Is It Ok If My Product Has Noise In The Background (Sirens,Construction)

42 replies
I am doing my powerpoint presentations with voice. Where I live there is a lot of noise like construction and sirens and stuff. It isn't too bad but will come up once in a while during the presentation.

Would you still put this product out? I don't really know what I could do short of buying a laptop and renting a hotel room or something.

What would you think if you bought a product and you heard the occasional siren or horn in the background?

Opinions/suggestions please!
#background #construction #noise #product #sirens
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    It depends on how long it interrupted the video for and how often.. if it's just a couple of seconds then it's no big deal to me.

    But if it's frequent and it detracts from what's being taught.. then I wouldn't be happy.

    Maybe post a sample of it here so we can give you better feedback?
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Much will depend on how much background noise there is and how distracting it really is.

    I once worked on a project where background sound was both frequent and distracting. It was mostly a receptionist announcing phone calls over the office PA system. Since curtailing the announcements or shutting off the ceiling speakers wasn't an option, we MacGyvered a temporary recording studio by placing the recording computer station inside a cardboard box covered in 1" foam insulation. Worked like a charm.

    Since it sounds like you are recording in an apartment or home, you may be able to muffle the sound by hanging blankets over the windows when you record. Or follow the example above and make yourself a blanket fort around your recording area.

    If the background noise is sporadic and faint, I'd go ahead and launch anyway. If you need to , you can always rerecord at a later date once you know the product sells.
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    • Profile picture of the author bluemotion
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Much will depend on how much background noise there is and how distracting it really is.

      I once worked on a project where background sound was both frequent and distracting. It was mostly a receptionist announcing phone calls over the office PA system. Since curtailing the announcements or shutting off the ceiling speakers wasn't an option, we MacGyvered a temporary recording studio by placing the recording computer station inside a cardboard box covered in 1" foam insulation. Worked like a charm.

      Since it sounds like you are recording in an apartment or home, you may be able to muffle the sound by hanging blankets over the windows when you record. Or follow the example above and make yourself a blanket fort around your recording area.

      If the background noise is sporadic and faint, I'd go ahead and launch anyway. If you need to , you can always rerecord at a later date once you know the product sells.
      Best way for us to judge is to give us the url so we can listen and give you more positive feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author bigballin6161
    Originally Posted by Michael Meaney View Post

    It depends on how long it interrupted the video for and how often.. if it's just a couple of seconds then it's no big deal to me.

    But if it's frequent and it detracts from what's being taught.. then I wouldn't be happy.

    Maybe post a sample of it here so we can give you better feedback?

    It happens maybe 5 times and lasts for about 5 seconds in 4 hours of presentation.

    Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

    Much will depend on how much background noise there is and how distracting it really is.

    I once worked on a project where background sound was both frequent and distracting. It was mostly a receptionist announcing phone calls over the office PA system. Since curtailing the announcements or shutting off the ceiling speakers wasn't an option, we MacGyvered a temporary recording studio by placing the recording computer station inside a cardboard box covered in 1" foam insulation. Worked like a charm.

    Since it sounds like you are recording in an apartment or home, you may be able to muffle the sound by hanging blankets over the windows when you record. Or follow the example above and make yourself a blanket fort around your recording area.

    If the background noise is sporadic and faint, I'd go ahead and launch anyway. If you need to , you can always rerecord at a later date once you know the product sells.
    It is sporadic like I said maybe 5 times in 4 hours. It does not last long but a couple of them are pretty loud.

    I do apologize on the video for it, saying that I live downtown in a city. You think this is good enough.

    Would this turn you off if you bought a product? Wont seem professional enough?

    Thanks both of you for your opinions!
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    • Profile picture of the author Splatterfox
      Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

      It happens maybe 5 times and lasts for about 5 seconds in 4 hours of presentation.



      It is sporadic like I said maybe 5 times in 4 hours. It does not last long but a couple of them are pretty loud.

      I do apologize on the video for it, saying that I live downtown in a city. You think this is good enough.

      Would this turn you off if you bought a product? Wont seem professional enough?

