Editing Voice Editing Voice TracksTracks

by Jay Roseby Jay RoseDV Magazine April 2001DV Magazine April 2001

One View of Editing One View of Editing DialogDialog

Look at waveformLook at waveform Find pauses where waveform drops Find pauses where waveform drops

to zeroto zero Edit during silenceEdit during silence

Silence MethodSilence Method

SimpleSimple Easy to describeEasy to describe May not be the best methodMay not be the best method

Limits creativityLimits creativity Forces you to discard otherwise perfect Forces you to discard otherwise perfect

takes when they have easily fixable takes when they have easily fixable sound problemssound problems

Silence MethodSilence Method

Doesn’t edit sound – it edits pictures Doesn’t edit sound – it edits pictures of soundof sound

Many audio details don’t show up on Many audio details don’t show up on a waveforma waveform

Professional editors use waveforms Professional editors use waveforms only as a rough guide onlyonly as a rough guide only

They mark their edits while They mark their edits while scrubbing and listeningscrubbing and listening

Pro EditingPro Editing

Takes a little ear training and Takes a little ear training and understanding of how sounds fit understanding of how sounds fit togethertogether

You’ll be able to replace individual You’ll be able to replace individual syllables of dialog… syllables of dialog…

piece together difficult interviews… piece together difficult interviews… and assemble VO’s that are and assemble VO’s that are

inhumanly perfectinhumanly perfect

The Ear is Faster than The Ear is Faster than the Eyethe Eye

Film and video work because your Film and video work because your eyes can’t distinguish individual eyes can’t distinguish individual frames when they’re flashed quicklyframes when they’re flashed quickly

However, you However, you cancan identify sounds identify sounds that are much faster than a single that are much faster than a single frameframe

Say these two phrases aloud:Say these two phrases aloud: The small potThe small pot The small totThe small tot

The Ear is Faster than The Ear is Faster than the Eyethe Eye

The picture shows the first phrase on the upper The picture shows the first phrase on the upper channel and the second one on the bottomchannel and the second one on the bottom

The Ear is Faster than The Ear is Faster than the Eyethe Eye

Only about a dozen Only about a dozen milliseconds of sound milliseconds of sound - in the red circles – - in the red circles – have any significant have any significant differencedifference

That’s less than half That’s less than half a video frame…a video frame…

……but you’d never but you’d never confuse a cooking confuse a cooking utensil with a small utensil with a small childchild

Edit Like a ProEdit Like a Pro

The ability to hear and understand fast The ability to hear and understand fast sounds is built in to most of ussounds is built in to most of us

To edit successfully you have to learn to To edit successfully you have to learn to analyze what you hearanalyze what you hear

Say “the small pot” aloud listening very Say “the small pot” aloud listening very closely to your own voice while you do.closely to your own voice while you do.

Then immediately afterwards hear Then immediately afterwards hear those three syllables again in your headthose three syllables again in your head

Repeat this a few timesRepeat this a few times

Edit Like a ProEdit Like a Pro

Now slow down what you’re hearing Now slow down what you’re hearing in your head so you can hear the tiny in your head so you can hear the tiny changes inside each wordchanges inside each word

In “the small pot” example you In “the small pot” example you should be able to hear the definite should be able to hear the definite transitions between /th/, /uh/, /s/, transitions between /th/, /uh/, /s/, /maw/, /l/, /p/, /ah/, and /t//maw/, /l/, /p/, /ah/, and /t/

Don’t give up if you aren’t hearing Don’t give up if you aren’t hearing individual sounds immediately…individual sounds immediately…

……it takes a little practice, especially it takes a little practice, especially for visually orientated peoplefor visually orientated people

What You’re Listening What You’re Listening ForFor

We can predict exactly which tiny We can predict exactly which tiny sounds are in “the small pot” sounds are in “the small pot” because there aren’t that many ways because there aren’t that many ways humans move their mouths during humans move their mouths during speech.speech.

In the entire English vocabulary In the entire English vocabulary there are only a few dozen of these there are only a few dozen of these sounds called…sounds called…

PHONEMESPHONEMES

PhonemesPhonemes

Phonemes can be organized into Phonemes can be organized into groups that are useful to editorsgroups that are useful to editors

They don’t necessarily correspond to They don’t necessarily correspond to letters that spell a wordletters that spell a word

There’s no phoneme for “C” because There’s no phoneme for “C” because it’s pronounced as /s/ or /k/…it’s pronounced as /s/ or /k/…

……but there are 16 phonemes for the but there are 16 phonemes for the 5 vowels5 vowels

Phonemes of Standard Phonemes of Standard EnglishEnglish

Stop ConsonantsStop Consonants p (paint)p (paint) b (barbell)b (barbell) k (cat)k (cat) g (go)g (go) t (tot)t (tot) d (dot)d (dot)

