How To Set Equalizer For Voice

It's piece of cake to ruin a adept vocalisation recording with heavy-handed equalization.

I've heard voice overs that sound similar the speaker had a blocked nose—when they didn't. I've heard voice overs that sound like the speaker was talking in a high-pitched voice—when they weren't. I've fifty-fifty heard voice overs where the speaker sound and so odd that the recording became simply unintelligible.

All of these phonation recording started with a cracking sounding clean voice. Only, unfortunately, they were butchered with aggressive, incorrectly practical EQ.

Yet you don't need to exist an experienced audio engineer to use EQ that improves a voice recording, rather than ruining it.

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to approach equalization before going in to EQ specifically for voice.

It's All Over Before You Know It

Earlier I start talking almost EQ, I want to ensure you have the correct frame of heed when it comes to recording voice.

The character and tone of whatever vocalization recording is decided long earlier you load up the DAW or sound editor and apply some EQ.

If you want your voice over to audio warm, you need to create this warmth in the recording phase. Too many people attempt to create warmth with EQ.

Unfortunately that's non how it works. Yous can't create new frequencies and completely change the character of a recording. You can simply exaggerate or lessen what is already in that location. Sure, they can make a vox sound warmer, but the warmth needs to be there in the first identify.

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Image courtesy of Zerifa Wahid

Before you load up an EQ to alter the character of the voice, ...terminate. If you don't similar the tone of the voice recording, you might have to start again.

Next fourth dimension you record, call up virtually what character and tone you want to capture. A~void thinking that you'll make it sound improve with EQ and compression. Get information technology sounding good at the source, and yous volition have a far better final product.

How To Use An Equalizer

Equalizers are not to set up the character of a voice over but they can emphasise the skillful stuff. Or they can remove the bad stuff. It'southward that elementary.

They tin can be used to change the character of a vox, but only slightly. And they can be used to ameliorate a voice recording, but only if information technology's a proficient recording in the showtime place.

That's the philosophy out of the way—now on to the practical application.

To start off with, you lot should only arroyo EQ in two ways. Later on you can start experimenting (once your ears are better trained). Just for at present, stick to these two approaches and you tin't go far wrong.

• The first approach is to utilize narrow cuts to remove room resonances and unpleasant elements of the sound
• The 2nd arroyo is to use wide boosts to exaggerate the skilful stuff

But here there are also two golden rules to consider at all times:

1. Endeavor to use cuts more than boosts. This is called subtractive EQ. Without going into also much detail, it'south ever better to cut. So if yous want something to audio brighter, cut the lows instead of boosting the highs

2. Subtlety is key—particularly when information technology comes to voice. Avert cutting or boosting more than iii-5dB. Whatsoever more than, and the vocalization will start to sound unnatural and odd

It'southward too worth bearing in mind that these approaches just utilise to single bands—bell curves—on the EQ. At that place are two other types of EQ—filters and shelves—that the gold rules don't apply to.

Single Band Bell Curves

Shelves boost or cut everything beneath or above a certain frequency. A low shelf will heave/cut everything below it, and a high shelf will boost/cut everything in a higher place it.

The gold rules all the same apply to these: cutting earlier boosting, and proceed information technology subtle.

Shelf EQ

Filters completely cut everything below or higher up a certain frequency. A high pass filter will cut everything beneath—it lets the highs pass, and a low laissez passer filter will cut everything higher up—it lets the lows pass.

The gilt rules don't apply to these: you tin but cut with filters—in that location'due south no option to boost—and you tin can't limit them to 3 dB'due south—considering they cut everything.

Loftier Laissez passer Filter

There we take it - three types of EQ, two approaches and two golden rules. Think these and y'all tin EQ anything. But utilize your ears.

Applying EQ to a Vox Recording

Now, to consider EQ in relation to phonation.

First, apply the full general principles that I have only discussed. Move the EQ bands around until yous discover any room resonances, and cut them past 3dB. Move the bands around until you find pleasant elements of the audio, and boost them by 3dB.

No two voices are the same, so warmth in i vocalization will be in a slightly different place to another. Especially betwixt males and females—male voices are centered around 80-180 Hz, whereas female voices are centered effectually 160-260 Hz. That's a big departure.

Having said that, there are a few areas that are common across all voices. Only utilize the following tips as guidelines and starting points—information technology's important to experiment, use your ears and notice what works for the particular voice.

Before I start, hither's the voice recording with no processing:

ane. Apply a Loftier Pass Filter to Cut Everything Below 80Hz

This is a common practise and something that you lot can do to improve any vocalization over. Anything below this frequency will be low finish rumble and noise. Remove it, and it will instantly clean upward your voice over.

Try going fifty-fifty higher, especially on a female voice. If your voice recording is sounding a bit too bass heavy, cutting everything below 100Hz will really help with intelligibility.

Here is the voice recording with a high pass filter practical at 80Hz:

2. Cut 100-300 Hz to Add Clarity

Like to the last tip, cut the bass will improve clarity. On the other paw, if the voice sounds a scrap sparse, try boosting somewhere in this frequency range.

Hither is the vocalisation recording with a cutting from 100-300 Hz:

Here is the voice recording with a boost from 100-300 Hz:

3. Cut 300-400 Hz if the Voice Sounds 'Muddy'

This is a problematic frequency range for most recordings—particularly in music. If the voice sounds a likewise dirty, try cutting somewhere around this area.

Here is the voice recording with a cut from 300-400 Hz:

4. A Broad Boost Between 2-6 kHz Can Improve Clarity

If cutting some of the bass around 100-300Hz doesn't add together enough clarity, attempt a gentle heave across this frequency range.

Hither is the voice recording with a heave from 2-half-dozen kHz:

Be careful of exaggerating the sibilance and S sounds of the voice though, which leads me on to…

5. Cut Around three-5 kHz if the Voice Sounds too Sibilant

Be wary of this frequency range when boosting. Boosting too much at these frequencies tin can make the voice audio highly sibilant and add too much sizzle.

Hither is the voice recording with a cutting from 3-5 kHz:

Terminal Thoughts

Recollect that these tips are purely intended to be used equally starting points. Experiment, and trust your ears.

If you can't hear the small-scale changes that y'all're making, try using the Distance Mixing Technique. Simply remember that subtlety is fundamental. Spend time getting the sound that you lot desire when you tape, and utilise EQ to better it rather than fix it.

Take you always had a bad experience with EQ? Or perchance you have used EQ to brand a good vocalism recording even ameliorate? Get out a annotate below and tell me about your experiences.

Source: https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-master-guide-to-voice-equalization-how-to-apply-eq-to-voice-recordings--cms-25184

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