      Thanks both of you for your opinions!
      Well, within a four hours video this won't be a big deal to me. If you do the rest of the video professionally and sophisticated everything should be fine. Presenters are not robots, their reactions to different distractional or unplanned things often reveals a lot about their real presenting level.
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    • Profile picture of the author PPG19
      Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

      It happens maybe 5 times and lasts for about 5 seconds in 4 hours of presentation.
      You are fine. People probably won't even notice. I personally wouldn't care.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    5 times in 4 hours.. that wouldn't put me off buying it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
        Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

        I think the idea of a 4-hour Powerpoint presentation would put me off more than the odd background siren.
        It depends for me.. if there's a car chases and some nudity, it might be ok..
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        • Profile picture of the author Isaiah Nixon
          Originally Posted by Michael Meaney View Post

          It depends for me.. if there's a car chases and some nudity, it might be ok..
          Thank you for the laugh, I agree with this wholeheartedly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Isaiah Nixon
    Hopefully you re-watched your video for quality purposes. Personally I feel that if you have to ask if it's okay then you need to change it but I am a tad bit critical. If you watched it however and didn't have to put any extra effort to focus on what you're saying and if it didn't call for volume adjustment then it should be okay. I'd recommend, since you're not showing yourself, to invest in some foam boards and one of those pop shield things you put in front of the mic. The extra investment will pay off big.
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    • Profile picture of the author bigballin6161
      Originally Posted by Isaiah Nixon View Post

      Hopefully you re-watched your video for quality purposes. Personally I feel that if you have to ask if it's okay then you need to change it but I am a tad bit critical. If you watched it however and didn't have to put any extra effort to focus on what you're saying and if it didn't call for volume adjustment then it should be okay. I'd recommend, since you're not showing yourself, to invest in some foam boards and one of those pop shield things you put in front of the mic. The extra investment will pay off big.

      Whats a foam board going to do? I have a pop filter for mic.
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      • Profile picture of the author Isaiah Nixon
        when i say foam boards I meant acoustic foam. If you make a square encasing with the foam that reflects sound it should, along with the pop filter, help reduce the outside sounds. This would just be a cheap temporary fix to suit you situation. I'm looking for any good deals and if i find a good one I'll comment to let you know. I'm just looking just in case you do choose to go that route.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Is It Ok If My Product Has Noise In The Background (Sirens,Construction)


    ROTFLMAO, Sirens and Construction.

    Download Audacity for free and watch some background noise removal tutorial videos on Youtube.
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  • Profile picture of the author aizaku
    break up your presentation to smaller chunks...


    and yes, get rid of the outside noise.



    you can do it!

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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    IMO it also depends on what niche you are in and how your target audience is. It might even help depending on who you are targeting.
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  • Profile picture of the author Edwin Torres
    Yeah, how loud is the noise? How annoying is it? Can you focus on what you're teaching or is the noise too distracting?
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  • Profile picture of the author bigballin6161
    Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

    Much will depend on how much background noise there is and how distracting it really is.

    I once worked on a project where background sound was both frequent and distracting. It was mostly a receptionist announcing phone calls over the office PA system. Since curtailing the announcements or shutting off the ceiling speakers wasn't an option, we MacGyvered a temporary recording studio by placing the recording computer station inside a cardboard box covered in 1" foam insulation. Worked like a charm.

    Since it sounds like you are recording in an apartment or home, you may be able to muffle the sound by hanging blankets over the windows when you record. Or follow the example above and make yourself a blanket fort around your recording area.

    If the background noise is sporadic and faint, I'd go ahead and launch anyway. If you need to , you can always rerecord at a later date once you know the product sells.
    I might try to make something like this. Thats a big cardboard box though lol. Don't even know where I would find one that big unless I tape them together.

    Originally Posted by Isaiah Nixon View Post

    when i say foam boards I meant acoustic foam. If you make a square encasing with the foam that reflects sound it should, along with the pop filter, help reduce the outside sounds. This would just be a cheap temporary fix to suit you situation. I'm looking for any good deals and if i find a good one I'll comment to let you know. I'm just looking just in case you do choose to go that route.
    You think something like that would take care of the noise? They can get pretty loud!