Phonemes ContinuedPhonemes Continued Friction ConsonantsFriction Consonants

f (food)f (food) v (very)v (very) s (silly)s (silly) z (zebra)z (zebra) sh (shoe)sh (shoe) zh (leisure)zh (leisure) th (thin)th (thin) TH (then)TH (then) h (horse)h (horse) t-sh (church)t-sh (church) d-zh (judge)d-zh (judge)

Phonemes ContinuedPhonemes Continued

Nasal ConsonantsNasal Consonants m (mighty)m (mighty) n (nap)n (nap) ng (lung)ng (lung)

Phonemes ContinuedPhonemes Continued

Glide ConsonantsGlide Consonants w (willing)w (willing) y (yes)y (yes) l (locate)l (locate) r (rub)r (rub)

Phonemes ContinuedPhonemes Continued VowelsVowels

ee (eat)ee (eat) ae (hat)ae (hat) eh (lend)eh (lend) ih (sit)ih (sit) aw (all)aw (all) ah (father)ah (father) o (note)o (note) u (bull)u (bull) oo (tool)oo (tool) uh (up)uh (up) er (worker)er (worker)

Phonemes ContinuedPhonemes Continued

Double VowelsDouble Vowels ay-ih (play)ay-ih (play) i-ih (high)i-ih (high) aw-ih (toy)aw-ih (toy)

How the Pros EditHow the Pros Edit Listen to the phrase you want to edit, slowly, in your Listen to the phrase you want to edit, slowly, in your

head. Identify any phonemes that might be useful for head. Identify any phonemes that might be useful for the edit you want to make, and decide which one will be the edit you want to make, and decide which one will be easiest to use. easiest to use.

Scrub slowly through the audio clip for the first half of Scrub slowly through the audio clip for the first half of the edit. Even though speech is continuous, you should the edit. Even though speech is continuous, you should be able to hear most of the places where one phoneme be able to hear most of the places where one phoneme changes into another. Stop precisely at the beginning of changes into another. Stop precisely at the beginning of the desired phoneme. the desired phoneme.

What you do next depends on the program you're using. What you do next depends on the program you're using. If you're scrubbing in an NLE's clip window, mark If you're scrubbing in an NLE's clip window, mark where you've stopped as the out-point of one clip. Then where you've stopped as the out-point of one clip. Then open another clip that where'll you'll be able to mark an open another clip that where'll you'll be able to mark an in-point for the other side of the edit. (You can also use in-point for the other side of the edit. (You can also use a tool in Pro Tools -- to split a single clip into pieces.)a tool in Pro Tools -- to split a single clip into pieces.)

How the Pros EditHow the Pros Edit Do the same scrub-stop-and-mark for the other side of Do the same scrub-stop-and-mark for the other side of

the edit. the edit. Join the clips together in the NLE, or press Delete in Join the clips together in the NLE, or press Delete in

your audio editor, and listen to the result. If you've your audio editor, and listen to the result. If you've marked the start of the phonemes accurately, it should marked the start of the phonemes accurately, it should be fine. Sometimes there'll be a volume difference be fine. Sometimes there'll be a volume difference between the two pieces of the edit, but that's easy to between the two pieces of the edit, but that's easy to adjust in any program. Occasionally there'll be an adjust in any program. Occasionally there'll be an intonation difference that can't be fixed without special intonation difference that can't be fixed without special tools, and sometimes the two pieces are so radically tools, and sometimes the two pieces are so radically different that the edit is impossible. But if you're using different that the edit is impossible. But if you're using this technique, at least you'll have the comfort of this technique, at least you'll have the comfort of knowing that no professional sound cutter could have knowing that no professional sound cutter could have done the job any better.done the job any better.

Edit Tips – Stop Edit Tips – Stop ConsonantsConsonants

All of these are created by storing the flow of All of these are created by storing the flow of air pressure and then releasing it in a burst. air pressure and then releasing it in a burst. There's a moment of silence in the middle of There's a moment of silence in the middle of each stop consonant, right before the pressure each stop consonant, right before the pressure is released. It can be as short as a third of a is released. It can be as short as a third of a frame. frame.

If a stop consonant is followed by a pause, it If a stop consonant is followed by a pause, it usually has two distinct sounds: one when the usually has two distinct sounds: one when the pressure is cut off, and another when it's pressure is cut off, and another when it's released. But the second part isn't important. released. But the second part isn't important. Eliminate it if you want to shorten the pause or Eliminate it if you want to shorten the pause or go onto some other word.go onto some other word.

