Comments on: To duck or not to duck

By: andy

andy — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:24:11 +0000

Steve… or ducking just the competing frequencies – now there’s an idea…

By: steve davis

steve davis — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:40:15 +0000

Andy, I do like this approach. My concern is when you finish talking my mind is expecting the music to peak. It must be years of conditioning!
So all sounds great until your talking pauses, then it feels like your sound engineer was napping and missed the fade up.
However, that might just be this one sample and people might be more tolerant of the duck free zone when listening to podcasts
I can’t wait to play with it myself though as I am sure there is a happy level there to be found.
It may be that your approach combined with ducking might allow for subtle ducking, just enough to give the voice authority.
Steve

By: andy

andy — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:43:05 +0000

Thanks Ian. Yes, I’ll definitely cover it in the book. First you do a frequency analysis of the voiceover. Your’re discovering the prominent frequencies in the voice. You then lessen these same frequencies in the music bed – not too much, just a bit so the music doesn’t sound too altered. Then, when combined, those prominent frequencies in the voice don’t have to compete with the same frequencies in the music bed. It’s as if the music has accommodated the voice. Clear as mud?

By: Ian Ozsvald

Ian Ozsvald — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:18:15 +0000

Interesting technique. The first (straight mixing) is indeed a bit hard on the ears. Ducking is ok but it always sounds odd to me when a music track fades down/up around words.
Your Frequency Accommodation idea is good – it sounds very natural and the music doesn’t go too quiet.
How’d you do it? Are you covering it in the book?
Ian.