Tips to Record Clear Audio in a Noisy Environment

No matter the profession you are in, if you work around a lot of audio recording equipment, then it is safe to say that you might find yourself in a situation where you have to engage in the process of recording audio. If that is the case, then it is very important that you are taking care of the background noise, especially if you are in a noisy environment. After all, no one wants to listen to a track that is littered with background noise as it is just off-putting for several reasons.

Sure, AI-powered noise reduction is a thing that works, but it might not work in all situations, and it absolutely does not serve as a way for us recorders just to avoid simple things. Removing background noise can be tricky with the help of audio editing software, no matter how powerful, and that is why, as a recording artist or a person, it is up to you to make sure that audio recordings come out clean so you don’t have to rely on something else to remove background noise.

In this post, we are going to start exploring how you can go ahead and reduce background noise. So, let’s not waste time and have a look.

Reduce the Distance Between the Subject and the Microphone

Honestly, I am surprised that not a lot of people know this, but one of the most common ways to ensure that the background noise is taken care of, even when using an audio interface, is simply by reducing the distance between the subject and the microphone. Yes, you might have to reduce the gain of the mic, but that’s not really an issue since most microphones allow you to do that with ease. By doing so, you will be able to record audio with minimal noise, ensuring better audio quality and clear voice recordings on your hands.

Taking Care of the Background Noise-Producing Sources

I don’t think this needs to be said, but for the sake of making sure that you know everything when it comes to reducing background noise it is important to understand when you are in the process of taking care of background noise, you must remove the noise sources that are contributing to it. If you really want to reduce background noise and be effective at noise reduction, this is the way to go. Your audio quality will improve, and recordings will be a lot cleaner once you start doing this.

If you are not sure how to effectively achieve high quality audio through noise reduction, I would highly suggest that you use a pair of headphones that act as studio monitors and use them to monitor if there is any noise coming into the headphones and then look for the source.

Using the Right Microphone

This is as obvious as obvious can get, but when you are recording audio, and you want to be sure that you are not dealing with any background noise, then the best way is to use the right microphone with the polar pattern that suits your setting the best. You will run into various input level options such as cardioid, super cardioid, shotgun, and condenser mics, and finding the right one is the best thing that you can do.

If you are having a hard time getting rid of the background noise such as wind noise, you can always position the microphone with a pop filter in the right way, and more importantly, you can always use a directional microphone to make sure that the microphone is only picking sound frequencies from the direction it is supposed to pick up from, and you will realize that this is going to help with noise reduction a lot.

I do understand how difficult noise reduction can be, but if you genuinely want to make sure that you are handling it the right way, then it is better that you are looking at all the ways that you should. It can be difficult but this will help you get things done in no time.

Using a Low-Cut Filter

Another tip that helps with noise reduction is the use of low-cut filters, especially in a controlled environment like a sound booth. Now, this can be a bit confusing for a lot of people, so I am going to try and make it as simple as possible.

You see, the majority of the unwanted noise that you are dealing with is a lot like pink noise, and most of its energy is at low frequency, and less at higher frequency. What this means is that when you are looking at below 100Hz, you don’t have a lot of energy, in this case, you can use a high-pass or low-cut filter will help you with noise reduction a lot.

If you are doing something where the speech is perhaps the most important part of audio recording, it is always better to use these filters because there is no such thing as noise that is good. If you want to enhance audio quality by taking care of background noise the right way, you can always use such filters and get things sorted without any issues.

The whole idea when recording audio is to reduce background noise and ensure you don’t run into any issues that make things complicated. No one wants to spend countless hours in post production with noise reduction software to get things done. Removing background noise the right way by using methods that have been industry standard for years.

Reducing the Number of Microphones

Now, this is something that might not make sense to everyone, but if you are looking for a way to ensure that your voice recordings are as clean as possible, then you can just reduce the number of microphones. I do understand that this can be confusing for a lot of people, but let’s be honest, if you have a lot of open microphones (microphones that are actively recording audio), then they are a constant source of noise.

Instead of letting them come in your audio recordings, you can just go ahead and take care of the whole situation by reducing these microphones. Your audio recordings will be as clean as they could be, and you won’t have to use any noise reduction techniques, either.

Conclusion

I will be honest. I know for a fact that noise reduction is not a job when it comes to cleaning an audio recording, but it is something that we have to take care of absolutely. Audio engineers work really hard to ensure that the audio file that is handed to them does not have a lot of noise and does not require a lengthy noise reduction process, because, let’s be honest, if a noisy audio recording comes to us and we realize that there is not much noise reduction that can be done to this project, then it becomes an issue for a lot of people.

In this article, we have tried to make sure to mention as many ways to ensure that your audio recording does not have to be subjected to too much noise reduction. Sure, a part of your audio recording might have to be treated, but by following these tips, you can minimize the risks of ruining your audio quality, and once you do that, you will be a master at it in no time.

To simplify the editing process and achieve clearer audio, it is crucial to handle as much noise reduction as possible during the initial recording phase, so less time is spent correcting issues later on.

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