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Writer's pictureEduardo

Noise During Voiceover Recording

Although this article focuses on the issue of mouth noises for those involved in voice-over work, it can also be helpful if these problems are noticed in other activities such as podcasts, radio broadcasting, TV, or even in daily speech. So, take a look at this material— I'm sure it can help you in some way.

Hello, in this post, I want to talk a bit about mouth noise, tongue clicks, and other small sounds that occur during voice recording, which are particularly noticeable when using a condenser microphone that picks up even the slightest sounds, often unnoticed during recording. I want to clarify that I'm specifically addressing voice recording for narration, where the voice is the focus. In a song, for instance, these noises can be masked by other instruments.


The main way to avoid these noises is by preventing them, right?


To prevent them, we need to pay attention to several factors: from clothing, accessories, and the place where we are recording, to our own physiology and even our equipment.


Clothing:


Avoid synthetic fabrics that make noise when they rub against themselves or anything around them. Clothes with moving parts like zippers and hoods can also generate noise when you move.


Personally, I enter my booth without any shoes to avoid adding another item of concern, although the main reason is cleanliness.


Accessories:


Avoid accessories that swing with movement and cause noise. Remember that even the smallest noise will be picked up by the microphone. So, necklaces, watches, bracelets, dangling earrings, etc., are a perfect source of unwanted sounds that you will hardly be able to identify during editing. By the way, I had a big problem with a chain I wear around my neck that took a while to figure out because it was occasional. Interestingly, it appeared when I made sudden movements, and you know... when you're trying to give the best interpretation to your material, facial expressions, gestures, and all that are part of it... haha, after all, voice is body and body is voice.


Recording Location:


If the place where you record was designed and built for this purpose, then this shouldn't be a headache for you, but issues can still arise, so pay attention to details. If you're recording in an improvised space like a closet or wardrobe, make sure there are no hanging pieces nearby or on the floor that could make noise when moved.

Since my booth was built by myself with recycled materials, it didn't go through a major design and testing phase, so surprises can occasionally arise. Despite being quite robust, I recently discovered a slight noise on the floor caused when I stepped on the corner of a wooden board. It was rubbing against another board and causing a squeak that bothered me, even though there was carpet and a thick rug on top. Nothing that two screws couldn't fix!


Our body:


Well, this is one of the most difficult issues to correct and perhaps the most common to encounter.

If you have digestive problems, they can cause excessive salivation and unwanted noises that can be picked up.

As mentioned, excessive salivation will create noises in the mouth, not just from an overly wet mouth, but if you're speaking long sentences, you might start hearing noises from saliva moving towards the lips, giving the impression that you're speaking with slight spitting. On the other hand, a very dry mouth will also generate noises as if the tongue and cheeks were sticking together.

Therefore, the best way to avoid these two problems is to stay hydrated. This doesn't mean bringing a water bottle into the booth and drinking water during recording. You should indeed bring water for recording, but to MAINTAIN hydration and moisten your mouth when it's dry. Proper hydration should start at least two hours before recording. In other words, aim to stay hydrated all the time to avoid issues.

photo of a transparent one and a half liter soda bottle with a green cap, filled with water and on a table with a computer.
watter botle

I carry a 1.5-liter soda bottle with me wherever I go, and my goal is to drink one and a half bottles per day. It works, you know! It's a visual control because you track the time and see how much you've already drunk, which motivates you to take more sips.


Important note: When we drink water, the liquid does not wet the vocal cords. If this happens, it's because you're inhaling water and will choke :). Therefore, drinking a lot of water during recording won't help.




Photo of a portable inhaler and its parts.
Portable Inhaler

A good alternative for dry days is inhalation. It doesn't replace drinking water, but it helps hydrate the airways as a complement. It brings moisture to the respiratory tract, humidifying it and also aiding in cleaning it. It's important to note that no medication is necessary, just saline solution. I'm leaving the link to this product that I've had for two years and has not caused me any problems so far. https://glenmarkpharma.com.br/produtos/nebzmart/


A speech therapist who is also an actress and voiceover teacher once recommended these portable inhalers like the one in the photo above. Personally, this is the one I have, and it's excellent. It operates on two AA batteries or can be plugged into a socket using its own cable and a cellphone charger. It's not expensive, quiet, practical, and comes in a small case that makes it easy to transport and protects it.


