Lake Films
Veteran
Hey. How would I make a song sound like it was coming from a radio/cd player from another room or even the same room? Right now it just sounds like a music track under the scene. Thanks for any ideas....
radio illusion
- Thread starter Lake Films
- Start date
empty sound
Member
You could either 'worldise' it by playing it through a radio and re-recording it, or you could pull out all of the low and high-end in the EQ.
A lot of applications like Cubase, SoundForge e.t.c have EQ presets, like 'AM Radio', which you could use and then work from.
Steve
A lot of applications like Cubase, SoundForge e.t.c have EQ presets, like 'AM Radio', which you could use and then work from.
Steve
Lake Films
Veteran
I'd be using soundtrack pro.
SMuir
Well-known member
I can think of three ways to put a music track onto a radio outside the frame:
Compression, static, EQ and reverb:
Radio broadcasts tend to use pretty heavy compression, so you can start by compressing the dynamic range of the music. Record a bit of off-channel static from a radio using the line outputs (if possible) or the headphone output. Make sure that you use a tuner position without any discernable music or voices in it, for obvious reasons. Cut in the static alongside the music on another track, and mix to taste. Next, use EQ to attenuate the high and low frequencies of both tracks to simulate the sound of a cheap radio speaker. If you really want to get fancy, you could use an effects plugin such as a guitar cabinet simulater to add a touch of distortion. To add the impression of the sound coming from another room, you can shelve out some more of the highs and upper-mids. finally, run the whole thing through a reverb modelling plugin to put some space on it.
"Worldize" the track:
Put the music on a CD and record it actually coming from the radio in question. A surround kit would be ideal, but a stereo kit will also get the job done. Use a location that is as quiet as possible, and that also matches the accoustic environment in the film (ie. from another room). Record from a variety of positions and perspectives (including inside the other room with the radio), so that you can match any perspective changes in the film. In an ideal world, you would be able to set up a number of mic kits at various perspectives and record them all simultaneously onto a multitrack, but budgets usually get in the way. When you're cutting the "worldized" tracks into the session, always be sure to leave the dry, un-proccessed version of the music in-synch on another track.
Speaker modelling plugins:
I haven't used it myself, but I've heard good things about a plugin called "speakeasy" that uses impulse recordings of various speakers to simulate their sound. Might be worth a look.
Compression, static, EQ and reverb:
Radio broadcasts tend to use pretty heavy compression, so you can start by compressing the dynamic range of the music. Record a bit of off-channel static from a radio using the line outputs (if possible) or the headphone output. Make sure that you use a tuner position without any discernable music or voices in it, for obvious reasons. Cut in the static alongside the music on another track, and mix to taste. Next, use EQ to attenuate the high and low frequencies of both tracks to simulate the sound of a cheap radio speaker. If you really want to get fancy, you could use an effects plugin such as a guitar cabinet simulater to add a touch of distortion. To add the impression of the sound coming from another room, you can shelve out some more of the highs and upper-mids. finally, run the whole thing through a reverb modelling plugin to put some space on it.
"Worldize" the track:
Put the music on a CD and record it actually coming from the radio in question. A surround kit would be ideal, but a stereo kit will also get the job done. Use a location that is as quiet as possible, and that also matches the accoustic environment in the film (ie. from another room). Record from a variety of positions and perspectives (including inside the other room with the radio), so that you can match any perspective changes in the film. In an ideal world, you would be able to set up a number of mic kits at various perspectives and record them all simultaneously onto a multitrack, but budgets usually get in the way. When you're cutting the "worldized" tracks into the session, always be sure to leave the dry, un-proccessed version of the music in-synch on another track.
Speaker modelling plugins:
I haven't used it myself, but I've heard good things about a plugin called "speakeasy" that uses impulse recordings of various speakers to simulate their sound. Might be worth a look.