    Originally Posted by yukon View Post

    ROTFLMAO, Sirens and Construction.

    Download Audacity for free and watch some background noise removal tutorial videos on Youtube.
    I know it sounds funny lol but it sucks. I will definitely check out audacity and see if I can figure it out. I thought I was going to redo them today and all I could here was a jackhammer outside! Annoying AF. The fact that I will probably have to redo 4 hours is so annoying as I hate doing the presentations.

    Originally Posted by Michael Meaney View Post

    5 times in 4 hours.. that wouldn't put me off buying it.
    It gets really loud though! And you wouldn't know until you actually bought it.

    Originally Posted by Splatterfox View Post

    Well, within a four hours video this won't be a big deal to me. If you do the rest of the video professionally and sophisticated everything should be fine. Presenters are not robots, their reactions to different distractional or unplanned things often reveals a lot about their real presenting level.
    At the beginning of one of the presentations I acknowledge and apologize stating that I live downtown in a big city.

    Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

    I think the idea of a 4-hour Powerpoint presentation would put me off more than the odd background siren.
    It is broken up into different modules.

    Originally Posted by aizaku View Post

    break up your presentation to smaller chunks...




    and yes, get rid of the outside noise.





    you can do it!

    Ike Paz
    Thanks I probably will do this!

    Originally Posted by ChrisBa View Post

    IMO it also depends on what niche you are in and how your target audience is. It might even help depending on who you are targeting.
    I don't really know how it could help. But maybe Im wrong. Wouldn't it reflect poorly on the product? I know I have listened to webinars where stuff happens and I don't care, but sirens and horns lol I dunno.

    Originally Posted by Edwin Torres View Post

    Yeah, how loud is the noise? How annoying is it? Can you focus on what you're teaching or is the noise too distracting?
    Its loud but doesn't last too long maybe 5 seconds 5x in 4 hours?
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

      I know it sounds funny lol but it sucks. I will definitely check out audacity and see if I can figure it out. I thought I was going to redo them today and all I could here was a jackhammer outside! Annoying AF. The fact that I will probably have to redo 4 hours is so annoying as I hate doing the presentations.




      You could also build a very small.cheap sound booth. The example video below is long but they've made a small sound box from pillows and towels at 7:36, basically anything that's soft and will absorb surrounding unwanted noise.

      My point is, there's free/cheap things you can do to remove background noise.

      Also break the long audio up into short snippets, example say you have a 1 hour audio clip, If you start over and do the recordings again break that up into 60 one minute audio clips. That way If there's any unwanted noise you could simply redo a 1 minute recording or however many needed instead of redoing the entire 1 hour of audio.

      Example,
      • audio_clip_1.mp3
      • audio_clip_2.mp3
      • audio_clip_3.mp3
      • etc...



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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
    As has been suggested you can easily remove most of such noise by digital processing software. I've done it using Adobe software (adobe cloud trial includes such software for download). I'd record away if the noises are that infrequent.
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  • Profile picture of the author st0nec0ld
    1hr is still long enough for me, unless it is some kind of an animated movie, maybe I can keep up.
    Anyway, is the construction on your place 24/7? If you have a friend who lives/stays in a condo/hotel or a house without noise then maybe you can ask if you can come over.
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  • Profile picture of the author Regional Warrior
    Here is what I did for the same reason as yours

    Record the same amount of time the noise is there and replace with you typing on the keyboard
    ( deepens if this does not have any speaking on the audio)

    But really I would record this again unless you cant!

    Jason
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    Its all about testing and optimizing your site. No one person can really give you the answer to that although some networks do not allow auto playing scripts...
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    What about recording at night or on Sunday? Surely there is less construction then?

    Mark
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    • Profile picture of the author agmccall
      Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

      What about recording at night or on Sunday? Surely there is less construction then?

