Audio for Video Production: How to get Great Audio in Your Videos

1. What is in it for you: Hey, friends, my name is Mike, and in this course you will learn how to record great audio for your videos. So the first thing you probably want to know is is this course for you? Well, let's think about it. Are you not fully satisfied with the audio quality in your videos? Do you want to improve your audio to a professional level? And would you like to gain more authority and trust by having great sound, then these courses for you, my friend, here's a short summary, or what you will learn in this course. What is bad audio and good audio, different microphones and recording equipment, room sound, background noise and how to control it? How to prepare before recording. What do you think about when recording and how to polish the audio off the words, and I will finish the course with a few expert tips from my own experience. So how can you use the know that you will gain from this course? Well, you will be able to get great odio in your screen recordings, talking head videos, voiceovers, video blog's poor costs, Gino videos and many more. And now the most important question what seen it for you. I believe that if you take this course and implement the knowledge, you will one be able to have great audio in your videos to leave the competition behind you . Because let's be frank. Most people have really bad or mediocre or do in their videos. Three. By having clear and professional audio, you will become more trustworthy. And four, this will improve your personal brand. And finally, as a result of all of this, you will get more leads and customers. Now, let us move on to the next lesson, my friend. 2. Welcome and Introduction: Hey, friends. So you may now wonder who am I and what do I do? All right, let me introduce myself. My name is Mike, and I'm a music composer and video producer from Sweden, the land of I, Kia Bulow and ever. I was born in 1981 and grew up with Super Mario Michael Jackson and floppy disks. I love to teach, share and inspire people just like you to maximize their creative talents. I'm also true geek who loves scifi science and all things take related and drink lots of strong coffee. And I allowed chocolate. So what are my qualifications? Well, I around my own media production business since 2000 and four, which means video, music, graphics and audio production. I have over 15 years of experience of producing music and sound, and I have produced and published over 200 video productions to date since 2010. But my main qualification, in my opinion at least, is that I have a true passion for teaching and inspiring people. So what can you expect in these course? Firstly, I want to make my courses dynamic to become or interesting to you. That is why I like to mix between different formats. For example, studio recordings such as this one realize videos, keynote recordings, screen costs and so also, I'm a very passionate person, and I like to bring my personality into my teaching style. So if you were a fan off traditional academic style of teaching, I would suggest that you take a different course. However, if you like a bit of fun and smiles as you learn, this is a course for you. Finally, I'm so happy that you have chosen to take my course and I welcome you warmly. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and let us begin. 3. Audio is King: Hey, friends. In this lesson, you will learn why I believe audio is king. Let's think for a moment. What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the words great audio in my mind, I think about radio. Yes, movies and TV have great over here, of course, and voice overs is another example. But since radio have only audio to play with, they have to make the quality as high as possible. So what is it about radio that make the audio quality shine? Well, The number one thing is a great voice. Number two is it's recorded in a soundproofed and acoustically treated room, and number three is they have high end equipment such as microphones, etcetera. So radio is the top bar off high quality, older for voice. And there is probably no reason for you to aim that I. But the principles are the same for any level. First work on your voice. Second, treat your room to reduce acoustic problems. 1/3 invest in a good microphone and recording equipment in that order. Actually, I consider good audio more important than video quality, and here is why one people will watch your video with bad quality and good sound, but not the other way around to Hi, Audie. Equality makes your voice appear clearer and with more authority. And three people will actually perceive you as more professional if you have good audio. And finally good audio can stand on its own at a video without audio is pretty much useless . In fact, many people, including myself, often start watching a video. Then begin doing something else as the video container continue playing whilst still listening to the audio. For example, I can start watching a video on my iPad, Then put it on the table and start making off duty and perhaps prepare a nice sandwich All while I was still listen to the audio from the video. These are the reasons I advise you to make audio your first priority. So repeat the words Audio is king. If you have this mindset, it will make a huge difference and you will stand out from the crowd. All right, so in this lesson you have learned about where you can hear great audio the three most important things to achieve Great voice audio recordings. Why good audio is more important than video quality, and that audio can stand on its own. And many people actually listen to videos. Now let's carry on to the next lesson, my friends. 