My visits to doctors to discover the causes of these voice changes are documented in this article.


I also received some suggestions for hydration:


The first one is the continuous spray saline solution.

photo of a continuous jet saline spray bottle
Continuous spray saline solution

This is from one of the most well-known brands on the market. It has two sprays in each nostril, and when you finish, you throw the package away. However, there is another brand where, after finishing the product, you can open the package and refill it with saline solution bought at the pharmacy, which is very inexpensive.




The second suggestion, though not as effective, is to apply saline solution using a dropper.

photo of a brown bottle with a white and purple label and the dropper on the outside.
Dropper

I used this method a lot when I went to São Paulo for my course, and since I traveled by bus to avoid the air conditioning from further drying out my airways, I squeezed as much of the ampoule as I could into each nostril. I preferred this over the spray due to space in my backpack, but as I said, it doesn't have the same efficiency as the spray, which has a wider application range.


I want to make it clear here that I am not endorsed by any of the brands mentioned here, and I do not recommend any of the practices described in this article as treatment for those reading it. This article simply describes what was recommended to me and what worked or didn't work. If you have any respiratory or other health issues related to what I've described here, I recommend seeking immediate medical attention.


Summing up: Inhalation hydrates from the outside in, while constant water intake hydrates from the inside out. Proper hydration also offers numerous other health benefits, as our body is largely composed of fluids.

Regarding foods that can help or hinder during recording, there are differing opinions:


  • Dairy and milk products: These can increase secretion in the body even if you're not lactose intolerant. This may cause slight throat clearing, which can interfere during recording.

  • Sweets and chocolate: They are not prohibited, and I've never heard that they directly cause problems for vocal cords. However, for me, they thicken saliva, which can be problematic. So, I try to avoid them. If you're not familiar with thick saliva, try eating a piece of chocolate before recording! It'll feel like you're speaking with grease in your mouth ... haha.

  • Apples: Many people say they help the voice. I've heard voice specialists say they don't directly improve the voice but may aid articulation due to chewing, acting as a warm-up exercise and cleaning the mouth of residues that could cause problems during recording. I sometimes try this approach, but green apples aren't always found at the market, and if you record sporadically, you likely won't eat a whole one, which can oxidize and spoil, etc. When possible, I bring a small red apple, sliced into wedges, and keep them in a bowl of water, eating a piece at intervals. Apples are astringent and act like a mouth detergent, which may work for some and not for others.

  • Honey, ginger, pomegranate: There are various viewpoints on these foods, ranging from traditional beliefs to medicinal benefits. Honey is nutritious but I don't believe it's ideal to consume before recording. Ginger is very good, but it can increase throat pressure and cause irritation if used immediately before recording. Pomegranate is something my grandparents used to say was good for the throat, but for them, "throat" included everything from tonsils to the esophagus.

  • Spicy and highly seasoned foods: These types of foods can cause throat irritation and excessive salivation. It's advisable to avoid consuming them as well.

Summarizing the food section, try removing certain foods for a while and observe if they cause any positive or negative reactions in your body. I've done this and continue to do so.

In this article (link below), you'll find a more comprehensive discussion with an explanation from a specialist.



Gear:


Regarding equipment noise, I'm not the most qualified person to discuss this, but I'll mention some points to consider:

  • Cables and connectors are a critical point. People often focus on other aspects but forget that everything is interconnected by these items, making them the weak link in your system. Therefore, use reasonably good quality ones.

  • Your interface and the computer itself can also generate noise, so avoid running other tasks while recording. Ensure that the data transmission rate of your computer, software, and interface are matched.

  • Buffer size: This is something that took me a while to realize, but it's not complex. Basically, it's the amount of information stored by your recording program before it writes to the disk. It's recommended to use a low buffer size (96, 128, or 256) for recording and a larger one (1028) for editing or mixing. I used to adjust these settings diligently in Pro Tools in earlier versions (<2020) due to noticeable issues. In the latest versions, I stopped adjusting them because Pro Tools' management has improved significantly. On the other hand, in Adobe Audition, I have never adjusted them and never had issues.

