas and have access to the normal audio filters (eq, reverb, distortion, dynamics...)

Does anyone have any methods on achieving this?
The shot is from inside the car, and I want to make it sound like the radio is playing a song, but it just doesn't seem right.

I did it with Eq, raised the treble and dropped the bass and mid cause I thought that is what a radio sounds like, but I guess it doesn't because it sounds funny.


Here is what I got so far (ignore the first shots audio)
http://www.vimeo.com/2339436
 
Try EQ: boosting 3k 6-8 dB & a little 7.6 k say 2dB, you can also compress it hard & roll off the bass, otherwise you could run the track through a small radio speaker & re-record.
 
Last edited:
You'll need to play with it a little to create the sound you're looking for but a "car radio sound" will be a combination of three things:

1) roll off the low frequencies sharply (start at around 800-1000Hz)
2) roll off the high frequencies sharply (start at around 8k-10kHz)
3) compress the heck out of it (as 10s suggests)

There are probably plug-in's available that will do these things for you but they can all be done with Vegas filters if you're willing to spend some time tweaking.
 
correct. the more steeply you cut bass and treble and boost the remaining middle, the closer you get to those speaker sounds. try to use an equalizer which lets you adjust the steepness or " Q", the steeper the better the effect.
 
Hey thanks for the help guys, that was fast. I will defiantly take your tips and try them out. I will be posting the finished piece in the HVX section in 2 or 3 weeks, it will be called "Horror".

Hopefully I can create the right sound now.

Thanks!
 
Or you could do it the way a big budget feature would. Burn it to a CD. Pop it in the car CD player and record it in the car.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top