This is my first joke video, how to remove background echo

[ecoli01]

Hello, this is my first post, I made a joke video which cut different pieces from a long video and put them into one. However I can't go any further on the sound effects, e.g at 1:53, there are very obvious background echo when Clinton is talking, just like a speech in a large empty room. Does any one know how to remove this? the software I used is adobe premiere. Thanks.
The following is my video, any help is appreciated,

 

[keysofanxiety]

I can't suggest much on the echo but there's certainly something you can do about the cropping between clips. They have that horrible click when the audio stops suddenly.

If you're using Final Cut to edit, detach the audio files from the video and extend them over the next clip slightly. Then apply fades so that they flow into each other more and don't get that annoying tick between cuts.

If you're editing the sound through a DAW or any other application then crossfading between clips or applying manual fades will do the same thing.

TL;DR: apply fades.

 

[ecoli01]

Thanks, Keysofanxiety, thanks a lot for suggestions. I am also annoyed by the click sound, but most clips are only about half second long, some even shorter. I found it is not that easy to add fades between them. Is work to add some smooth function to the audio track?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Thanks, Keysofanxiety, thanks a lot for suggestions. I am also annoyed by the click sound, but most clips are only about half second long, some even shorter. I found it is not that easy to add fades between them. Is work to add some smooth function to the audio track?

Micro fades will go a lot further than you think. Just detach the audio and extend them lengthways by even a quarter of a second. Zooming right in and applying a simple fadeout which only lasts 1/8th second makes an incredible difference to those pops and clicks! It should really help.

I don't use Premiere so I can't run through screenshots or step by steps on how to detach/extend the audio or apply fades, but it'll definitely have that functionality. And it'll definitely make a positive difference!

 

[ecoli01]

Thanks. I am still a beginner on the commercial movie editing software, don't how much work to add these affects between so many clips. I may try some other custom tools to fade in and fade out at the beginning and ending of each short clips before joining them, hope this will work.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Thanks. I am still a beginner on the commercial movie editing software, don't how much work to add these affects between so many clips. I may try some other custom tools to fade in and fade out at the beginning and ending of each short clips before joining them, hope this will work.

Well it's not an effect or custom tool in that it's something niche. It's just... fading. You'll have that functionality with any video editing software and any audio editing software. From Final Cut to iMovie, from Logic Pro to Audacity. They'll all have the ability to fade.

If you hear a pop, fade it. Applies for video, audio; it's near enough the golden rule. It'll help. A little effort goes a long way to making it smooth.

 

[joema2]

...very obvious background echo...Does any one know how to remove this?...

This is called de-reverberation or echo removal. It generally takes specialized software, and even then the results are not perfect:

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/audio-tips-and-tricks-removing-echo-and-reverb/

 

[fde101]

Echo and reverb can be almost impossible to cleanly remove from audio. You are better off re-recording if possible.

As joema2 suggested, there are some specialized tools that may be able to help, but anything that will do this will very likely distort the desired audio in some way.

"Fix in the mix" almost never works for fixing audio problems - you need to get it right when you record it in the first place.

Also, you generally don't need to "fade" between those clips: just split the edits. Wherever the video part of the clip cuts to another clip, take the audio part and move the cut slightly to either side (cut the audio just before or just after the video) so that they are not switching simultaneously. If the background level is sufficiently off to be noticeable at the cut point, take a clip of background noise, set it to match the loudest level of the noise in the clips, and add that as an additional audio track to cover the existing noise and make the levels more consistent.

 

[ecoli01]

Thanks，keysofanxiety, joema2, fde101, I am not a expert in video editing software, so I tried to add a short audio fade in in the beginning, and audio fade out at the end of each short word that was spoken using some custom tool. There were some difference in quality, but not very obvious.

Usually what fading length is better? what I tried is 0.2 sec, but many clips are very very short，　and　Ｉ　don't think 0.2 is a good choice.

 

[Unami]

Usually what fading length is better? what I tried is 0.2 sec, but many clips are very very short，　and　Ｉ　don't think 0.2 is a good choice.

whatever works best - just make sure to have the fade of the overlapping (next/last) audio-clip match it in length or you'll hear a drop/increase in the background noise.

not 100% sure how that works in premiere, but usually alt-click on the line that marks the audio-level in the audio clip to create a keyframe. move the mouse a bit and then alt-click again to create a second keyframe and drag that to the bottom to pull the audio levels down. same in reverse for the beginning of clips.

edit: sorry, it's cmd-click. see:

(at about the 7:00 mark)