Simulating a distant sound

N

naavt

Well-known member
I've recorded a gasoline grass cutter working just because I have an important very wide shot where a gardener is treating a lawn.

It was shot nearby a highway so all the audio has cars passing by making the original sound useless.

So I now have a clean grass cutter to work with... But recorded nearby me. So I'm here to ask you all which is the best way to work the grass cutter sound and make it seem far away (about 150mts).

I'm using FCP to edit, so every tip inside FCP workflow will be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance
 
You might need nothing more than lowering the volume. If you have layered in background tracks then lowering the volume is often all it takes to drop it into a scene. Rolling off lows is also helpful. If you can't get it to fit electronically you could "worldize" it, but you would need a really quiet exterior space. "Worldizing" is taking recorded material and playing it back in the environment you need it to "be in" in your film and rerecording it. It's done all the time for taking things recorded inside and making them sound outside. Audioease's Altiverb has some exterior Impulse Responces but your talking $500.
 
As Noiz said, start with using volume as a means of giving it perspective.

Use a High Pass filter to roll off the low end to taste and use a shelving EQ to roll off high end. You may also want to use a parametric EQ to hype or reduce specific frequencies.

If you can see the mower automate the panning to mimic its motion. You may also want to use delays and reverbs to give a sense of space.

You can use the "noisy" recording as a reference.
 
Hi all and many thanks for the suggestions,

I've solved the issue as suggested. A combination of tweaked High and Low pass filters. Lowered the volume and I think it worked out fine.

Cheers and thanks
 
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