Sound levels on dialog & background music

[babyteeth4]

In many of our videos we have background music playing while the actors are talking. I have always tried to make sure that the dialog can be clearly heard without fatiguing the viewer. But really, all I can do is put it at levels that sound good to me, on my computer. It's not very scientific.

Now, a friend of mine has told me that he has difficulty understanding the dialog over the music, not all the time, but sometimes. I have gone back through the video but I was able to tell what my actors (my children) were saying.

This is the first person who has told me about this dialog problem, so I'm more prone to think it's his problem (maybe his equipment, maybe his hearing). But, this got me wondering--is there a more scientific and measurable way to ensure that dialog is can be clearly heard above the background music, without just going by ear? I hate to dial down the music to the point where it can barely be heard, it kind of defeats the purpose. On the other hand, I want people to hear the words.

Any advice here?

 

[Brodie]

A good set of headphones is a good way to judge it from an overall view. I normally edit with my headphones and then check that it sounds normal on my speakers, generally background music should be subtle unless it's some kind of action scene. Just enough to notice it but not draw attention away from the main dialogue

 

[Symph]

In many of our videos we have background music playing while the actors are talking. I have always tried to make sure that the dialog can be clearly heard without fatiguing the viewer. But really, all I can do is put it at levels that sound good to me, on my computer. It's not very scientific.

Now, a friend of mine has told me that he has difficulty understanding the dialog over the music, not all the time, but sometimes. I have gone back through the video but I was able to tell what my actors (my children) were saying.

This is the first person who has told me about this dialog problem, so I'm more prone to think it's his problem (maybe his equipment, maybe his hearing). But, this got me wondering--is there a more scientific and measurable way to ensure that dialog is can be clearly heard above the background music, without just going by ear? I hate to dial down the music to the point where it can barely be heard, it kind of defeats the purpose. On the other hand, I want people to hear the words.

Any advice here?

I've actually felt before like the bg music in your vids was slightly low, which means it's probably just right hahaha You know how I'm always talking about mixing music? Well one thing you do with that is you sort of listen to and feel the weight of everything. You want the dialogue to feel like a big heavy over arching force resting on top of a shallow sea of music if that makes sense. You should not really feel the "weight" of your background music, but rather just let it fill silence and add a vibe to the video.[DOUBLEPOST=1406577050,1406576890][/DOUBLEPOST]oh also, me and my family all watched a bunch of kid candy reviews last night, like my sister and little nephews, everyone, nobody had trouble understanding a thing

 

[babyteeth4]

Thanks guys!

That helps put it into some perspective! I would like to crank the music a bit more but my girls are so soft-spoken I have to back it off a bit. I've tried the automated sound level-setting option on PowerDirector (my video editor) but it never works as well as manually messing with the sound. Maybe I just need to get a better mic placement to pick up their voices.

Symph: Thanks for the feedback, and that's great that you watched the candy reviews with family!

 

[Wreckless Eating]

The trick is to view your video the same way your viewers do. Watch it on a cellphone or tablet or on a PC with some s****y speakers. That's how the majority of your audience will probably watch your videos (check devices under analytics to make sure).

In a way, it's similar to a test that music producers use. When you mix in a studio, you're in a soundproof environment with almost no echo and a state of the art sound system. Everything sounds good. So you always check to see how it sounds on a crappy car stereo before calling it done to make sure it sounds right for the outside world.

 

[Symph]

The trick is to view your video the same way your viewers do. Watch it on a cellphone or tablet or on a PC with some s****y speakers. That's how the majority of your audience will probably watch your videos (check devices under analytics to make sure).

In a way, it's similar to a test that music producers use. When you mix in a studio, you're in a soundproof environment with almost no echo and a state of the art sound system. Everything sounds good. So you always check to see how it sounds on a crappy car stereo before calling it done to make sure it sounds right for the outside world.

^^ yep[DOUBLEPOST=1406580528,1406580396][/DOUBLEPOST]

Thanks guys!

That helps put it into some perspective! I would like to crank the music a bit more but my girls are so soft-spoken I have to back it off a bit. I've tried the automated sound level-setting option on PowerDirector (my video editor) but it never works as well as manually messing with the sound. Maybe I just need to get a better mic placement to pick up their voices.

Symph: Thanks for the feedback, and that's great that you watched the candy reviews with family!

Are you compressing their voices at all? Whenever there are lots of changes in the volume range of a dialogue throwing a little compression on their audio does wonders, it will level out the volumes so that everything is more even.

 

[babyteeth4]

^^ yep[DOUBLEPOST=1406580528,1406580396][/DOUBLEPOST]
Are you compressing their voices at all? Whenever there are lots of changes in the volume range of a dialogue throwing a little compression on their audio does wonders, it will level out the volumes so that everything is more even.

I'm not sure how to compress the vocals, would I have to export it from the video? There's an option called "Normalize" on PowerDirector's audio editing section, I'm going to give this a try and see if it irons out the volumes in the vocals--it lets me select the individual tracks.

 

[Symph]

I'm not sure how to compress the vocals, would I have to export it from the video? There's an option called "Normalize" on PowerDirector's audio editing section, I'm going to give this a try and see if it irons out the volumes in the vocals--it lets me select the individual tracks.

thats where I have no idea cause I don't know your editor. Final cut literally has like 20 compressors to choose from, but without that I have no clue.

 

[babyteeth4]

I have Cyberlink Wave Editor, it supports VST plugins so hopefully I should be able to find a compression plugin on the net.