Mejora tu audio de vídeo: técnicas por presupuesto (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Audio is half of the experience when it comes to video content, and if it doesn't sound good, the chances of someone clicking off your video and never coming back skyrocket. So in this video, we'll go through how you can record audio for video at any budget. That's because I won't strictly focus on the type of gear you'll need, even though that is important, but I'll focus more on the recording and editing techniques that can take your audio to studio level quality, even with a basic microphone. Let's get started. Before we get into gear, there's one thing you need to understand. Better audio quality doesn't always come from buying a better microphone. A good microphone definitely helps, but if you use it in the wrong room, too far away from your mouth, or with the wrong settings, it can still sound bad. And on the other hand, a cheap microphone used correctly can sound surprisingly good. So no matter what budget you're working with, the goal is the same. Get the microphone close, reduce echo, record at a clean level, and make small improvements in the edit. Let's start with the lowest budget setup. If you have no budget, use the microphone you already have. That might be your phone, your laptop, or a pair of earphones. And honestly, this can work a lot better than most people think, as long as you understand the biggest problem with built-in microphones. Distance. If your camera is six feet away, your microphone is six feet away, too. And at that point, you're not just recording your voice. It's recording the entire room. It's picking up echo, fan noise, keyboard clicks, street noise, and anything else happening around you. So the easiest way to make your audio better is to move the microphone closer to your mouth. If you're filming on a camera, record backup audio on your phone and place it just out of frame. You could set it on a desk or place it on a small tripod. Just keep it somewhere close enough to capture your voice clearly. If you're filming on your phone, don't just stand across the room from it. Get closer to your phone. The second thing is your room. Avoid big, empty spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, garages, or anywhere with hard walls and lots of echo. Those spaces make your voice sound hollow, and that's one of the fastest ways to make a video feel low quality. Instead, record in any space with carpet, curtains, couches, blankets, or clothes. You're not trying to fully soundproof the room. You're just trying to reduce reflections so your voice sounds cleaner. A major hack for this is shooting outside. And before you record the full video, do a quick test. Record 10 seconds, listen back, and ask yourself, can I hear my voice clearly? Is there an echo? Is there background noise? At this level, your audio probably won't be perfect, but getting closer to the mic and choosing a softer room will immediately make it better. Once you have a little bit of money to spend, the cheapest upgrade that actually makes a big difference is the microphone. There are countless of affordable options to choose from, but a wireless lavalier microphone tends to be the most popular. They keep your microphone close to the mouth, even if the camera is farther away. That one change can make your audio sound clearer, fuller, and more consistent. This is great for creators filming talking head videos, tutorials, interviews, online courses, or videos where you need to move around. But the placement does matter. Clip the lav around your upper chest, usually six to eight inches below your mouth. If it's too low, your voice can sound distant. And if it's too high, it might sound harsh or pick up breathing noises. You also want to make sure the mic isn't rubbing against your clothes. Clothing noise is one of those things that sounds small while you're recording, but becomes extremely distracting in the edit. Kind of like mouth noises. You could also do the more modern social media approach and just hold the microphone in your hand. This is a lot more casual, but will actually give you the best audio quality with these microphones. Can you guess why? Because it's closer to your mouth. Now, at this budget level, you don't need a complicated setup. A simple lavalier microphone placed correctly can be one of the easiest ways to make your audio sound way more professional. Now, if you're recording at a desk, filming YouTube videos, creating tutorials, podcasts, or doing remote interviews, kind of like this, the next step is usually a USB or XLR microphone. This is where you can start getting that more polished studio style sound. A USB mic is great because it plugs directly into your computer. You don't need an audio interface, phantom power, or extra cables. You just plug it in, select it as your microphone, and start recording. An XLR microphone is another great option, especially if you're recording in an untreated room. Dynamic microphones specifically are often better at rejecting background noise compared to more sensitive microphones, which does make them popular for podcasting and talking head setups and in the film industry. But with both USB and XLR mics, the biggest mistake is usually the same. Say it with me, people put the microphone too far away from their mouth. If the mic is sitting on your desk two feet away from your face, it's going to pick up more of the room noise and less of your voice. So bring it closer. That's step one. For most desk style microphones, four to eight inches from your mouth is a good starting point. That might feel close at first, but that's how you get more full, clear, and present voice recordings. This is also why a mic arm can be such a helpful upgrade. It lets you position the microphone close to your mouth without leaning over your desk or having it awkwardly sitting in front of your keyboard. You can probably tell that I'm using a low profile articulating arm right now to hold this microphone. And no matter what microphone you're using, check your levels. You don't want your audio too quiet, but you also don't want it clipping. Clipping happens when your audio is too loud and distorts. And once audio is clipped, it's almost impossible to fully fix unless you're recording in 32 bit flow, which we should probably save for another video. A safe target is for your normal speaking voice to peak around negative 12 decibels with louder moments getting close to negative six, but not hitting zero. Or to keep it simple, stay out of the red. Once you've recorded, clean audio, editing can help make it sound finished. But the keyword there is clean. Editing can improve audio, but it can't fully save audio that was recorded badly. So think of editing as polish, not a rescue plan. This is also where Riverside can make that process a lot easier. Riverside isn't just a recorder. It's an all-in-one content creation suite that lets you plan, record, edit, and publish your content in one place. And inside the editor, you can use tools like Magic Audio to remove background noise, fine tune your sound, and make your audio feel more polished with just a few clicks. You can also use smooth speech to clean up filler words like ums and ahs, set pace to remove awkward silences, and per track editing to adjust volume or mute specific sections when you need more control. So if you want to record better audio for video, don't start by asking, what microphone should I buy? Start by asking, how close is the microphone? How echoey is the room that I'm recording in? Are my levels clean? And can I make small improvements in the edit? Because whether you're using your phone, a budget lavalier microphone, or a full desk setup, those fundamentals are what actually make your audio sound good. And if you want an easier way to record, edit, and publish your content all in one place, you can try Riverside for free using the link in the description. I'll also link a few videos below and up here to help you keep improving your audio quality. And if you found this video helpful, make sure to like, subscribe, and stick around for more content just like this. If you have any questions about recording better audio, leave them in the comments. I'll be happy to answer them personally. Thanks for watching. We can't wait to see what you create.