Audacity Audio mixing and effects help

[thisisdiz]

I just completed my second audio file that I plan to upload here but I'm curious as to suggestions regarding the edit. I can crop and fix crackles or mistakes but I'm unsure what kind of additive effects I could be using to enhance the file. I'm still learning Audacity so any guidance would be great!

[zapnosis]

Hi Diz!

Not sure what kind of effects you are looking for, but Audacity is great for creating brainwave beats. I have a file called The Ladder which is a background beat made in Audacity and if something like that interests you I can give you all kinds of tips. Let me know...

Cheers
Zap

[thisisdiz]

Hey Zap,

That sounds promising and I’d happily take you up on that! However I was also interested in if there were any edits besides just cropping and cutting that I should be looking to do. For example should I check the max/min volume, is there an equalizer or volume balancer I should use, should I make adjustments to the pitch somehow or add reverb or some other effects?

[zapnosis]

In the version I have (which is probably out of date), there are quite a few options under the "effect" menu. Sometimes I play around with them to see what they do, but mostly I use amplify, fade in/out and tremolo for beats. Occasionally I use change pitch, which sounds like something you'd be interested in, and there is also an echo effect which I'm sure will add reverb-like effects. Do you have this on your version?

To create a basic beat, I go to the generate menu, select tone and enter the details as required. Then select that tone and in the effect menu, find tremolo, use sine wave, wetness 100 and a nice low frequency like 4hz. Bosh. Then you can add multiple tones, multiple frequencies... all kinds of clever stuff.

Z

[Jackstock]

Use the noise reduction feature. Look up how to use it.
Heres another effect a lot of people like.... make your vocal track, then copy it and paste it again, but offset it by a 2-5 seconds (experiment). Set one track to left ear with the slider and the other track to right ear. You will get a pleasant echo effect, but it repeats everything in an interesting way for the mind.

[thisisdiz]

Thank you both for your help!

I added a custom echo at specific parts of the file and adjust the pitch for that echo, also added a delta wave file to run underneith the vocal track. I think it's promising. Gonna get some feedback from a few subs and then it should be uploaded soon!

[thisisdiz]

The file is uploaded now if anyone would like to listen and rate.


https://www.warpmymind.com/index.php?ga ... e_id=12304

[sarnoga]

Hello thisisdiz,

To address your question, if not answer it, and to go on with some other ramblings that may or may not be useful, please consider the following.

There are so many things you can do with Audacity. I wouldn't know where to begin. The best thing you can do is to start experimenting and see what you think enhances the file rather than detracts.

First, you can overlay multiple tracks. I have done that in some of my files but not all. You can offset the timing on the right and left tracks which can add some interesting quality to the sound. You can make multiple tracks out of one track and then significantly offset the timing and pitch on the different tracks making it seem like a multitude of voices. You can make multiple tracks and then split the right and left and offset them all from each other both by timing and pitch. Listen to some of what I labeled as subliminal tracks to see what I mean.

You can offset the pitch on the right and left track to good effect, essentially creating a binaural effect in the voice itself. You can play around with the various filters and effects to make the voice sound differently than it is when recorded, making the voice higher or lower, faster or slower. You can shorten pauses between words that were too long during recording and increase the space between words when that improves the quality.

Basically you can manipulate the recording in very many ways. You can record multiple tracks, make one the primary with other tracks in the background. It only depends on you, your imagination, how well you experiment and learn how to use the program, and how much time and effort you want to put into the finished file.

I am sure there are many examples on this site. You can go listen to many of my files where I have done similar things. Some of my files are just straight voice files, others have multiple overlapping tracks. Listening to them will not tell you exactly how to do all those things but it will give you ideas of what can be done, what you think enhances a file and what is just added crap. If you hear something done in a certain way that appeals to you then go play around in Audacity and try to figure out how to do it yourself. The thing is, in some files adding all the bells and whistles is a plus. Other files benefit from simplicity.

That is essentially what I did to learn Audacity. I just tried things, thought of things, figured things out. When I first started doing it, most files were just plain Jane files without all the audio manipulation beyond sometimes the overlay of a simple binaural beat. Or sometimes a file they called a subliminal which as nearly as I could tell was simply a file with the volume so low you didn't know you were hearing anything. I started creating binaural tracks and subliminal tracks for many of EMG's files. Some people liked them, some didn't. Then, after awhile I tried my hand at creating files of my own. Back then there were only a few authors on WMM, and if you wanted to post a file you had to send it to EMG, you couldn't just upload it. People heard what I was doing and got ideas. As things caught on, and after EMG created the ability to post a file by simply uploading it file techniques started changing and developing at an almost exponential rate as did the number of files posted. There were many great files being posted but also, in my opinion, a lot of junk too. Fortunately EMG never tried to play the tyrant and start trying to make judgement calls about the quality or content of the files. That is why this site today has such a wonderful collection of files of every imaginable subject. I also try to remember, that one person's junk is another person's treasure.

Now I am reasonably sure that many people have taken what I started, come up with their own ideas, and some have probably surpassed what I had done. Others may have found ways to enhance files without even listening to what I had done. I haven't listened to any files that have been posted in the last few years, but even two or three years ago there was some very high quality files being posted that were making great and imaginative use of various techniques to enhance the files. I haven't made many files in the last 8 years so I would guess there are many authors on this site that have surpassed my file making techniques in every way imaginable including the sound manipulation as well as their overall hypnosis techniques. I did a pretty good job when i was frequently making files but if I am going to start making files again I will probably have a lot of catching up to do myself.