Edit Tips – Stop Edit Tips – Stop ConsonantsConsonants

If two stop consonants are next to each If two stop consonants are next to each other (as in "The Fat Cat"), they're other (as in "The Fat Cat"), they're usually elided: the closure uses the usually elided: the closure uses the mouth shape of the first, and the release mouth shape of the first, and the release uses the mouth shape of the second. But uses the mouth shape of the second. But when people are self-conscious, they when people are self-conscious, they often pronounce each stop separately for often pronounce each stop separately for a total of four distinct sounds. Editing a total of four distinct sounds. Editing from one silence to the next will make from one silence to the next will make your performer sound more relaxed.your performer sound more relaxed.

Edit Tips – Friction Edit Tips – Friction ConsonantsConsonants

With the exception of /h/, these are With the exception of /h/, these are created by forcing air through a narrow created by forcing air through a narrow opening: between the lips for /f/ and /v/, opening: between the lips for /f/ and /v/, between the tip of the tongue and back of between the tip of the tongue and back of teeth for /th/ and /TH/, and so on. This teeth for /th/ and /TH/, and so on. This always makes a high-pitched sound that's always makes a high-pitched sound that's very easy to spot while you're scrubbing. very easy to spot while you're scrubbing.

You can often edit from the start of one You can often edit from the start of one friction consonant to the start of a friction consonant to the start of a completely different one. completely different one.

Edit Tips – Friction Edit Tips – Friction ConsonantsConsonants

/h/ is also created by air pressure, /h/ is also created by air pressure, but it's flowing through an open but it's flowing through an open mouth. There's very little friction mouth. There's very little friction there, so this phoneme can be very there, so this phoneme can be very quiet and not even show up on a quiet and not even show up on a waveform display. Be careful that waveform display. Be careful that you don't accidentally delete it while you don't accidentally delete it while you're editing.you're editing.

Edit Tips – Double Edit Tips – Double ConsonantsConsonants

These are actually two phonemes, one These are actually two phonemes, one after another, that we usually hear as after another, that we usually hear as a single sound. But if you scrub a single sound. But if you scrub through them slowly -- or have a well-through them slowly -- or have a well-trained inner ear -- you can hear the trained inner ear -- you can hear the transition. You can also edit them transition. You can also edit them separately, clipping the /d/ to turn my separately, clipping the /d/ to turn my name into "Zhim" or borrowing a /t/ name into "Zhim" or borrowing a /t/ from the beginning of "chicken". from the beginning of "chicken".

Edit Tips – Consonant Edit Tips – Consonant PairsPairs

The stop, friction, and double The stop, friction, and double consonants are listed two to a line for consonants are listed two to a line for a reason. Each pair uses exactly the a reason. Each pair uses exactly the same tongue and lip movement. The same tongue and lip movement. The only difference is that the first in a only difference is that the first in a pair relies on air pressure alone, while pair relies on air pressure alone, while the second adds a buzzing from the the second adds a buzzing from the vocal cords. Phoneticists call these vocal cords. Phoneticists call these 'unvoiced' and 'voiced' consonants. 'unvoiced' and 'voiced' consonants.

Edit Tips – Consonant Edit Tips – Consonant PairsPairs

Unvoiced consonants don't carry any Unvoiced consonants don't carry any pitch, so they tend to stay consistent pitch, so they tend to stay consistent even if the speaker has a lot of tonal even if the speaker has a lot of tonal variety. This makes it easier to match variety. This makes it easier to match them, even over a long speech. They them, even over a long speech. They also don't carry much that can also don't carry much that can identified as a specific voice: you can identified as a specific voice: you can often substitute one person's unvoiced often substitute one person's unvoiced phoneme for someone else's.phoneme for someone else's.

Edit Tips – Consonant Edit Tips – Consonant PairsPairs

Since the mouth movements are Since the mouth movements are identical, you can occasionally identical, you can occasionally substitute one consonant in a pair for substitute one consonant in a pair for its brother. Sometimes this may be the its brother. Sometimes this may be the only way to build words that weren't in only way to build words that weren't in the original. It lends a slight accent to the original. It lends a slight accent to the dialog, because we're used to the dialog, because we're used to hearing foreigners confuse these pairs hearing foreigners confuse these pairs when learning English.when learning English.

Edit Tips – Consonant Edit Tips – Consonant PairsPairs

When the consonant /b/ begins a When the consonant /b/ begins a word, some people start their vocal word, some people start their vocal cords a half-second or so before the cords a half-second or so before the release. The result turns a word like release. The result turns a word like "Baby" into "mmmBaby". Deleting "Baby" into "mmmBaby". Deleting the hum or covering it with room the hum or covering it with room tone makes it sound better.tone makes it sound better.