  • Changes in electrical current and lack of grounding: These are often overlooked because home studios tend to grow gradually in a corner of the house dedicated to hobbies. As a result, you end up connecting your computer, interface, preamp, monitor 1, monitor 2, monitor 3, reference monitors, external hard drive, cell phone charger, decorative lights, etc., probably using multiple power strips and then transitioning to a power strip with several outlets. Pay attention to this. Set aside time to review the electrical network yourself or have a specialist do it. Try to install a grounding wire and allocate a separate group of breakers for your studio equipment. Keep air conditioning and lighting on separate breakers and consider using a semi-professional power conditioner to help with system composition. Often, these noises are not clicks but a 60Hz hum that appears throughout the recording.

  • Be cautious with laptops. I've heard many people say they record perfectly on a laptop when it's unplugged, but as soon as they connect the charger, the dreaded hum appears. I can't explain the reason, but it's a common cause. See if plugging it into a grounded outlet helps. If not, keep the laptop charged during recording and then connect it during editing; this can also be a source of noise.


Technique:


Yes, technique can help prevent unwanted noise. I don't have extensive experience in this area to list all possible techniques, but I use this space to alert you that indeed, the technique you use for voice-over work makes a significant difference:


  • Opening and closing of the mouth: Once I was evaluating a recording for a close friend, Camila, who mentioned she had a lot of mouth noises. I loaded the program and heavily compressed it to highlight all possible noises, even if it meant an unrealistic audio treatment. My conclusion was that 80% of the noises were due to the opening and closing of the mouth between words and phrases. It turned out she later discovered she had a jaw issue from a fall, but most of the noises were lip-related. You might ask, "But how can you not open and close your mouth when speaking?" Let me explain. After finishing some sentences, there's a tendency to close the mouth to breathe and relax until the next part comes in less than a second. We close and open our mouth to start the new sentence. This opening and closing causes a terrible noise that, while easily editable, can be avoided. So when taking those quick breaths between phrases or paragraphs, try not to close your lips because opening them will always produce noise. This technique is effective and you'll quickly get used to it, but be mindful of accumulating saliva in your mouth, which leads us to the next topic.

  • Mouth moisture: During work, you'll become accustomed to noticing whether your mouth is too dry or too moist. Often, running your tongue inside your mouth or taking a small sip of water can help. If the issue is excessive moisture, then cleaning the mouth with your tongue and swallowing saliva can be beneficial.

  • Oral hygiene: Performing oral hygiene before recording is beneficial, but don't worry, I won't suggest washing with iodine. Here are some suggestions:

  • Brushing your teeth,

  • Chewing mint gum or something similar (works for some people),

  • Eating an apple, as mentioned earlier, but be cautious of residue.

  • Warm-up: Before recording, it's almost mandatory to do a warm-up. Some may think this doesn't affect noise production, but it can indeed have an impact. Certain words, like "lh" and "cl," can be challenging to pronounce, along with overall articulation. In this case, warming up can be beneficial.


Okay, okay, you're paying attention to everything above, but they still happen!

That's okay! It happens to all professionals.

So, if you have a more serious issue, it's recommended to seek a specialist in the field. But if there's nothing wrong with you and the noises persist, know that it's normal and there are ways to remedy them, from minimizing them during recording to eliminating them in post-production.

These are the main points to avoid noises during recording. Surely you have other suggestions, and I would appreciate it if you share them here on this blog.


Eliminating noises in post-production:


Elimination in post-production is the last resort but is widely used because it's impossible to avoid such noises; you can only minimize them.


From the experience I've gained over time, I've concluded that using plugins to remove clicks works in some cases but not others, so I prefer not to use them for mouth noises. When dealing with various small clicks caused by a slightly moist mouth, those associated with brighter audio can be somewhat attenuated. However, for mouth noises, I definitely avoid using them. The same applies to breathing; I prefer to treat each instance individually because these plugins only recognize certain audio profiles and may risk removing essential sounds like "P" or "T."


Therefore, the technique involves listening to your audio and addressing each issue manually. Another crucial point: USE HEADPHONES during this process. If I could highlight a phrase, I would. Colleague, your monitors may be good, mine are decent, but subtle audio issues can go unnoticed. So, use headphones to your advantage. You can open up to monitor sound later to refine the rest, if needed.

Here I will include an observation after moving from my previous studio, which was not treated to the current one which is isolated and treated: It is possible to do this part without the headphones, because the studio allows it. So if you don't have a proper place, trust in your headphones.


