Written by AHadley
Introduction This tutorial is intended to instruct you on the recording and editing of ISDF/EDF vox clips, or voiceovers. These can then be used in-game as unit acknowledgement clips, storyline voiceovers, or monologues. The guide will show you how to add radio static to the recordings, to create a realistic sound that is ready to be put in-game. The tutorial does not explain how to recreate Cerberi, Hadean, or Scion voiceovers, nor those of any other race, but I will explain them in a separate tutorial(s) if I can figure them out. Similarly, this guide does in no way describe all the features of GoldWave. There are many others which I have not explained, some of which I have never even used. Do not let me stop you from fiddling with the controls.
If you have any questions about the tutorial or the software, please PM me on either
www.bz2md.com or
www.bzuniverse.com. Please do not ask that I do, or aid you in doing, anything illegal involving the software. I had to fork out $50 for it, I’m not saving you the trouble.
SoftwareGoldWave is fairly expensive (49 USD), and is substantially older than most other audio software available (version 1.00 was released in 1993, current version is 5.25) but was most famously used (in BZ2) for recording the voiceovers used in Forgotten Enemies by Bob “BS-er” Stewart.
GoldWave’s trial is ideal for this, as all features are enabled, though it is limited to ~800 operations (this including Save, Open, New, Playback operations, and editing) and to 200 operations per sitting (to get around this, close the program and open it again before you reach 200). Once this trial runs out, I am sure there are ways the program’s lifespan can be extended, though I decided to buy a copy anyway.
Tutorial
Step One: New FileOn clicking New in GoldWave, you are offered the choice of several lengths and qualities of track. Depending on what you want to record, you may wish to choose a different setting, but I use the default 1:00 setting. If you are recording an intro clip or a loading monologue, you may want something longer, and if you are modifying a sound effect, you may want something shorter. Remember, though, that whatever you use, you can always clip extra space from the end, but you can’t add it on at the end.
Step Two: Initial Recording Make sure you’re in the right environment for recording. This means minimizing background interference - ideally, you’ll want to be the only person in the room, with your microphone at between six and twelve inches from your mouth. Make sure you have memorized your lines or have them written down in front of you. Press the big red record button (bottom toolbar if you can’t find it) and say what you need to say. Now your voiceover is recorded, select any silence at the beginning and the end and delete it. The voiceover will sound fairly cheesy, don’t delete it just because of that. Follow the process through because this normally fixes itself.
You will find that the recording may seem a little quiet – don’t worry, we’ll deal with that later.
Now your voiceover is recorded, select any silence at the beginning and the end and delete it.
Step Three: EQ Once you have your recording, you can now thin it out to make it sound like it is coming over a radio. Press the Equalizer button - - and select the Thin preset. Press OK.
This operation makes the recording even quieter than it was before, you will notice. We’ll deal with that next.
Step Four: Volume IncreaseNow we deal with the volume. The recording will have been quiet to begin with, and made even quieter by the thinning on the Equalizer, so click the Volume button - - and select the ‘Double’ preset. You will have to do this several times (until the highest point on the waveform reaches the maximum, and then once more to add a little distortion), or alternatively you can use the slider and judge it by eye – this is much quicker if you do it right, but much slower if you do it wrong. I play it safe and double it.
Step Five – StaticThere are two methods that can be used to add static to a voiceover. The first is to use the Dynamics tool (which is named rather oddly since as far as I can tell it doesn’t adjust dynamics) and the second is to mix in a pre-recorded static track. You can record your own using a radio with an FM/AM tuner or you can download it from the internet. It is also possible to use both effects together.
Five A – Dynamic Static Click the Dynamics button - - and select the ‘Hiss noise’ preset. Applying this makes ‘S’s sharper, which is one of the most prominent effects of static noise.
For very heavy static, use the Coarse Quantize preset, or even both Hiss and Quantize.
Five B – Static Mix Open your static track (downloaded or recorded) in GoldWave. Copy it, and go back to your voiceover. Don’t paste anything. Go to Edit>Crossfade, and click that instead. Type the length of the shortest track in the Duration box, and then select ‘None’ for Fade Out curve and ‘Linear’ for Fade In curve. This merges the two tracks together, either at the end or the beginning of the voiceover.
Step Six – FinalizationSave your game as either an .MP3 or a .WAV. If you indend to use the voiceover in a project of your own, use .WAV, as this is the format used in stock BZ2. If you intend to transfer the file, save it as an .MP3, and let the recipient transfer it instead, to save file space. Your voiceover is now complete and ready for use in game.
Preview VoiceoverI have recorded a short voiceover that makes use of every feature mentioned in this tutorial. It can be found at the following link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=50091bb58b231cd575a4fc82078ae6c82724b8d2db999851ce018c8114394287