4. What is Sound: Hey, friends. In this lesson, you will learn about the basic principles of sound. And to be clear, this is not a scientific Listen. I just want to get a few points across, using some examples and analogies. So to start off the definition off sound is vibration that propagates as a typically audible mechanical wave of pressure and displacement through a medium such as air or water . All right, that was really technical. But what I want you to take in this sound is vibrations that spreads as a wave sound travels in all directions, bounces around, and finally the energy rounds out, which equals silence. If you think about sound compared to light, they are not so different. Off rule light also bounces around US reflections, and each time it is reflected, it loses energy. Different surfaces reflect different amounts of light. For example, if you shine a light on a white surface, almost all of it is reflected at a really black surface absorbs almost all the light, in fact, what you see as white and black. Actually, it's the result off how much light is reflected, so if you shine a light on a wall, the entire room becomes lighter, not just a wall itself. Think about this comparison for sound. No, When you talk, not all the person in front of you can hear what you say. Other people around you as well, e you can still hear me right. And when you record indoors, there are many surfaces on which the sound can bounce. And this is what makes the audio echoey or room, if if you will. How much depends on the materials and surfaces. The sound hits in technical terms. It is called reverberation. And when recording good audio, you in most cases want to get rid off the reverberation, and you will learn how in ah later lesson. All right, so to recap in this lesson, you have learned that sound is vibrations that travel in all directions. That sound bounces around in the room that the amount of bouncing it depends on the surfaces and materials, the sound hits and that you want to reduce the amount of reverberation in a recording situation. Now let's carry on to the next lesson. My friends 5. Direct Sound vs Echo: Hey, friends. In this lesson, you will learn about direct sound compared to bounce, sound or echo. Now I'm going to give you a simplified example. If you stand on one side of the room and talk to another person on the other side of the same room, this person will hear both the direct sound coming from you, but also all bounce sound coming from the walls. The ceiling, the floor etcetera and too much bounced sound will make your voice sound equity and roomy. You can say that the sound that person here is X percent direct sound and Y percent bounced sound. What you want is to increase the ratio in favor for direct sound. You can do this in two ways. The easiest way is to minimize the distance between the source and the receiver. In this case, you walk closer to the person you're talking to or in a recording environment. This means get closer to the microphone, and the second way is to decrease the amount of echo in the room. This is harder because it means you have to somehow absorbed the sound energy around you. You can do these by using professional acoustic panels, thick fabric like Corporates, blankets, drapes or other materials that absorb rather than reflect sound. There will be more information on controlling the room sound in a later lesson, but now you know the basic principles of sound and room acoustics. So to recap, when talking in the room, the listener hears both the direct sound and the bounced sound. What you want is to increase the direct sound ratio. Do this by minimizing the distance between the source and the receiver, and also treat the room to decrease the amount of echo. All right, let's move on, my friends. 6. Bad Audio: Hey, friends, in this lesson, you will learn about what bad would you can sound like And the reasons why it sounds bad. So this is a demonstration off recording with the chief microphone. Specifically is the built in microphone in my I Mac, and it sounds bad, even though I am in a studio environment now. This is recorded in a really banquet room, specifically the bar room, which is one of the worst places to recorded because of all the whole surfaces that makes the sound bounce around instead of absorbing it. Now this is an example. Microphone being too far away. You can hear that sounds distant and without clarity. Well, that's this is a recording with lots of background noise, specifically the sound of rain. And this is a recording without using a pope filter Pop pop pop up, and this is recorded were too high input level, which results in distorted order. They must have heard this, but shaking your signals before starting to record. This, however, is a recording with too low input level, which results in high levels of static noise. When shaking your input levels, you should aim for an average level around minus 12 db It can depend, but that's my personal preference. So to recap, you have learned the most common issues for bad audio recordings, which are it's cheap. Microphone, microphone, too far away. Bad room acoustics, distorted audio. Hi Study noise levels, background noise and high Popes from not using your pope filter. Now let's carry on to the next lesson, my friends. 