Topic by janagirl 2015-02-26 23:12:18

  • From: Nuremberg, Germany
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Hi all,

first of, I hope I'm in the right forum with my question, if not, please remove it to the right forum!

My question is: How can I make professional recordings that are used in games? I often notice that recordings in games that are spoken of people (like in menus etc.) have a very good quality with no other noices.

Because I often speak in games or programs too I'd like to know what I have to do. I have a good voice recorder, the olympus 670. It records perfect but there are other noises as well. So, what have I to do, which hardware and software do I need?

Greetings,
Janagirl!

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Reply by camlorn 2015-02-26 23:45:40

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A quiet room.  Seriously.  That's the trick.  You can go only so far with software, and only so far is usually not far enough.  If the noise is electronic, you may need another recording setup and/or to troubleshoot what you do have, but that's another conversation and should be pretty obvious.
Budget options which might work include a closet, especially if it has clothes in it.  A big filing cabinet with doors on it.  Something along those lines.  Turning off the fridge and the air conditioner for a few minutes comes to mind.  If you want to get a little more involved, you can look online; people have all sorts of DIY recording booth instructions.  Everything from making a padded box you stick over your head to renovating a room.
The non-budget option is to do as much of that as you can and then to get a directional microphone that only records what's in front of it.  These can be quite expensive but don't have to be.  Your recorder may already do it.  If it does, figure out how.  My G930s does, but only for voice (they're headphones with an attached microphone, and basically only pick up me).  Even then it's not perfect.
Or collaborate with someone who already has a proper setup for such things.  That's probably your best bet.  This isn't a simple software issue, unfortunately.  Software can only remove repetitive noise, really.  Things like a hiss that lasts the whole recording.  You have to isolate yourself from everything that might make noise, and that's really all there is.

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Reply by Alan 2015-02-26 23:48:03

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Hi there,

In my experience, as a musizian and singer, your recorder  is not so important. Any recording device or software should be able to record high quality. You need a good microphone (depending on your needs: podcasting, singing...), and a good place for your studio. This is, no background noise (far enought from your computer, far enought from a Tv or from an open window), and, finally, a room with no echo or reverb. Some elements, like soffas, curtains, etc,  can help a lot).
A smaller room is better than a bigger one.

In most cases, it's virtually impossible to build a profesional sound studio at home. Simply prepare your room the best as you can, adjust volume to not recording too many background sounds, and use a software solution, like SondForge, audacity, GoldWave (for windows) or similar to clean your recording. Applying filters is a more complicated task, and requires some practice, just experiment. Be careful not to clean the sound too much or it will sound a little mechanical.

Hope this helps.

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Reply by Guitarman 2015-02-26 23:58:54

  • Registered: 2012-10-26
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Hello Janagirl.
Well I think camlorn and alan pretty much summed it up but just one small thing to add when your doing voice recordings make sure you aren't holding the microphone too close to you. I mean holding the microphone right up to your mouth that won't make good recordings you will be able to hear your voice fine but recording itself will be overly loud.
Hth.

Guitarman.
What has been created in the laws of nature holds true in the laws of magic as well. Where there is light, there is darkness,  and where there is life, there is also death.
Aerodyne: first of the wizard order

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Reply by CAE_Jones 2015-02-27 00:53:19

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Turn off everything that you can turn off, and grab as many fluffy barricades as possible. I've used a blanket, pillows, and a mattress (the kind that is all stuffing; no springs, and the cloth on the outside is softer). Build these up around your recording area as tightly as possible. At the absolute minimum, grab a pillow to put behind the recording device, and throw a blanket over your head. The real trouble with this method is that it only lets you record things that can fit into that space. It's ok for voices, especially if you can set it up so you can stand (for me, anyway, I can get much more out of my voice when standing).

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Reply by janagirl 2015-02-27 05:35:42 (edited by janagirl 2015-02-27 05:36:46)

  • From: Nuremberg, Germany
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Hi all,
first of all, thanks to you all for your tips!
Should I buy a better microphone now, too? Or is it enough if I use the trick with the blanket? And I understood it right, the recorder has to be in my hand under the blanket?

Greetings,
Janagirl!

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Reply by camlorn 2015-02-27 06:06:18

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Try the trick.  Why spend money if you don't have to?
And yes, the recorder needs to be under it with you.

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Reply by Alan 2015-02-27 11:49:22

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Yes, you and your microphone have to be inside your brand new blanckets barricade.
A simple test: clap your hands just where you are going to speak, if you hear an echo from any corner of your room, you need more protection all around. Minimizing echo and reverb is your goal.

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Reply by CAE_Jones 2015-02-27 15:17:37

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Oh, another thing. If you don't have a wind screen, or something like it, it's better to keep the recorder out of the path of your breath. If your recorder is already shielded against wind, it's not so important, but I try to make a habit of never aiming my voice directly at a microphone. I don't hear too many p-pops these days, but occasionally someone will slip up.

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

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