Edit Tips - NasalsEdit Tips - Nasals

For these three consonants, air For these three consonants, air comes out of the nose instead of the comes out of the nose instead of the mouth (try saying a long "nnn" as mouth (try saying a long "nnn" as you pinch your nostrils together). you pinch your nostrils together). That's not particularly relevant to That's not particularly relevant to editing, but can make a difference if editing, but can make a difference if your performer has a head cold. your performer has a head cold.

Edit Tips - NasalsEdit Tips - Nasals

The /ng/ phoneme is written that The /ng/ phoneme is written that way because it's heard at the end of way because it's heard at the end of words like "ring". But it's not a words like "ring". But it's not a double consonant -- there's no double consonant -- there's no separate /g/ in it. Many people say separate /g/ in it. Many people say one anyway, as in the New York one anyway, as in the New York regionalism "Long Guyland". Feel regionalism "Long Guyland". Feel free to delete the extra sound.free to delete the extra sound.

Edit Tips – Glide Edit Tips – Glide ConsonantsConsonants

These change shape while they're These change shape while they're sounding. They're influenced a lot by sounding. They're influenced a lot by the sounds on either side, so they're the sounds on either side, so they're more difficult to match during editing. more difficult to match during editing.

The /l/ glide involves lifting your The /l/ glide involves lifting your tongue from the ridge behind your tongue from the ridge behind your upper front teeth. If the speaker's upper front teeth. If the speaker's mouth is dry, saliva can stick and mouth is dry, saliva can stick and cause a tiny click in the middle of this cause a tiny click in the middle of this sound. You can delete the click easily.sound. You can delete the click easily.

Edit Tips – Glide Edit Tips – Glide ConsonantsConsonants

Some people have trouble with an initial Some people have trouble with an initial /r/, turning it almost into a /w/. When /r/, turning it almost into a /w/. When this happens it's usually consistent this happens it's usually consistent throughout a take, so it may be hard to throughout a take, so it may be hard to find a good /r/ to substitute. If you get a find a good /r/ to substitute. If you get a chance to re-record, ask the talent to chance to re-record, ask the talent to add a tiny /d/ to the start of a critical add a tiny /d/ to the start of a critical word. This puts the tongue in the right word. This puts the tongue in the right place for the /r/ that follows. Then drop place for the /r/ that follows. Then drop the extra /d/ -- it's a stop consonant, so the extra /d/ -- it's a stop consonant, so it's easy to find -- while you're editing.it's easy to find -- while you're editing.

Edit Tips - VowelsEdit Tips - Vowels Practice saying them aloud, and learn to Practice saying them aloud, and learn to

recognize them in dialog, because they're recognize them in dialog, because they're all different. You can't substitute one for all different. You can't substitute one for another. another.

Vowels and voiced consonants carry the Vowels and voiced consonants carry the pitch of a voice, which varies a lot during pitch of a voice, which varies a lot during normal speech. After you edit them, make normal speech. After you edit them, make sure the pitch doesn't jump unnaturally. If sure the pitch doesn't jump unnaturally. If it does, try moving the edit to a nearby it does, try moving the edit to a nearby unvoiced consonant instead. As a last unvoiced consonant instead. As a last resort, varispeed or pitch-shift a few words resort, varispeed or pitch-shift a few words one or two percent. one or two percent.

Edit Tips - VowelsEdit Tips - Vowels

Vowels and friction consonants carry most of Vowels and friction consonants carry most of the pacing of a voice. If a word is said too the pacing of a voice. If a word is said too slowly, you can often make a small cut in the slowly, you can often make a small cut in the middle of one of these sounds to pick up the middle of one of these sounds to pick up the speed.speed.

When nervous performers pause before a word When nervous performers pause before a word that starts with a vowel, they often build up that starts with a vowel, they often build up pressure in the back of their throats. When pressure in the back of their throats. When they release it to say the word, the result is a they release it to say the word, the result is a tiny click, almost like a stop consonant. It tiny click, almost like a stop consonant. It sounds tense. But you can calm things down by sounds tense. But you can calm things down by deleting the click.deleting the click.

Edit Tips - VowelsEdit Tips - Vowels

There are three double vowels in There are three double vowels in normal English, similar to the double normal English, similar to the double consonants. They always end with consonants. They always end with /ih/. (Say "Play" aloud and you'll hear /ih/. (Say "Play" aloud and you'll hear it at the end.) Frequently, the two it at the end.) Frequently, the two phonemes can be edited separately.phonemes can be edited separately.

BEWARE!!!BEWARE!!!

Bad dialog edits grow on you. While Bad dialog edits grow on you. While you're practicing these techniques, you're practicing these techniques, don't make the mistake of listening don't make the mistake of listening to a questionable edit over and over to a questionable edit over and over until it starts to sound good. Instead, until it starts to sound good. Instead, trust your first instinct -- or move on trust your first instinct -- or move on to something else, and review the to something else, and review the edit a few hours later. edit a few hours later.