7. Good Audio: Hey, friends. In this lesson, you will learn about what good old you can sound like. And the reasons why it sounds good. The microphone I record with now is a dynamic microphone called Shore. It's M 51 is really nice, but I haven't even better over here. This is a condenser microphone called Rode NT one A. And this is the type of a microphone that is most common for studio work, radio voiceovers, etcetera. So let's listen to how it sounds. All right, so this is an example of a professional audio recording. I'm sitting in my production studio, and this is my personal set up, which I have worked on for quite some time to get it right. So what are the reasons this audio recording sounds so good? Allow me to explain. Okay. Firstly, I was recording with a great microphone, which is held up by a shock mount, and ah has a pope filter in front of it. The shock mount removes all unwanted vibrations that might otherwise be picked up by the microphone, and since I am so close when recording, I also need a pope filter to remove unwanted pops. What's the lesson on bad audio. If you want to hear what that sounds like, then the old year goes to my external sound card, which you can't see. But it's over here and into my computer, the most important part off the microphone. Actually, it's the quality off the pre amp. Or pre amplifier, which amplifies the microphone signal before it goes into the computer or recording equipment. So in my case, the preempt is in my sound card, and this is where the input level is applied. On my sound card. I have a number that control the input gain, but the principles also applies for external recording devices such as these. Assume H one, for example. Ah, in this case, you have buttons instead of a knob to control input level. As for input level, I personally aim for an average off minus 12 db, which is one of the common standards in the industry. I record with a microphone very close, and this room is acoustically treated with acoustic panels. Also, there is no background noise in here. In fact, it's really quiet. All I can really hear is the silent hum off my computer. So to recap, Now we have learned the most important aspect for getting good or your recordings, which are a good microphone, a good pre EMP in my case, the sound card. In your case, it might be an external audio recording device record with the microphone as close as possible. Control the room acoustics and minimized background noise. That's it for this lesson, and I will see you in the next one, my friends. 8. Chapter 1 Summary: Hey, friends, you are doing very well so far. So let's sum up what you have learned in this chapter. You have learned about who I am, what I do and how I can help you to get better audio in your videos. You now know the reasons why old you is king and what great audio sounds like. You're familiar with the basic principles of sound. And you have learned about direct sound versus bounce sound and the importance of the ratio between them. You know, the common mistakes of bad audio and how they sound like. And finally you now know the best practices for getting good audio. I have a true passion for teaching because I love to see people succeed in their creativeness. So if you like this course, it would mean a great deal to me. If you would be so kind and leave a nice review, it will also help more people to find this course. All right, so now you're ready to move on to the next chapter. My friends 9. Choosing Microphone Part 1: Hey, friends, in this lesson, we're going to look into microphones. This is part one, where we look into the difference between the two technical ways. A microphone can work, and those two kinds are dynamic microphones and condensed microphones. All right, so first off, dynamic microphones, the most common used for dynamic microphones, are for stage interviews and basically all situations when you want to hold the mic in your hands, all when there is a lot of background noise around you. Dynamic microphones are not as sensitive as condenser microphones, so they require you to be very close when recording, and the main advantage is that they don't take up much sound from the background environment. For example, I used the dynamic microphone here, even though I'm in the recording studio, and this is because it doesn't pick up as much off my key strokes sounds when typing in my videos. Then we have condenser microphones like this one here, the most common used for condenser microphones are for studio radio, voice over and basically all professional recording situations. Condenser microphones require something called phantom power to work. This means that your preempt must support phantom power. It's usually a little button you press that says Phantom Power or 48 V. If you don't have that, you will will not be able to pick up any sound from a condenser microphone. So to recap, dynamic microphones are mainly used for stage interviews, handheld mikes and when you have a noisy background environment. Condenser microphones are mainly used for studio voiceover and most professional recordings , but they require phantom power. Let's continue to pour, too. 10. Choosing Microphone Part 2: a difference in this lesson. You will learn about different kinds, off microphones and when to use them. So what different kinds of microphones are there? Well, the most common our shotgun microphone, which looks like this studio microphone, which looks like this handheld mic, which these actually is. If I take it out from the holder love all year microphone, which looks like this, and the external audio recorder with built in microphone, which looks like this now, the most important aspect of choosing what microphone to use depends on the kind of video you're making. If you are recording in front of your computer like I am now, I would advise you to use the studio mike, such as this one. This is a condenser mike, but there are also studio microphones that are dynamic. Also, you don't have to have a set up like this with a flexible or mounted to the desk. There are also my meaning, Mike stands, that can be used on the table right in front of your computer. An example of this is a microphone named Blue Yeti, which is quite common today for recording order to screen costs