      Mark
      I was thinking the same thing. Get up at 1am and it should be relatively quiet. Do your recording in the part of the house that is farthest from the street with inside doors and windows closed.

      al
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  • Profile picture of the author vinitajoshi
    Hi There,

    The human brain is wired in a way that it always looks for distraction.
    I will suggest you to use some noise cancellation tool like Audacity to remove the noise.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

    I might try to make something like this. Thats a big cardboard box though lol. Don't even know where I would find one that big unless I tape them together.
    That's what we did. A stack of cardboard boxes, a roll of duct tape and a box knife made an enclosure that fit over the desktop/computer/screen and the narrator's chair. We even added a "door" to the back to avoid having to move the whole rig every time we started and stopped. When we were done, we cut a couple of the tape joints and the whole rig folded flat.

    Just remember to cut air holes for ventilation.
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  • Profile picture of the author bigballin6161
    Originally Posted by Mike Anthony View Post

    As has been suggested you can easily remove most of such noise by digital processing software. I've done it using Adobe software (adobe cloud trial includes such software for download). I'd record away if the noises are that infrequent.
    Im going to look at audacity now.

    Originally Posted by st0nec0ld View Post

    1hr is still long enough for me, unless it is some kind of an animated movie, maybe I can keep up.
    Anyway, is the construction on your place 24/7? If you have a friend who lives/stays in a condo/hotel or a house without noise then maybe you can ask if you can come over.
    Its not all construction its horns, sirens, screeching tires, people screaming sometimes lol. I could go somewhere else but then I would have to drag around my desktop.


    Originally Posted by Regional Warrior View Post

    Here is what I did for the same reason as yours

    Record the same amount of time the noise is there and replace with you typing on the keyboard
    ( deepens if this does not have any speaking on the audio)

    But really I would record this again unless you cant!

    Jason
    Yes it looks like I am going to have to redo, which I really don't want to.

    Originally Posted by yukon View Post

    You could also build a very small.cheap sound booth. The example video below is long but they've made a small sound box from pillows and towels at 7:36, basically anything that's soft and will absorb surrounding unwanted noise.

    My point is, there's free/cheap things you can do to remove background noise.

    Also break the long audio up into short snippets, example say you have a 1 hour audio clip, If you start over and do the recordings again break that up into 60 one minute audio clips. That way If there's any unwanted noise you could simply redo a 1 minute recording or however many needed instead of redoing the entire 1 hour of audio.

    Example,
    • audio_clip_1.mp3
    • audio_clip_2.mp3
    • audio_clip_3.mp3
    • etc...



    Recording Vocals &amp; Voice Over with Free or Cheap Acoustic Treatment - YouTube
    Thanks! Im doing keynote so I am thinking this time around I can just stop at the slide that is interrupted and restart from there.

    Question though. I see that booth that they made. How would you use that and still be able to see your screen?

    Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

    What about recording at night or on Sunday? Surely there is less construction then?

    Thats when I did record it all day Sunday. There is always noise, i am just used to it.

    Mark
    Originally Posted by agmccall View Post

    I was thinking the same thing. Get up at 1am and it should be relatively quiet. Do your recording in the part of the house that is farthest from the street with inside doors and windows closed.

    I think its loud 24/7 to be honest. I haven't paid attention because I am used to it now.

    al
    Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

    That's what we did. A stack of cardboard boxes, a roll of duct tape and a box knife made an enclosure that fit over the desktop/computer/screen and the narrator's chair. We even added a "door" to the back to avoid having to move the whole rig every time we started and stopped. When we were done, we cut a couple of the tape joints and the whole rig folded flat.

    Just remember to cut air holes for ventilation.
    LOL I think this might be the solution. Did you put like styrofoam or noise blocking stuff on the outside or the cardboard box was enough?

    Thanks everyone this is a huge PITA!
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

      Thanks! Im doing keynote so I am thinking this time around I can just stop at the slide that is interrupted and restart from there.

      Question though. I see that booth that they made. How would you use that and still be able to see your screen?


      Print the script out on paper or a smart phone for each slide.
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  • Profile picture of the author Action Man
    I have heavy traffic outside. I use the Reaper DAW, you can deliver live processing to your Mic using the live monitoring facility, and use a noisgate, which does not decrease audio quality. Works for me.

