How do you reduce plosives and sibilance when recording for podcasting?
If you are a podcaster, you know how important it is to have clear and crisp audio quality. However, sometimes your voice may sound distorted or harsh due to plosives and sibilance. These are sounds that create bursts of air or hissing noises when you pronounce certain letters, such as P, B, T, S, or Z. They can ruin your recording and make your listeners uncomfortable or annoyed. Fortunately, there are some ways to reduce plosives and sibilance when recording for podcasting. In this article, we will explain what causes these problems and how to fix them with some simple tips and tricks.
Plosives and sibilance are types of consonant sounds that involve the release of air from your mouth or nose. Plosives are produced when you block the airflow with your lips or tongue and then release it abruptly, such as in words like pop, bit, or kick. Sibilance is produced when you create a narrow gap between your tongue and your teeth or palate and let the air flow through it, creating a hissing or whistling sound, such as in words like sip, zip, or show. These sounds can be problematic for podcasting because they can create loud spikes or pops in your audio waveform, which can distort your voice or damage your microphone.
-
To minimize plosives and sibilance in podcast recordings, use a pop filter and position the microphone slightly off-axis. Employ a de-esser plugin during editing to target harsh frequencies. Practice proper microphone technique and control breathing to prevent exaggerated sounds. Edit carefully post-recording to further diminish any remaining issues. These steps will ensure cleaner and more professional podcast audio.
-
La gestion du rythme et de la respiration est cruciale pour un discours fluide. Quelques règles : 1. Respirez profondément avec le diaphragme, pas seulement avec la poitrine. 2. Utilisez les pauses pour respirer, surtout avant de commencer une nouvelle idée ou section. 3. Changez le rythme de votre parole pour maintenir l'attention ; alternez entre rapide et lent. 4. Exercices de diction pour améliorer la clarté et le contrôle de votre élocution. 5. Prenez votre temps pour articuler clairement chaque mot. 6. Ralentissez ou faites une pause avant un point important pour attirer l'attention.
The best way to avoid plosives and sibilance is to pay attention to your pronunciation and articulation. Try to avoid pushing too much air out of your mouth or nose when you speak, and use a softer or more relaxed tone. You can also practice speaking with a pencil or a pen between your teeth, which will force you to reduce the airflow and the pressure. Another technique is to slightly angle your head or your microphone away from the direction of the air, so that it does not hit the mic directly. This will help you reduce the impact of the plosives and sibilance on your recording.
-
One of the most important things for changing how you create sounds, and subsequently reducing plosives and sibilance, is learning how your voice works. For plosives you need to explore how much air you use and how tight the closure of your articulators (lips, tongue etc..) are when you speak. Then you can play around with forming those sounds with more ease. For sibilance you need to learn how you make your s sound and then explore the quality of the contact if the tongue and palate and play around with finding the sound with the best frequency for your mic. Make sure you’re releasing tension from your articulators in your vocal warm up too. Check out The Voice Coach Podcast for an episode on both plosives and sibilance.
A pop filter is a device that you can attach to your microphone stand or boom arm, which acts as a barrier between your mouth and the mic. It is usually made of a thin fabric or a metal mesh, which diffuses the air and filters out the plosives and sibilance. A pop filter can also protect your microphone from saliva, dust, or moisture, which can affect its performance and lifespan. To use a pop filter effectively, you should position it about 2 to 6 inches away from your mic, and adjust it according to your voice and the type of microphone you are using. You can also experiment with different shapes and sizes of pop filters, such as round, square, or curved, to find the one that suits you best.
-
You can use an anti-pop or pop filter separated from your mic and it can be a clue about the distance you have to talk from the microphone. And I recommend you try talking without looking straight to the mic. If you turn your head just a little you avoid the line of breathing air and saliva and reduce your pops and sibilances a lot.
An equalizer is a tool that allows you to adjust the frequency spectrum of your audio signal. You can use it to boost or cut certain frequencies, which can affect the tone and clarity of your voice. For example, if you want to reduce the plosives and sibilance in your recording, you can use an equalizer to lower the low and high frequencies, which are where these sounds are most prominent. You can also use an equalizer to enhance other aspects of your voice, such as the warmth, the presence, or the brightness. However, you should be careful not to overdo it, as too much equalization can make your voice sound unnatural or distorted.
A de-esser is a special type of compressor that targets the sibilance in your audio signal and reduces its volume. It works by detecting the frequency range where the sibilance occurs, usually between 4 and 10 kHz, and applying a downward compression to it. This way, it lowers the hissing or whistling sounds without affecting the rest of your voice. To use a de-esser effectively, you should set the threshold, the ratio, and the frequency according to your voice and the level of sibilance you want to remove. You can also use a de-esser to reduce other types of harsh or noisy sounds, such as breaths, clicks, or hums.
A gate is another type of compressor that controls the volume of your audio signal based on a threshold. It works by silencing the signal when it falls below the threshold, and letting it pass when it rises above it. This way, it eliminates the background noise and the unwanted sounds that may occur between your words or sentences. To use a gate effectively, you should set the threshold, the attack, the release, and the ratio according to your voice and the amount of noise you want to remove. You can also use a gate to create a smoother and more consistent sound, by reducing the dynamic range of your voice.
-
Learning good microphone techniques can help eliminate plosives and sibilance. Don't talk directly into the front/top of the mic. Instead, place the mic at a 45-degree angle to your mouth and speak across the mic instead of into it. The wind from your mouth emphasizes plosives and Sibilance. By talking across the mic instead of directly into it, you minimize the amount of mouthwind the mic pics up. Your mic will pick up the P, B, and S sounds but not the noise of the wind produced when making those sounds, creating cleaner audio.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Creator EconomyWhat technical issues can you avoid in podcast production?
-
PodcastingWhat do you do if your podcasting equipment is not up to par?
-
Content DevelopmentYou're ready to start a podcast for your business. But what tools should you use?
-
PodcastingYou're new to podcasting and you're struggling with workflow. What can you do to adapt?