Can you make studio audio sound live?

A

andrew00

Well-known member
Hey,

So a while back I posted a message about how I'd filmed a rap artist and been given the audio to add to the video, but that the audio had been recorded too hot and distorted - basically I think the conclusion was that it was desk ok but not audio recorder ok (+4db or something).

The artist has given me the studio version of the track, and although it's not perfect, it does mostly line up b/c he performed to a backing track, the version I now have.

Therefore I'm wondering if t here's a good way whereby I can make the studio audio sound like a live recording. Otherwise it just looks like weird syncing as you expect live audio and get a too perfect recording.

I can trick it up, play it through an amp and record that but it seems a cheap method, I was wondering if there's a better way to do it.

Cheers,
a x
 
Actually what you refer to is called "worldizing" and is the best way to do it IF you can get the right space. Your other options are reverb. A good convolution reverb would go a long way. I would also poss add some BG's since the "too clean" sound of a studio is also a give away.
 
A convolution reverb such as Alti-Verb will be your best friend here.
You can basically use it to emulate the sound of a PA in a club. Layer that with some subtle crowd noise and atmos, and you might have something to work with.
 
So what else do you have to work with? Specifically, do you have track(s) of the "room tone"? That would certainly go along way towards making the studio track sound "live".
 
If you're a Sound Forge user, I've found the Acoustic Mirror feature very useful.
You can download a bunch of 'Impulse files' that include everything from bridges, churches, rooms of all shapes & sizes, stairwells, theatres and even classic microphones.
These Impulses are basically samples of the spaces that can be tweaked and applied to your audio just like a reverb plugin.

Very cool stuff...IF you have Sound Forge.

Oh... and you can record your own impulses too! So once your done filming in a location, you can record impulses of the room or space, create an acoustic mirror and apply
that to any ADR or effects you add in the mix.
 
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I have a desk feed that is distorted, hence the move to the studio track, so I can bring that in but naturally it'll be bringing in distorted audio. It's pretty ubiquitous as the backing track, playing constantly, and the vocals both are clipping. I tried cutting it down with izotope rx amongst others but no joy without maiming the audio itself, so it's best to leave it out I think.

Also no room noise I think, maybe a few seconds of static. I'll make sure though with desk feeds that I take in future that I get to ensure the sound guy leaves the desk on so I can get the passive mic sound. Also no soundforge usage! I can work soundtrack pro the best, probably because it's most like final cut heh.

Thanks for the suggestions here, today I'm going to try putting the studio version on my ipod, playing it through my guitar and and using the zoom h4n or rode nt4 or something to record the amp, perhaps from a few feet away. Maybe'll that'll give a sense of acoustics to it, maybe it'll just ruin it!
 
STP should be OK for this kind of thing. STP does have a convolution Reverb that comes with it. So that would be an option. You won't get anything useful off the board feed in terms of roomtone. I take it you don't do much sound work and probably don't have much of a library. STP has a ton of content though don't know how much help it will be. You could take the zoom and just find a space and record some backgrounds. I would get a quiet large space and record a few minutes of "silence". Then get some place with some people. A theatre lobby maybe? Clubs will have music 99% of the time and restaurants can work but you usually get a lot of dish noise. The lobby of a theatre at intermission is almost perfect, animated walla and no music (usually). No regional theatre (unless you have a connection) will let you record the audience but community theatre works as well and they are generally much more open to that kind of thing. Also schools are sometimes a good place to get walla.
Cheers
SK
 
Cool I'll check out a cinema foyer maybe, I'm finally being dragged to avatar so I'll give that a whirl, thanks.

Also, anyone know how to control the Zoom h4n pre-amps? I just got one to replace a Zoom h4, and on the h4 you had the pre-amp sensitivity on the right of the unit and then changed the levels in camera.

The h4n has the levels on the side, but I can't see how to change the preamp sensitivity.

I've tried recording the song going through my guitar amp and that sounds suitably lo-fi, maybe too much but doable as a blend w/the originally, which I'm gonna try.

However it clips b/c the pre-amps are getting overloaded, even thou the levels are fine.

As I said on the h4 when recording live music I'd whack the preamps to the minimum, low, setting, but I can't see how to control them on the h4n.

Cheers!
 
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