etcetera. If you want to record yourself in the video with a good camera. I would advise you to use either a shotgun mike or a level year. Mike. A short gun microphone is directed so that it picks up Mawr in front of the mike than on the sides. These reduces the echoes and improves clarity. The downside is that you have to use some kind of mike stand to hold the shotgun Mike just outside of the video frame A lover year. Mike, on the other hand, is a meaning microphone that you clip to, for example, your shirt like this. I personally like to use love a year when recording myself. Since I can move around freely, I then round the cable from the mic into an external. All the recorder, which I have in my pocket, and I used assume H one for this handheld mic is great if you don't care about that. That microphone is seen in the video and the lost alternative. It's using the built in mic in an external recorder like this one. Either you hold it in your hand or you can have it on the meaning. My extend just in front of you like this, All right. So now you have learned the difference between dynamic and condenser microphones and when to use, which the most common types of microphones, which are short count microphone, studio microphone, handheld microphone level year microphone and external recorder with built in microphone. Nice. So let's move on, my friends. 11. Recording Equipment: Hey, friends, in this lesson, we're going into recording equipment for your odio. So in what kind of waste can you record your earlier the first way? And in most cases, the easiest way is to record the audio directly to your computer, either by using a sound card like I'm doing here or using a USB microphone. Recording directly to your computer is very nice. If you make screen cost videos or Webcam videos like I am now, the main down side is well, you are tied to your computer. It's also possible to record directly into your camera. Sadly, though, most cameras, even expensive DSLR cameras, have really bad preempts, which adds static noise to your audio static noise is that hissing sound you can hear sometimes when you stop talking in your video, check the lesson on bad audio again to listen to what static noises. If you choose to record directly into your camera, I would suggest that you go for a microphone that is built for this purpose. One example is the road video might. Another way to record your audio is to use an external recorder. I have the assume H one ODI recorder which I connect my level here microphone into when I record with my professional camera. The main advantage of using an external recorder is excellent audio quality. That's why the TV and film industry use external recorders for most audio. The downside is that you have to sink the audience video in the editing process. Lastly, you can recall directly to your smartphone I have and recommend the road smart love plus, which is to Lovell here, microphone that you connect directly into your smartphone. You can then record your videos with your smartphone and get excellent only quality right away and in sync with the video. So to recap, you can record your old you one directly into your computer. Do into your camera three on an external audio recorder or four into your smartphone. We're making great progress here, my friends. So let's move on to the next video 12. Room Sound: Hey, friends. This lesson will focus on room sound and acoustics in professional TV and movie productions . It is common knowledge that lighting is the single most important aspect or the final image quality. In fact, without like there is no image at all, and good lighting is essential even when using the best camera equipment in the world. It's the same with a microphone. You cannot simply by your professional microphone and think you will get great Odio. This is the number one misconception. I see people have they ask which microphone do I buy to get good audio? But remember what I've said in a previous lesson. The most important part of good audio recordings is first your voice, then the acoustics in the room where he record and lost Lee the microphone and recording equipment. The microphone is only one part, and you cannot build a good house with walls alone. Now think of this. If lighting is what makes cameras perform, their best acoustic treatment is what makes a microphone shine, so you should spend time preparing and treating the room where you will record the audio in . Personally, I have invested in professional acoustic panels which you can see a gleam solve. Over here. They work by absorbing a lot of the sound energy to reduce echoes. Remember, you want to increase the direct sound to bounce sound ratio. I also have thick carpets on the floor, which help a lot, and other materials that reduce echo in the room or heavy fabric like drapes, curtains and even blankets. In fact, if you have the microphone in front of the computer, an easy way to reduce some echo is to place a thick and fluffy blanket below it. Like this stuffed furniture, also helping absorbing sound like sofas, armchairs and even this office chair I'm sitting in right now. What you want is to minimize flat and hard surfaces, because those reflect the most sound like these wooden walls. At a minimum, I would advise you to put in thick carpets, use large curtains in front of the windows and put up heavy drapes behind the computer desk . If you record in front of your computer, remember to record with a microphone close to you, which is the easiest way to increase the direct sound. So to recap, room sound has to be controlled to get good audio. You can use professional acoustic pedals to absorb sound. You can also use thick fabric like carpets, blankets, curtains and drapes. Stuffed furniture and uneven furniture also help to reduce echo. Also, always remember to record as close to the microphone as you can. These lesson is one of the most important ones, my friends. So take it to heart room sound and acoustics is to audio recordings What lighting is to video. All right, you're on your way to becoming an expert in audio production for video. So let's not stop now. I'll see you in the next lesson, my friends. 