EQ for Dialogue Audio: Make Your Voice Sound Better with an Equalizer

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Published 2020-09-27
In today’s episode, we demonstrate one way to use an EQ (equalizer) plugin to make a dialogue sound recording a little better - richer, less harsh, and more articulate. You can do this with virtually any video editing or audio editing app available. We demonstrate how to do it, in this case, with Adobe Audition.

#Sound #EQ #Dialogue

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at school.learnlightandsound.com/ including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Shure KSM8 Dualdyne Dynamic microphone, used for the voice over for this tutorial - Sweetwater geni.us/XKxz
- Sanken COS-11D lavalier microphone, used in the audio sample we use to EQ - B&H, DVEStore, Amazon geni.us/UdpqK
- RODELink Filmmaker Wireless Microphone System, used with the Sanken and Sound Devices 888 to record the dialogue sample - B&H, Sweetwater, DVEStore, Amazon geni.us/ui2i4e
- Sound Devices 888 Mixer/Recorder - B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/zAryW4J

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: geni.us/G7by

Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd

Index:
00:00 Introduction
00:07 Summary
00:17 Explanation - Use any app
00:36 Before sample
00:49 How to EQ
07:17 Before vs After
07:52 Please take my courses

All Comments (21)
  • @alex_montoya
    Your channel is wonderful, Curtis. There's so much work put in it and I've learnt a lot. That's it, just wanted to chime in and say thanks.
  • @EpicLightMedia
    Best audio channel I’ve found on YouTube! I’ll be watching this video again I’m sure... lots of knowledge here
  • @TheCrafsMan
    Mannnnnn, Curtis! I've only recently started getting more into EQ. Previously the MOST I would do is roll off the low-end to account for any rumble or proximity effect type stuff. Hearing your example, I should have gotten into this sooner! But at least now, thanks to your video, I'm armed to better pull the best out of my dialog. THANK YOU!
  • @marshall1864
    Just the kind of clear, concise and, most of all, useful tutorial the subject calls for. Virtually everyone has or deals with voices that might not be a perfect fit for this mic or that signal chain. Nobody has an infinite microphone locker. But everyone has ears. This provides a great guide for using them. It's also a nice antidote to the temptation of wasting time and money chasing some holy grail microphone. There isn't one. And while you obviously cannot turn a Blue Yeti into a U87, you can certainly make most voices fit most mics well enough to be pleasing and credible to most listeners. Thanks, again, for underscoring that sometimes overlooked idea.
  • @JAK_EDITS.
    This is fantastic Curtis. Please more DAW/sound editing tutorials! Sound is so often overlooked in production houses that put out daily/weekly content. I wish there were 100 more people like you on YT!
  • @xHadesStamps
    It's amazing how much of a difference that EQ makes! Horrible without EQ on your voice, but *much* better with EQ
  • @GeorgeAtanassov
    Thank you Curtis, You are a benchmark for high quality (not only production quality) instructions and information on the industry. Huge respect.
  • @bsp
    Curtis, I couldn't help but laugh out loud when you had a -6dB cut with a Q of 2 and then saying "it's a subtle change" hahaha! You're the best man. A really helpful video, and an absolutely HORRIBLE sounding microphone on your voice. You definitely improved the sound on it a lot.
  • @LandsickMedia
    This sort of tutorial is exactly what most of tech youtube is missing. Thanks Curtis!
  • @erina5543
    This is the best EQ lesson I've come across. Thank you for actually teaching how to do it rather than providing some prescribed formula! My ears are not yet trained but at least I have a starting point to try and listen for things as I am EQing!
  • @Just_Samson
    I have seen this done many time by many great audio techs but this is by far the best example of the subject. You nailed it Curtis🏆 😉 Very well done.
  • @AnthonyValli
    So many tutorials I’ve seen give ranges of hertz you should boost or lower for male and female vocals. I found myself constantly referring back to their resources and mindlessly plugging in numbers. I love this tutorial because you actually teach us what to listen for and take matters into our own hands!
  • @indy4s
    This was a great quick overview of how the Parametric Equalizer works. It would be great to see more videos going over the other audio repair tools found in popular software.
  • @MartinBeebee
    Just tweaked a video I'm working on for a client after watching this and wow what a difference! Went back and fixed the previous three before they're published. The hardest part for me is just identifying by ear what those harsh frequencies are -- I'm guessing that's just a matter of experience. Thank you so much for this straightforward, easy to follow and understand tutorial.
  • @TommyCallaway
    Solid, simple, and to the point, love it. Great work as always Curtis.
  • @seanopenshaw
    So great! I've been doing a ton of interviews and have been struggling with this exact thing. Thank you for the effort and expertise you put into your videos. They are VERY much appreciated!!
  • @skyhr
    This is probably the MOST useful EQ tutorial I've found on youtube. Congrats Curtis!
  • @kiwijar_
    Hey, just stumbled across this video after spending way too many hours trying to EQ my voice. Must say this was one of the easiest to follow. Clear instructions and info made it super easy to (I hope) find what needed to be fixed and adjust it. Cheers
  • @juneaftn
    Wow. Your voice sounds like night and day after EQ. This kind of awakened my perception of subtle differences in hearing my voices after EQ. Thanks, Curtis.
  • @AllThingsFilm1
    A much needed tutorial on using EQ to improve voice audio recordings. You really are the guru of audio. Thanks so much for this.