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Subject:Improve Telepone Recording?
Posted by: wwaag
Date:8/22/2015 2:09:21 PM

I'll be recording a telephone interview in a few days. I'll be using a Zoom H2n with a lav mic on me going into one channel and the "recorded call" using an in-ear mic going into the other channel. Did a test run last night. The channel from the lav mic sounds fine but the "recorded call" sounds just like a typical phone call--someone's in a well. Here's a short clip.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lbbivlkm2v7tm7y/phone%20test.wav?dl=0

I'd certainly appreciate any suggestions on how to improve the recording in post using SF. I also have Nectar Elements and a few of the Izotope Mastering plug-ins. Thanks.

wwaag

Message last edited on8/22/2015 2:10:09 PM bywwaag.
Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: musicvid10
Date:8/22/2015 2:55:10 PM

The phone speaker carries less range than is coming over the line.
I suggest you tap into the talk line with an isolating transformer you can get at Radio Shack and adapt to your other h2 input.

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: wwaag
Date:8/22/2015 3:51:25 PM

I suggest you tap into the talk line with an isolating transformer you can get at Radio Shack and adapt to your other h2 input.

Two problems. First, Radio Shack no longer carries isolating transformers and second, the one in town, just went out of business. Actually three. Even if they had one, I wouldn't know how to do it. Lol.

wwaag

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: rraud
Date:8/22/2015 4:58:36 PM

"Two problems. Radio Shack no longer carries isolating transformers and second, the one in town, just went out of business"
- In that case, get a 'proper' interface,. JK Audio (.jkaudio.com ) has the most cost effective devices w/o making one yo'self.
I've heard of folks recording a Skype or other POIP calls. A lav taped to the ear headset is a better than nothing option.

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: wwaag
Date:8/22/2015 7:08:46 PM

A lav taped to the ear headset is a better than nothing option.

As I said, I am using an in-ear mic, (looks like an earbud) underneath a headset and also a lav for my own voice. I looked at the JK audio stuff awhile back and it seemed just a bit too expensive for a one-off recording session.

My question really is that given the quality of the audio that I posted on dropbox, is there anything I can do in post to improve it with the tools that I have?

wwaag

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: musicvid10
Date:8/22/2015 8:22:31 PM

There are also stick on induction coils, but with no radio shack, maybe Amazon?

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: wwaag
Date:8/22/2015 8:31:52 PM

There are also stick on induction coils

If you mean the kind with a suction cup that you place on a regular headset, I had one, tried it, and threw it away. A very weak signal and much worse than the in-ear mic I'm using. Actually, the in-ear mic works pretty well although it doesn't equalize the voices very well.

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: roblesinge
Date:8/23/2015 9:58:56 AM

Why not make the call over Google voice or Skype? You can then use software or hardware tools to record both sides of the call. You seem to want a fix for this with some kind of post-production, but that is not going to yield good results. Your best bet is to improve the quality of the recording.

Rob.

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: wwaag
Date:8/24/2015 10:41:51 AM

Your best bet is to improve the quality of the recording.

Agree completely. I explored both Skype and Google Voice. Skype requires 3rd party software to record and Google Voice can record only on incoming calls.

Turns out, that I already had an isolation transformer in my junk closet. http://www.amazon.com/PAC-SNI-1-3-5-3-5-mm-Isolator/dp/B001EAQTRI The phone I'm using has a 2.5mm headset jack where I can easily obtain the signal. Tried recording directly into the Zoom and it worked well. Sounds a lot better than the in-ear mic. I'm awaiting delivery of an adapter from Amazon so I can try use of the headset as well from the same signal.

Again, thanks for the replies and insistence on trying to improve the signal rather than fixing it in post.

wwaag

Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: roblesinge
Date:8/24/2015 12:44:46 PM

Glad you're attacking this from the better angle.

If you want to play around with software, take a look at [link]http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Voicemeeter/

It's a pretty good virtual audio mixing application that allows you to route signals internally.

Rob.

Message last edited on8/24/2015 12:45:09 PM byroblesinge.
Subject:RE: Improve Telepone Recording?
Reply by: wwaag
Date:8/26/2015 12:00:50 PM

Just a bit of closure. My final configuration. From the headset jack, a splitter--one side to the isolation transformer into a Zoom for line level recording. The other side, a Panasonic headset. I'm still using the in-ear mic and lav mic setup into a second Zoom H2n. It'll be easy enough to extract the channels in post using the in-ear mic channel as a means of sync. It does sound a lot better, although it's still just a phone conversation. Again, thanks for your help and also the audio mixing software tip.

wwaag

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