    See this one for the noise gate:

    https://youtu.be/zVWoxC3m4cc

    Or, this for live processing delivery to your Mic (but use the noise gate above)

    https://youtu.be/KkcwFEjCnzk

    Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author NickCesarz
    Another idea I can think of is to use a directional microphone like an SM58, that dramatically cuts out noises that aren't directly in front of the mic. You can also use an gate/expander plugin (like Waves C1) to eliminate humming and background noise from audio.
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  • Profile picture of the author bleght
    If it doesn't happen that often, just rerecord the parts that were damaged. It will surely be cheaper than a laptop and a hotel room.

    You other option is to try to use it to explain how valuable what you are doing is and how nice of you it is to do it for people. And then turn it into a running joke to lighten the mood of the product up from time to time.

    In the end, the most important aspect of your product is the information you are providing, not the sound quality.
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    It would be a non issue to me unless it was so incessant that I had trouble listening to Presentation.

    I used to worry about doing mine where I would get OCD if I heard me move a cup around and then I would have to edit or redo it. ( Btw, I had roofers right next to me 2 weeks ago banging away so I just moved to other side of my home at a makeshift at dinner table )

    Crazy really. Nobody cares, at least the people listening who bought your product. As long as they hear and see the Message
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

    LOL I think this might be the solution. Did you put like styrofoam or noise blocking stuff on the outside or the cardboard box was enough?

    Thanks everyone this is a huge PITA!
    We were lucky. The cardboard was enough. Since the main source of noise was speakers embedded in the ceiling, we did add an extra layer of cardboard to the top.

    You don't need styrofoam or noise-cancelling foam. You could use cheap carpet remnants or samples, old blankets/quilts, etc. All you need is something to absorb the sound before it reaches your mic.
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  • Profile picture of the author RonGold
    If you plan on selling it, go to a professional studio space and have it recorded properly.

    A little bit of investment can go a long way!
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  • Profile picture of the author bluemotion
    Do you want people to listen to you or the outside noise? Think about it, if it was someone else's presentation, would you listen to it. Whether you say yes or no, there you have the answer to your question.
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  • Profile picture of the author jimmeettee
    It's best to sound as professional as possible so no noise is preferred. Have you tried to filter out the background sounds?
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  • Profile picture of the author SamuelCheema
    Hi There!

    usually always edit my videos in Audacity before uploading them..

    From there I could easily remove background noise, and fix up any problems in the audio. Then I just through in the new audio in with my video clip and finalize it in Camtasia

    There are plenty of videos on Youtube to help with this..

    Hope This Helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author ShayB
    Originally Posted by bigballin6161 View Post

    I am doing my powerpoint presentations with voice. Where I live there is a lot of noise like construction and sirens and stuff. It isn't too bad but will come up once in a while during the presentation.

    Would you still put this product out? I don't really know what I could do short of buying a laptop and renting a hotel room or something.

    What would you think if you bought a product and you heard the occasional siren or horn in the background?

    Opinions/suggestions please!
    I don't think it's a deal-breaker, personally. Might want to mention it in your sales copy (briefly), just to give them a heads up, but I find that sometimes that kind of thing can add to the charm of a product. (It gives it some personality. LOL)
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    If your whole video or powerpoint presentation has background noise in it, then it will not work.

    If I watch a video or a powerpoint, I will leave that page fast.
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  • Profile picture of the author shmol
    Honestly,

    This would not bother me.

    As long as you have good info and I learn something, then it would be fine with me.

    Hope this Helps
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  • Profile picture of the author unifiedac
    Switch from using an omnidirectional (all sides) to a unidirectional (side of with the highest gain) microphone. This should pick up mostly/only your voice from the top of the microphone instead of incoming sounds from the side.

    Another tip is to place the microphone in a padded cardboard box to block out all other sound. Of course, this isn't possible if you're using a lapel microphone.
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  • Profile picture of the author RealNinja
    Start recording the video. As soon as loud background noise happens, just wait and stop talking for a few seconds until it stops. As soon as it stops, you can continue where you left off at. Then just edit it out afterwards. (Unless of course you're saying that construction noise is a constant thing that never stops lol)

    If you use Camtasia or Screenflow, it's pretty easy to edit stuff out afterwards and it will make it a lot easier if you stop talking during those moments
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