13. Room Noise: a difference. This lesson will be about room noise. So what do I mean by room noise? Well, I am referring to sounds that you really don't want to pick up with your microphone. It doesn't necessary have to originate from the room itself. But sound has a way of getting through walls and windows and inside your recording room. The best situation is to have a soundproof room like studios and radio stations have. But that alternative is unavailable for most people. Now I have a short assignment for you. I want you to pause this video, close your eyes and listen carefully to anything you can hear. Listen for a least 30 seconds and then resume this video. Post the video. No. Okay, so think about what you heard, every single background sound that you probably did not reflect on before. That's why this exercise is really important For every recording situations you go into. Always listen to the background nose first, because sadly, the microphone cannot feel throughout. Specific background noises like your mind can do typical sources for background noise, our fans and ventilation systems, refrigerators, traffic, Children playing neighbors, chattering construction work, dogs, barking, etcetera if you can try to set up your recording environment in the quietest room you have access to and work from there. If you have to work with what you have, I suggest that you make the sound listening test at different times during the day. Often there are hours of the day that are more quiet. Late evenings and nights or early mornings usually are the best times to avoid most background noises. So to recap, room knows or background sounds that you don't want to record. Always make a listening test in the room you will recording. Be aware off the most common sources for background noise. Fans and ventilation systems. Refrigerators, traffic, Children playing neighbors, chattering construction work, dogs barking, etcetera. Try to record in the quietest room. You have access to record your audio during the corner hours. Late evening, night or early morning. Great. Now you know what room noises and how to work around it. So let's move on. My friends 14. Chapter 2 Summary: Hey, friends, you're advancing force here. So let's sum up what you have learned in this chapter. First we discussed microphones and you learn about dynamic microphones versus condenser microphones. You also now know the most common types off microphones and when to use, which then we were going into recording equipment and the different ways you can record your audio. The most important lesson came next, which was about room sound and acoustics, and you learned about acoustic treatment and why it is essential if you want good audio. Then you learned about room noise and the most common types of noise sources, but also how to work around them. Very nice, my friends. So now you're ready to move on to the next chapter. 15. Microphone Placement: Hey, friends Mike here again with a giant cup of coffee, and in this video, we're going to discuss microphone placement. As I have said in previous lessons, the main rule is to always record as close to the microphone as possible. Well, no, that he should eat the microphone, but he will get the best audio when the mic is only a few inches away from your mouth. If you're using a level year microphone, the best place to put it is usually by clipping it to your shirt like this. I usually keep it just about the third button 123 and just above. If you don't want the microphone to be seen, you can also tape it to your chest inside of your church. These can be tricky, though, because the mike might rub on your shirt when you move and make disturbing noises. If you record in front of your computer, for example, screen costs, keynote videos or Webcam videos like I am now, I would advise you to use either a microphone disc mounts it up like this one or this one, but you can also use a meaning mic stand right in front of you like this. If you are recording video of yourself, for example, talking head videos or demonstration videos, and you do not want to record audio with the level year microphone, you can also use a shotgun microphone. Then you have to use a microphone stand of some kind, the two main options for microphone placement with a shotgun mike or just above the video frame or just below it. The easiest way is to place the mic below and aim it upwards like this most often for talking head videos. You only recall yourself from about the waist or so and up, so you can put the microphone just below waist level. I don't have a large mic stand to show you how to place the short con microphone just above the frame, but that is the most common solution for professional video productions. For example, in movies, they even have a guy holding the mic on a boom arm and following the scene manually. All right, so to recap, always plays the microphone as close as you can. If you use a level year, mike, clip it to your shirt or tape it to your chest inside of your shirt. If you record with the studio mike, use a microphone disc amount or a meaning mic stand. And if you're using a shotgun, mike using mic stand and place the mic just below, or just above the video frame when you record perfect. Now let's continue to the next lesson, my friends. 