I just got asked to do some extensive voice over work. Excellent client. Looking forward to it. 

Is there a tutorial for getting rid of breaths? I thought I read something somewhere about quickly removing silence from audio tracks. 
 
Thanks 

it is laborious....
but editing the wave forms manually, after recording, works the best.
 
 
a lesser method, would be to use a GATE;
you would have to set it exactly right, so that it reduces the ssss and breaths in real time (requires a hardware gate)
 
 
next level would be to use some editing software that is normally used for cleaning up audio from sources like turntables.
 
having the client cognizant of the issue, helps as well.
they can control their breaths, if they work at it.
 
 

Voiceover editing 101!
 
The best way to do it is in a separate editing program. Not so much a DAW. They are well worth having. I have edited lots of voice overs. Breaths can be attenuated not completely removed so much. You can drop them down around 10 dB and you will still get the feeling they are there. Some breaths are just plain loud and horrible so yes take them out.
 
Nothing beats manual editing bit by bit. No plugins or gates or anything can do it as well as you can and it does not take as long as you think either. You won't need any noise reduction if you record it properly.
 
You will want to also remove silence where they may have done a perfect read but hesitated between two words for example. Sometimes slicing out a little silence goes a long way to making a read a lot smoother. Sometimes too they rush a little section and you need to insert a little silence here and there too. Editors do it all way better than a DAW as well. In an editor for example if you slice out or shorten a long pause it moves everything down immediately etc which is what you want.
 
You may also find yourself lifting/lowering the gain of words and syllables here and there and lowering it too here and there. If you do alter timing and things always go back a little way and listen right through the changes you have made to ensure smoothness. It does not take much to make an edit sound really obvious!
 
When recording use a pop filter and get the mic in close please! None of this get the room in crap. Won’t work!  I use an analog downward expander on the way in too and a touch of compression but you can do that in post too. It just takes what little room sound there is out further in a very natural way leaving the impression you have recorded them in a totally silent environment.
 
When all the editing is done too you can drag it into your DAW and add a touch of compression and maybe even a little EQ over the whole thing to get it sounding really sweet. Dont add reverb either they won’t like it! VU meters are excellent to have around when editing voice overs too.
 
There's more!
 
Get a copy of the script for yourself as well. If they send you a script (in advance) try and print out their copy in a slightly larger font and space the lines further apart eg 1.5 or 2 spaces. And make sure there are obvious paragraphs too. So what if it takes up a bit of paper. They will read that much easier. Make sure paragraphs end at the end of a page and begin on a new one. Make sure they dont rustle paper while they go from one page to the next! On your copy if and when they screw up, mark that point with a pencil and put two little lines eg // at that very spot. (this will save  a lot of time later) Make sure they back up and re read at least a sentence before the mistake and then go on. Listen carefully while they read and listen for diction eg ends of words. The best readers make it very very very easy. A terrible reader will make your editing 50 times harder, end of story.
 
 
 

another vote for manually editing the voice-over in a purpose specific audio editor. I use Wavelab or Sound Forge (depending on my mood, I am probably still a little faster in Sound Forge).
 
The key, to me, is to listen. Some breath sounds need to be completely deleted, some need to be attenuated. You can do both without audible artifacts, but you may need a little practice.
 
And while you are editing don't be bashful about changing the timing between words, or even syllables. Make it sound musical! Seriously, the script will have a pace, and you need to manage that pace.
 
And try (it's impossible sometimes) to do all your editing before any processing, and especially any dynamics processing.
 
My order of battle:

1. Edit out breath sounds and transient noises
2. adjust timing
3. apply noise reduction if necessary
4. apply dynamics processing if necessary
5. apply equalization - almost always necessary

With a little practice you should be able to do all the editing in roughly twice real time, and the entire job should not take much more than 3 or 4 time real time. It's not so bad really!

envelopes. enter the nodes manually
 
OR.....
 
 
move the track to the top of the track view....and zoom in. Highlight the breath by dragging the mouse on teh time line to encompass it..... then use PROCESS AUDIO>  MUTE
 
I have used both and they both work fine. just depends on how you want to do it.

This kind of work is why destructive editors are still around.  I use Audition for my day job in radio, as to 90% of most stations in the US.  There is also Wavelab, Sadie, and Soundforge.  It is a good idea to have one of those 4 programs for the task.  Multitrack DAWs are just the wrong environment.  

gloglee
I just got asked to do some extensive voice over work. Excellent client. Looking forward to it. 

Is there a tutorial for getting rid of breaths? I thought I read something somewhere about quickly removing silence from audio tracks. 
 
Thanks 

If you want it to sound good and professional, it will not be done "quickly". And, why would you want to get rid of breaths. They are part of the script and the emotion in the voice. Sculpt them. 

timidi

gloglee
I just got asked to do some extensive voice over work. Excellent client. Looking forward to it. 

Is there a tutorial for getting rid of breaths? I thought I read something somewhere about quickly removing silence from audio tracks. 
 
Thanks 

If you want it to sound good and professional, it will not be done "quickly". And, why would you want to get rid of breaths. They are part of the script and the emotion in the voice. Sculpt them. 

 
Excellent point.... there are times when breath sounds are just as important to the overall vibe as the vocals, the bass, the guitars..... so it's a decision you need to make.

Of course, to many and too much can be extremely distracting. 
 

timidi
If you want it to sound good and professional, it will not be done "quickly". And, why would you want to get rid of breaths. They are part of the script and the emotion in the voice. Sculpt them. 

Best advice you will get, well that, and use the right tool for the job.