Dialog Reverb (proper effect?)

[KyleProhaska]

I have some edits that require you hear the dialog that is in another part of a room, another room entirely, or outside. Lowering the volume of the dialog is the cheap way to get the levels where they would need to be but obviously I need to alter the sound. Is Reverb the proper effect? What else can I do to change things. I could be wrong but I suspect if its coming from outside a house or in another room I need to make the sound slightly canned sounding.

What kinds of things should I try?

 

[Chris Santucci]

Off screen dialog in another room will generally be lacking high end and (if in a normal type house) of course some reverb is definitely needed. Use the 3 band equalizer and lower the high end frequency, then apply some reverb. Adjust the settings until it sounds right. You'll definitely know when it sounds wrong.

Off screen dialog coming from outside will have zero reverb and it will be also lacking some high end, but not as much as if from another room, I'd say. If you recorded off screen stuff indoors that you need to use as if coming from outside, you might have to use the noise gate to try and eliminate natural reverb.

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