16. Recording Levels: favorites. This lesson will be about recording levels. So what is recording? Little's? Well, I don't want to get too technical, but basically the digital audio scale peaks at zero decibel. This means that audio in digital form never can exceed this value. So what happens if you try to drive it about zero by gaining the input level even more? Well, this is called clipping, and it results in distorted or over modulated audio. Listen to the lesson about bad audio again. If you want to hear what distorted audio sounds like, this is why you have to set the input level so that you have room to spare in the digital audio scale. You do this by monitoring the recording levels and adjusting the input gain until you have an average input level you're comfortable with. This means that you have to look at the audio level on your device. Your recording on, for example, your external order recorder or the computer software you use for recording. My personal preference is to aim for an average input level off miners. 12 decibel. If you want to be more careful, you Kaname for an evil lower average like for example, minus 18 visible. If you go too low, however, you will start hearing more starting noise in your recordings. So why can't you aim for, let's say, minus three divisible? Then you are still not sleeping and distorting right. Sadly, it's no that simple, because audio levels change depending on several factors such as, for example, your level of enthusiasm or your voice dynamics. You should also know that all microphones and pre EMS adds a bit of noise to the signal. Your record. How much depends on the quality off the equipment. If you want to be on the safe side, you should choose a lower average input level, even though we will get more noise because you can remove most noise in the postproduction process with noise reduction tools. But if you have clipped the audio, you are basically screwed. So to recap, the digital audience scale those up to zero decibel, everything about gets clipped and distorted. That is why you should aim for an average input level around minus 12 decibel to minors, 18 decibel. A good calls. The microphone and preempt will have less noise in the signal re record. You can always use no X reduction in the editing process to get rid of most static noise. But you cannot save a recording that has clipped and distorted. All right, We're making great progress here, my friends. So I will see you in the next video. 17. Articulation: Hey, friends, this lesson will focus on articulation and voice projection. I am not going to go deep into the psychology off how you deliver your message with your voice, but how you project your voice is very important. If you show confidence, honesty and let your personality come through, it will make a great difference to the viewer or listener. Articulation and voice production also impacts the audio quality not necessarily the technical side of audio, but how the listener perceives the audio. I'm not talking about stumbling on words or even saying a and every other sentence, although that is also important for the quality off the presentation. I am talking about your voice as an instrument to create sound. All good radio presenters, for example, have spent much time on training and learning how to use their voice with a microphone. Speaking into the microphone is very different from speaking to a real person. Major difference is articulation and voice projection. In everyday life, When we talk to our friends and family, we actually have quite a slurred voice. Basically, we are Lacey and in a hurry to say what we want to say. If we were to record its everyday speaking and then listen to it, we would realise that it sounds really unprofessional and unfocused. Some words, in fact, might be hard to hear. The main advice I would like to give you in this lesson is to learn how to use your voice. Must like you learn to play the piano. One way of doing this is to wear a pair of closed headphones and listen in real time while you talk into the microphone. Do not be afraid to go crazy here. Imitates your favorite actors. Try speaking like a BBC news presenter, even try to put on that movie trailer voice. I promise that it's great fun, but you should probably try to do this while no one else is around listening so that you can feel more relaxed. So, to recap, your voice is an instrument to create sound. People speak differently in real life, compared to into a microphone practice on articulating the words you speak and project your voice with clarity and confidence. Learn how to use your voice by listening with headphones while you speak into the microphone. That's it for this lesson, my friends. Let's continue in the next video 18. Chapter 3 Summary: a friends, so things are moving on really well. This chapter was focused on the recording states. Overproduction. Let's sum up what you have learned in this chapter. You have learned about microphone placement and various types of setups, depending on which microphone you use. You know how to monitor and set recording levels to get a good average input signal so that you don't raise clipping the audio or getting too much static noise. You have also learned the importance of articulation, voice protection and learning to control your voice. Think of your voice as an instrument to create sound and practice while listening in real time through headphones. Awesome. So now you're ready to move on to Chapter four. My friends and that chapter will focus on what to do after recording. 