MMS 172 Final Project Walkthrough
MMS 172 Final Project Walkthrough
The Kat Café: An Audio Podcast
The Kat Café is an audio podcast where I briefly talk about quotes that I like from shows that I love. This self-indulgent project is my way of putting out some of my thoughts that I haven’t shared with anyone before.
For this particular project, I chose to talk about my favorite show, Haikyū!!
In order to make this project come together, I collected my views about the show and along with that, I applied my knowledge of playing the violin. To be more specific, here are the components of my project followed by the sequence of its elements.
Project Components:
1 vocal track for the main podcast content
2 violin tracks for the intro and outro
2 virtual piano tracks for the transition sounds and its accompaniment
1 track for a sound effect (SFX: Pouring of a drink into a cup.)
Podcast Sequence
For my project, I ended up sticking with all of what I have mentioned in my pre-production blog. Specifically for my microphone, I gave up on purchasing a new one and instead just worked on improving the acoustics of my room. This led me to buying a windscreen and some acoustic foam panels instead. Gladly, it turned out quite well specifically for vocal recording. Listed below is the final list of the equipment I used for this project.
Equipment
Microphone:
- TNW A21 Wireless Lavalier Microphone
Physical Instrument:
- Bachendorff 4/4 Violin
Headphones:
- Sony WH-CH720N
Digital Audio Workstation:
- Logic Pro
Production Area
In my pre-production blog I have mentioned that my best option for the production area is the current room that I am staying in. I ended up following that plan. Since the room was not treated, I purchased a few acoustic foam panels and attached them onto a foldable panel that I used before for a different course. Since it is a trifold board, it is just right to surround my microphone for better sound quality. For my microphone, I couldn’t find a stand specifically for lavalier microphones but I do have a phone stand that is just the right height for me to record on my desk while sitting. Hence, I simply used a tape to fix my mic onto the bracket that is supposed to hold a phone. Because its angles are highly adjustable, I was also able to adjust and position it so that the mic directly faces me. When recording my vocals, I also made sure that there will be nothing else surrounding the microphone except for the foam panels. Attached below are photos of my final recording setup.
Full Recording Setup
Setup for Vocal Recording
Signal Flow
For recording, I used a plug and play lavalier microphone from TNW which means that I did not use any audio interface. This makes the signal inflow go from my sound source, to my microphone, and then straight to the digital audio workspace that I used, which is Logic Pro. The signal outflow will simply go from my DAW to the output device as well.
Signal Inflow
Signal Outflow
Timetable
This term’s workload was way heavier than I expected which caused me to start working on the project quite late. While I was able to finish my script on schedule and practice on my vocals a bit, the second week of August got occupied by a requirement from another course. Consequently, the other remaining week that I allotted for practicing got moved back. Therefore, it can be considered that I only officially started working on the project towards the end of the 3rd week of August. Below is a visualization of my project timeline.
Script
The script is probably the only element of the project that perfectly followed my initial timeline. In writing it, I focused on talking about my personal experiences and thoughts about the show. I tried to make it as relatable and as conversational as I could. Attached below is a copy of my full script.
Music Scores & Guides
The first of the Haikyū!! musical pieces that I decided on was the background music used for its commercial breaks or eye catchers. At first I was actually worried if I could find a score for it so I immediately started looking even before writing my pre-production blog. Luckily, I found the MuseScore website wherein I found scores for the other soundtracks I used as well. Though I ended up using different sources to play the other two pieces, the site was still very helpful.
Music Score for the Haikyū!! Commercial Break
With the help of the music score, the commercial break soundtrack, which I used as my transition sound, was the first track that I finished mixing.
While I also found music scores for “Above” and “Imagination”, I tried my luck in finding tutorials or guides for those specific songs on Youtube, just to make it easier for me to learn them, especially since I was already a week off from my initially planned timeline schedule. I honestly did not think that I would be able to find any but I was glad to be proven wrong.
Attached below are the guides that I used for both songs. For “Imagination”, I used the entirety of the song cover guide since it already matched my ideal length for an intro song. Meanwhile, for “Above”, I used the part of the song from these timestamps: (01:33 - 02:05).
Violin Guide for "Imagination"
Violin Guide for "Above"
LINKS TO THE GUIDES & SCORE
Violin Guide for "Above" - https://youtu.be/NqNHNVVWtKw?si=5-w1XQu5wKDwbLGg
Violin Guide for "Imagination" - https://youtu.be/BDHzjAqdlCI?si=kAod5n9YtvOSOqAi
Piano Score for the Haikyū Commercial Break - https://musescore.com/user/20899086/scores/6253036
I first started recording my vocals for the main podcast content. As mentioned in the logistics section of this blog, I used my TNW A21 lavalier microphone for all the recordings that I did for the project. I made sure to use a windscreen as well as activate the noise cancelling feature of the microphone. To add, even if the foam panels did great work with blocking fan noise from reaching the mic, I still made sure to set the fan at relatively low mode, since the one that I am using can go down to a really light fan mode. Some of the recordings were also done when I was using an air conditioner instead of a fan, making it easier to get a silent environment.
Recording my lines was fairly easy but I did have to do some parts over and over again. Some because the projection of my voice wasn’t ideal while there were some that were redone because my initial script used too many similar sounding words–an overload of S’s for example. Naturally due to this, there have also been changes with my script along the way.
