Mono vocal signal asymmetry

[slaambo]

Hi on the Board,

I'm noticing an asymmetry in the mono signal I'm recording and don't think I've seen this before.

In the screenshot you can see there is more signal below the midway line than above.



Is this normal?

Cheerz

 

[Gtoboy]

yes its normal

 

[GONZO-X]

could also be DC offset...
see if your daw has the ability to REMOVE DC OFFSET during recording.

or, maybe a native plug that has dc offset removal,
as does the Mixtool in Presonus Studio One.

 

[ashcat_lt]

It’s not a DC offset. That would make the resting point the center of the waveform rather than the center of the display. It’s pretty clearly returning to rest at actual zero.

Voice - especially male voices - are asymmetrical. One of the big tricks that radio announcers use to get that larger than life sound is phase rotation. It’s basically an allpass filter or four centered somewhere in the meat of the voice that essentially randomizes the phase relationship of the various harmonics in the voice, redistributing the energy in such a way that it becomes much more symmetrical. On its own, this is a very subtle effect. You might not even hear the difference, but it does help compressors, limiters, and other non-linear processing to work more consistently and effectively.

 

[slaambo]

It’s basically an allpass filter or four centered somewhere in the meat of the voice that essentially randomizes the phase relationship of the various harmonics in the voice, redistributing the energy in such a way that it becomes much more symmetrical.

I'd often wondered about this radio-voice phenomenon. Is there a (voice-processing) plugin that does phase manipulation in the way you describe?

And are you saying that I shouldn't worry about this asymmetry?

Been pulling my preamp loom to pieces today trying to track down the culprit. But I find even going straight into the Element 24 I get the same effect, tho' a little less pronounced.

 

[Farview]

The asymmetry is an accurate representation of your voice. Don't worry about it, there is nothing wrong.

Some instruments also have an asymmetric wave form, especially trumpets and the like. It just is what it is.

 

[ashcat_lt]

I'd often wondered about this radio-voice phenomenon. Is there a (voice-processing) plugin that does phase manipulation in the way you describe?

I once found a VST radio processor that included phase rotation. Don’t remember what it was called. Nowadays I just use ReaEQ because it has an allpass option. Some of the phase “correction” plugs (IBP, PhaseBug...) do about the same thing.

And are you saying that I shouldn't worry about this asymmetry?

I mean, don’t “worry“ about it like that there is something broken or wrong causing it. It’s pretty normal. It IS kind of wasting headroom and will mess with your non-linear processing. Thus, phase rotation.

 

[slaambo]

Big thanks to all