19. Syncing Audio and Video: Hey, friends. This lesson is only necessary if you have recorded your audio separately from your video, such as if you have used an external audio recorder. So if you record, for example, keynote videos, screen costs or webcam videos and you record the audio directly into your computer, this lesson is optional for you. But it might be good to know if you plan to take your video productions level further in the future. This lesson is great. If you, for example, make talking head videos, live action videos, live interviews, etcetera and you record audio to an external or the recorder. Or perhaps using the smart lab plus level here into your smartphone to record your old you . The important thing is that he also record audio with your camera at the same time, because even though the built in microphone sound very bad, you will use the audio as a reference. When you sink everything in the editing process, make sure both the video camera and audio recorder are recording properly with good into levels. Then, before the actual video content starts, you should clap your hands to make a reference point in the audio. This is important as it will be much easier to align the clips in the editing. When you have finished your video and important the video file and audio file into the editing software, you can sink the video and audio in two ways, depending on what software you use. If you are using a professional video editor, there should be a feature that automatically sings the video with the audio in Final Cut Pro, which I use. You select the audio clip and the video clip and choose synchronized clips. But the process is different in other video editors. The second way is to manually align the audio and the video. You will have to do this if you are using a less professional video editing software. When you have the audio clip below the video clip, you can look for the peak when you clap your hands. Then you manually dragged the audio clip so that the peak aligns with the clapping in your video clip. All right, so let's recap. You have learned how to prepare for audio and video sync. Remember to record the audio with both the camera and the external audio recorder and to clap your hands for reference. You know that there is an automated feature for this in professional editing software. But you also know how you can allowing your audio and video manually in the editor. All right, so let's continue in the next lesson, my friends. 20. Mixing Audio: Hey, friends, this lesson will be about mixing the audio. This is the stage after you have imported the audio into your video editor. You can, of course, also use a dedicated audience software to makes your audio. In any case, this is a big subject, so I want to focus on four guiding principles of mixing audio. And those are normalising, compressing, equalizing and limiting. Let's get right into it. Normalising means that the audio is automatically gained to the level where the highest point in the audio away form is set to zero decibel. Stage two is compression, which is the method off, decreasing the difference between the softest part off the audio and the loudest. After that, you can use an equaliser to boost or reduce certainties. Frequency ranges in the audio and the last part is limiting, which puts a ceiling on the audio so that he can boost the entire recording a few extra decibel without audible distortion. Now all these mixing stages are fine and dandy, but I guess it can be a bit too technical for most people. That is why most video editors have presets to make audio mixing much simpler. The easiest solution, I have found is in screen flow, where you just have to select the audio clip, go to the audio editor and shoes. Smooth volume levels it then that's all those magic mixing stages for you automatically, except for equalising, which to be frank is the least important stage in most cases. If you are using another video editor, I would advise you to add only a compressor and limiter in the audio effects. Then try a few different presets until you are satisfied. You might want to add an equalizer and boost the higher frequencies to increase clarity, especially if you have recorded with a level year or shotgun microphone. All right, so to recap, there are four main stages in all your mixing for video. Normalising, compressing, equalizing and limiting normalising automatically gains the audio way for him to see Roe decibel compressing decreases the difference between the softest part off the audio and the loudest part. Equalizing boosts or reduces certain frequency ranges in the audio and limiting puts a ceiling on the audio so that you can boost the entire recording a few extra decibel without audible distortion. In most cases, a compressor and limiter is enough in the audio mixing process. All right, I'm ready to get to the next lesson. I hope you are as well. 21. Noise Reduction: Hey, friends, this lesson will be about noise reduction. So what kind of noises can t reduce after you have already made your recordings? Well, I'm sorry if I disappoint you, but there are actually only a few kind of noises you can reduce in a meaningful way without destroying the audio completely. The main application for noise reduction is to reduce consistent noises within the recording such as hissing, which means static noise harming like electrical interference and other consistent disturbance in the in the background. I'm sorry to tell you that you cannot remove echo from the room with noise reduction, at least not without destroying the order you completely. It's also almost impossible to get rid of sudden background noises such as the dog barking sirens etcetera. Also be aware that even subtle noise reduction alters the audio quality. That is why you should always aim to make all corrections before recording. My main advice to you is to only use noise reduction as a last resort and mainly to reduce hissing and humming in the order recording. And if you choose to use it, don't go overboard. Don't put noise reduction to the maximum. Personally, I never go above 50% older reduction in final cut pro or screen flow, which are my main video editors off choice. So to recap, noise reduction can reduce consistent background noise. You cannot get rid of eco or started noises by using noise reduction. Always aim to reduce noise at the source before recording. And don't go overboard by maximizing the noise reduction level. I use 50% at most. All right, it's time to get to the next lesson, My friends. See you there. 