New Sound Recordings (Weapons, Etc)

[jitspoe]

Which build did you get these sounds from?  They look different than the ones I included with build 25.  Give build 25 a shot, if you haven't yet.  Some of these issues might have been resolved already.

[i_am_a_pirate]

not sure if this is the topic to say it, but i noticed when listening through my new headphones that some of the sounds (like round beginning, flag grab, etc.) have bits of background noise that's slightly annoying. Just to throw this out there!

[Justinph5]

p.s. I like the new sound of pball's hitting the wood... Sounds just like it

[mewa]

Overall, the clipping issue is still present, but definitely better. It looks like your using some sort of VU meter and adjusting to that, but the nature of these sounds makes it highly inaccurate. You're trying to record some complex transients that have peaks far shorter than what most meters will display. So when the meter says you're not clipping, it's just an average of hundreds of milliseconds, and your peaks are accruing within a handful of milliseconds. The easy solution is to just aim for a lower peak, ~-6db/-9db. It's not gonna hurt much and the level can be brought back up with software.

The VM-68 is a great example of something that looks alright on screen (as far as clipping), but ends up sounding like a pile of manure. Can't say what happened with this one, I'm guessing that the mic was too close to some gas release. Stepping back from the gun should give it a much more musical note.

I think my last post is still incredibly relevant, and for now, the best way I can help you with putting out good sounds. Maybe this spring I'll go down a pball field and try the agony of recording some of myself. For now, shoot me the raw clips of whats in b25 or any new stuff you got and I'll run it through some processing.

-Last post was referring to b24 sounds. Also, the pgp sounds out of place being the only one recorded indoors.

[jitspoe]

The VM-68 hasn't been re-recorded yet.  It still has the old sound.  Some of the b24 sounds still had clipping.  I think most have been re-recorded without clipping now.

[mewa]

They all have some degree of clipping, some worse than others. On a few it is negligible, on some it's still really bad.

Here's my suggestions laid out plainly:

1.)   i.)Record the guns at about 3-6ft (kinda guessing, but about 175% of the distance you've been recording at, also keep in my the inverse square law) should do the trick and "eliminate" two birds with one stone, the clipping and tonal issues. Try and keep the peaks blow -6db (what kind of level meter are you using right now in the field?).

      ii.)Experiment with the tones by positioning the microphone at different angles, on all axis, around the gun. I think you'll find theres a pretty wide range of timbres that can be had from the same gun. I'd shoot for suppressing the gas and mechanism noises as much as possible. Although their an essential part of identifying which gun is being used, these noises are becoming more prominent in the recordings and fall into that area of "annoying sounds" at too high a level.
 
 2.)  i.) Take the recordings home and pick a handful of shots that sound appropriate to you. Edit them out into a new file and upload/send the files to mewa.
      ii.) Since no one expects you to go out and record a new batch of sounds (for the 3rd or 4th time in months), send me the original recordings for the most recent sounds, and maybe note the shot's you selected. I'll try and do something with them for the time being.
 
 3.)Wash your hands clean of the sounds and move on to more productive things.
 
 
 
 Although this conversation has revolved around the gun sounds, which are probably the most important, it doesn't have to be limited to them. Send me originals for any of the sounds being used and I can work on them and try to create something better.
 
 
 mewa.rules

[jitspoe]

You make it sound like these are musical instruments.

Have you tried the build 25 sounds yet?

I think most of the original recordings are here: http://dplogin.com/files/mediasource/sounds/guns/

[mewa]

Yep. My posts are always in reference to the most current sounds you ask me to listen to, fyi. As long as the sound on these recordings isn't noise, its harmonic and hence musical. The terms are loosely defined and leave room for plenty of academic discussion, but these sounds have distinct timbres and even "notes". (smiley face)

I've got those files. I was hoping you might have something archived from before any potential manipulation (straight from the mic).

[jitspoe]

Well, rapidly escaping air is, for the most part, noise, though there are also some harmonic sounds from the springs and other mechanical parts moving around.

Which sounds, specifically, have clipping?  None of the newest sounds should clip.  And the original recordings are in the directory I posted.  For example http://dplogin.com/files/mediasource/sounds/guns/pgp/pgp_4shots_shortbarrel_4balls_4dry_20090103.wav is the raw PGP recording.