That is not to say there is anything wrong with a simple one track voice file. From what you say, it seems that you are already doing what are the most important edits, by fixing the crackles and mistakes and insuring that you have good quality sound as free as possible from unintended static and other things that detract from the listening experience. In some of my better and later files I did just that. Recorded a simple file with only one voice track. In other files, going back to 2010 or so I was using multiple tracks, for example the file Adderal Boys. Though listening to some of those files now I cringe at some of the inadvertent mistakes I made in the editing process, with sometimes a word or phrase being too loud in comparison with the rest, or unintended differences in the track volume in certain places.

Incidentally if you have a recording with a word or two or a phrase that is too loud or two soft, you can change the volume in just that select part of the file without having to change the volume of the entire file.

But regardless of how much time, trouble, and effort I put into a file, there was always room for some improvement, something I could make just a little bit better, and thus, in the interest of completing and posting files there also comes a time when I have to say to myself, enough is enough, it is good enough the way it is and post it.

In my opinion, however, you cant count on Audacity for everything. You need to start with a good microphone or perhaps even two and equipment that will give you a good quality recording to work with. I have never had a professional recording studio to work with and so had to make due with what I had. I found that some mics were worthless, and I prefer a recording environment that keeps background noise to a minimum.

If you can start with a nice clear clean recording you are most of the way there. Do your best to properly enunciate your words so they are clearly understood. That is something that probably cannot be changed or fixed in the editing process. Then, if you do not like the sound of your voice alter it, make yourself sound the way you want to sound. Play with the various features, the pitch, the reverb, the tempo and on and on until it sounds the way you want. One big hint when doing that type of experimentation. Always save a copy before you edit so that if you don't like the changes you can go back to before you made the changes.

Choose your words carefully. Every word matters. If you use slang or other things of s similar nature, do it by choice, not by accident. You should strive to make every aspect of your file, every word used, a deliberate choice. Timing and inflection in your wording is also important and something that cannot always be corrected in the editing process.

I think EMG has an entirely different style than I do for recording files, at least he did when I would listen to them to learn. I think he is way more spontaneous in creating files, that probably comes from hypnotizing people face to face, in person, live. But I am only guessing, You would have to ask him about that. I think he would record most of his files in one take. I don't even know if he wrote out the script prior to recording, in at least some of his files I suspect he didn't. What that means is, the way I am telling you is what worked for me, it isn't necessarily the only way, or even the best way to do it. It is just the way I did it, for whatever that is worth. Some listeners loved my files, others thought they sucked. I don't mind that some didn't like my files. Initially it hurt my feelings a bit, but then I remembered that one person's treasure is another persons trash. It works both ways. And there were some that really liked my files and that was good enough for me. Reminds me of the chorus in the song, "Garden Party" by Ricky Nelson.

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

I made some people happy and that's what counts. One of the rarest things in the world would be to create something like a hypnosis file that everyone liked. I don't think it can happen, people have too many different tastes.

My first experience as a hypnotist came from making files on this site. Some of what I have learned I have, with varying levels of success, tried to use in person to simultaneously influence small groups of people into viewing things the way I want them to through choice of words, and various delivery techniques I learned while making files. I say with varying levels of success because I can only tell if I was able to persuade them or not and have no way to measure if any techniques I used in the delivery had any effect.

As I said, when I started making files, and still, when I make files the process I go through is quite different from the process EMG uses. When making a hypnosis file I would often record each track multiple times to get it right, or to get it the way I wanted it. Even then, I would prefer one portion from this recording and another portion from another recording and I would cut and paste to get the finished file that I wanted even before I started with more complex manipulation.

To me, even more important than recording the track multiple times, so that I could cut and paste to get to one final track the way I wanted it was the importance I placed on writing the script.

I would start with an idea and then take quite some time going through and making a first draft that essentially got down the idea I wanted, I would edit and make corrections as I went, touching up phrasing, choice of words and trying to use sufficient punctuation to remind me of how I wanted to present the collection of words and phrases.

Then, prior to ever recording anything I would edit, re-read and edit again, polish, perfect, decide, debate with myself over the exact choice of words. the position of the words, what ideas to present in what order. I would work, worry, edit, sleep, re-read, sometimes research synonyms and definitions explore multiple meanings that a word may or may not convey. Sometimes you want a specific word to be definite, to be subject to only one meaning, other times you want a word to be vague and subject to the listeners interpretation.

I would pour over this stuff and try to get it just right, and then do it again, and again, and again. I never did get things perfect, but as with the sound editing, in the interest of actually producing something and being able to post it I would eventually decide that it was good enough and move on to the recording phase. There were still times, however, that once I started recording I realized the file could benefit from changes to or alterations of the script. It seems to be true, at least to me, that no matter how well something seems when you have it on paper, or the computer screen, that when you actually start to speak those words they are not always exactly what you wanted.

So anyway, I hope I have not bored you to death. I know you only asked about what you can do in Audacity, and all I was able to tell you was to listen to some examples and then use your imagination and play with it.

I know you didn't ask about the other aspects of recording or the file making process at least as it was done by me, but there it is. I hope it is of some value to you or other readers, or at the very least interesting reading. I see you have already posted your file and maybe this is all too late. I would listen and give you some feedback but I am guessing it is still a premium file and at the moment I do not have a premium membership.

Of course there is always the possibility that I am just full of shit, and ought to be ignored, but that is up to you to decide.

Best regards and happy file making,

Sarnoga