And to remove the clicks I use some tricks that work for each case as follows:


  • Using a gate: This is the first and most immediate and it gives results. Use the plugin as the first instance of your effects to leave the audio ready for the following, but be careful with a high threshold, as it can start cutting off the beginning of words. Attack also deserves attention. So use a very low value, I use around (-48dB), a fast attack (3ms), and if it doesn't solve, it will attenuate enough to make them almost imperceptible.


  • Redraw the waveform: If the problem is as shown in the photo below, if you take the pen tool or something similar in your DAW, in this case, I'm using Pro Tools, Audition doesn't have this tool. and simply overlay the waveform with the pen as it should be, the result is fantastic and imperceptible.


  • Cutting to the chase: There are cases where it's better to cut out the noise, like in the sample below. This example is ambient noise with breathing and a click in the middle, which isn't useful, so you can simply select and delete it. If this cut shortens your audio and compromises the section, then paste a piece of silence recorded from your booth of the same length.


  • Sobrepor a parte ruim: Esta é a última alternativa. Neste caso, o que se faz é selecionar um trecho bom e similar na forma e colar sobre o trecho ruim. Na foto abaixo, na onda central, há uma verdadeira festa de ruído. Pode ser o barulho da corrente que mencionei anteriormente. O que podemos fazer neste caso é apagar a onda como mencionado anteriormente ou copiar o trecho da onda mais à direita ou à esquerda e colar sobre ela. É uma duplicação da parte boa sobre a parte ruim.

It is worth noting that both deletion and overlaying must be done carefully. In the case of deletion, if it's a noise like the example above, just go ahead and delete it. However, if it's as above, it's good to grab a complete cycle and eliminate it entirely. When I say cycle, I mean the smallest part of the wave that repeats. As for overlaying, I usually take the two sections that cross the zero dB centerline, the point immediately before the noise and the point immediately after. I identify these points in the good section, copy this segment, and paste it over the corresponding part in the bad section. I choose zero dB because it's the best reference point to avoid mistakes.


  • Plugins: As I mentioned before, I don't usually use them, but over time I've tested some that have been yielding good results, and I'll list them below:


  • iZotope RX# Mouth De-click (# is the version. I am using RX7, however there is already the RX11)

photo of a plugin screen used to remove mouth noises.
Izotope rx mouth click

Ele é muito bom e retira uma boa quantidade de ruídos sem gerar artefatos e estragar seu áudio.

A propósito, o RX possui um pacote de outras ferramentas que vale a pena você dar uma olhada.


  • Plugin Alliance Transient Designer

photo of another plugin that can be used to help eliminate some noise.
Transiente designer

This plug-in does not have the function of removing noise, but I did some tests with it because I noticed that the transient for some vowels at the beginning of words starting with "c" and "p" were doubled, generating a greater crackle in the sound. . With this plug-in you can attenuate the beginning of words a little, but you have to be careful not to eliminate too much and end up with a muted sound. You can try this with a compressor too, but I haven't had good results with compressors.


I've already used De-click from Waves, but I didn't have good results, but you can try. If you search the internet for De-click, you will find several plugins, including some that are free.


In the video below I show how I do this in practice during editing.



If you want to know a little about the softwares I use to process audio here in the studio, I talked a little about it in an article here on the blog.


Conclusion:


The existence of noise in recorded material is practically inherent to the process of capturing a sound generated by a human being, that is, it will exist, but you can minimize it by taking some precautions and improving your technique.

If you were unable to reduce them during capture, then deal with it in post-production, either by editing one by one or using plugins.

But above all, pay attention and be consistent. Don't try to make the sound perfect. Eliminate the ones that cause the most distraction, but you don't need to get 100%! Use common sense, as in many cases there will be a soundtrack and perhaps even effects alongside your voice and these small clicks will not even be noticed.

Plus, if you're recording an audiobook, imagine the work it will take to edit eight hours of recording?!

If you are taking all the precautions I listed on this blog and you still notice a lot of noise, look for a specialist, be it someone more experienced in audio editing to evaluate your material and give an opinion on what it might be or a specialist in the field of medicine. such as a phono or an ENT and explain the problem.


If you are interested in this subject, you will certainly find the other articles I published on my Blog very interesting. Check it out there!


I hope that you enjoyed. Leave your opinion and see you next time.


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