The violin recordings were probably the hardest part of the project, probably even more than the mixing and mastering itself. I learned the music pieces quicker than I expected but I just could not get the sound that I wanted when recording. It took a lot of trials but I found that it was better to record the violin without activating my microphone’s noise cancelling function since it made the violin sound kind of muddy and quiet. A downside of doing so is that it required me to turn off any electronic appliance that made any kind of noise. The results still weren’t quite what I wanted but I decided to leave it for the DAW to fix.
Vocal Track
For the main vocal content of my podcast, I mainly focused on leveling the volume of my voice as well as getting rid of the loud parts due to some plosives and sibilance. For a more leveled volume across the track, I used two compressors with one focusing on loudness and the other for general leveling.
(Refer to image carousel and captions on the right.)
I also used three different EQ plugins to adjust the frequencies that I wanted to be tucked in or brought out. Logic Pro’s Channel EQ was the most helpful in lessening the sounds made by plosives while the TDR Nova plugin was helpful in removing some low frequency hums in the background.
For the S sounds, I used the DeEsser 2 plugin and lastly, I used a Noise Gate plugin to get rid of the more quiet but present sounds while I was recording. This includes sounds of inhaling and some background noises
To compare, here is a before and after comparison of my vocal track.
Raw Vocals Snippet
Mixed Vocals Snippet
Violin Tracks
For the violin tracks, I aimed to make it sound as studio recorded as I possibly could. A lot of times, especially for the song “Imagination”, the sound appeared good when live but when listening through the recordings, some parts would sound muffled. This is why when mixing, I took parts of multiple recording takes and put it together to create the best version of the song cover. The DAW effects that I used for the violin song tracks were mostly similar. Listed below are the plugins that I used for both.
(Refer to image carousels and captions.)
For basic adjustments, I added a compressor for both violin tracks to level the loudness throughout each. I also lowered the input gain for the “Above” track.
I also used a Channel EQ to lessen the brightness of the violin sound and then I added a Vintage Console EQ for both to make the instrument sound fuller. A lot of the adjustments that I did for the Channel EQ were also to remove the really low frequencies that might be present in the tracks. It also helped for the “Above” track especially since the take that I used had a low and distant fan sound present in the background.
To assist more in removing the background noises, I used a noise gate plugin.
The TDR Nova plugin was also added to both for more dynamic EQ adjustments.
Lastly, I added reverbs on both tracks using the Stage Designer plugin. I tried many adjustments on the tracks but I found that using the Storage Chamber preset sounded the best to me.
Violin Track - Imagination
For the “Imagination” track alone, I used a pitch correction plugin for minor corrections on some notes that were played a tiny bit flat or sharp.
Violin Track - Above
Particularly for the “Above” track, I used an Expander plugin which, out of all the plugins that I have used, was the most effective at removing the background humming and noises from the fan. Additionally, I used a Graphic EQ on the “Above” track to make small adjustments to the frequencies.
To see the difference, here is a before and after comparison of my violin tracks.
Raw Violin Track - Imagination
Mixed Violin Track - Imagination
Raw Violin Track - Above
Mixed Violin Track - Above
Transition Tracks
To make a cover of Haikyū’s commercial break music which I used as transition sounds, I used Logic Pro’s Studio Piano plugin played through musical typing. I also made accompaniments for the transitions by copying the notes that I did for the main sound and then placing them lower on Logic's piano roll editor. After that, I adjusted the accompaniment’s volume so that it blends well with the main transition sound.
Here are the raw and mixed versions of my transition sounds.
Main Transition Sound
Transition Sound Accompaniment
Transition Sound Accompaniment
Sound Effects
To create a sound effect of a drink being poured into a cup, I simply recorded the sounds of a cup catching water under a faucet. I also added a fade out and made some small adjustments to it using the Channel EQ together with a Compressor.
I made sure to lower the input gain in the Compressor to ensure that it stays in the background and does not overshadow the main vocals. Lastly, I adjusted its panning to the left for a more interesting effect and so that it separates more clearly from the other tracks.
Here is the before and after comparison of my sound effects.
Raw Sound Effect
Mixed Sound Effect
To the right is a screenshot of what my final mix looks like and attached below are my final outputs in both audio and video form. The video output fulfills what I have mentioned in my pre-production blog, stating that I wanted to make a video version of the project.
Screenshot of Final Mix in Logic Pro
Final Output - Video Form
This project was a lot more stressful than I initially expected, especially as there were unexpected obstacles in the form of sudden requirements from other courses. Nonetheless, I think I did my best and I did enjoy working in Logic Pro. It was interesting how certain plugins can easily adjust and remove sounds that were unwanted from my project. Of course, I also enjoyed brainstorming and yapping about the quotes that live in my mind rent free. Something pleasantly unexpected about my project is how my vocal mix actually came out better than I thought it would, which I am very glad about. I think I have the acoustic foams to thank for that. Another aspect of my project that I was satisfied with is how I did my transition sounds. I finished those surprisingly quickly and with a quality that is up to par with my expectations.
I do wish I could do better with my violin tracks. Perhaps with a much better microphone, it could have sounded better. Not to mention that I think I could have done better with playing the instrument. I actually tried adding accompaniments for the violin tracks but I just couldn’t seem to blend the recorded violin well with Logic Pro’s Studio Piano. That one aspect is also something that I find regrettable.
With all that is said, I still think I did my best considering my time constraints. I hope I can get to explore audio mixing and mastering more, especially for the sake of my future career. As of now, I will make sure to remember what I have learned through this course and project.
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