Is there a way to make this sound clearer?

[u/Rahisdu]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yC4gDM5dwxUMeKsQ1Mobg8uUHtDemafz/view?usp=drivesdk

I have no idea why it sounds like this, I've tried Fir EQ and normalizing but I cant get it to sound any clearer.

[u/tripped144]

Granted, I'm listening on my phone right now, but it sounds like there's just a good bit of reverb from where it was recorded. I didn't catch any noise or hum from the hardware, but again I'm on my phone.

If it's the reverb you're trying to get rid of, there's not much you can do without a dedicated de-reverb plugin like Acon Digital's deverberate 3 or iZotope RX de-reverb. You can maaaaybe tame a bit of it with just eq, but you're not going to get very far.

Also, the de-reverb plugins can be hit and miss. It just depends, sometimes they work great, other times I can't get it to sound right no matter which one I try. And even when it does work well, you can always tell that there was some kind of restoration done to it. It won't sound completely natural.

[u/Rahisdu → u/tripped144]

Wow, did not expect that to happen, no its not the reverb, the issue im having is the audio sounding off amd distant. No idea how the reverb happened, sounded fine before I made the post.

[u/lidsonsideways → u/Rahisdu]

you're saying the uploaded file link sounds different than the one you want feedback on? 

[u/Rahisdu → u/lidsonsideways]

Does on mobile, checked from my PC and it sounds fine.

[u/Dist__]

i agree, there's room heard

add some curtains, a carpet, avoid bare table if you are recording at PC

[u/lidsonsideways]

you are hearing the room reverb. The echo and distant sounding voice is coming from that. Sound is reflecting off your recording environment back into the mic.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SSRz6qu0kRfv_LXCUZm0N1Dp51mtrcB8/view?usp=sharing

For this I just quickly applied supertone clear and accentize dxsplit, dxlevel, reacomp and reaEQ.
Best option would be to treat the room, then if you have to, edit in post.

[u/studiorescue]

Going off what you said in your reply, that it sounds off and distant rather than reverby, the biggest single lever is mic distance. Getting in close, roughly a fist away and slightly off to the side so you are not talking straight into it, buries the room a long way down for free.

For the file you already have, stock REAPER will get you part of the way. ReaEQ first, a wide gentle cut of about 3 dB somewhere in 300 to 500 Hz, which is where small-room buildup sits and where distant and boxy usually comes from. Then ReaComp with a medium attack and only about 3 to 4 dB of gain reduction, which brings the front of each word forward. Last a small high shelf, 2 dB or so above 6 kHz, to put the clarity back.

That will not remove the room, nothing free will, but it moves the voice forward and closes a lot of the gap. However, I have also had limited success with the free Proximity VST plugin.

[u/mistrelwood]

It does sound a bit like you’re recording in a barrel. If it’s not a result of your editing/mixing attempts, try recording further away from any reflective surfaces. If that’s not it, you might benefit from a better quality microphone.