22. Chapter 4 Summary: Hey, friends, you have now completed this chapter, which was focused on what to do after recording. So let's sum up what you have learned. You have learned about sinking audio and video in postproduction, either by manually aligning the clips in your editor or by using an automatic feature. If you're a video editor supports this, you know what noise reduction is? What it works best for what it doesn't do well and how you should use it carefully for the best results. And he also learned about the audio mixing stage and the most important parts to consider especially compressing and limiting. Awesome. So now you're ready to move on to the last chapter, my friends, In that chapter, I will sum up everything you have learned in this course as well as give you some personal advice, tips and tricks from my own experience and production workflow whole. Right? So let's finish this course. My friends 23. Course Summary: Hey, friends, I am so proud of you. You made it. You completed the course. Now let's reflect on all the things you learn from it. In Chapter one, you learn about the basic principles of sound and why all you is king. You also learn about direct sound versus bounced sound or echo. I demonstrated for you some common examples of bad audio, and I explained the reasons behind it. I also thought you are the key points for getting good audio. In Chapter two, I introduced you to different kinds of microphones and the technical aspect it's to consider when choosing which one to use. You learn about various kinds of recording equipment you can use in different situations. Then I introduced you to the important subject of room sound, and you learn various ways to treat and control the acoustics of the room to reduce echo. Then we talked about room noise and the most common sources of disturbance and how to work around them. In Chapter three, you learn about microphone placement, depending on the microphone you use and this atop you want. Then you learned about setting the right recording levels, and you also know about the digital decibel scale for audio. We then talked about the importance of articulation and voice projection and why you should practice to get more control on your voice. In Chapter four, you got familiar with sinking audio and video. In the editing process, we also discussed the use of noise reduction, what it can do and can't do and why you should be careful with it. Then you learn the most important aspects of mixing the audio in postproduction to get that last polish on it. It has been a pleasure to teach you my friends. It took me a long time to create record, edit and finally get this course to you. So I would be very grateful if you would be so kind and leave a nice review. Thank you for taking my course, and I hope I see you soon, my friends 24. My Expert Tips: Hey, friends. So I always want to add something extra for you in each of my courses. That is why I will share some personal advice, tips and tricks based on the experience I built up during all the years of video and audio production. I will give them to you as bullet points so you can pick and choose the ones that matter to you. Are you ready? Here we go in every video location. Always listen to the room sound and treat the acoustics before recording. Test and improve your audience it up until you're satisfied before starting the real production. Always make a test recording before recording the real video dream. Quarter ahead of every recording session, Close your eyes and take a deep breath before every video. Take. Be confident. No one is judging you when you record but yourself pulls between key points and collect your thoughts. You can always add it later. Try to be playful and have fun between takes. It makes you relax. Always have a script or bullet points accessible during recording sessions. Stay on topic. It's very easy to start rambling. Try to stick to one key subject for video for every subject reflecting what's in it for your viewers. Have a checklist for all preparations before recordings. And finally, the most important advice I can give you. Make videos that you care about yourself. Your passion will always come through. That's it, my friends. These courts have been super fun for me to teach. And I am so grateful to have you all as students. I really care about you and want you all to succeed in your creative projects. I wish you all the best of luck in the future. And I hope you will connect with me on my website and on social media. I will give you over things in the bonus video. But the next video will sum up all the things you learned in this course. See you there, my friends. 25. Bonus Video: Hey, friends, I promote you to V i. P. It's 100% free. Just go to my website, kik 11 dot com and enter your email address and you're in for all the good stuff. I'm talking about secret V I P downloads and resource is special. V i p discounts the latest news updates videos and it sold for free. So go to my website now and enter your email address to become a V i p And remember, you look my friends And by the way, I'm on Facebook too. So the best way to connect with me is to like my Facebook page and follow me there and feel free to leave a comment any time you want to.