5 Tips To Record BETTER Sound Effects At Home
*Please note that this blog post may contain affiliate links*
Sound Designer’s Starter Pack: https://daviddumaisaudio.com/starterpack
Create Better Sound Effects At Home
Are you a sound designer who needs to create your own sound effects? Are you struggling to record clean and high-quality sounds at home? This blog post will provide you with five essential tips to help you record better sound effects from the comfort of your own home.
In the modern world, recording clean sound effects at home has become increasingly important, especially with the rise of remote working and virtual production. Clean sound effects can make all the difference in the quality of your work, and they can save you time and money in post-production.
Tip 1 - Reduce Environmental Noise
When it comes to environmental noise, the common culprits are lights, fans, traffic, airplanes, wind, and other ambient sounds. These sounds can ruin your recordings, and it’s essential to control your environment for clean recordings.
One of the most significant steps you can take to reduce environmental noise is to find a quiet location in your home where you can record. You can also use soundproofing materials, such as blankets or foam, to reduce noise.
Another quick tip is to record in a closet. A closet’s small and enclosed space can reduce reverb and eliminate unwanted noise, making it an excellent recording space.
Tip 2 - Reduce Equipment Noise
Equipment noise is the unwanted noise that equipment generates during recording, such as fan noise, hums, and hiss. It’s essential to understand the culprits of equipment noise to reduce it effectively.
The relationship between the cost of equipment and the level of noise is vital. Generally, more expensive equipment generates less noise, while cheaper equipment can generate more noise.
Clean preamps for recorders are essential for recording clean sound effects at home. Preamps amplify the signal from your microphone, and clean preamps will amplify the signal without adding any noise.
Cables are not significant when it comes to equipment noise. As long as you have good quality cables, they will not add much, if any, noise to your recording (in my experience).
Tip 3 - Signal-To-Noise Ratio
The signal-to-noise ratio is the difference between the level of the desired signal and the level of background noise. It’s essential to record as close as possible to the source to get a high signal-to-noise ratio.
When you record close to the source, you capture more of the desired signal and less background noise, resulting in a better signal-to-noise ratio.
Eliminating or reducing noise can significantly improve the quality of your recordings. Post-processing can reduce some noise, but it’s always better to record clean sounds from the start.
Tip 4 - Watch Your Levels
Watching your levels is essential when recording sound effects. If you record too quietly, you might not capture enough of the desired signal, while recording too loudly can cause clipping and distortion.
32-bit recorders are better than 24-bit recorders when it comes to watching your levels. With 32-bit recorders, you don’t have to worry about setting levels, and you can adjust them later in post-processing.
Keeping levels below the peak is crucial. Peaks can cause clipping, which can ruin your recordings. It’s better to keep your levels slightly lower than too high. Generally, around -12db is a good place to start. If you check out your recorder, your recording should only ever be peaking in the yellow area and avoiding the red as much as possible.
Tip 5 - Listen With Headphones
Listening with headphones is crucial for recording better sound effects at home. Each microphone is unique, and it can alter the sound of the recording. Wearing headphones while recording will help you get the best sound from your chosen microphone.
Additionally, headphones can help you to identify any unwanted noise or sounds that might be missed otherwise.
Moreover, it helps the sound designer to identify the best angle and performance to get the desired effect for each sound.
Conclusion
You don’t need a fully soundproofed studio in order to get good recordings and create pristine sound effects from home. You can record pro-quality sound effects using a recorder and some simple tips and tricks to help you create clean and lively sounds.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have the most expensive equipment. You can still record high-quality sounds with a little knowledge and practice.
If this was valuable to you, please consider sharing it!
Have any questions or comments?
Leave them down below!
