A collaborative post by BOOM BOX POST
As sound editors, it's crucial that we approach our edits with the mixer's needs in mind. In previous posts (like this one from co-owner and re-recording mixer, Kate Finan) we’ve covered how to deliver clean, organized edits to help streamline the mixing stage. But what about processing to remove additional steps for our mixer (be sure to check out this post on mixer-friendly sound design)? Sometimes, our sound file selections need non-creative processing—EQ, compression, or stereo imaging tweaks—before they’re ready to sit well in the session. In this post, I’ll share simple but effective techniques to tidy up your sound editorial without causing a headache for the mixer down the line.
Before we dive in, I’d like to preface with a couple things. These techniques can be useful for most sounds, but as I’m a backgrounds editor, I’ve chosen to demonstrate these processes with sounds that lend use to backgrounds editing. Another word to the wise: always check with your mixer for their preferences regarding these techniques and err on the safe side when applying your processing! Now let’s get into it.
Equalization
Often times I find sounds that contain the tone and texture I’m hunting for, but unfortunately include problematic content in the form of low-end rumble or high-end hiss. Especially noticeable in longer steadies and ambience recordings, I’ll also notice a piercing resonance or tonal ring that distracts and changes the impact of a sound. Now preference varies from mixer to mixer, but it’s typically expected of the sound editor to clean up these issues in the edit. Keep in mind we’re simply targeting the problem areas to save time for the mixer. We’re not making a creative choice like muffling the entire sound or completely destroying the balance of the sound. So how do we approach fixing these specific issues?
Whether it’s an AudioSuite or through using clip effects, Pro Tools offers simple EQ tools to remedy these problems in your audio clips. We’ll be using simple Low-Pass, High-Pass and Notch Filters to help our sounds sit more naturally and save our mixer time.
High Pass Filtering: Below is a perfect example of a Seagull sound file that would make for a great selection if it weren’t for the distracting low end noise and rumble. Listen to the before and after below:
Left: Before the HP Filter. Right: After the HP Filter.
This can easily be achieved with using the EQ of your choice. Here at Boom Box most of our editors reach for the stock EQ3 7-band EQ from Avid Pro Tools. We use the AudioSuite version, audition our adjustments and render.
It’s worth mentioning that this could also be achieved by quickly pulling up the Clip Effects window and dialing in the HPF and EQ as well. However we must commit this change to the audio clip by consolidating (Edit > Consolidate Clip or Shift+Option+3 on Mac, Alt+Shift+3 on Windows).
Avid EQ3 7-Band EQ
Audio Clip Effect Window
Notch Filtering:
The next example is a little more advanced and may take a little more time to dial in, but equally effective in restoring a more natural sounding edit. In the below audio clips you’ll hear a seagull file that I believe was recorded in a harbor near industrial machinery that produced unwanted hums and resonances.
We can hunt for these hums and resonances by using an effective EQ technique. Within your preferred EQ, select a band and adjust the Q to be narrow. Boost the band by 10+dB and sweep up and down the frequency spectrum slowly, until the ringing frequency starts to “sing.” You’ve found the distracting frequency! Now reduce the gain and adjust the Q until the ringing becomes less distracting from the sound.
EQ curve of resonance removal
Be careful not to overdo it. Your sounds can quickly become thin and unnatural sounding with too much resonance suppression, but with a gentle touch you can achieve much more pleasant sounding audio.
Panning
Another issue I experience frequently is finding a stereo sound with a distractingly unbalanced stereo field. Most times we can either fix this with the track panning or make the choice to sum it to mono. But for this example, we’ll need to reach for something else.
Let’s say I’m designing a background location with a lush insect chorus. The stereo sound I’ve found has the perfect tonal characteristics I’m looking for but the stereo field is out of balance. With how much louder the left channel is, it’s very difficult retain both a wide stereo field that also feels balanced with just the track panners.
To remedy this, I’m going to reach for the Pro Tools “Trim” plugin and place it straight on the track as an insert. This tool allows you to adjust the gain of the Left and Right channels independently. First, click the blue button with the chain link symbol in the top right to unlink the channels. Then select either the right or the left channel and adjust the gain to rebalance the sound.
Since we used this tool as an insert on the track, we must commit our changes and remove it from the track before continuing editorial. Select the whole clip, right click and select “commit.” Below is an example of the menu selections I’ve used. This will place a copy of the clip on a new track just below the current track. Swap in your new, balanced sound and voila!
Take a listen to the chorus after rebalancing the stereo field:
CONTROLLING DYNAMICS
Lastly, I’d like to cover how we can use compression, whether as an AudioSuite or Clip Effect, to control sounds with extreme dynamics.
For this example I’m going to use a bird chorus sound that provides a pleasant bed of tropical birds for background sounds. As you’ll hear and see below, this sound has a problem: among the bird chorus bed, there’s a single recurring birdsong that’s much louder than the rest.
As it stands now, this file is sort of accomplishing two different applications: It can either be a bed, or a single birdsong, but it can’t really be both due to the vast amplitude difference between these components.
As a bed, the single birdsong is just too loud and too distracting. If not addressed, it could get to the mix stage and prompt clients to ask our mixer to turn it down. To which our mixer would have to go digging into the background files and hunt for the random birdsong. Not a good look for anyone!
So what’s the solution? We could just choose another sound… We could also cut out the single recurring birdsong from the file every time it occurs and utilize the rest of the file as a bed. But that requires cutting it out, creating fades, verifying smooth transitions, and we lose some nice perspective changes and variation.
What if we could just tame the birdsong so it’s less distracting? We can achieve this with compression!
Check out this Lunch And Learn blog post on dynamics processing to help dial in your settings! Either as an AudioSuite effect or Clip Effect, we can adjust in the threshold, ratio, attack and release controls of our compressor. Then render these changes into the clip to remedy the issue. Check out how the bed sounds now after we tamed the dynamics:
Once you’ve gone through the trouble of applying these cleanup processes to these sounds, it’s a good idea to take the time to render them out and add them to your library to avoid consuming more of your time in the future. Remember: the goal here is to SERVE your mixer, not to cause a headache. Err on the safe side and always communicate with your mixer and supervisor to get a feel for the preferences and boundaries regarding these processes. Hope you learned something! Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this blog, take a look at these:
DOWNSTREAM: VALUABLE SOUND DESIGNERS THINK LIKE MIXERS
LUNCH AND LEARN: SURROUND PANNING FOR THE SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR
BBP’s FAVORITE AUDIO TOOLS